It’s fair to say that the majority of us are letting more free-to-air television back into our lives and for good reason. Channel 10’s Masterchef has returned with a bang, cleverly achieving the perfect mixture of memorable ex contestants and shiny new judges for audiences to happily return to, yet feel refreshed by. And premiering weeks later on the 19th of April for its second season was Channel 9’s highly anticipated Lego Masters, woo! (*waves tiny Lego brick in the air).
There is something about Lego that holds such a soft spot in the hearts of Australians despite its sharp, foot puncturing edges. It represents childhood, feeds the imagination and inspires our minds to think outside the box. Given they adhere to the 4+ age requirements written on said box. So when season one premiered in 2019 having first been very successful in the UK it was a no brainer. Complimented by superhost Hamish Blake of Hamish and Andy, Lego Masters was a hit. A show that happily glides past cliche, manufactured drama and doomy gloomy clickbait towards fun, joyously epic, talent fuelled building. And season two has not disappointed.
Contestants are tested on their storytelling, technical abilities, resilience and teamwork. Of equal importance is their ability to follow and receive criticism and feedback from Lego builder and judge “The Brickman”. Oh no, they are not simply fluffing about with Lego on this show. There is serious structure to each task with unique requirements that ask contestants to use their knowledge and skills to achieve a new level of awesome, be it through gravity, height, colour, the elements and even how well they can create a time period in history. No lego brick left unturned so to speak.
Not only have the challenges continued to impress, but like season one the passion and delight is infectiously there. During the long builds Hamish Blake walks around most episodes grinning from ear to ear like a kid who has been told that he gets to leave school early because he and his family are flying to Disneyland for a spontaneous holiday. He embodies the amazement of the viewers watching the builds from home, sprinkling the odd pun, hilarious skit and well thought out intro into the mix, poking fun at the potential stress and intensity that the show could wander into tonally, but never does. Because this is Lego Masters and we’re here to have fun.
And that is what’s raking in the eyeballs. Easy viewing connected by all the right pieces. If you are the type who wishes to engage with content from a logical perspective you are met with engineerial conversations like what structure will support the most weight or how high can you build a tower without a ladder before it falls down? For the smaller Lego fans, the show is nothing short of #legogoals and perhaps a sweet antidote diverting their attention from the iPad for an hour or two. The artists and visual thinkers can be entertained as well, with each design being judged on criteria such as aesthetic, attention to detail and even the ability to look photogenic whilst being blown up by the likes of glitter, slime and dynamite.
...Man that episode was glorious.
The obvious part here for those who aren’t Lego heads but find themselves tuning in every week is that what can’t be denied is how bloody impressive it all is. For us mere mortals who maybe one day had had a go at building a one story Lego scale house when we were seven are inevitably amazed by how hard the competitors work and how astronomical the possibilities really are in Lego building. The show is a breath of fresh air that celebrates talent, innovation, creativity and spirit that can be watched by anyone and everyone... Even those who don’t meet the 4+ age minimum.
Quite frankly to master that type of appeal, much like the art of building lego is not always as easy as it seems. So kudos to King Hamish, The Brickman and Lego Masters for creating this wonderful show, making a lot of Australians smile right now and miraculously helping them to get along with their families whilst cooped up in quarantine.
Lego trophies for all of you.
Lego Masters Season 2 is currently airing on Channel Nine.