The Microsoft Sam Show

***The Microsoft Sam Show*** is a British entertainment programme that was the first to air on Toffa since 1 September 2003. The show's premise centres around a single character ironically named Microsoft Sam, who is known for his appearance through just one image as he is installed in a Windows XP device. In each episode, he would often discuss various subjects or have a go at different activities; most of them are a failure due to his limited capabilities, which he only managed to achieve even more in later years.

Following the axing of the other programme to air from day one of the channel, Basic Tutorials, in March 2019, it is the only remaining original element from the channel's beginnings. The show has two spin-offs: *Microsoft Sam: Unseen*, a more adult-oriented take on the show, which ran from 2005 to 2006, and again in 2017, and *The Microsoft Gang*, which centered on Sam's other allies, airing initially from 2014 to 2016, a one-off in 2020, and again since 2022. It was originally produced by Slinky Pictures from 2003 until 2006, where creative differences between it and Toffa resulted in the show being produced by Toffa in-house from 2007 until 2020. From 2020, the show has been produced by Toffa Animations.

## History

### Development

Whilst preparing for the launch of Toffa from mid-2002 and into 2003, the channel's founders Max Strapps and Eddie Lungs came up with some ideas for programming to air on the channel. The Microsoft Sam Show began as a concept of a cartoon-drawn character with a computerised voice; the other, Basic Tutorials was a fast-paced parody of DIY tutorials amongst other items.

Although the show regularly aired on Saturdays at 5:45pm, the first episode aired during Toffa's launch day at 3pm, setting up the series. It opens with a live action insert of a man starting up his Windows XP computer, to find that the whole desktop appearance is empty, as he hears an unusual voice speaking directly at him, whom appears to be Microsoft Sam. Baffled and frustrated, the guy leaves, as our point of view from here changes to the computer. Sam feels rather dazed and confused and isn't sure where he is. All he knows is that he is called Sam, related to Microsoft, and nothing else. The story arc for the first series is Sam exploring his personality, with his main aim being to find an appearance and discover his identity.

### Early years

Although from Series 2, the main outline for Microsoft Sam's character was mostly complete, there was a surprising lack of content to work with. This meant that many episodes would either see Sam discuss a random subject, provide some opinions with balanced arguments or trying out different activities as it was implied that he wasn't human, with occasional dream sequences that sees Sam encountering strange matters inside the computer.

The first proper show aired at the Saturday teatime slot of 5:45pm, a slot which has remained unchanged from then. Ratings were steady at 400,000 though several critics disliked the show for being dull and alienating amongst the cheapness.

As Toffa slowly began to grow in popularity during it's first year, they wanted to give their programmes more personality. As Microsoft Sam was arguably the most popular, Toffa decided to let him introduce his show from Series 3 onwards. This decision proved popular and this would later become a full-time thing. The Slinky Pictures era was also unusual in that it had no proper title sequence or theme tune, instead usually showing the logo only.

## Microsoft Sam's Finale

On June 14th 2021 Microsoft Sam was successfully brainwashed by iraqi forces. Microsoft Sam using his many many years of experience making things managed to create a car bomb. Went ahead and blew up the Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Car. This caused all out war by britain from america as britain thought america was behind the attacks.

Microsoft Sam died in a shootout against the City of London Police. Blowing up a huge portion of london with a dirty bomb. 340,235 People was killed with 125,341 people injured in the terror attack by Microsoft Sam. This attack forever went down in history as 6/14 the day london was closed.

It was later found out that Microsoft Sam had his own island where he used to have hookers and take part in many illegal activites including Drug Trafficking, Racism, Arms Deals. Many people consider that Microsoft Sam is infact not dead and is instead using his many high profile connections including Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Soulja Boy to spend the rest of his days in Cuba.

Due to the nuclear blasts, the ozone layer around earth eroded. This resulted in a cold winter. Millions more would perish and this would mark the beginning of the ending for the human race. Stupid Microsoft Sam.

## Is Chris Connected to Chris-Chan?

This is a frequent question asked by viewers of the show. The common consensus by the boys in the lab is that he is not connect but is infact on the same wavelength. We will continue researching this topic and will come back regularly to update this page as our investigation incontinues.

## Microsoft Sam

The show centers around the main character of Microsoft Sam, a program installed on a Windows XP device. Occasionally due to the slow nature of the speed of the software, occasional notifications would pop up that would interrupt him. This would be a particular focus in early editions. Following the end of Windows XP Life Support in 2014, an episode focused on two alternatives of Microsoft Sam: one where he dies, and the other seeing him being upgraded to Windows 7 in a parallel-like situation. Naturally, the latter turned out to be the reality as the former was just a deep thought from Sam during the process.

Another episode just a year later saw Sam upgrade to Windows 10 which remained the case until the first 2020 episode where he was downgraded to an early prototype, yet somehow advanced version of Windows 3.0 albeit with modern features such as the internet. All of this was part of a two-year and two series plan to slowly change the face of Microsoft Sam, including new titles for 2013, the move to HD and finally Sam being installed into Windows 10; finishing the plan in 2015.

In the final episode of Series 21 in 2020 (also the last episode produced in-house by Toffa in a feature-length 30-minute special) Sam is seen being transported through different elements of an advanced Windows 3.0 where it is revealed in the conclusion that the computer is unstable and contains unusual features which causes Sam to jump and transport into a crude clipart looking computer, which sets up the next series and the post-Toffa produced era of the show.

The first episode of Series 22 and the first Toffa Animations-produced episode (also a feature-length 30-minute premiere) continues from where the finale left off as Sam successfully retains all of his memories at Toffa and makes a peace agreement so that he can remain unaffected.

## Awards and nominations

*The Microsoft Sam Show* had the honour of giving Toffa its very first award for its first series in 2004, winning the TRIC Award for Satellite/Digital TV Programme, which it would win again in 2008.

It was also nominated in the 'Digital Choice' category in the 16th National Television Awards, but lost out to *The Inbetweeners*.