Some Assembly Required (2007 TV series)

Some Assembly Required is a Discovery Channel television series which premiered in the United States on December 27, 2007 and originally aired in 2007 and 2008. Hosts Brian Unger and physicist Lou Bloomfield explain how various things are manufactured and participate in the manufacturing process. The show is also titled as How Stuff's Made in the UK.

Some Assembly Required
Starring	Brian Unger Lou Bloomfield (season 1)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	15
Production
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	60 mins (season 1) 30 mins (season 2)
Original release
Network	Discovery Channel Discovery HD Discovery On Demand
Release	December 27, 2007 (2007-12-27) – August 28, 2008 (2008-08-28)

Episodes

Season 1 (2007–2008)

Episode #	Item 1	Item 2	Item 3	Original Air Date
1	Magic Jump	Zamboni	Plate-glass windows that can withstand hurricane-force winds.	December 27, 2007
2	Les Paul electric guitar	Batesville Casket Company	Burt's Bees lip balm	January 8, 2008
3	Ebonite bowling ball factory	Jelly Bellies	Environmentally compliant toilet	January 15, 2008
4	Cheddar Cheese Factory	New Balance running shoes	Steinway piano	January 22, 2008
5	Perfect steel knife	John Deere lawnmowers	Country's oldest chocolate factory in San Francisco	January 29, 2008
6	High-tech golf clubs	Redesigned BMW diesel engine	Salt mines	February 5, 2008
7	Jack Daniels whiskey barrels	Cat's eye marbles	Double-hulled Boston Whaler motor boat.	February 12, 2008

Season 2 (2008)

Episode #	Item 1	Item 2	Original Air Date
1	Crash-test dummies	Old-fashioned kettle chips	August 7, 2008
2	Sutphen fire engines	Refined sugar	August 7, 2008
3	Leatherman Skeletool, Portland, Oregon	Simmons Beautyrest, Charlotte, North Carolina	August 14, 2008
4	BowTech compound bow	Ludwig drums	August 14, 2008
5	Washable crayons,	Pipe organs	August 21, 2008
6	Cast-iron cookware	Watercraft	August 21, 2008
7	The Tennessean newspaper, Nashville, Tennessee	Olhausen billiard table, Portland, Tennessee	August 28, 2008
8	Peterbilt Model 387 semi-trailer truck, Denton, Texas	Ithaca featherlight shotgun, Ithaca, New York	August 28, 2008

References

• Camacho, Melissa (2022-02-24). "Parents' Guide to Some Assembly Required". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-17. While the series is very informative, it lacks some of the spark needed to make it fun viewing for kids who don't already get a kick out of science. Its focus on almost every step of the product-assembly process sometimes makes it a little tedious. But the uncomplicated scientific explanations give interested tweens and teens a real chance to learn the physics behind how the products we use every day actually work.
• McNeill, Brian (2007-09-06). "UVa physics professor snags spot on Discovery Channel". The Daily Progress. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-17. A bowling ball. A Gibson electric guitar neck. Hundreds of jelly beans. The nifty souvenirs are one of the best perks of Louis Bloomfield's new gig - co-host of the Discovery Channel's upcoming show "Some Assembly Required." ... Bloomfield, a popular UVa professor who teaches physics to non-science majors, will debut Dec. 26 as the science expert on "Some Assembly Required" alongside co-host Brian Unger, a former Daily Show correspondent. ... During each one-hour episode, Bloomfield and Unger visit three manufacturing operations around the country, including the factories where workers make Gibson guitars, Jelly Belly jelly beans, New Balance sneakers, Steinway pianos, coffins, sushi knives, bowling balls and more.
• "Bloomfield brings science to masses: UVA prof co-hosts Discovery Channel show". C-Ville Weekly. 2007-12-04. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-17. Bloomfield is the co-host of the Discovery Channel's "Some Assembly Required," a show that travels to factories and plants—like the Gibson plant in Tennessee—to take a closer look at just how everyday things, most of which we take for granted, work. ... From guitars to Wisconsin cheddar cheese to ice-making Zambonies, "Some Assembly Required" has taken Bloomfield across the country in search of the not-so-obvious hidden in everyday objects that have surprising scientific and technological beauty. ... Bloomfield landed the Discovery Channel gig when a former student auditioned for the role of the show's host. He didn't get it—it went to Brian Unger of "The Daily Show" fame—but while there, he recommended Bloomfield for the co-host spot. The show's producers contacted Bloomfield, who is a natural fit.
• Engler, Daniel J. (2008-06-10). "TV Picks June15-21, 2008". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-17. Discovery: In this series, hosts Brian Unger and Lou Bloomfield visit factories across America and join workers in manufacturing the products about which we wonder "How do they do that?" — from acoustic guitars to Zamboni machines and even cat's-eye marbles.
• Durden, Douglas (2007-12-27). "Discovery finds host at U.Va". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-17. Louis A. Bloomfield, University of Virginia physics professor, adds Louis A. Bloomfield, TV host, to his résumé at 10 tonight when the Discovery Channel previews its new "Some Assembly Required." The hourlong series looks at items ranging from high-tech to mundane in its quest to unravel the process of assembly. Bloomfield, author of a textbook ("How Things Work") and a trade book ("How Everything Works"), is joined by humorist Brian Unger, a former "Daily Show" correspondent, as co-host. We recently asked Bloomfield to tell us about his debut as a TV host, and what makes "Some Assembly Required" work.
• Ravana, Anna (2008-04-18). "Old Town Canoe gets airtime Discovery sends TV crew, firm makes Outside '30 Best'". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-17. Old Town Canoe and its parent company, Johnson Outdoors, received national attention this week from Outside magazine and the Discovery Channel program "Some Assembly Required." A film crew of seven from "Some Assembly Required" enjoyed an afternoon of sunshine Thursday on the Penobscot River as they filmed an episode on the making and use of the firm's canoes and kayaks. Director and producer Emily Hodges said Old Town Canoe's long history of canoe making was what appealed to the show's research team.

External links

• Official website