The Toys That Made Us

The minds behind history's most iconic toy franchises discuss the rise -- and sometimes fall -- of their billion-dollar creations.

The Toys That Made Us (2017-2019) is an American documentary docuseries created by Brian Volk-Weiss for Netflix. Narrated by Donald Ian Black, it gathers the designers, executives and inventors behind history's most iconic toy franchises to recount how their billion-dollar creations were conceived, marketed and sometimes lost to changing tastes. Each episode focuses on a single brand, letting the people who built it describe the boardroom decisions, factory floor experiments and playground moments that turned a plastic figure or building set into a cultural touchstone. Rather than a conventional hagiography, the series threads the stories together with candid admissions of missteps and the pressures of licensing and competition. Its atmosphere is warm, wistful and nostalgic, with the tone of a friend reminiscing about childhood favorites. Across three seasons of twelve episodes in total, it offers a loving, behind the scenes look at consumer culture and the industrial ingenuity of American toy making. Fans of Icons Unearthed, Chasing Ghosts and Robot Chicken will find similar resonance in its mix of pop culture nostalgia and industry insight, making it an easy, engaging watch for anyone curious about the objects they grew up with.

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its nostalgic access to the people behind iconic toy franchises.

• Icons Unearthedshared nostalgic pop culture documentary about iconic brands and their creators
• Chasing Ghostsshared behind the scenes industry interviews on consumer product history and business rise and fall
• Robot Chickenshared docuseries format of creator interviews recounting the origins of beloved mass market franchises

Created by

Brian Volk-Weiss

Release Date

2017-12-22

Episode runtime

47 min

Rating

7.9 / 10 (103)

What is The Toys That Made Us about?

Creators of history's most iconic toy franchises look back on how their billion-dollar creations rose and sometimes fell.

What is The Toys That Made Us like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Toys That Made Us as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is The Toys That Made Us violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Toys That Made Us.

What did critics think of The Toys That Made Us?

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its nostalgic access to the people behind iconic toy franchises.

Which shows are like The Toys That Made Us?

Shows with a similar feel include Icons Unearthed, Chasing Ghosts, and Robot Chicken.

How long is The Toys That Made Us?

The Toys That Made Us: 3 seasons, 12 episodes.

Is The Toys That Made Us still running?

No, The Toys That Made Us has ended.

Where can I watch The Toys That Made Us?

In United States, The Toys That Made Us streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.