Dr Karl’s How Things Work

We follow Dr Karl as he travels across Australia, stepping behind factory doors to see how some of Australia’s best loved products are made. He’ll uncover their inner workings… and meet the people who keep them going. From the factory floor to the packing lines, this series will offer a fascinating insight into the processes required to make our everyday products – from ginger beer and toilet paper to cricket balls.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

An ABC original. Producers: David Symonds, Bruce Permezel, Oliver Graham, Suzanna Vuletich. Executive Producer: Dr Penny Palmer. Series Producer: Elle Gibbons. ABC Head of Documentary and Specialist: Susie Jones

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Tuesday 7 January 8pm

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Episode 1: Toilet Paper

Tuesday 7 January 8.00pm

The battle for bog roll during the Covid 19 years showed us just how much we Aussies value the stuff. In this episode Dr Karl lifts the lid to discover how recycled toilet paper is made at the Encore toilet paper factory.

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Episode 2: Chocolate

Tuesday 14 January 8.00pm

At the Haigh’s chocolate factory, Dr Karl gets the full Willy Wonka experience of how this sweet treat is made. Following it from bean to bar he discovers that the future of chocolate is in jeopardy.

Episode 3: Ginger Beer

Tuesday 21 January 8.00pm

Dr Karl takes a peek inside the Bundaberg Ginger Beer Master Brewery. From the ginger farm to the packing line – he sees how this iconic soft drink, that’s made from a spice and then fermented is made.

All six episodes from this series are now available on iView. The remaining three episodes will discuss the manufacturing of cricket balls, Allen’s lollies and Bega Cheese.

Tonight’s first episode (toilet paper) has also been posted on ABC Science’s YouTube channel as a sneak peek.

Episode: 4: Cricket Balls

Tuesday 28 January 8.00pm

Dr Karl visits the Kookaburra Sport cricket ball factory in Melbourne and learns how this global symbol of Australian sport is crafted from humble beginnings.

Just watched episode 1 on YouTube tonight and saw in the closing credits that this show is under the ABC’s Catalyst umbrella.

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Episode 5: Lollies

Tuesday 4 February 8.00pm

We know we shouldn’t, but most of us can’t resist the temptation of a lolly. At the Allen’s factory, Dr Karl steps onto the factory floor to see how Snakes Alive are made… spoiler alert, the most popular flavour is red.

Episode 6: Cheese - final

Tuesday 11 February 8.00pm

In this peep behind Bega’s factory doors, Dr Karl learns how cheese is made… and it would appear that he knows more about String Theory, than he does string cheese.