Award-winning mechanical engineer and broadcaster Dr Shini Somara is to present a new series for the BBC-owned Yesterday channel and UKTV Play streaming service.
In the Masters of Reinvention, Dr Somara will turn to back copies of Practical Mechanics magazine – once the bible of British inventors – to challenge a dream design team to vintage blueprints from the for the 21st century, using only Practical Mechanics’ faded plans as a guide.
Working from a repurposed vintage shed on a Yorkshire airfield, the build teams will be drawn from a consistent pool of returning experts, with Dr Shini allocating team members to the projects that most suits their skills.
Both Yesterday and UKTV Play are part of UKTV, the BBC’s commercial broadcasting arm which runs a portfolio of advert and subscription funded channels in the UK.
The series is being made by Air TV, the production company which makes Yesterday’s returning hit series Bangers & Cash.
Dr Somara said: “We haven’t yet reinvented the wheel, so I’m curious and amped on how and why we can improve on the ingenuities of yesteryear!“
UKTV commissioning editor, Kirsty Hanson, said: “Britain is a nation of inventors and it’s brilliant to not only celebrate that, but inspire our viewers to be ambitious and creative with their spare time. Masters of Reinvention feels like an exciting, new turn of the wheel for Yesterday.”
Air TV’s Matt Richards added: “It’s great to be working with UKTV on this innovative and authentic new format combining inspiration from the past with innovation for the future. The team will be attempting to build everything from powered cars, to sailing boats and bizarre gadgets. It’s going to be a real challenge and the team can’t wait to get started.”