Television series

LEGO Masters

Name: LEGO Masters
Released: 2020
Cast: Will Arnett, Amy Corbett, Jamie Berard, Nick Cannon

Light-hearted

LEGO Masters is a feel-good competition show where amateur builders tackle wild creative challenges with unlimited bricks. Will Arnett hosts with genuine warmth, judges offer real technical feedback, and the atmosphere stays collaborative rather than cutthroat. It's for anyone who's ever built something and wanted to see how far imagination could go.

TVMaze rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy watching people solve a hands-on problem under a clock, and get a kick from the moment a half-built model suddenly makes sense, with light, good-natured ribbing from the hosts along the way.

Skip it if you want a show with a strong narrative thread or characters you follow across weeks; this is a sequence of self-contained building challenges, and the personalities stay fairly surface-level.

What it asks of you: Each episode is an hour and the season runs long, so it asks for a steady commitment to a format that repeats: build, judge, cut, build again.

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

If you liked this

The Great British Bake Off2010

Same DNA: skilled amateurs, time pressure, judges who care about your growth not just your failure. The British version especially shares LEGO Masters' generosity of spirit and celebration of craft.

But If you want ruthless competition and dramatic eliminations, this is too kind. Some find the wholesomeness cloying.

Making It2018

Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman host makers of all kinds through impossible tasks. It has LEGO Masters' same energy: real respect for the builders, genuine surprise at what humans can create, humor that comes from character not cruelty.

But Cancelled after two seasons, so you get closure but not much. The variety of crafts means less technical depth than a focused show.

Mythbusters2003

Building, problem-solving, and the joy of watching things actually work or spectacularly fail. Adam and Jamie bring the same infectious curiosity about how things are made that drives LEGO Masters.

But Moves much faster and covers ground quickly—less meditative than watching a LEGO build develop. Some experiments feel dated.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from LEGO Masters

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Abstract: The Art of Design2017

Both are about how constraints and materials speak to imagination. LEGO Masters shows the building; Abstract shows why people build.

Netflix series that follows real designers solving real problems—architects, illustrators, product designers. Same satisfaction as LEGO Masters but grounded in the philosophy behind the creation, not competition.

But It's a design documentary, not a competition. No winners, no pressure, no drama. If you watch for the contest element, this loses that.

The Great Pottery Throw Down2015

Another British competition that values process over drama. Judges speak with genuine expertise, contestants support each other, and watching clay take shape has the same soothing focus as watching bricks stack.

But If you don't have patience for slow craftsmanship, this will feel glacial. The learning curve means early episodes can be rocky.

Nailed It!2018

Deliberately low-stakes and funny—home bakers try impossible desserts knowing they'll fail gloriously. It captures LEGO Masters' best quality: laughing together at the attempt, not at the person.

But Built on the premise that failure is entertainment. If you want to see real mastery, this trades that for comedy.

Forged in Fire2015

Blacksmiths under pressure, real technical skill, and judges who respect the craft. The intensity ratchets up each round, giving you stakes without meanness.

But Gets repetitive after a few seasons—the challenges follow a formula. Also genuinely dangerous in ways that can feel uncomfortable.

Queer Eye2018

Each episode is a small transformation built on care and detail. The Fab Five approach their work with the same generosity and enthusiasm that makes LEGO Masters so pleasant to watch.

But It's a makeover show, not a competition. If you want winners and stakes, this won't scratch that itch.

The Great British Sewing Bee2013

Timed challenges, real expertise, and contestants who genuinely want each other to succeed. It shares LEGO Masters' focus on the craft itself rather than manufactured drama.

But Moves at a gentler pace than American competition shows. Some find the Britishness archival and slow.

Toy Story1995

Both explore what it means that LEGO bricks are a medium for imagination—what we project onto inanimate objects and why we care.

A film about objects coming alive through imagination and the bond between builder and creation. Woody is the obsessive craftsperson, and the whole film is about making meaning from toys and ingenuity.

But It's a kids' film that edges into sentimentality. Some viewers find the ending saccharine and the humor dated.

The Toys That Made Us2017

LEGO Masters celebrates what The Toys That Made Us documents: LEGO's strange alchemy as a tool for expression rather than just a product.

Netflix documentary series that goes deep into how iconic toys were designed, marketed, and became part of culture. LEGO has its own episode. You'll understand why LEGO Masters matters to people.

But It's documentary, not competition or entertainment. Some episodes feel sponsored. If you want narrative drive, this is slower.