It follows the trials and tribulations of artist Chris Hackett, founder of the Madagascar Institute, as he turns everyday trash into new and unexpected machines or mechanisms.

Each episode takes Hackett to a different abandoned location, including a rail yard, a munitions factory, and a log cabin.

Hackett constructs several types of power sources, in order to run modern electric conveniences in an abandoned desert home off the grid.

Hackett builds a shower, a pump, and a water heater from found items in an abandoned RV camp.

[6] In Media Life Magazine, Tom Conroy found the show "fun, engrossing and informative", except for Hackett's overuse of the word "obtainium.