‘INNOVATION NATION’
Show celebrates 200th episode filmed at The Henry Ford
“How do we uncover the stories of the people who lived and worked in the buildings that come to Greenfield Village? Usually, there are no books written about them, unless they were famous—like Abraham Lincoln or the Wright Brothers.”
— Donna R. Braden, Senior Curator and Curator of Public Life at The Henry Ford.
“Innovation Nation” is a worldwide smash hit, with more than 500 million views over eight seasons and 200 episodes.
The show is available in 65 countries including the United States.
The show averaged 1.2 million views for last year’s season seven. View totals for season eight aren’t yet available.
In addition to hundreds of millions of views, the show’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts have about 100,000 followers as well.
The show, hosted by Mo Rocca, airs weekly in the U.S. on CBS. It showcases presentday change-makers from all over the world who are creating solutions to real needs.
In addition to current change-makers, historical artifacts from The Henry Ford are often featured on the show.
The show’s synopsis, provided by The Henry Ford, says “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.“
Over the course of its first seven seasons, the show has won three daytime Emmy awards, and has been nominated for 17 total awards.
Segments on the Moog synthesizer, railroad snowplow, Henry Ford’s Quadricycle, and Susana Allen Hunter’s quilts are among the most popular with the cast and crew of the show, while they were researching and filming them.
Senior Curator and Curator of Public Life at The Henry Ford. Donna R. Braden explained the research that goes into one of those such segments.
“How do we uncover the stories of the people who lived and worked in the buildings that come to Greenfield Village? Usually, there are no books written about them, unless they were famous—like Abraham Lincoln or the Wright Brothers,” she said.
“To piece together the stories of these people, we have to look at archival documents, images, and artifacts — which offer a firsthand account or a direct reference to the people and their stories. These primary sources — like census records, business records, and personal reminiscences — each provide clues. But they can be hard to interpret and difficult to piece together. Moreover, they are sometimes inaccurate and can even contradict each other. We must constantly assess the value and accuracy of each source and compare it with others”
After assessing the information, they vetted it as thoroughly as possible before telling the story of the person or item on the show.