Ultimate Factories (National Geographic Channel)

ULTIMATE FACTORIES takes viewers on behind-the-scenes tours of several of the United States' largest factories -- including Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser, Peterbilt Motors, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson. The docuseries follows the entire manufacturing process, showcasing both the state-of-the-art robots and the skilled employees who keep the assembly lines running smoothly. Interviews with designers, engineers, and factory workers offer insight into the featured company's history, as well as what's involved in turning out huge quantities of products each day.

This intriguing series is tailor-made for curious families, packaging entertainment and education in a way that appeals to everyone from grade schoolers through adults. One episode documents the assembly process of Harley's new V-Rod motorcycle at the company's 10-acre factory in Kansas City. Viewers watch as piles of parts become rumbling engines, sheets of metal get pressed into fenders, chrome pipes are delicately attached to the bike's frame, and the final products are crated for shipment. Along the way, employees explain how high-tech lasers and diagnostic machinery add precision and speed to the assembly process, and computer graphics help demonstrate how the tools work.

Kids who wonder how things work will be particularly intrigued, though they might need some extra explanation when it comes to technical jargon or plant operations.