Underplayed Gems

James May: The Reassembler (2016)

James May: The Reassembler poster
Genre
documentary
Country
United Kingdom
Length
2 seasons, 7 episodes
Rated
18+
Rating
7.3 of 10 from 18 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

James May carefully takes apart old gadgets and puts them back together. He explains how each object worked and why it mattered in history.

calmmethodicalfocusededucationalsatisfyingslow-pacedcuriousnostalgic

What happens

James May: The Reassembler is a BBC Four documentary programme focusing on the reassembly of various pieces of technology from the past. The host, James May, discusses the item, its place in society, historical significance, and the engineering principles of the components whilst he reassembles the final product back to its original state. Featured items have included a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, a 1970s Honda Z50A miniature trail motorcycle, a dial telephone from the late 1950s, as well as a plethora of other items. During this time, May was the only one out of the former Top Gear trio still doing work for the BBC. The three moved to Amazon's The Grand Tour in 2016 after they had not renewed their Top Gear contracts. Although the relationship between Clarkson and the BBC had gone quite sour, May still released The Reassembler on BBC Four. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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