Best movies & TV Shows like The Machines That Built America

Over 100 years ago, Albert Einstein grappled with the implications of his revolutionary special theory of relativity and came to a startling conclusion: mass and energy are one, related by the formula E = mc2. In "Einstein's Big Idea," NOVA dramatizes the remarkable story behind this equation. E = mc2 was just one of several extraordinary breakthroughs that Einstein made in 1905, including the completion of his special theory of relativity, his identification of proof that atoms exist, and his explanation of the nature of light, which would win him the Nobel Prize in Physics. Among Einstein's ideas, E = mc2 is by far the most famous. Yet how many people know what it really means? In a thought-provoking and engrossing docudrama, NOVA illuminates this deceptively simple formula by unraveling the story of how it came to be.

A hermit farmer discovers his late father's secret journal containing plans to a magnetic powered machine that could change the world, while unexpectedly becoming custodian of his gifted 6 year old nephew, after his mom's untimely death.

A PhD student ties unusual tremors in Los Angeles to rogue scientists, who will weaponize Nikola Tesla's secrets and cause massive earthquakes, if they can only find his lost notebook

World War I, October 1918. The more than 500 men of the 77th Infantry Division of the United States Army, who have been recruited in New York City and trained in Yaphank, are sent to France, to help break down the German defenses located in the Argonne forest…

The story of the Promethean struggles of Nikola Tesla, as he attempts to transcend entrenched technology—including his own previous work—by pioneering a system of wireless energy that would change the world.

A wildcat oil outfit is seeking to take over the ranch belonging to Pop Martin and his son Bob and daughter Helen. Bob sends his ex-army pals a "stay-way" message, which brings them on the double. The WW II vets use their jeeps, first for a cattle roundup, and then to round up the gang of crooks, including the crooked family-lawyer Thatcher, brains of the gang.

A scientist recovers a powerful weapon created by inventor Nicola Tesla in the early twentieth century. Now, the plane carrying the device and a disparate group of passengers crashes in the Canadian mountains. The battle to survive begins.

Alexander Graham Bell falls in love with deaf girl Mabel Hubbard while teaching the deaf and trying to invent means for telegraphing the human voice. She urges him to put off thoughts of marriage until his experiments are complete. He invents the telephone, marries and becomes rich and famous, though his happiness is threatened when a rival company sets out to ruin him.

Two friends join together to strike oil during the Oklahoma oil boom of the 1920s, and wind up fighting over the same oil wells and the same girl.

This program recounts the life of scientist, inventor, and visionary Nikola Tesla, often remembered as more of an eccentric cult figure than an electrical engineering genius. Many of his achievements are still attributed to contemporaries Thomas Edison and Guglielmo Marconi. Tesla's surprising inventions are revealed in his autobiographical and scientific writings, supplemented by rare photographs and re-creations.

True story of Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone, inspired by his mother.

The story behind the creation of the transistor, one of the 20th century's most important inventions.

Documentary telling the story of the shale oil industry and its lasting impact on the community of West Lothian. Presented by geologist Professor Iain Stewart.

Widely recognized as the inventor of earth's first flying saucer, as a woman Marija Oršić (1895-1945) struggled against discrimination to achieve an incredible technological feat which only today is being fully recognized. A famous medium, leader of the Vril Society, alleged partner to Nikola Tesla and admired by Adolf Hitler. Marija Oršić disappeared from the face of the earth in 1945.

Cleopatra - the most famous woman in history. We know her as a great queen, a beautiful lover and a political schemer. For 2,000 years almost all evidence of her has disappeared - until now. In one of the world's most exciting finds, archaeologists believe they have discovered the skeleton of her sister, murdered by Cleopatra and Mark Antony. From Egypt to Turkey, Neil Oliver investigates the story of a ruthless queen who would kill her own siblings for power. This is the portrait of a killer.

The shocking story of how fashion icon Christian Dior and his contemporaries including Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain, and Cristóbal Balenciaga navigated the horrors of World War Il and launched modern fashion.

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World is a 7-part British documentary/docudrama television miniseries that originally aired from 4 September 2003 to 16 October 2003 on BBC. The programme examines seven engineering feats that occurred during the Industrial Revolution.

Rescue 911 is an informational reality-based television series that premiered on April 18, 1989 and ended on August 27, 1996. The series was hosted by William Shatner and featured reenactments of emergency situations that often involved calls to 9-1-1. Though never intended as a teaching tool, various viewers used the knowledge they obtained watching the show. Two specials, titled "100 Lives Saved" and "200 Lives Saved," were dedicated to these viewers who had written to CBS with their stories on how the knowledge they obtained watching the show allowed them to save the life of someone else. At least 350 lives have been saved as a result of what viewers learned from watching it. The show's popularity coincided with the widespread adoption of the 911 emergency system, replacing standalone police and fire numbers that would vary from municipality to municipality. The number is now universally understood in the United States and Canada to be the number dialed for emergency assistance nationwide. At its height, the show was adapted in 45 countries.

Influential builders, dreamers and believers whose feats transformed the United States, a nation decaying from the inside after the Civil War, into the greatest economic and technological superpower the world had ever seen. The Men Who Built America is the story of a nation at the crossroads and of the people who catapulted it to prosperity.

The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation is a weekly Saturday morning show on CBS that showcases present-day change-makers from all over the world who are creating solutions to real needs. It is hosted by news correspondent and CBS Sunday Morning regular Mo Rocca. Each episode presents stories related to the process of innovation and also includes one story on The Henry Ford—its Archive of American Innovation, its unique visitor experiences and its unparalleled expertise. The intent is to stimulate curiosity and to inspire audiences with entertaining yet educational stories about yesterday and today’s visionaries and turning points that changed the course of history, as well as innovations and inventions that are changing the world today. The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation is produced in partnership by The Henry Ford and Litton Entertainment, a leading independent production and distribution company.

Behind every great genius was a great rival - an unstoppable adversary whose incredible vision, determination, and ambition is their match. Out of their struggles came the world's most brilliant inventions, the spoils of the heated battle between competitors.

American Titans tells the little known stories of the men who made America what it is today as they emerged from rags to incomprehensible riches: Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford, Edison, Stanford and Hearst. Their ferocious drive, innovation and often sheer recklessness took them to the top of the rich and powerful list.

From the Executive Producer Robert Redford, THE AMERICAN WEST tells the story of the aftermath of the CIVIL WAR and how the United States transformed into the “land of opportunity" spanning the years 1865 to 1890. Transporting into the violent world of cowboys, Indians, outlaws and law men, the story chronicles the personal, little-known stories of Western legends such as Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. The series features exclusive interviews with notable names from classic Western films, including Robert Redford, James Caan, Burt Reynolds, Tom Selleck, Kiefer Sutherland, Mark Harmon, Ed Harris and more.

An investigator and a historian seek to uncover information about Nikola Tesla's mysterious life and inventions.

Industry leaders including Eric Schmidt and Steve Wozniak are interviewed in this remarkable look at how Silicon Valley has produced an unrivaled stream of innovations.

A new investigation driven by declassified CIA documents suggests a secret history of bitter rivalries, government conspiracies, Cold War, WWII spycraft, and amazing achievements of Nikola Tesla, a truly gifted man.

An adrenaline-fueled ride through the culture of speculation, innovation and disruption during Silicon Valley’s unprecedented tech boom and subsequent bust in the 1990s. This mostly scripted series weaves in select documentary elements that help tell the true inside story of the internet’s formative years.

Honoring service members whose courage merited the awarding of a Medal of Honor, this docudrama series re-creates their inspiring true stories.

Using only basic tools and his limitless ingenuity, Chad Hiltz, aka Bad Chad, and his team incorporate literally anything into their award-winning car builds, including parts from boats, airplanes and even old lockers.

The fascinating stories of the families behind the food that built America, those who used brains, muscle, blood, sweat and tears to get to America's heart through its stomach, those who invented new technologies and helped win wars.

When physicist Sophie Clarke builds a strange machine from long-lost scientific plans she unwittingly transports Nikola Tesla to modern-day London. Unfortunately Tesla brings another historical figure along with him: an autocratic automaton.

Brooklands Museum is home to the world's most important pieces of motorsport and aviation history. From the first purpose-built racing circuit and the cars that broke land-speed records on it, to an extraordinary collection of aircrafts highlighting aeronautical innovation - this place has it all. But it’s a constant battle to keep the engines humming and the rotors turning on these priceless pieces of engineering. Every day, a team of volunteer mechanics and restorers are on hand to save these precious vehicles from the ravages of time. Follow the Brooklands volunteers and staff as they mend, maintain and restore the most extraordinary historic motors and aeroplanes in the world.

This four-part docuseries showcases visionaries such as the Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley and Ruth Handler who transformed a small toy company into the billion-dollar empire now known as Mattel. It reveals the little-known stories behind groundbreaking innovations like the Frisbee® and accidental discoveries like how the Slinky was created.

The origin stories and turbulent journeys of the tech titans who shape our world. We track how tech became the dominant industry in the world, from the dawn of internet to the present day.

Expert interviews and gripping reenactments combine to reveal the extraordinary life of Alexander the Great and his burning desire to conquer the world.