Yesterday Commissions Retro Electro Workshop

UKTV’s Yesterday has ordered the new documentary series Retro Electro Workshop, about the dying art of repairing electronics.

From the 1930s to the 1980s, electronic gadgets were built to be repaired and last a lifetime, and Britain had a repairer on nearly every street corner. The new series centers on Rob Howard, one of the U.K.’s last remaining full-time repairmen of retro-electronic products, including classic American jukeboxes, retro pinball machines, boomboxes and more.

Shamil and his dad T run a vintage electronic store and are always on the lookout for design classics to invest in and send to Howard and his network of experts for restoration and resale.

Retro Electro Workshop will air on Yesterday later in 2023 and will also be available on UKTV Play. It is being produced by Hall of Mirrors, which also produced Myleene Klass: Miscarriage & Me for UKTV.

“We’re delighted to bring Retro Electro Workshop to Yesterday,” said Gerald Casey, channel director. “I’m sure our viewers will be fascinated to see Rob and his team bringing these timeless electronic machines back to life.”

“Retro Electro Workshop opens the door into a forgotten world full of nostalgia, technical ingenuity and design innovation,” said Emile Nawagamuwa, UKTV commissioning executive. “Nobody is better equipped to guide us down this rabbit-hole than master repairer Rob Howard. We are hugely excited to work once again with Hall of Mirrors on this original series.”

“Rob is an inspiration and it’s great to be working with UKTV on a series that takes us into the world of retro electronics,” added Tim Green, CEO of Hall of Mirrors. “We hope everyone will fall in love with these ingenious gadgets and the art of fixing things.”