The History Channel is building out its popular “That Built” franchise with three more spinoffs: “The Machines That Built America,” “The Toys That Built America” and “The Engineering That Built the World.”
It has also ordered a new batch of “The Men Who Built America” episodes, though the cable channel has rebranded that one to be the gender-neutral “The Titans That Built America.” (The five “Titans” being profiled in this installment are still all men, however.)
With these new spinoffs, another in development and the currently airing Season 2 of “The Food That Built America,” the franchise now boasts six series.
“The Titans that Built America,” executive produced by Appian Way Productions’ Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson and Stephen David Entertainment, will air across three consecutive nights beginning on Monday, May 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The updated “Men Who Built America” will detail the rivalry of the next generation of American titans: Henry Ford, JP Morgan Jr., William Chrysler, William Boeing and Pierre DuPont, who fought each other and FDR to build billion-dollar empires in automobiles, airplanes, arms and skyscrapers only to come together to defeat Adolf Hitler in World War II.
Below are the details of the new “That Built” series, all in History Channel’s own words.
“The Titans That Built America”
Airs three consecutive nights beginning Monday, May 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
“The Titans That Built America” is a three-night miniseries event that chronicles the incredible rise and fierce rivalries of industrial heavy hitters William Boeing, Walter Chrysler, JP Morgan Jr, and Pierre Du Pont. The ruthless, innovative and cunning titans battled each other — and FDR — to create entirely new industries at a time when the country was in absolute peril. The Great Depression ravaged not only the economy, but also the American way of life. Out of that rubble, this new age of robber barons emerges to once again help lift America to new heights. From revolutionizing the automobile and erecting monuments and skyscrapers, to conquering human flight and fueling the American victory in World War II, they show that fortune favors the bold and together they not only resurrect the nation in a time of need, but ultimately band together to help defeat our country’s greatest enemy.
“The Titans That Built America” is produced for The History Channel by Stephen David Entertainment, a Banijay Group Company. Stephen David, Tim Kelly and Joey Allen serve as executive producers for Stephen David Entertainment. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson serve as executive producers for Appian Way Productions. Phillip Watson serves as co-executive producer. Eli Lehrer, Mary E. Donahue and Zachary Behr are executive producers for The History Channel.
“The Toys That Built America”
Four one-hour episodes
Against the backdrop of major events in American history like the Civil War and the Great Depression, “The Toys that Built America” shares a different story — one that brings new products and nostalgic toys to the forefront as driving forces behind untold cultural and economic shifts. The four-part docuseries showcases visionaries such as the Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley and Ruth Handler who transformed a small toy company into the billion-dollar empire now known as Mattel. It reveals the little-known stories behind ground-breaking innovations like the Frisbee, and accidental discoveries like how the Slinky was created. Additionally, the docuseries unveils competitive rivalries between iconic brands that changed the fabric of our nation forever. Blending dramatic reenactments and archival footage with interviews from experts, biographers, and others, “The Toys That Built America” brings to life the surprising tales of the men and women who created some of America’s most beloved and enduring toys including Silly Putty, Monopoly, Barbie, G.I. Joe, and other famous classics.
“The Toys That Built America” (w.t.) is produced for The History Channel by the Six West Media group. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat and Matthew Pearl serve as executive producers for the Six West Media group. Jim Pasquarella and Mary E. Donahue serve as executive producers for The History Channel.
“The Machines That Built America”
(Eight one-hour episodes)
TV. Radio. Phones. Airplanes. Motorcycles. Tractors. Home Appliances. Power Tools. These are “Machines That Built America.” This docuseries reveals the surprising stories and rivalries behind the ground-breaking innovations that turned America into a superpower. Blending dramatic reenactments and archival footage with interviews from experts, biographers, and others, “The Machines That Built America” brings to life some of America’s most storied inventors: Nikola Tesla, William Harley, Alexander Graham Bell, Duncan Black, Alonzo Decker, and many more. In eight episodes, viewers will meet these larger-than-life characters, inhabit their rivalries, and ride the rollercoaster of triumph and failure as they search for a breakthrough that will change humanity.
“The Machines That Built America” (w.t.) is produced for The History Channel by the Six West Media group. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat and Matthew Pearl serve as executive producers for the Six West Media group. Zachary Behr and Mary E. Donahue serve as executive producers for The History Channel.
“The Engineering That Built the World”
(Eight one-hour episodes)
The Golden Gate Bridge. The Panama Canal. The Transcontinental Railroad. Iconic structures that have shaped and defined our nation and our world. “The Engineering That Built the World” tells the stories of the brilliant visionaries behind the most epic builds of the past two centuries. Against insurmountable challenges, these are the unknown tales of rivalries, egos, backdoor politics and the brilliant innovations behind iconic feats of engineering that made the future possible.
“The Engineering That Built the World” (w.t.) is produced for The History Channel by the Six West Media group. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat and Matthew Pearl serve as executive producers for the Six West Media group. Jim Pasquarella and Brooke Townsend serve as executive producers for The History Channel.