Local Programs

Like the storied moon shots of the 1960's, each high school team competing in Kansas City's 2007 First Robotics competition will encounter chaos, self-doubt and, along the way... failure. On this journey, teams may lose their way. Some will come together, meet their challenges with passion, fresh approaches, and . . . eventually, overcome. But what is required to successfully take a product to market? Can it be isolated, retold, understood?

Kansas City Public Television, KCPT, will chronicle the experiences of three teams—Raytown South, Shawnee Mission North and Liberty—as they attempt to solve some very challenging science and engineering problems.

Drawing inspiration from a genre of reality films such as Spellbound and Mad Hot Ballroom, this documentary (working title: Assembly Required) will employ the intensive production process necessary to go inside these teams and join with their triumphs and failures as they progress from unwrapping their kits to competing regionally, and perhaps, going on to the nationals. Produced by Emmy Award winning producers Angee Simmons and Randy Mason.