How It's Made
Encyclopedia
How It's Made is a documentary
television series that premiered in 2001 on Science in the U.S., and Discovery Channel Canada
in Canada. The program is produced in the Canadian
province
of Quebec
by Productions MAJ, Inc. and Productions MAJ 2.
program showing how common, everyday items (including foodstuffs like bubblegum
, industrial products such as motors
, musical instruments such as guitar
s, and sporting goods such as snowboards) are manufactured. It is filmed to simplify overdubbing in different languages. For example, the show avoids showing a narrator or host onscreen, does not often have employees of featured companies speak on camera, and keeps human interaction with the manufacturing process to a bare minimum. An offscreen narrator explains each process, sometimes making use of pun
s. Each half hour show usually has three or four main segments, with each product getting a demonstration of about five minutes, with exceptions for more complex products. Usually every show has at least 1 product with a 'History bite' before it, showing how and where the product originated, and what people used before it. The history bite is shown through different cartoon animations actually being 'drawn' on-screen by a computer program.
Additionally, in June 2008, Science Channel began airing How It's Made: Remix, consisting of previous segments arranged into theme episodes ("Food", "Sporting Goods", etc.).
and Discovery Civilization Channel
, and in French on Ztélé
. The program is also broadcast abroad, for example, in the United States (on Science and, now rarely, on the Discovery Channel
), the UK (on Discovery Channel UK
, Discovery Science
and Quest
), Italy on Discovery Science I, Norway (translated into Norwegian on Discovery Channel
and Discovery Science
), and Poland (translated into Polish on Discovery Channel Polska and Discovery Science Channel Polska). In Germany it is broadcast on DMAX
in German under the title So wird's gemacht. The show is also broadcast under various titles: in Portuguese under the title O Segredo das Coisas, in Spanish under the title Así se hace, in French under the title Comment c'est fait, in Polish under the title Jak to jest zrobione, in Hungarian under the title Hogyan készült, in Romanian
under the title Cum se fabrică, in Italian under the title Come è fatto, in Russian under the title Как это работает, Norwegian under the title Hvordan den lages in Finnish under the title Miten se tehtiin? and in Czech Republic under the title Jak se to dělá.
Additionally, a different voice-over track is recorded for U.S. audiences by Brooks T. Moore
(Seasons 1-8, 2001–2007, 2008–present) or Zac Fine (2007–2008). The main difference in the versions is that the U.S. host gives units of measurement in United States customary units
instead of metric units
. At one point in the U.S. run, a subtitled conversion was shown on-screen over the original narration instead.
In April 2007, all episodes run in the United States (on the Discovery Channel
and Science) had the individual season openings replaced with a new opening used for every episode. Additionally, similar to most other Discovery Channel shows, the credits now run during the last segment, with only a blue screen and the request for feedback (and the website) at the end.
In September 2007, the 9th season began airing on Science, along with new openings, graphics, and soundtracks. In addition, Zac Fine replaced Moore as the narrator. However, the eleventh season, which started airing in September 2008, reinstated Moore as the narrator and reverted to a previous title sequence and soundtrack.
In the UK, rest of Europe and (in some cases) Southeast Asia, the series is narrated by Tony Hirst
. All episodes have been shown in the UK on the UK Discovery Channel, Quest (TV channel)
and the UK Discovery Science channel.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television series that premiered in 2001 on Science in the U.S., and Discovery Channel Canada
Discovery Channel Canada
Discovery Channel is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel devoted to nature, adventure, science and technology programming. Discovery Channel is currently owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc...
in Canada. The program is produced in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
by Productions MAJ, Inc. and Productions MAJ 2.
Format
The show is a documentaryDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
program showing how common, everyday items (including foodstuffs like bubblegum
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is a type of elastic chewing gum, designed to be blown out of the mouth as a bubble.-History:In 1928, Walter Diemer, an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia, was experimenting with new gum recipes. One recipe was found to be less sticky than regular chewing gum,...
, industrial products such as motors
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
, musical instruments such as guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, and sporting goods such as snowboards) are manufactured. It is filmed to simplify overdubbing in different languages. For example, the show avoids showing a narrator or host onscreen, does not often have employees of featured companies speak on camera, and keeps human interaction with the manufacturing process to a bare minimum. An offscreen narrator explains each process, sometimes making use of pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s. Each half hour show usually has three or four main segments, with each product getting a demonstration of about five minutes, with exceptions for more complex products. Usually every show has at least 1 product with a 'History bite' before it, showing how and where the product originated, and what people used before it. The history bite is shown through different cartoon animations actually being 'drawn' on-screen by a computer program.
Additionally, in June 2008, Science Channel began airing How It's Made: Remix, consisting of previous segments arranged into theme episodes ("Food", "Sporting Goods", etc.).
Languages
It is broadcast in English on Discovery Channel CanadaDiscovery Channel Canada
Discovery Channel is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel devoted to nature, adventure, science and technology programming. Discovery Channel is currently owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc...
and Discovery Civilization Channel
Discovery Civilization Channel
Discovery Science is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by CTV Speciality Television Inc. in partnership with Discovery Communications airing science-related programming.-History:...
, and in French on Ztélé
Ztélé
Ztélé is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media. Ztélé focuses on programming primarily from the science fiction, fantasy, and technology genres consisting of dramas, films, documentaries, and more.-History:...
. The program is also broadcast abroad, for example, in the United States (on Science and, now rarely, on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
), the UK (on Discovery Channel UK
Discovery Channel UK
Discovery Channel operated by Discovery Networks Western Europe produces an English speaking channel which targets the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel's programming is based on programming produced by Discovery Networks Europe, Discovery Channel Canada and Discovery Channel from the US.It...
, Discovery Science
Discovery Science
Discovery science is a scientific methodology which emphasizes analysis of large volumes of experimental data with the goal of finding new patterns or correlations, leading to hypothesis formation and other scientific methodologies.Discovery-based methodologies are often viewed in contrast to...
and Quest
Quest (TV channel)
Quest is a TV channel in the United Kingdom. Quest provides factual, lifestyle, entertainment programmes and other imported material. The channel is operated by Discovery Networks Western Europe.-History:...
), Italy on Discovery Science I, Norway (translated into Norwegian on Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
and Discovery Science
Discovery Science
Discovery science is a scientific methodology which emphasizes analysis of large volumes of experimental data with the goal of finding new patterns or correlations, leading to hypothesis formation and other scientific methodologies.Discovery-based methodologies are often viewed in contrast to...
), and Poland (translated into Polish on Discovery Channel Polska and Discovery Science Channel Polska). In Germany it is broadcast on DMAX
DMAX (TV channel)
DMAX is a men's lifestyle channel operated by Discovery Networks Deutschland free-to-air in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Though the channel is widely available throughout the rest of Europe...
in German under the title So wird's gemacht. The show is also broadcast under various titles: in Portuguese under the title O Segredo das Coisas, in Spanish under the title Así se hace, in French under the title Comment c'est fait, in Polish under the title Jak to jest zrobione, in Hungarian under the title Hogyan készült, in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
under the title Cum se fabrică, in Italian under the title Come è fatto, in Russian under the title Как это работает, Norwegian under the title Hvordan den lages in Finnish under the title Miten se tehtiin? and in Czech Republic under the title Jak se to dělá.
Hosts
- Mark TewksburyMark TewksburyMark Tewksbury, MSM is a Canadian former swimmer. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the 100 metres backstroke at the 1992 Summer Olympics...
- Season 1 (2001) - Lynn Herzeg - Seasons 2 - 4 (2002–2004)
- June Wallack - Season 5 (2005)
- Lynne AdamsLynne AdamsLynne Adams is an American actress.Adams played the role of Leslie Jackson Bauer Norris from 1966–71 and again from 1973-76 on The Guiding Light. She was the second generation in her family to act on the program; both her parents had roles in the radio incarnation in the 1940s...
- Season 6 - (2006–present)
Additionally, a different voice-over track is recorded for U.S. audiences by Brooks T. Moore
Brooks Moore
Brooks Moore is a television narrator who has primarily provided voiceovers for programs broadcast on the Discovery Channel and its related networks. His most prominent work is narrating How It's Made for broadcast in the United States...
(Seasons 1-8, 2001–2007, 2008–present) or Zac Fine (2007–2008). The main difference in the versions is that the U.S. host gives units of measurement in United States customary units
United States customary units
United States customary units are a system of measurements commonly used in the United States. Many U.S. units are virtually identical to their imperial counterparts, but the U.S. customary system developed from English units used in the British Empire before the system of imperial units was...
instead of metric units
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
. At one point in the U.S. run, a subtitled conversion was shown on-screen over the original narration instead.
In April 2007, all episodes run in the United States (on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
and Science) had the individual season openings replaced with a new opening used for every episode. Additionally, similar to most other Discovery Channel shows, the credits now run during the last segment, with only a blue screen and the request for feedback (and the website) at the end.
In September 2007, the 9th season began airing on Science, along with new openings, graphics, and soundtracks. In addition, Zac Fine replaced Moore as the narrator. However, the eleventh season, which started airing in September 2008, reinstated Moore as the narrator and reverted to a previous title sequence and soundtrack.
In the UK, rest of Europe and (in some cases) Southeast Asia, the series is narrated by Tony Hirst
Tony Hirst
Tony Hirst is a British actor and theatre director, best known for playing Mike Barnes on the British soap opera Hollyoaks and currently stars in Coronation Street as the love interest of Eileen Grimshaw.- Filmography :...
. All episodes have been shown in the UK on the UK Discovery Channel, Quest (TV channel)
Quest (TV channel)
Quest is a TV channel in the United Kingdom. Quest provides factual, lifestyle, entertainment programmes and other imported material. The channel is operated by Discovery Networks Western Europe.-History:...
and the UK Discovery Science channel.
See also
- HowStuffWorksHowStuffWorksHowStuffWorks is a commercial edutainment website that was founded by Marshall Brain with the goal of giving its target audience an insight into the way in which many things work. The site uses various media in its effort to explain complex concepts, terminology and mechanisms, including...
- Cool Stuff: How It WorksCool Stuff: How It WorksCool Stuff: How It Works is a four-part documentary television mini-series that premiered in 2007 on the Discovery Channel. The program is based on an existing book about how "Modern Marvels" actually work...
- How Do They Do It?How Do They Do It?How Do They Do It? is a television series produced by Wag TV for Discovery Channel. Each programme explores how 2 or 3 ordinary objects are made and used...
- Modern MarvelsModern MarvelsModern Marvels is a documentary television series that premiered on January 1, 1995 on History. The program focuses on how technologies affect and are used in today's society....
- Some Assembly RequiredSome Assembly Required (TV series)Some Assembly Required is a Discovery Channel TV series which premiered in the United States on December 27, 2007 and originally aired in 2007 and 2008. Hosts Brian Unger and physicist Lou Bloomfield explain how various things are manufactured and participate in the manufacturing process.-Season 1:...
External links
- How It's Made at Science Channel