Television series

Blown Away

Name: Blown Away
Released: 2019
Cast: Katherine Gray, Nick Uhas, Hunter March

Light-hearted

Blown Away is a competition series where elite glassblowers create stunning art under time pressure while judges assess their technical skill and creativity. It's meditative and visceral—watching molten glass transform into intricate forms is hypnotic. Perfect for anyone who finds craft processes satisfying or wants to watch people at the absolute top of an obscure skill dominate their field.

TVMaze rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like competition shows where the drama lives in the making of things, watching craftspeople wrestle with heat, color and a ticking clock until the work itself tells the story.

Skip it if you want a deep dive into glassmaking technique or a close look at contestants' lives, since most episodes stay at the bench and judging table.

What it asks of you: Each half-hour moves briskly on a weekly rhythm: a build, a panel of judges, one farewell, then the next round begins fresh.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

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Two-host competition celebrating craft and creativity across multiple mediums with genuine warmth. Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman clearly love the makers and the work itself, creating a surprisingly moving atmosphere beneath the competition.

But If you need high stakes and real jeopardy, the tone is consistently gentle and encouraging. The craft focus means less dramatic conflict between contestants.

The Great British Bake Off2010

The gold standard of competition shows: technical skill, creative ambition, and contestants who genuinely support each other. Soothing but gripping, it proves a show can be kind and still matter.

But It's thirteen seasons long, which is commitment. Some find the format repetitive; others find that repetition comforting.

Chef's Table2015

Each episode is a reverent portrait of a culinary artist at the peak of their craft. Gorgeously shot, deeply respectful, it shares Blown Away's fascination with mastery and the materials that demand it.

But More meditation than competition. The tone is solemn and cinematic rather than energetic—not everyone wants art critique as their entertainment.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Blown Away

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi2011

Both treat craft as a form of meditation and moral discipline. Both suggest that mastery isn't about winning; it's about the work itself and the conversation between artist and material.

Documentary portrait of an elderly sushi master pursuing perfection in a single, narrow discipline his whole life. Like Blown Away, it's about mastery, repetition, and the spiritual weight of making things beautifully.

But Extremely slow and meditative—there's no narrative arc, just observation. If you want entertainment rather than contemplation, this demands patience.

Nailed It!2018

A palate cleanser: baking competition where amateur contestants hilariously fail at ambitious projects. Host Nicole Byer's genuine delight in the chaos is infectious and keeps everything breezy.

But The humor relies on failure and embarrassment. If you prefer watching excellence, this inverts the formula entirely.

The Toys That Made Us2017

Documentary series celebrating the designers and manufacturers behind beloved objects. Each episode is a love letter to craft, ingenuity, and the humans who imagined things we thought essential.

But Purely nostalgic and reverent—there's no conflict, competition, or narrative momentum. It's deeply gentle.

Mythbusters2003

Two experts test wild hypotheses through hands-on experimentation, with genuine curiosity and joy in the process. Chaotic and generous-spirited, it captures the pleasure of making and discovering.

But The science is often simplified or outdated. The repetitive structure—hypothesis, build, test, result—means later seasons can feel formulaic.

Queer Eye2018

Competition and makeover show where the Fab Five transform lives with expertise and real emotional generosity. Each episode celebrates human potential and the power of craft applied with care.

But The format can feel prescriptive about how people should live. Some seasons rely on feel-good melodrama over substance.

Face Off2011

Special effects makeup artists compete in time-pressured challenges creating monsters, creatures, and fantastical designs. The practical artistry is stunning and the creators are genuinely passionate.

But Earlier seasons are better; the show grew stale by later cycles. Some challenges veer too far into shock value.

Chungking Express1994

Both are hypnotic to watch and find beauty in materials and light. Both demand you slow down and observe rather than simply consume. The film's use of glass, neon, and translucence echoes the glassblower's focus on light refraction and form.

Wong Kar-wai's luminous Hong Kong romance uses neon, glass, and light in ways that make every frame glow. It's sensual and melancholic, proof that everyday objects and spaces can become dazzling.

But Fractured narrative, minimal plot, deliberately languorous pacing. If you want story momentum or emotional clarity, this prioritizes mood and visual texture over plot.

Phantom Thread2017

Both center on an artist obsessed with technical mastery and the exclusivity of their craft. Both explore the tension between creation and control, and both understand that obsession has a human cost. Neither is a simple celebration of ambition.

A master craftsman—a haute couture dressmaker—obsessed with the absolute control of his art. Gorgeous cinematography, a complicated character study, and profound meditation on what it costs to demand perfection.

But Unsettling and often cold. The protagonist is controlling and manipulative; the romance is coded and strange. Not cathartic or emotionally warm.