S01E01 Masters of Invention
During World War II, a naval engineer accidentally creates an iconic spiral toy that walks downstairs. At the same time, an engineer is trying to invent a synthetic rubber for the war effort and instead...
The Toys That Built America
S01E02: Clash of the Toy Titans
As the post-war baby boom creates unprecedented demand for toys, Ruth Handler turns her greatest gamble into the most recognizable toy in the world. Meanwhile, rival Merrill Hassenfeld, at the reigns of a company that will one day be one the most famous brands in the world, tries to capitalize on Handler's success to launch a military doll for boys--which is brilliantly rebranded as the world's first "action figure," and eventually spawns a tv series and a movie franchise. For decades, these two companies battle each other to dominate the toy industry. But when the cultural landscape shifts, they are forced to make desperate choices that ultimately earn their toys immortal status.
Overview
Against the backdrop of major events in American history like the Civil War and the Great Depression, "The Toys that Built America" tells a different story—one that brings toys to the forefront as driving forces behind untold cultural and economic shifts.
Episodes
S01E02 Clash of the Toy Titans
As the post-war baby boom creates unprecedented demand for toys, Ruth Handler turns her greatest gamble into the most recognizable toy in the world. Meanwhile, rival Merrill Hassenfeld, at the reigns of a company that...
S01E03 Toy Car Wars
As car culture cranks up in the early 1950s, a young machinist in England invents one of the world's most successful toys when he creates a toy car small enough to fit inside a matchbox...
S01E04 Board Game Empires
After failing to make a living selling lithographs, Milton Bradley creates one of America's first board games, which will go on to become one of the biggest of all time. But the Parker brothers threaten...
Cast
Ian Karr
Self - Narrator (voice)
