Armchair Expert Umbrella with Dax Shepard Armchair Umbrella

This week on Flightless Bird, David becomes fixated on the beaver, the rodent that’s become synonymous with Buc-ees, the giant American gas station. But David quickly learns there is so much to the beaver, the biggest rodent in the United States. With over 15 million of them spread over North America, they were once hunted almost to extinction for their pelts. David talks to Leila Philip, author of Beaverland, an incredible book about how the beaver transformed America. David learns that the beaver was responsible for creating America’s first multi-millionaire and how that money was turned into a real estate empire that we can still see today. David also finds out how important America's beavers were to building America and how we might need them to survive on a planet where wildfires are becoming increasingly prevalent.

This week on Flightless Bird, David sets out to look at drug rehab in the state of Florida. According to the CDC, since 1999 over 932,000 people have died from a drug overdose. Since 1999, overdoses involving opioids have increased eight times. With those stats came an exploration of drug rehab facilities - many of which gamed the system and became corrupt. Why did Florida end up leading America in having the most drug centers per capita? What went wrong and has it been put right? To find out, David met with a number of former patients of rehab centers to find out what’s going on in 2023.

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to understand Florida’s obsession with exotic pets. Why does the sunshine state have more exotic animal species than any other state and, quite possibly, than any other country? David discovers that there are about 50 different reptile species now thriving in Florida - most of them imports. With that in mind, he explores the Burmese python, an escaped imported creature that is now eating alligators out in the Everglades, taking the position of top dog in the ecosystem. David wants to find out what happens to Florida’s unwanted exotic pets, visiting the Everglades Outpost in Homestead to meet skunks, foxes, and wolves - plus the odd goat, lion, and giraffe. He ends his trip by meeting Snakes, an exotic snake dealer who is dealing with the law changes in Florida.

This week on Flightless Bird, David sets off for The Villages, America’s biggest retirement community, home to over 100 thousand people over the age of 55. What lies in this mysterious land spread out over about 32 square miles, an area bigger than Manhattan? David discovers the Villages are so big, they get their own designation on the census. Taking a tour with a resident, Farrier discovers golf courses, pickleball courts, grocery stores, banks, and a roading system just for golf carts. And while the local paper is full of positive stories, is there a dark underbelly that runs underneath? And is there any truth to the ongoing rumor that the Villages is the STI capital of the United States?

This week on Flightless Bird, David continues his Florida series by going to EPCOT, Disney’s “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.” Joined by two Disney Adults, Elizabeth and Patrick, David eats his way around the world, and discovers why many also choose to drink their way around the world. Along the way, Farrier discovers Figment, a Disney character that only exists in EPCOT. After finding out why no one is allowed to die in Disney World, Farrier heads back to LA to compare Disney World with Universal Studios. He meets up with theme park YouTubers Peter Sciretta and Kitra Remick of “Ordinary Adventures” to talk Super Nintendo Land and gets a tour from Jon Corfino, Vice President of Creative at Universal Studios. Why is Mario so popular and what do the kids think about the Super Nintendo Land?

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier sets out to discover Florida’s relationship with its 2,000 crocodiles and whopping 1.25 million alligators. Traveling to America’s oldest city, St Augustine, Farrier visits the Alligator Farm to discover why crocs are more feisty than gators, and what food they like eating. He then dives headfirst into the phenomenon of Florida Man, after discovering a man high on bath salts once climbed into the very croc enclosure he’s now looking at!