Make: Television premiered on PBS stations in early 2009. It captured the“Maker Movement,” the DIY trend that was sweeping the country. The The New York Times dubs it “An insurgency of the inventive, the curious and the technologically restless,” and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch calls it “Martha Stewart for supergeeks.” This post presents descriptions of each episode and a link for online viewing.

UPDATE: All shows can be seen here: https://archive.org/details/maketelevision

 

Episode 101: Bicycle Rodeo & VCR Cat Feeder

We meet Cyclecide, an inventive band of performance artists who build outrageous bicycle contraptions straight out of the dump. In the Maker Workshop segment John Park hacks an old VCR to build an automated cat feeder.  William Gurstelle demonstrates the “Nibbler” tool for shaping metal and Maker Channel contributors showcase their talents through scream machines, laser harps, cupcake cars and a sly method for remotely shutting off annoying TV screens in public.

Episode 102: Aerial Kite Photography & Burrito Blaster

Maker Chris Benton takes spectacular aerial photographs by rigging remote-controlled cameras to high flying kites. John Park builds a Burrito Blaster in the Maker Workshop and Mister Jalopy shows off his giant iPod. The Maker Channel features vegetable flutes, cool remote control robots, a latte foam printer and a simple technique to mod your vehicle to make it look ‘official’ for parking in loading zones.

Episode 103: Steampunk & Polecam

We enter the alternative universe of Jake Von Slatt, one of the central figures of Steampunk, an innovative style that turns today’s technology into Victorian works of art.  In the Maker Workshop, John Park shows us how to build a remote control pole camera for taking stunning aerial photographs. Cy Tymony demonstrates some sneaky uses for magnets and the Maker Channel presents a Theremin orchestra, a smoke ring generator, a pulse-jet bike, and a clever video-hacking way to drink beer on C-SPAN.

Episode 104: Fire Sculpture & DTV Antenna

We meet the Flaming Lotus Girls at the Box Shop, a women-centric maker collaborative that creates gargantuan, fire-breathing sculptures. In the Workshop, John Park shows how to make a digital TV antenna from wire coat hangers as well as a video camera stabilizer. William Gurstelle explores the world of cable ties while Maker Channel contributors show off a motorized lounge chair, an eye-popping I/O brush, a wearable massage video game vest and a giant match made from thousands of match heads.

Episode 105: Kinetic Wave Sculptures & Shopping Cart Chair

Visionary maker Reuben Margolin creates elegant and hypnotic hanging wave sculptures. In the Maker Workshop John Park upcycles a discarded shopping cart into a stylish easy chair. Mister Jalopy details the unsung wonders of his 1950 Studebaker.  The Maker Channel segment features a treadmill bike, a remote controlled foot stool, an aluminum sword foundry made by two 14 year olds, and a super hot beam that uses the Fresnel lens from a television to melt a security lock.

Episode 106: Music Machines & Portable Trebuchet

We enter the plugged-in world of Tim Kaiser, a maker who fashions experimental musical instruments from scavenged objects. In the Workshop John Park builds a portable trebuchet from plastic plumbing pipe.  Circuit bender, Bianca Pettis demystifies the art of soldering and  Maker Channel contributors present a Smash Bat that takes moment-of-impact photos, a drum synthesizer played with Skittles, a pedal-powered tennis ball launcher, and an evil mouse that causes the cursor to misbehave whenever touched.

Episode 107: Urban Projections & Wind Powered Generator

We bike along with Ali Momeni and his fleet of mobile video projectors that transform public spaces into real-time sound and light shows on a massive scale. In the Workshop, John Park combines a treadmill motor and PVC pipe to build a wind generator. William Gurstelle shows us some devices that make it easy to release heavy loads, and the Maker Channel presents creations from around the country including a balloon organ, ball-fetching autonomous robot, and a lie-detector wristband.

Episode 108: Watershed Sculptures & Mini Robots

We journey upstream with environmentalist Dan McCormick, a maker who crafts intricate watershed sculptures out of woven willow.  In the Workshop, John Park shows how to build lively and inexpensive miniature robots.  Mister Jalopy reveals the hidden treasures of his “Compact Childhood Museum.” The Maker Channel segment features French fries shot from a spud gun, freeline skates that ride like a skateboard, an Asteroids game wrist watch, and a motorized wheel chair that shoots flames.

Episode 109: Computer Music Making & Personal Flight Box Recorder

We meet CCRMA, a group of musical makers who stretch the sonic boundaries by turning personal computers into an electronic symphony. In the Workshop, John Park hacks a Wii controller to measure the stomach-churning forces of roller coasters.  William Gurstelle demonstrates the use of a Japanese saw and Maker Channel contributors show off a Tesla coil electric guitar, a hand-implanted RFID for accessing security locks, an LED fan sign, and a solar-powered land gondola.

Episode 110: Wearable Technology & Cigar Box Guitar

Maker/designer Syuzi Pakhchyan at SparkLab bridges high tech and fashion with her space age clothing explorations.  In the Workshop, John Park shows how to build a guitar out of a cigar box. Mister Jalopy explains the value of open source engineering when he opens up his Camaro’s cassette player.  The Maker Channel features a sunlight poem, a pedal-powered smoothie blender, a beautifully handmade Theremin instrument, a clock-hacked time-lapse camera, and a cellphone jammer.

Major funding for the series was provided by Geek Squad and it is distributed by American Public Television (APT).