Machines That Built the World - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Tracker Revolution
This episode reveals the part the tractor played in helping farmers to harvest crops and get food on American tables.
Plane Pioneers
This episode looks at aeroplane pioneers. Before planes were even a possibility, a rivalry brewed as two young dreamers envisioned a future where millions of passengers could be carried overseas.
Titans of Television
How the television industry began with a bitter battle, detailing how one-time farm-boy Philo T Farnsworth invented the device in the 1930s - and how industrial titan RCA, in essence, ruined his life with its tactics.
Motorcycle Kings
William Harley and Arthur Davidson's launch of motorcycles, a revolutionary invention that changed the transportation industry for ever. By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world
Telephone Wars
How, when communication giant Western Union offered a colossal cash prize to anyone who can improve its telephone network, two daring inventors went head-to-head in a fight that would forever change the way humans connected
Power Tool Showdown
How, with a growing need for speed and efficiency, a few visionary companies, such as Black and Decker, Milwaukee and DeWalt, created the power tools that revolutionised how America was built
Tesla vs Marconi
In 1893, sending information across America was a time-consuming process, prompting two rival inventors to try to improve things by introducing wireless communication. Nikola Tesla was one of the most famous and successful thinkers of his day, single-handedly changing the way electricity was supplied and generated. Guglielmo Marconi was a young, uneducated Italian inventor who ignored scientific consensus and went with his gut. Both wanted to rid the world of wires and send messages through the air. With millions of dollars on the line, the two men battled to dominate the new market and bring radio to the masses.
Home Tech Revolution
How, with America plugging in to electric power, a flood of industry-changing innovation revolutionised the home by introducing products - such as fridges, dishwashers and washing machines - making housework easier
Recently Updated Shows
Special Forces: World's Toughest Test
Household names endure some of the harshest, most grueling challenges from the playbook of the actual Special Forces selection process. There are no votes, and no eliminations – just survival. These celebrities, who are so used to being in the spotlight, quickly learn the meaning of "no guts, no glory" – and no glam.
The Repair Shop
The Repair Shop is a workshop of dreams, where broken or damaged cherished family heirlooms are brought back to life.
Furniture restorers, horologists, metal workers, ceramicists, upholsterers and all manner of skilled craftsmen and women have been brought together to work in one extraordinary space, restoring much-loved possessions to their former glory.
Many of these items have incredible stories behind them and a unique place in history: from an accordion played in the Blitz by a woman who is now in her 90s, to a beautifully crafted clock made by a father who was completely blind; a Pinball machine that is currently being used as a kitchen counter, and a Davenport desk with its trademark fake drawers which fooled burglars - and their crowbar.
The Repair Shop is an antidote to our throwaway culture and shines a light on the wonderful treasures to be found in homes across the country.
Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! is a classic game show -- with a twist. The answers are given first, and the contestants supply the questions. Three contestants, including the previous show's champion, compete in six categories and in three rounds (with each round's "answers" being worth more prize money).
Swamp People
The Swamp People featured in this History series are the proud descendants of French Canadian refugees who settled in the swamp region of Louisiana in the 18th century. Cameras follow members of this fiercely independent group as they struggle to preserve their way of life in the Atchafalaya Basin during the most important time of the year for them: alligator-hunting season.