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Industry may not exactly be synonymous with “entertainment,” but there is so much to learn about this vast and varied sector that even the most skeptical viewer can find something of interest to watch on the subject.
We’ve found nine of the best shows and documentaries — yes, on industry — that delve into many different industry avenues in an extremely entertaining way. These shows are also an excellent way to encourage teenagers to pursue industrial careers. Grab some snacks, sit back, and enjoy.
This binge-worthy show has 44 episodes spread over three seasons that you’ll want to watch back-to-back. Covering an array of topics from gene editing, cryptocurrency, and meat-replacement products, to the beauty and diet industries, the diamond trade, and what renewable energy means for the oil industry, Explained is equal parts educational and entertaining.
Watch time: 21-26 min. per episode
Narrated by Keke Palmer, this TV mini-series investigates the four largest sectors of the beauty industry: makeup, skincare, nails, and hair products. With input from doctors and scientists, the show digs into the manufacturing process, the ingredients used in these products — some of which are extremely harmful and even carcinogenic — as well as the regulations that should be adhered to within the beauty industry, but, shockingly, aren’t.
Watch time: 26-35 min. per episode
It’s hard to imagine a show about tools — from handheld to industrial-sized — being funny and entertaining, but More Power pulls it off splendidly. Though a spin-off from the popular ’90s sitcom Home Improvement, this new 2022 non-fiction TV show is not a sitcom but has much of the same comedy and on-screen chemistry between its co-stars (Tim Allen and Richard Karn) as the original, as well as being immensely informative.
Watch time: 20-21 min. per episode
Diving into science and history, this comedic yet educational TV show sees the hilarious and animated Jonathan Van Ness picking the brains of scientists and experts on subjects such as bugs and skyscrapers in the spin-off to his popular weekly podcast of the same name. The episodes are bite-sized at around 25 minutes each and you’ll want to watch them all in one sitting.
Watch time: 25-27 min. per episode
When a shut-down General Motors plant near Dayton, Ohio, is bought and reopened by Fuyao, a large Chinese company, it hires more than 2,000 Americans. Locals are hopeful and spirits are high. But soon, cultural clashes start to surface, highlighting, inter alia, the differences between the Chinese and American industries and workforces. This interesting documentary film underscores so much more than just cultural differences and evidences the need for more effective solutions to increased globalization.
Yet another spin-off, this time of the hugely popular MythBusters, White Rabbit Project stars the original show’s Grant Imahara, Kari Byron, and Tory Belleci, and takes a closer look at some of the greatest inventions in history, from weapons used in World War 2 to hoverboards. It also covers some of the most famous historical jailbreaks and heists, with the team amusingly trying to recreate how they were achieved.
Watch time: 46-49 min. per episode
Exploring the extreme changes in the workplace over the last century and how it’s been impacted by AI, robotics, and globalization, as well as disruptions such as the pandemic, this three-part series looks at the importance of employment for Americans and what exactly we can expect in the future.
Watch time: 55 min. per episode
Watch on: PBS, Amazon Prime
Though the pilot aired almost 20 years ago, Extreme Engineering is still just as entertaining, informative, and intriguing today. The show explains how some of the most incredible engineering projects in the world — the Transatlantic Tunnel, the expansion of the Panama Canal, and the Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (the world’s biggest arch bridge), to name just a few — were conceived, designed, and built.
Watch time: 42 min. per episode
Watch on: Discovery Channel, Amazon Prime
From tractors, planes, and motorcycles, to TV, phones, and radios, The Machines That Built America explores the important and innovative devices, appliances, and machines of all shapes and sizes that helped turn America into the superpower that it is today. With input from experts, and biographers, and snippets of historical footage, this intriguing show delves into the lives, minds, and inventions of some of the world’s top inventors such as Tesla, Bell, Harley, and Decker.
Watch time: 41-43 min. per episode
Watch on: History Channel, Amazon Prime
Image Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds / Shutterstock.com
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