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Engineering Giants

Engineering Giants

2012–Ongoing1 seasonRenewedSeason 2 upcoming3 episodesMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

How does an oil platform work? What keeps a Boeing 747 up in the air? How big is the engine of a cross channel ferry? Engineering Giants lets us see these monster machines like never before. With access to some of the most fascinating demolition jobs on the planet, we'll get under the skin some of the largest things mankind has ever created and show you how they really work.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Engineering Giants?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Engineering Giants streaming on MagellanTV via The Roku Channel and XiveTV Documentaries via Prime Video.

Highlights

What stands out about Engineering Giants?

Engineering Giants earns 1 badge: Rousing.

Reception

Is Engineering Giants worth watching?

Engineering Giants' Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all shows, from 50 ratings across 2 sources (very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional). 83% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of shows

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

80th percentile among Documentary84th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)87th
Approval (how many liked it)79th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

80 /100

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

87th percentile of all shows

79th percentile among Documentary86th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

83% liked it

79th percentile of all shows

74th percentile among Documentary77th percentile among 2010s
83% rated it 7–1017% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

3rd percentile

48 ratings across platforms

7th percentile among Documentary6th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2012 · 3 episodes

  • S1E1
    S1E1

    Jumbo Jet Strip Down

    Jul 15, 2012
  • S1E2
    S1E2

    Gas Rig Strip-Down

    Jul 22, 2012
  • S1E3
    S1E3

    Ferry Strip-Down

    Jul 29, 2012Finale

Watch experience

What is Engineering Giants like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you fired up.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
ContemplativeThrilling
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Awestruck · 3% of shows: Wonder at something vast or marvelous.Adventurous · 15% of shows
Told as
Procedural · 7% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe series presents the giant machines with a sense of wonder and exploration.
The rideThe series maintains a steady, curious, and occasionally awestruck tone without dramatic swings.
StructureEach episode follows a straightforward observational structure with no storytelling device.
Episode formatEach episode is a self-contained exploration of a different machine or type of machine, with no continuing characters or arc.
Season formatSeasons are interchangeable batches of episodes; any episode is an entry point.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Rousing · 9% of showsFun
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves the viewer inspired by human ingenuity and entertained by the scale of the machines.
How it ends · evidence
Cyclical ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeA documentary series exploring large machines with no overarching narrative arc.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% (this title) · Art 2% · Technology 1% (this title)

Ideas

Technology · 1% of showsNature · 3% of shows
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores humanity's relationship with the immense machines we build, showing how they work and what they reveal about human ingenuity.
StanceThe series observes the machinery and the people who build and demolish it without taking a polemical stance.

The world

ContemporaryRuralWildernessRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score
SettingIndustrial sites and demolition yards around the world

Content guide

Is Engineering Giants okay for kids?

Ratings in 15 other countries
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaG
  • Austria14
  • Belgium14
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK16
  • Hungary16
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • Portugal16
  • RO15
  • SwedenFrån 15 år

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Engineering Giants have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Engineering Giants?

Cast

Rob Bell
as Self
Tom Wrigglesworth
as Self

Crew

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