The Chain: How the World Works

In Texas, chefs compete in the World Food Championships to make the perfect hamburger. Behind this simple five-dollar dish is complex supply chain story. We reveal the extraordinary chains behind tomatoes, beef patties, bread and ketchup.

In Chile's Atacama Desert, teams compete in Formula-E, the world's biggest electric motor race. But how do you make an electric car? This episode looks at the surprising stories behind the items that go into making these cutting-edge racers.

At LA's Sofi stadium, all eyes are on the American football players on the field. But this sporting event is only possible because of the thousands of people behind the chain. We reveal how they make and deliver AstroTurf, stadium lights and footballs.

The average person buys dozens of items of items of clothing every year. But what happens when we tire of the latest trends? 15,000,000 items of second-hand clothes are sent to Ghana every week - we follow the chain to find out how they got there.

We step inside a maternity hospital in Boston to see the modern miracles of healthcare, and to reveal the extraordinary supply chains that deliver morphine, surgical scissors, antibiotics and medical oxygen.

The New York City Marathon - every runner is connected, not just by the shared effort to cross the finish line, but by the devices they wear or carry. We reveal how they make smartphones, tracking tags, and the cloud, and how the chain keeps us connected.