Watch The Toys That Built America

TV-PG
2021
2 Seasons
7.8 (185)

The Toys That Built America is a docuseries that premiered on the History Channel in 2021. Hosted by toy and collectibles experts, Ian Karr, Jordan Hembrough, and Adam Richman, the show explores the origins and impact of some of America's most beloved toys. The series spans across three different eras, each comprising three episodes, beginning with the 19th century and leading up to the modern-day. The Toys That Built America examines the cultural, societal, and technological influences that shaped the toys we play with, and how these toys, in turn, have influenced American culture. Each episode of the show focuses on a specific toy, including Legos, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Barbie, and Star Wars action figures, among others. They delve into the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of each toy, as well as its impact on both the toy industry and the wider culture. Throughout the series, viewers get an in-depth look at how iconic toys like the Erector Set, Easy-Bake Oven, and Cabbage Patch Kids revolutionized their respective industries, leading the way for countless others. They also explore how toys have changed over time, reflecting changing social norms and technological advancements. The show features interviews with toy historians, collectors, designers, and executives, who share their expertise and personal experiences with the toys they helped create or collect. The hosts also visit manufacturing facilities, toy conventions, and museums to gather firsthand information and artifacts related to each toy. The Toys That Built America is not just a nostalgia trip for toy enthusiasts; it's a comprehensive exploration of American history through the lens of toys. The show highlights how toys played a crucial role in shaping American culture, from wartime efforts to encourage patriotism through military-themed toys to the sexual revolution's impact on the marketing of Barbie. One of the show's most impressive feats is how it balances being a documentary with being entertaining. The hosts are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and their passion for toys is infectious. They strike a great balance between providing historical context and personal anecdotes, making the show accessible and enjoyable for experts and casual viewers alike. The show's production value is also worth noting. Each episode is chock-full of high-quality visuals, including archival footage, vintage commercials, and beautifully shot scenes of the toys in action. The editing is tight, and the pacing is just right, ensuring that viewers remain engaged throughout. Overall, The Toys That Built America is a must-watch for anyone interested in toy history or the intersection of culture and commerce. It's a fascinating, informative, and entertaining exploration of America's cultural history and the role that toys played in shaping it. Whether you're a collector of vintage toys or just someone looking for a new documentary series to watch, The Toys That Built America is well worth your time.

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Seasons

2 1

10. Gross Out Icons

December 10, 2022

These are the stories of America's most innovative, groundbreaking, and profitable toys designed to shock--and how they grew to claim a piece of the 100-billion-dollar industry.

9. Christmas Crazes

December 11, 2022

The Christmas crazes that helped transform holiday shopping into the frantic, no-holds-barred $1.1 trillion frenzy that it is today. From a hit doll in the Great Depression, to a $5 plush reselling for a thousand times its value, each season's 'must-have toy' makes the top of Santa's list for its own improbable reason... and sends desperate shoppers to unbelievable lengths just to buy it.

8. Plumber Bros vs. Hedgehog

December 11, 2022

After the U.S. videogame crash of 1983, a Japanese electronics company single-handedly resurrects the industry with a game featuring a jumping plumber. But a rival rises to challenge their dominance, setting off a two-way war between video game superpowers. In the process, the two companies will humiliate a third, transforming the fight from a two-player matchup into a three-way brawl...that will change the video game industry forever.

7. 80's Tech Toys

December 4, 2022

In the 1980s, groundbreaking technology doesn't just improve adult life, it redefines classic toys. For the first time, childhood staples are reimagined by innovators pushing the boundaries of entertainment technology. A former amusement park employee combines his animatronic knowledge with the cassette tape to create the world's first realistic talking toy, while a NASA engineer invents an entirely new toy segment stemming from the boring old squirt gun. It's an era when technology redefines how we live, and these toy innovations are at the forefront.

6. Cabbage Clash

November 27, 2022

In the midst of the 1970s folk art movement, art student Martha Nelson creates a one-of-a-kind doll to sell at local Kentucky craft markets. She has no idea that a visionary young entrepreneur will use her artwork as inspiration for a mass-produced doll that will spark a multi-billion-dollar toy craze. They will make him rich, but first he must fend off challenges to his empire from Nelson... and from a baseball card company looking to lampoon his dolls to make a fortune of their own.

5. Order Out of Chaos

November 20, 2022

Hungarian professor, Erno Rubik's 3-D puzzle takes the world by storm; Leslie Scott stops at nothing to bring an iconic building block board game to market; Alexey Pajitnov risks everything to launch a video game obsession based on a puzzle.

4. Brick by Brick

November 13, 2022

At the height of the industrial age, Alfred Carlton Gilbert goes all in on a revolutionary steel building toy that inspires generations of Americans to build bigger; decades later, a struggling Danish carpenter creates the world's biggest toy empire.

3. The Idea Man

November 6, 2022

A visionary named Marvin Glass oversees the creation of many of the most iconic toys of the 20th Century; from chattering teeth to a legendary game based on a mouse trap, Glass pushes the boundaries of what a toy can be and inspires generations.

2. The Birth of Video Games

October 30, 2022

Defense contractor Ralph Baer invents the world's first home video game console. But it is soon eclipsed by a new table tennis game that becomes one of the most famous video games of all time. And when a third pioneer, Jerry Lawson, creates a console featuring swappable games, the fledgling video game industry explodes into an epic contest for control of what will become a multi-billion dollar market.

1. Masters of the Toy Universe

October 23, 2022

After passing on the biggest deal in toy industry history, Mattel President Ray Wagner finds himself a step behind former colleague-turned- rival, Bernie Loomis. Loomis leads a small-town toy company to record heights and revolutionizes the entire action figure market. But Wagner refuses to back down and steals a page from Loomis' playbook to create the next blockbuster toy that will put Mattel back on top.

Description

Each episode of the show focuses on a specific toy, including Legos, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Barbie, and Star Wars action figures, among others. They delve into the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of each toy, as well as its impact on both the toy industry and the wider culture.

Throughout the series, viewers get an in-depth look at how iconic toys like the Erector Set, Easy-Bake Oven, and Cabbage Patch Kids revolutionized their respective industries, leading the way for countless others. They also explore how toys have changed over time, reflecting changing social norms and technological advancements.

The show features interviews with toy historians, collectors, designers, and executives, who share their expertise and personal experiences with the toys they helped create or collect. The hosts also visit manufacturing facilities, toy conventions, and museums to gather firsthand information and artifacts related to each toy.

The Toys That Built America is not just a nostalgia trip for toy enthusiasts; it's a comprehensive exploration of American history through the lens of toys. The show highlights how toys played a crucial role in shaping American culture, from wartime efforts to encourage patriotism through military-themed toys to the sexual revolution's impact on the marketing of Barbie.

One of the show's most impressive feats is how it balances being a documentary with being entertaining. The hosts are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and their passion for toys is infectious. They strike a great balance between providing historical context and personal anecdotes, making the show accessible and enjoyable for experts and casual viewers alike.

The show's production value is also worth noting. Each episode is chock-full of high-quality visuals, including archival footage, vintage commercials, and beautifully shot scenes of the toys in action. The editing is tight, and the pacing is just right, ensuring that viewers remain engaged throughout.

Overall, The Toys That Built America is a must-watch for anyone interested in toy history or the intersection of culture and commerce. It's a fascinating, informative, and entertaining exploration of America's cultural history and the role that toys played in shaping it. Whether you're a collector of vintage toys or just someone looking for a new documentary series to watch, The Toys That Built America is well worth your time.

The Toys That Built America is a series that is currently running and has 2 seasons (14 episodes). The series first aired on November 28, 2021.

Where to Watch The Toys That Built America

The Toys That Built America is available for streaming on the History website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch The Toys That Built America on demand at Google Play and Apple TV.