Since debuting just before Christmas, the series has won acclaim among toy obsessives and regular folks alike due to the care in which it has been made. We all remember the dismissive manner in which shows like VH1’s I Love the ’80s discussed iconic toys, but such snark is completely absent from The Toys That Made Us — replaced by thoughtful comments from the pioneering men and women who helped make our adolescence such an unforgettable time. (As evidenced by the He-Man episode, it helps that many of these individuals are fascinating characters in their own right). So what sparked the idea of crafting a series about toy history anyway? “It just always to crazy to me that you could go to a book store and see three dozen books about the War of 1812, or there’s thousands of books about World War I, and you couldn’t find out about where did Transformers come from? Where did G.I. Joe come from? How did Barbie become Barbie? What is Hello Kitty?,” declares Volk-Weiss. “So that was the impetus. And as a producer you really want to , as much as possible, take your hobbies and your loves and turn it into a TV show.” Being the billion dollar behemoth that it is, it is understandable if you would think that Netflix would have some creative stipulations on The Toys That Made Us. However, you would also be dead wrong. As Volk-Weiss told us, the network was an absolute joy to work with. “Once they bought it, it really was like ‘hey man, you know toys, looking forward to the first cut.’ So we ran off, literally almost seven months.” The production team would give Netflix reports on their progress, but there was no external pressure brought on by their bosses. “Creatively we just did what we wanted to do, and that’s what they wanted us to do,” he remarks. With the series being a success among fans and critics, and given that it has a low production budget when compared to say a Black Mirror or any of Netflix’s Marvel shows, a second seems a fair bet. But what properties would be featured? “We have 20 episodes that we feel are all A to A+ stories,” he remarks. (Including future subject fodder like Power Rangers, Turtles, My Little Pony, and wrestling toys). Fascinatingly enough, not all of these potential segments would be about successful toy lines. A proposed second season installment would focus on toy lines that should never have been made, a decision inspired by LJN’s notorious action figures based on David Lynch’s Dune. By shining a light on interesting failures, The Toys That Made Us would illustrate how even largely unpopular releases can still have a huge impact on the industry as well as the individuals who have taken these misfit toys to heart. Whatever the future holds for the series, The Toys That Made Us will certainly remind viewers that — more than ever — playthings are a vital part of our shared experience. And yeah, they are super fun too.
