Series Plot: TV. Radio. Phones. Airplanes. Motorcycles. Tractors. Home Appliances. Power Tools. These are The 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.
Episode plot: In the 1920s, the idea of beaming moving images through the air is pure science fiction. Most people find entertainment in books, magazines, or theater. But two daring pioneering see a different future, where people sit in front of screens, dazzled and engaged by what they see. To dominate the burgeoning market, a ruthless mogul takes on a little-known inventor in a high stakes battle that will change the world forever. Can a rugged farm-boy topple a big-city titan with endless resources? With millions at stake, it's a bitter feud, as both men jockey to claim the title: "The Father of Television.