Episode 1
Flaming Flamingos
First invented in 1957, plastic pink flamingos are produced in Massachusetts where their beaks are first blow-torched and then lovingly spray-painted by hand. It takes miles of wick, massive silos of liquid paraffin, and tons of aluminum cups to make romantic tea lights by the millions. From a classic cocktail to a boozy bathroom basic, this luxuriously salty body scrub contains tofu, mango butter, fresh citrus, and enough vodka to make 32,000 martinis a year. Featuring an elegant physique and distinctly feminine name, follow along as Evelyn, the sofa, is assembled by a fun-loving team that's serious about your comfort.
Episode 2
Keep Calm and Crayon
The first batch of Crayola crayons rolled off this Pennsylvania assembly line in 1903, and over a century later, an incredible eight million crayons are produced here every day. With its slender physique and retro styling, this powerful hand-held stainless steel vacuum cleaner is fully assembled by hand in New Jersey. It takes a state-of-the-art knitting machine, a band saw, chain mail gloves, and a pom-pom maker to producer 500,000 Canadian toques every year. In Queens, New York, visit America's oldest bike manufacturer to discover how their classic newsboy bicycle goes from raw steel pipes and parts to awesome road warrior.
Episode 3
Get Quacking
Before they can hit the water in your bathtub, every adorable rubber duck is baked, buffed, and float-tested in this Bronx family-run business. These braided rugs start out as giant spools of colored raw yarn at this Rhode Island factory, and at least one has found its way into Mickey Mouse's Disneyworld home. These ship's clocks have been hand-assembled in Massachusetts since 1897 and have caught the eye of some discerning collectors, including President Obama, Elvis Presley, and the Grateful Dead.
Episode 4
License to Grill
At Tupperware's one million square foot facility in South Carolina, every single Thatsa Tupperware bowl is hand-burped. It takes tons of stainless steel a year to keep up with demand for this blinged-out top-of-the-line barbecue. At this snappy Arkansas facility, it takes mounds of raw rubber and some really cool science to create thousands of rubber bands per minute.
Episode 5
It Takes Two to Mango
With a washing machine and dryer setup that's bigger than your house, North America's largest towel manufacturer weaves 50,000 multi-colored towels every day. Infused with fresh mango puree and topped with dried mango slices, this tropical soap is great for your skin and looks good enough to eat. Layered like a sandwich that combines firm feathers with ultra-light down, these pillows are individually hand-massaged before getting the thumbs-up from quality control. Literally pressured into shape at this Pennsylvania factory, find out why a five-ply metal saut pan is the secret to cooking like a pro.
Episode 6
After Dinner China
It takes mountains of plastic pellets, an ultrasonic welding machine, and a lightning-fast robotic printer to keep up with demand for Nalgene's iconic water bottles. Using a plant introduced to America by Ben Franklin, the classic corn broom has been around for centuries and is still made by hand in the Lone Star State. Featuring a patented design in a rainbow of colors, swing by this Texas factory where silos of plastic beads are turned into 10,000 cutting boards every day. Potty jokes are out at this Ohio factory where humans and robots work in harmony to transform liquid clay into toilets.
Episode 7
It's Hip to Knit
Giant bales of colored acrylic fibers are spun at breakneck speeds into 20,000 miles of yarn every day. This patriotic company unveils how to print, cut, and stitch together a sturdy winter-resistant Canadian flag that's as big as your living room. Hair gel is estimated to be in 85 percent of American bathrooms, and this vintage classic boasts a 50-year history and a secret list of high-tech ingredients Smiles are a must at this upstate New York toy factory that uses tons of glue to produce 25 million puzzles and games every year.
Episode 8
Oodles of Doodles
Opened in 1895, this granddaddy of wallpaper factories uses century-old machinery to produce 100 million feet of cutting-edge wall coverings every year. A health-minded visionary first invented the Vitamix blender in 1937--the smoothie and margarita-making marvel that's built to last and now more powerful than ever. A high school supply powerhouse, this Pennsylvania factory churns out 36 million wire-bound notebooks every year using just one giant machine. If you're looking to order individually wrapped custom-colored drinking straws by the truckload, then swing by the Canadian factory that produces 5 million of them every week.
Episode 9
Roped Into Relaxing
In Tennessee, it takes mountains of sand, tons of molten metal, and a red-hot secret recipe to produce more than 3 million skillets a year. Filled with 13 times more air than the average car tire, these essential kitchen-friendly fire extinguishers are under serious pressure to perform.
Episode 10
Life's a Fiesta
Although balloons were once made out of intestines, this fun-loving Ohio company uses liquid latex to make 150 million rubber balloons every year. Its bright orange physique is a real eye-catcher, but it's the hand-held leaf blower's incredible airspeed that sets it apart from the competition. Brightly colored Fiesta dinnerware has been around since the 1930s, and this West Virginia factory can produce more than 18 million pieces in a single year. Assembled in Ohio and faster than your wildest dreams, this plastic race car bed features hubcaps, headlights, and a smooth blowtorch finish.
Episode 11
The Bear Necessities
150,000 teddy bears emerge from this Vermont company every year where an on-site hospital ensures lifetime care for every single one of them. It takes a huge pot of hot water and some super-cool ingredients to make this earth-friendly dish soap that cuts through grease and smells great too. This Cincinnati company helps bling out picnics everywhere by transforming giant paper rolls into 60,000 stylish paper cups every day. At this eco-minded Michigan factory, hummus tubs and yogurt cups get a new lease on life as toothbrushes that can be recycled over and over again.
Episode 12
Talking Trash
Designed with plants and humans in mind, there's some serious science in these brightly colored rain wands from Wisconsin. Go behind the looking glass at this Toronto mirror factory where huge panes of glass are scrubbed until squeaky-clean and then sprayed with liquid silver. Making light bulbs is a big turn-on for the team at this South Carolina factory where 1.2 million bulbs roll off the assembly line every year. There's nothing trashy about these old-school trashcans that begin life in Minnesota as giant rolls of galvanized stainless steel.
Episode 13
Found Our Marbles
West Virginia is the marble capital of the world and every day, mountains of discarded glass are repurposed into more than a million tiny spheres of multi-colored fun. A dedicated team of Amish workers combines old-fashioned elbow grease, high-tech machinery, and lots of love to build a massive fleet of retro wagons in a rainbow of colors. At this Georgia factory, a heat press transforms ground-up old truck tires into dazzling welcome mats that make a lasting impression. It takes an all-star Ohio dream team to turn American cowhides into flawless footballs that become the center of attention in stadiums worldwide.
Episode 14
Hammer Time
In a single year, this Illinois mop company uses enough fabric to stretch to the moon and back three times. When it's hammer time at this Illinois forge, man and machine turn a red-hot steel bar into a rock-hard tool that can take a major beating. There's no lying down on the job at this mattress factory where every made-to-order queen-size mattress is expertly finished off by hand. Keeping the company's flame alive after over 80 years, an amazing 12 million rugged Zippo lighters are hand-assembled in Pennsylvania every year.
