Etsy's Handmade Blog
History Hacker: On Your TV Tonight!
Story by brepettis
Published on September 26, 2008 in Events

About a year ago, I started down the road to developing a TV show to explore historic inventions. Tonight my TV pilot, History Hacker, will be on TV! It's is all about exploring technological history by hacking the inventions of the past. If you can, I'd love it if you can watch it with your kids! While making it, I imagined families watching the show and enjoying it together!

Rockem Sockem Tesla and Edison

The show is fresh. There are a billion jumpcuts in this show and we achieved some special split screen and in-camera effects. It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen on TV. Also, it's an hour long, so I have time to get into some projects that break down some of the principles that Tesla pioneered and fought for in "the war of the currents." I make a neon bulb, an AC generator from a bike, and I muck about with an old telephone magneto. I also go check out the power plant in the basement of The New Yorker and the space systems lab at MIT to see how the principles that Tesla pioneered are being used today.


Tonight, this show is really in your and your family and friend's hands. It's a pilot and so it will only go forward if it gets the ratings and response from viewers like you! If you feel so moved, write an email with your feedback, ideas for future episodes, or just what you think of the show! I've set up an email address that goes to the people at the network who need to hear your feedback.

I'll be posting live back channel commentary on Twitter and I'll be reading all the Twitters with the words "history hacker" and "bre" in them. I'll also be reading all the responses in the History Hacker Facebook group. I am also going to be checking out all the photos that folks post of themselves watching the show in the History Hacker flickr group.

Tags bre pettis, history channel, history hacker, inventions, inventor, mad scientist, television, tesla, tv, tv show, video
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41 comments     Login to add your own!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 4:53 p.m. jelene

congrats on the show bre! i'll be watching it tonight!! :)

Sept. 26, 2008 at 4:55 p.m. jamieson

Oh my gosh, how exciting! I just know my BF is going to love this show, I will make sure we watch it tonight!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:02 p.m. kimmchi

How exciting!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:03 p.m. tomokotahara

congrats!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. adubois

Very cool! And who would have thought there would be so much cool Tesla memorabilia to be found on Etsy! Good luck!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. mmmfiber

That's great!!! My BF is addicted to the History Channel.
He'll be duly impressed.

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:08 p.m. Karmacrochet

How exciting! Congratulations! I just setup the recording.

Woohooo! :-D

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:10 p.m. weirdwolf

Right on! Very exciting...

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:24 p.m. pawandclawdesigns

Hope this works out better than your hammock ;)

congrats!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:29 p.m. polarity

how cool is that?! I'll be watching!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:29 p.m. ewesyourimagination

Oh way too cool Bre! I don't get the history channel :(, but maybe my neighbor will record it for me! I'll see it one way or the other...

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:31 p.m. BandGeek

Man, it's when I'll be at work.

Oh well, DVR and Tivo FTW!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. bubbletime

AWESOME! I'm so there!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:34 p.m. SandraKay

Looks like the perfect show for my 11 yr. old son. I just told him to set the DVR now to record it. I'm looking forward to watching it! I wish you much success.

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:38 p.m. girlsavage

I can't wait to watch Bre! Good luck with the show!!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 5:51 p.m. ClairesArtfulThings

awesome!!! can't wait to check it out!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 8:09 p.m. bubbletime

Great show so far!! Really interesting stuff :D

Sept. 26, 2008 at 8:23 p.m. prisma

Just happened to see this article on the FP.. and thought, "Hey! Looks interesting."

Watching it right now and it's RAD. I can imagine kids in middle school watching this. Really easy to understand & really modern.

Hope to see more episodes, Bre! ♥

Sept. 26, 2008 at 8:29 p.m. Azraeljt

That's awesome!

unfortunately I live in Oz..
any chance of a podcast?

Cheers!
(and Goodluck)

Azrael.

Sept. 26, 2008 at 8:31 p.m. Wenchie

Fun stuff! Congrats on getting the show green lit and on the air.

Sept. 26, 2008 at 8:36 p.m. ClaudiaLord

Congratulations!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 8:39 p.m. MadMaggieDesigns

I searched for it and found it under "Hacking History" and missed 38 minutes of it....I will catch what I missed at the later hour.....what I am watching now is really cool! Thanks!

Sept. 26, 2008 at 9:04 p.m. doodleandhoob

Ha! Just watched it. So rad! Must go hack something...

Sept. 26, 2008 at 10:33 p.m. MagnoliaFern

I hadn't seen anything you had done before I watched this show, and I loved it!

Dear lord you outgeeked anything I could hope to do! I can't wait for the next episode, do let us know if they pick up your show

Sept. 27, 2008 at 12:02 a.m. FrucciDesign

Bre I'm watching you rigth now!!!

Sept. 27, 2008 at 2:35 a.m. dogties

Cool stuff!!!!!!

Sept. 27, 2008 at 3:11 a.m. BibBon

MAN that is so cool!! Bre you are the best!!!!!!

Sept. 27, 2008 at 3:30 a.m. 1AEON

Bre, you did such a great job!!!
My favorite part is when your glasses coming from the right, but the camera from the left!!!!!!!!!!!

Sept. 27, 2008 at 4:30 a.m. pinkquartzminerals

Aww, I just saw this article so missed the show. How many times did he talk about Etsy in there?

Sept. 27, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. PearsonMaron

We watched it last night. It was great!
Tesla coils, neon tubes, and a guy on a skateboard.
Very impressed and hope it gets picked up.

Sept. 27, 2008 at 11:37 a.m. treasurefield

I'm so bummed that I missed this. My 13 yr old is really into inventions/inventing/inventors.

Love the first pic up top here. As a kid, I took my wristwatch apart. It all starts with curiousity!

...Hoping the show catches on!!

Sept. 27, 2008 at 3:08 p.m. veryaquarian

This is so fantastic! My husband teaches Technology Education on the middle school level and is going to bring the show in for his students. Product Deconstruction and Reverse Engineering are key components in the Engineering By Design being implemented in his district. Thanks Bre!!

Sept. 27, 2008 at 3:16 p.m. mannequinreject

So cool! But I don't get the history channel either :(. And I really wanted to see this.

Sept. 27, 2008 at 8:29 p.m. Scarfish

HEY I WATCHED YOUR SHOW!!!!!!! It was really good, and your right, it wasn't like other shows out there. I loved it and would watch again in a heartbeat!!!

Sept. 27, 2008 at 8:41 p.m. ninaliza

that's so funny, i watched your show... was it last nite? anyway, i LOVED it, i especially liked the stark white backgrounds, the production quality was stellar and i learned alot.
Neon signs have been lit for over half a century?? How Cool! Give us MORE!

Sept. 28, 2008 at 7:45 a.m. AutumnLeavesJewelry

missed it, will try to find it, this is very cool!

Sept. 28, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. daniellexo

Great job Bre! Very fun to watch :)

Sept. 28, 2008 at 5:05 p.m. SnappyBibs

Bre, I am so glad you posted about it!! We enjoyed it and wishing you tons of success!

Sept. 29, 2008 at 1:28 p.m. ChristineRenee

Oh no, how did I not see this sooner! Hopefully it will be on again...

Sept. 29, 2008 at 6:48 p.m. rarebeasts

My kind of doco. Well done Bre.

Sept. 30, 2008 at 5:03 p.m. hellofacey

When do we get to see more I ask you? Loved it :)

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