Building the Impossible

Rob Bell uncovers extraordinary feats of lighthouse engineering on both sides of the Atlantic, tackling the world's busiest shipping lane, discovering oil rigs and setting sail in search of America's first lighthouse. Rob meets local seafarers and lighthouse keepers to hear stories of shipwrecks - discovering extraordinary feats of bravery, ingenuity and design as he continues to crack the code of these enigmatic structures.

From stormy seas to the land-locked Mojave Desert, Rob Bell discovers the amazing story of how the mighty Colorado river was tamed and how the Hoover Dam was built. The presenter abseils down the canyon to find out how to help maintain the turbines, and gets his hands dirty with an alien species that threatens the dam's future.

Rob journeys along the length of the Panama Canal to learn how the unconquerable Isthmus was bent to the will and skill of determined engineers, creating one of the seven wonders of the modern world. He discovers their groundbreaking inventions and uncovers the secrets of its construction. Rob trains as a canal pilot and joins the tugboat team as the Lilliputian tugs guide their giant container ships safely through the locks of the canal.

Rob Bell heads to England's south coast where he explores a trio of lighthouses built to protect vessels on the M25 of the high seas. At Beachy Head, the presenter learns about an 18th-century vicar on a mission to save more than the souls of seafarers. Rob also experiences gravity-defying Victorian innovation and discovers the genius way 20th century engineering rescued a lighthouse from plunging into the sea.

Rob sails to the furthest point of Britain to visit the Impossible Lighthouse at Muckle Flugga in the Shetland Islands, built in one of the most inhospitable spots in the North Atlantic. Rob discovers the sheer power of the 250-foot waves that batter the rock and threatened the lives of the men building and manning the light house.