So, is anyone else watching the crafting competition Making It on NBC? It's a six-episode summer series, hosted by Parks and Recreation pals Amy Poehler, who is admittedly not an expert crafter, and Nick Offerman, a master craftsman who is well-known for his glorious woodworking, including the making of his own canoes. (Really.)
The show follows a similar formula to other creative competitions which have become a television staple. If you've watched Project Runway or Face Off or Kids Baking Championship, you know the drill: Eight contestants — or "Makers" — with expertise in various types of craftspersonship compete each week for the chance to win the title of master crafter and a $100,000 prize.
The episodes are broken into two rounds: In the first challenge, the Faster Craft, the makers have to craft something inventive in a short amount of time. Whoever wins gets a patch! Like a Girl Scout patch, featuring a cute emblem representing the specific challenge. In the second challenge, the Master Craft, the makers have to craft a themed collection, typically two large pieces, on a given topic. Whoever wins gets a patch! Whoever loses, as determined by judges Simon Doonan and Dayna Isom Johnson, gets eliminated.
It's all pretty familiar — except that there's no manufactured drama among the contestants. There's no sabotage and no shit-talking. There are no "talking heads" segments in which competitors are obliged to cattily comment on their opponents' work or personality.
It's all very positive and fun! I mean, it's eight adults who are getting the coolest vacation ever where they get to hang out with Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman and make elaborate crafts for a couple of weeks and have a chance at winning a bundle of cash! PLUS CUTE PATCHES! Of course they're having the time of their lives, and the show lets us see that and have some fun with them for an hour a week.
It's all brightly colored crafting and glitter and stories about finding one's family of choice and falling in love and Amy Poehler eating sugar and Nick Offerman searching for meat and everyone being really nice to each other in a big barn in a beautiful outdoor setting.
And even when someone gets eliminated, we get to see them hanging out with Amy and Nick in a house they pretend to live in. Highly adorable.
Making It is basically the absolute opposite of cruel people destroying stuff we value, which makes it the perfect show that we all need right now: Kind people building lovely things.
It's one of my favorite hours of the week.
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