Miniature and toy documentaries and reality shows you should definitely check out, listed by streaming service.
Vimeo
1. A Pathway of Crumbs
“the life and work of Kristin Baybars, a central figure within the toy-making community since the 1960s.”
2. Dollhouse
A house of dolls and their dollmaker.
3. Life in Miniature
“Kath reflects on her life and art as she carves a place for herself in the precious world of miniatures.”
4. Miniature
“a fascinating journey into lush, intricate and mesmerizing tiny worlds.”
5. Nix + Gerber
“An observation of art, partnership, and the creative process — seen through the lens of post-apocalyptic dioramas.”
Youtube
6. The Man Behind a Mysterious Miniature Town
“Artist Michael Paul Smith created a 1950s utopian town out of miniatures based on stories and moments from his childhood.”
7. Of Dolls and Murder
“created in the 1930s and 1940s by a crime-fighting grandmother, Frances Glessner Lee created the Nutshells to help homicide detectives hone their investigative skills.”
8. dollhouse Beautiful
“11 tops designers are each given the same dollhouse, a $500 budget, and one goal: make it the coolest dollhouse you’ve ever seen.”
Netflix
9. The Toys that Made Us
“This series takes a look at some of America’s greatest toy franchises, including the people and companies that created them, telling the stories of the rise — and, sometimes, fall — of the billion-dollar creations.”
Prime
10. A Toy Store Near You
Episode 1 out now on Prime and Youtube.
“delving into the history, selection, and the people that make each store unique. The majority of the proceeds from the series will directly benefit each store that is featured”
11. Plastic Crack
“A Docu-series following some of the world’s most influential toy collectors, as they search for the true meaning of what many would call an “addiction””
Hulu
12. Toy Hunter
“This reality series follows Hembrough as he travels the country in search of hidden treasures to sell to his buyers around the world.”
Fox Now
13. Lego Masters
“Teams of two LEGO enthusiasts go head-to-head, with infinite possibilities and an unlimited supply of LEGO bricks.”
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Let me know if there’s more small scale entertainment that should be included here!
Holy wow, I did not know there were so many toy focused shows out there! I genuinely want to see a bunch of these, most of them. I’ll have to write this down on a list somewhere. Thanks so much for sharing! What are your reflections on these shows?
Good! Let me know if you do! A Pathway of crumbs felt kind of magical. It’s hard to explain and I probably need to rewatch it, but I definitely recommend. Nix and Gerber’s work is awe-inspiring, so watch that one too. The rest are up to my mood for the day, entertaining and informative but I’m not as passionate about them, well at least in a way to call them “awe-inspiring” or “magical” but that’s of course up to personal preference. Very excited to see A Toy Store Near you when it comes out in a couple of days though, and I did really enjoy the Barbie episode of The Toys that Made Us. And the work within #6 and 7 is really fascinating too.
Ohhhhh I HAVE to put a list together! :D
Oh my goodness! What a raft of fabulous movies! I only tasted one so far, but I will have to return and check out more of them. Who knew these were out there? Thanks so much for sharing.
That’s so wonderful! Let me know what you end up watching!