User Reviews

"The Toys That Made Us" is a much more interesting show than it probably has any right to be. In this first season, it tells the stories of four iconic toy lines: Star Wars, Barbie, He-Man, & G.I. Joe.

I'm always a sucker for pop-culture documentaries, and this series is about as well-produced in that category as you can get. There is always a story behind the creation of a product, and this show has a knack for making those stories interesting by using interesting graphics/animations, great interviews with the creators themselves, and a consistent focus.

If these are the types of docs you enjoy, this one won't disappoint. Even the episodes that you may not think you'll like or are potentially not as invested in (didn't play with that toy as a child) turn out to be fascinating.

The G.I. Joe episode of The Toys that Made Us is a wonderful exploratory blend of business, marketing, whining over poor decisions, humor, and yes, Mr. Potato Head and Hungry Hungry Hippos. Among the many tidbits of interesting and highly entertaining information is the history behind the iconic distinction between dolls and action figures which was, and is, about marketing. Throughout the entire series, the sheer randomness of some decisions and expensive rolling of the metaphorical dice have become a recurrent themes and they are very much at play in the story of G.I. Joe as he morphed from an individual war hero soldier to a team of adventurers. Another theme is the abundant roster of real life colorful characters (including businessmen, artist, lawyers, and marketing people) who have made the toys of our childhoods; and G.I. Joe delivers on this front as well. A very enjoyable episode.