How the States Got Their Shapes
{{short description|US history TV show}}
{{Infobox television
| image = How the States Got Their Shapes Logo.jpg
| caption =
| starring = Brian Unger
| composer =
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 2 (+ 1 special)
| num_episodes = 29 (+ 1 special)
| executive_producer =
| producer =
| editor =
| location = United States of America
| runtime = 44 minutes (season 1)
23 minutes (season 2)
(+ 2 hour special)
| company =
| channel = History Channel
| first_aired = {{Start date|2010|4|6}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2012|12|22}}
| related =
}}
How the States Got Their Shapes is an American television series that aired on the History Channel. It is hosted by Brian Unger and is based on Mark Stein's book How the States Got Their Shapes. The show deals with how the various states of the United States established their borders but also delves into other aspects of history, including failed states, proposed new states, and the local culture and character of various U.S. states. It thus tackles the "shapes" of the states in a metaphorical sense as well as a literal sense.
Each episode has a particular theme, such as how the landscape, language, or natural resources contributed to the borders and character of various U.S. states. The show format follows Unger as he travels to various locations and interviews local people, visits important historical and cultural sites, and provides commentary from behind the wheel of his car as he drives from location to location. Interspersed with these segments are brief historical synopses by notable U.S. historians.
The show started as a single two-hour special which first aired in April 2010 but returned as a regular series of one-hour shows starting in May 2011. Season 2 premiered in the fall of 2012, with a slightly reality-oriented format and episodes shortened to 30 minutes, airing Saturdays on H2, with encore showings on Friday night on the History channel. Many of season 2's episodes contained material already covered in season 1.
Series overview
| color0S = #ECBF36
| link0S =
| linkT0S = Special
| start0S = {{Start date|2010|4|6}}
| color1 = #AFCEE3
| link1 =
| episodes1 = 10
| start1 = {{Start date|2011|5|3}}
| end1 = {{End date|2011|7|12}}
| color2 = #7D99B1
| link2 =
| episodes2 = 19
| start2 = {{Start date|2012|9|29}}
| end2 = {{End date|2012|12|22}}
}}
Episodes
= Special (2010) =
{{Episode table |total_width=75 |background=#ECBF36 |forceoverall=y |overall=5 |title=68 |airdate=22 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|Title = How the States Got Their Shapes
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2010|4|6}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes/#slide-1 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|LineColor = ECBF36
}}
}}
= Season 1 (2011) =
{{Episode table |total_width=75 |background=#AFCEE3 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=68 |airdate=22 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = A River Runs Through It
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|5|3}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes/#slide-2 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = The Great Plains, Trains, & Automobiles
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|5|10}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes/#slide-3 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Force of Nature
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|5|17}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes/#slide-4 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 5
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
|Title = State of Rebellion
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|5|24}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes/#slide-5 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 6
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
|Title = Living on the Edge
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|6|7}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes/#slide-6 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 7
|EpisodeNumber2 = 6
|Title = Use It or Lose It
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|6|14}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes/#slide-7 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 8
|EpisodeNumber2 = 7
|Title = Church And States
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|6|21}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes/#slide-8 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 9
|EpisodeNumber2 = 8
|Title = A Boom with a View
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|6|28}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes#slide-9 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 10
|EpisodeNumber2 = 9
|Title = Culture Clash
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|7|5}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes#slide-10 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 11
|EpisodeNumber2 = 10
|Title = Mouthing Off
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2011|7|12}}[http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/episodes#slide-11 How The States Got Their Shapes—Season 2—Episode Guide—H2 on History.com]
|ShortSummary=
|LineColor = AFCEE3
}}
}}
= Season 2 (2012) =
{{Episode table |total_width=75 |background=#7D99B1 |overall=5 |season=5 |title=68 |airdate=22 |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 12
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = Red State vs. Blue State
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|9|29}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 13
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = White Collar vs. Blue Collar
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|9|29}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 14
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Hillbilly vs. Redneck
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|06}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 15
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
|Title = Hatfields vs. McCoys
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|06}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 16
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
|Title = North vs. South
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|13}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 17
|EpisodeNumber2 = 6
|Title = BigFoot vs. Aliens
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|13}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 18
|EpisodeNumber2 = 7
|Title = Great Lakes, Big Stakes
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|20}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 19
|EpisodeNumber2 = 8
|Title = Battle of the Bible Belt
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|20}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 20
|EpisodeNumber2 = 9
|Title = Vice vs. Virtue
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|27}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 21
|EpisodeNumber2 = 10
|Title = MidWest vs. The Rest
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|27}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 22
|EpisodeNumber2 = 11
|Title = Is West Best?
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|11|03}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 23
|EpisodeNumber2 = 12
|Title = City vs. Country
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|11|03}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 24
|EpisodeNumber2 = 13
|Title = East vs. West
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|11|10}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 25
|EpisodeNumber2 = 14
|Title = Rebels & Outlaws
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|11|17}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 26
|EpisodeNumber2 = 15
|Title = Mess with Texas
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|11|24}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 27
|EpisodeNumber2 = 16
|Title = State vs. State
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|12|08}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 28
|EpisodeNumber2 = 17
|Title = Rich vs. Poor
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|12|08}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 29
|EpisodeNumber2 = 18
|Title = Big vs. Small
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|12|15}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 30
|EpisodeNumber2 = 19
|Title = The United Shapes of America
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|12|22}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 7D99B1
}}
}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{Cite book |last=Stein |first=Mark |date=2008 |title=How the States Got Their Shapes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w6UQZLmZ6LEC |location=New York |publisher=Smithsonian Books/Collins |isbn=9780061431388 |oclc=137324984}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes}}
{{History shows}}
Category:2010 American television series debuts
Category:2012 American television series endings
Category:American television spinoffs
Category:History (American TV channel) original programming
Category:Television series about the history of the United States