The Toys That Built America — Season 3

Aired 15 October 2023 • 41 min

In 1983, underdog company Tonka sets out to bring a game-changing toy from Japan to America: the transformable robot. But they're soon confronted by industry giant, Hasbro, who has its own competing toy line. It's a true David vs. Goliath story, as both race to rule this new frontier.

Aired 22 October 2023 • 41 min

Before World War II, board games are mostly simple, but postwar peace and prosperity reveals a demand for more challenging pastimes. After decades of struggle, three different innovators break the mold to release games that combine fun with an intellectual challenge: Scrabble, Clue and Yahtzee.

Aired 29 October 2023 • 41 min

Thanks to the industry-defining innovations of three men through the creation of games like Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon, Nintendo goes from a struggling playing card company to a video game juggernaut.

Aired 5 November 2023 • 41 min

In the 1970s, the board game industry was aimed almost entirely at children, until a literal game changer came along in Trivial Pursuit; redefining the possibilities for adult fun, it opened up a whole new genre.

Aired 12 November 2023 • 41 min

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles high kick their way into the action figure market in the late 1980s, opening the door for a new kind of martial arts toy. But their place at the top is soon challenged by a mighty morphin phenomenon that takes the world by storm.

Aired 26 November 2023 • 41 min

As toys become increasingly complex in the early 1970s, two unconventional inventors risk their homes and careers to bring revolutionary twists to classic games; together, Uno and Connect Four unleash a wave of family-friendly games.

Aired 3 December 2023 • 41 min

Two chance discoveries in the 1950s turn mundane industrial materials into legendary toys; Etch A Sketch and Play-Doh will rake in billions for decades to come, but not everyone will reap the rewards.

Aired 10 December 2023 • 41 min

Santa Claus is one of the most beloved figures -- and famous faces -- on Earth, a symbol of hope and goodwill for all; this is the story of the creative minds, brands, and major events that shaped the image of jolly ol' St. Nick.

Aired 10 December 2023 • 20 min

From Furbys to Pogs, the 1990s were full of unforgettable fad toys; it was a decade where old school toys like Beanies Babies went head-to-head with high-tech wonders like Tamagotchi, and parents would do anything to get their hands on them.

Aired 10 December 2023 • 20 min

From the velocipede to the Schwinn Stingray, or even pedal cars to Power Wheels, viewers will roll their way through the history of the hottest toys on wheels and the surprising stories behind their creations.

Aired 17 December 2023 • 20 min

For six decades two silly, but savvy entrepreneurs--S.S. Adams and H. Fishlove--turned their love of a good joke into a booming prank toy industry. Their heated rivalry produced hundreds of tricks and gags that entertained generations of Americans.

Aired 17 December 2023 • 20 min

From Lionel Trains to video games, for the right collector our cherished childhood toys can be worth millions! Over the last three decades, people have paid some truly outrageous prices to get their hands on that elusive toy they always wanted.