The Toys That Built America: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

Against the backdrop of major events in American history like the Civil War and the Great Depression, The Toys That Built America shares a different story – one that brings new products and nostalgic toys to the forefront as driving forces behind untold cultural and economic shifts. The four-part docuseries showcases visionaries such as the Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley and Ruth Handler who transformed a small toy company into the billion-dollar empire now known as Mattel. It reveals the little-known stories behind ground-breaking innovations like the Frisbee, and accidental discoveries like how the Slinky was created. Additionally, the docuseries unveils competitive rivalries between iconic brands that changed the fabric of our nation forever. Blending dramatic reenactments and archival footage with interviews from experts, biographers, and others, The Toys That Built America brings to life the surprising tales of the men and women who created some of America's most beloved and enduring toys including Silly Putty, Monopoly, Barbie, G.I. Joe, and other famous classics.

Series details

• Title: The Toys That Built America
• Format: Documentary
• Language: English
• Genres: History
• Premiere date: 2021-11-28
• Status in TVmaze: To Be Determined
• Network listed by TVmaze: History
• Network country: United States
• Typical episode runtime: 55 minutes
• TVmaze community rating: 7.6/10
• TVMaze ID: 55535
• IMDb ID: tt14357568
• TVDB ID: 405211

Cast and credited roles

• Ian Karr — Narrator

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2021-11-28; final listed air date 2021-12-19; episode order: 4.
• Season 2: premiered 2022-10-23; final listed air date 2022-12-11; episode order: 10.
• Season 3: premiered 2023-10-15; final listed air date 2023-12-17; episode order: 12.

Source and licence

Adapted from The Toys That Built America on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.