The Re-Inventors

Last updated

The Re-Inventors
Developed byChris Triffo
Presented byMatt Hunter
Jeremy MacPerson
Country of originCanada
Production
Running time22 minutes
Release
Original network History Television
Original release2008 (2008) 
2011 (2011)

The Re-Inventors is a Canadian TV show based around exploring historic inventions and testing them. The show follows the hosts, Matt Hunter and Jeremy MacPherson, as they discover and reconstruct inventions to see how ideas from the past hold up in the present world. In each episode, the hosts choose a historic invention and attempt to rebuild it. The hosts would examine the original patent information, including blueprints, then, along with additional tradesmen as needed, build the prototypes, and test each of these, often strange, inventions to see if any could actually succeed. Often, a few related inventions would be tested in the same episode. Each invention was given a set of evaluation criteria before being tested. At the end of the episode, the invention was graded and if the invention was considered to have met the evaluation criteria, it was granted the title of 'Patent Approved'. If the invention proved to be less than effective, it was granted the title 'Patent Denied'.

Contents

The TV series was developed by Christopher Triffo, CSC; he directed all 35 episodes.

The show was hosted by Matt Hunter and Jeremy MacPherson. Matt Hunter is an artist and craftsman, and played the on-screen contractor on the Canadian lifestyle program Colour Confidenetial for 65 episodes prior to co-hosting The Re-Inventors. [1] Jeremy MacPherson is a special effects artist and carpenter who has worked on hundreds of film and television productions, most notably X-Men , Chicago , Resident Evil: Apocalypse and K-19: The Widowmaker . [2]

On History Television, two half-hour episodes were typically broadcast back-to-back in a one-hour time slot. It aired on the Canadian French TV channel Historia as Absurde et breveté and was dubbed into French. The series is airing in over 60 countries in 30 languages[ citation needed ] and is currently running on Smithsonian Channel, Charge!, and H&I in the USA. [3] The first season was also released on Netflix USA on February 1, 2014. [4]

List of episodes

Note: Episode listing is based on the two seasons that aired on the Smithsonian Channel. The episodes from 2008-2009 were not shown on the Smithsonian Channel, and the show is no longer associated with or listed on the History Channel website, where the 2008-2009 episodes were aired.

Season 1 (2010)

Episode Number [5] NameOriginal Air Date [6] SynopsisInventorInventionOutcome
1Fire FightingOct. 6, 2010The team builds and tests two non-water using extinguisher designs from the past, one using chemicals combining to create an extinguishing foam and the other seeking to blow out the flames with gunpowder.Clarence MacomberFoaming Fire Pail (1896)Patent Denied
Ambrose Godfrey Exploding Water Bomb (1723)Patent Denied
2 Double-Barreled Cannon Oct. 6, 2010The Re-Inventors see what happens when you chain two cannonballs together and try to fire them at the same time.Cyrus ThayerImproved Chain Shot Battery (1860)Patent Denied
3Life at SeaOct. 13, 2010The boys build and test the Davis Life Pod, a device designed to save people trapped at sea.Judson DavisDavis Life Pod (1912)Patent Denied
4Syrian Torpedo Oct. 13, 2010The egg which moves itself and burns! [7] The team attempts to build an early Syrian torpedo. Hassan Al-Rammah Syrian Torpedo (1275)Patent Approved
5Bourne SubmarineOct. 20, 2010The team attempts to build an early submarine. William Bourne Submarine Patent Denied
6Hydraulic SawOct. 20, 2010Designed in 15th century Renaissance Italy, this saw was meant to harness the power of swift flowing streams and rivers and use this power to cut wood. Francesco di Giorgio Hydraulic SawPatent Approved
7Wind WagonOct. 27, 2010A machine, a cross between a windmill and a wagon, that had never been built and tested, until now. Guido da Vigevano Windwagon (1335)Patent Approved
8Ned KellyOct. 27, 2010The Re-Inventors put homemade armour up to a ballistics test. Ned Kelly Body Armour Patent Approved
9Earthquake DetectorNov. 3, 2010The Didong Yi was intended to provide information to the Imperial Court that an earthquake had occurred so relief aid could be dispatched.Zhang HengZhang Heng's SeismometerPatent Approved
10 Battering Ram Nov. 3, 2010Matt and Jeremy get medieval and recreate a full-scale battering ram to see how well they work.VariousPatent Approved
11War KiteNov. 10, 201013th-century Chinese fire arrow technology and a 17th-century Japanese kite design are tested to see if they can help command the battlefield.War kite with fire arrows Patent Approved
12Pedestrian ProtectorNov. 10, 2010The "Automatic Device for the Protection of Pedestrian and the Vehicle Itself" patented by Heinrich Karl in 1932 is tested.Heinrick KarlPedestrian and Vehicle ProtectorPatent Denied
13AerosledgeNov. 17, 2010The team builds and tests an Aerosledge. Andrei Tupolev NKL 26 Aerosani Patent Approved
14 Ice Boat Nov. 17, 2010The team builds and tests J. L. Finch's early 1940s ice boat against a modern design.J. L. FinchIce boatPatent Denied

Season 2 (2011)

Episode Number [8] NameOriginal Air Date [9] SynopsisInventorInventionOutcome
1Floating SuitJuly 5, 2011Inventions ranging from shoes to suits that can help you from drowning.John EdmondFloating Survival SuitPatent Approved
Floating Boat ShoesPatent Denied
2Gun HelmetJuly 12, 2011A World War I era helmet gun is built to see who would be in more danger, the user or the target.Albert PrattGun HelmetPatent Approved
3Flying MachineJuly 19, 2011See if some of the ideas that were put forward to figure out how to fly could have beaten the Wright brothers to the sky.Human-Powered HelicopterPatent Denied
W.O. AirsMultiple-propeller human-powered helicopterPatent Denied
4 Flying Car July 26, 2011With the advent and spread of airplanes and automobiles in the beginning of the 20th century an idea emerged that a marriage of the two would create the ultimate travel miracle. Moulton Taylor Taylor Aerocar Patent Approved
5 Monowheel August 2, 2011Matt and Jeremy test out designs for a couple of monowheels.Vernon VenerableHuman-powered MonowheelPatent Denied
Frank MarcovskiPneumatic bicycle crash suitPatent Denied
6Invention WarAugust 2, 2011In this episode, Matt and Jeremy modify a number of their previous inventions and pit them against one another in a bizarre battle scenario.Matt and JeremyChinese Flamethrower - Added pressurized air tankNo decision
DaVinci's Tank - Added machine gun and flamethrower
DaVinci's Multibarrel Musket - Converted to breech-loader
Rotating Catapult - Added an electric motor
7PanjandrumAugust 9, 2011The team tries to figure out where the World War II Allies went wrong with the Panjandrum project.British Navy's Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development Panjandrum Patent Denied
8Snow AnnihilatorAugust 9, 2011The inventor of the Snow Annihilator claims the machine has all the answers to winter road maintenance and is tested against the Canadian winter.Benjamin RomanSnow Annihilating Machine (1939)Patent Denied
9Solar CrematoriumAugust 16, 2011The Re-Inventors test out the idea for the Solar Crematorium, an invention that used sunlight to cremate dead bodies.Kenneth H. GardnerSolar Powered Crematorium Patent Approved
Coffin Alarm Bell Patent Denied
10Body ArmorAugust 16, 2011Two designs from World War I in an attempt to aid a soldier from dangerous weapons.Alfred BaileyBullet-Proof Enclosure (1915)Patent Approved
L.M. NorwoodCombined Trench Shield & Helmet for Soldiers (1915)Patent Denied
11Roman Crane August 24, 2011The team attempts to build the Roman crane.Ancient RomansHuman-Powered CranePatent Approved
12Chinese RocketAugust 31, 2011The Chinese were the first to design and construct a multi-stage rocket.Chinese NavyChinese Rocket (1300s)

Unlisted Episodes (2008–2009)

NameSynopsisInventorInventionOutcome
Chinese Flamethrower The Re-Inventors try to build one of the world's first flamethrower designs.Double-action flamethrowerPatent Approved
Da Vinci Chariot Matt and Jeremy find out if Da Vinci's chariot could have found a place on the 15th-century battlefield. Leonardo da Vinci Scythe War ChariotPatent Approved
Da Vinci GunLeonardo da Vinci designed the world's first 12-barrel machine gun. The team tests how effective it could be in offence and defence.Leonardo da VinciMulti-barrel musketPatent Approved
Da Vinci TankThe team attempts to build one of Da Vinci's most ambitious projects.Leonardo da VinciMultiple cannon wheeled mobile armoured platform.Patent Approved
Four-Armed CatapultA design for a 13th-century four-armed catapult that shoots projectiles, using some elements of traditional catapults and trebuchets.4-armed gravity-driven catapultPatent Denied
Head ParachuteGetting people out of a burning high-rise building has been a challenge faced by inventors and designers since people started living in them.Head Parachute Patent Denied
Fire BasketPatent Denied
Modified Parachute for use by light passengers onlyPatent Approved
Human PropulsionMatt and Jeremy combine machines with muscle and add some rockets, propellers, and jets into the mix.Horace MorrowPropeller-driven skating (1948)Patent Denied
Godfried MayerRocket-Propelled Skis (1962)Patent Denied
Godfried MayerJet-Propelled Skis (1962)Patent Denied
Incinerating ToiletAs populations have increased over the years, so have the ideas for disposal, removal, and processing regarding waste.Hardy Sunberg Dry Waste Incinerating Toilet (1966)Patent Denied
Norman StreetPersonal Waste Disposal Garment (1993)Patent Denied
Windmill The team digs out plans for an Islamic windmill design.Islamic WindmillPatent Approved

See also

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