- Mighty Machines
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Cover of a Mighty Machines DVD.
Mighty Machines is a Canadian children's television show about machines and how they work. It is currently airing on TVO, Treehouse TV and other channels in Canada, including Access in Alberta, the Saskatchewan Communications Network, and Knowledge in British Columbia. It also aired on Discovery Kids (UK) in 2005, on Qubo in the U.S. (as of 2010), and a French-language version airs on TFO in Ontario and on channels in Quebec. It was nominated for a Gemini Award in 1996 in the category of Best Children's Program or Series. The full series is also available for instant viewing in the U.S. through Netflix and their streaming service.
Contents
Media
When it first aired as a production of Malofilm, the first season in 1994, second in 2004, and third in 2008 (done by Loten Media, and distributed by Seville Pictures) is made up of. It's like any other construction show, but instead of a human commentator talking to viewers, voice-over actors make the machines themselves talk to viewers, tell them what's happening, how the machines run, etc. Most of the episodes were filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Montreal, Quebec and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
List of episodes
The episodes were done in 2 formats for broadcast: 22-minute full episodes, and 5-minute excerpts for use as filler.
All of the episodes are available on VHS and DVD, individually or in box sets. There is also a 60-minute VHS featuring all of the 5-minute episodes from season one.
Season One (1995) - Malofilms
1. At The Airport
At Toronto-Pearson international airport, DC, a Canadian Airlines DC-10 jet, explains (and shows) his journey from the hangar to the terminal, before picking up passengers and taking to the sky. He also shows the viewers how he gets cleaned in the hangar. Many other aircraft are featured in the episode including a Canadian airlines Boeing 737 (missnamed as an A320), a British Airways and Lufthansa Boeing 747, and an American Airlines Boeing 757.
2. At The Quarry
Crush, a dump truck, explains how he grinds rocks from the quarry, turning them into gravel. A gravel conveyor and front-end loader also explain about how they work in these tasks for moving the gravel and rocks around.
3. In The City
Little Mac, a small municipal pickup truck, takes viewers out onto the streets to show how the city streets are cleaned and washed. The featured machines that do this include a street sweeper, another truck that sprays water on the pavement and a tree trimmer, all of which are to prepare the streets every morning for traffic.
4. In The Harbour
Murphy, a Toronto Police boat, takes viewers out into Toronto Harbour to show many of his harbour friends, including Blackie and Thor, two large freighters, Mckenzie, a fireboat, Oriole, a Toronto city tours boat, a working replica of a square rigger ship and the 2 ferries that go to Toronto Island, all of which explain their use of operating in the harbour.
5. At The Construction Site
A tall sky crane explains his job of working in a construction site, mainly of lifting very heavy objects into place.
6. At the Racetrack
A Formula One race car takes viewers out onto the racetrack and explains how he is transported from the garage, as well as making pit stops and racing against all the other competitors.
7. At The Demolition Site
The same backhoe digger from "At the Construction Site" returns in this episode and with a bit of help from Dozer, a bulldozer, dynamite is used to demolish two water towers and a tall cement chimney.
8. At The Train Yard
Various Canadian Pacific and Canadian National freight trains explain how work goes on in the train yard, including switching, putting the cars on the right train and transporting materials long distances.
9. At The Fire Hall
King, a ladder truck shows viewers how his ladders and tiller work, while Pumper, a pumper truck shows how the hoses work.
10. On The Road
A huge 18-wheeler truck takes viewers out on the road and also shows how his cab and trailers work.
11. At The Garbage Dump
A garbage truck explains his job of moving garbage from house to house and how the landfill works.
12. At The Cement Yard
A cement yard receives materials for concrete and a cement truck takes his load to a street and to a tall building.
The first six episodes of season one were written by Doug Atkinson and Fiona Zippan (Denzey), while the remaining episodes were wriiten by Bryan A. Auld..Season Two (2004) - Seville Pictures
13. In the Snowstorm
Buzz, Stretch and Ranger, a team of snow removal crew go out to clear the streets after a big snowstorm. Blower, a snowblower machine explains how he shoots snow right into the trucks that will carry it to the dumping station. Bobcat, a Bobcat loader, pushes the snow along the streets and Big Dude, a snowplow, explains how he keeps the snow in rows so Blower can pick it up.
14. Deep Underground
Range, Driller and Crusher, a series of machines operating in a salt mine, explain how to find the salt, scoop it up and carry it to the surface of the mine.
15. At the Ski Hill
A number of snowmobiles and other ski hill machines explain how they are able to skim across the surface of the snow without getting stuck.
16. In the Sky
Stretch, another tall crane, explains how he has to lift things on top of very tall buildings and that he has to be disassembled when being moved through the streets.
17. In the Forest
Feller, a Feller Buncher machine, explains how he cuts only marked trees in the forrest. Skidders then explain how they skid logs to the log loader, which demonstrates its agility between loading logging trucks.
18. At the Sawmill
At a busy sawmill, Jaws, a front-end loader, explains how the trees are turned into lumber. Buzz, Scoop and Big Red are many of the other machines that explain how the lumber will soon be turned into wood.
19. Car Wreckers
At a scarp yard, Shredder, a car shredder machine explains how all squashed cars and metal are sent through him, to be turned into tiny pieces.
20. Hot Off the Press
At a newspaper plant, Charlie, a printing press, explains how newspapers are printed, folded and sent into the trucks for delivery. Many robot machines also explain how some other parts of making newspapers are done.
21. All About Recycling
Backpack Jack, a green recycling truck, explains how he collects all the recycling and sends it through many other machines, so it can be reused again.
22. Laying Down the Pipeline
Skagit, a pipeline digger, explains how he is used to bury the pipes at the bottom of a river.
23. At the Steel Mill
Slab Hauler explains how, through the use of several other machines, such as an electro-magnetic crane, a turbo train and a fire quencher, steel is made.
24. Building a Truck
A number of machines explain and show how much work it takes to build a truck.
25. Building an Airplane
A number of other machines explain how difficult it is to build an airplane.
26. Ride the Mountain Rails
Work Train, who operates on the White Pass and Yukon Railway, explains how he must need multiple engines to go over the steep passes along the sheer cliffs.
27. Making Waves!
Skipper takes viewers into Halifax Harbour, and while meeting many ferries, cargo ships and navy ships, he shows how waves are formed.
28. Making a Road
Sammy, a large orange shovel, explains how, through the use of machines, Dozer and Scooper, how a new road is built and prepared for cars to drive over.
29. On the Farm!
Allis, a tractor, explains how she must pull Polly, a plowing machine, to keep the fields ready for farming. Haybine also explains how he is used to make hay.
30. To the Rescue
Sambro, a coast guard lifeboat explains how they recover a "man overboard" from stormy seas.
31. Trucks! Trucks! Trucks!
Vehicles include a gas truck, carnival trucks, and a cement pumper truck.
32. All Aboard / Busses, Subways, and Trains!
Buddy, a OC Transpo bus, explains his use of picking up the passengers and dropping them off exactly where they want to be. An O Train, a GO train, a Toronto subway train and a Toronto streetcar also explain their similar use of these jobs.
On season two, the scripts were by Bill Freeman, and the voice artists were: Alan Bacchus, Edward Daranyi, Suzanne Hersh, Santo Lupo, Christopher Quinn, Patte Rosebank, Tanya Schneider, Oliver Svendsen and Chuck Vollmar. Patte Rosebank has a listing of all her "Mighty Machines" voices, by episode, on her website [1]. The only episode she didn't work on was "To the Rescue".Season Three (2008) - Loten Media / Seville Pictures
33. Go, Boats, Go!
Features a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft, "Fast Forward" a Floridian air boat, and "Empress" a modern paddle wheel cruise ship.
DVD releases
- Chomp! Crunch! Tear! features episodes: Car Wreckers, Giant Tow Trucks, and Laying Down the Pipeline
- Tremendous Tools features episodes On the Farm, At the Sawmill and Deep Underground
- Winter Blast features episodes In the Snowstorm, At the Ski Hill and In the Forest
- Revved Up features episodes: Building an Airplane' , 'Ride the Mountain Rails and Reach for the Sky
- Diggers and Dozers features episodes At the Construction Site, At the Demolition Site and At the Quarry
- Machines on the Job features episodes Bringing In the Harvest, At the Steel Mill and Hot off the Press
- Big Wheels Rollin features episodes At the Cement Yard, Building a Truck and Trucks, Trucks, Trucks
- Lights and Ladders features episodes At The Fire Hall, At the Garbage Dump and In the City
- Roadways to Runways features episodes At the Race Track, At the Airport and On the Road
- Boats to the Rescue features episodes To the Rescue, Making Waves and In the Harbor
- All About Garbage and Recycling features episodes All About Recycling
- Making Tracks features episodes At the Train Yard, Making a Road and All Aboard
- Mega Machines features episodes Go, Boats, Go, Machines Go to School, Under the Waves, Board the Ferry, and All About Recycling
External links
Categories:- Programs broadcast by Treehouse TV
- Canadian children's television series
- TVOntario shows
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