Hitting TV’s brick wall
THERE is a fundamental flaw with LEGO MASTERS (C4, 8pm), the slightly weird modelling competition that reaches its climax tonight. The snag, from the point of view of whoever ends up winning it, is the where-do-we-go-from-here factor.
As a rule, winning a TV competition – anything from the Great British Bake Off to Love Island – should open up a world of small-screen opportunities.
Just look at what’s happened, for example, to ex-Bake Off champion Nadiya Hussain.
She’s never off the telly now. But that’s because TV can’t get enough of food shows.
If cooking is your talent and you have a TV-friendly personality, the future can look pretty rosy. But what if you’re a Lego Masters champion? It’s a tremendous achievement but isn’t that pretty much it?
When it comes to shows that involve building things with toy bricks I suspect TV probably can get enough.
There is, I fear, no six-figure deal in the pipeline to film your own TV travelogue, My Global Lego Adventure, nor even scope to front one of those handy-hints shows that, in a cooking context, the likes of Jamie Oliver are forever churning out (“In this new series I’ll be showing you a tempting selection of simple, stress-free Lego models you can quickly knock up for your family at the end of a busy working day…”).
But I guess now’s not the time to worry about all that because our four teams of Lego Masters finalists are raring to go.
Their first challenge is to build a fully functional robotic Lego pet (they’re even given software to help them do this, which doesn’t seem right somehow), a task which will ultimately eliminate a further two of these pairings.
The two who then remain standing are set a challenge of frankly bonkers proportions, to create “a super-sized model that inhabits its own world”. They’re given a whole week to do this, although the rules do permit them to eat and sleep.
The winning build will go on public display at the Design Museum in London. And the winners themselves?
They’ll take home the “coveted Lego Masters trophy”. Which, as you may have seen, is a trophy built out of Lego.
This is like winning The Great British Bake Off and being awarded a cake.
Also tonight, there’s another helping of HOW TO SPEND IT
WELL AT CHRISTMAS WITH PHILLIP SCHOFIELD (ITV, 8pm). The theme this week is gifts and gadgets, hence we find guest reporter Gok Wan seeking the ideal present for his dog Dolly (or, if we’re calling her by her full name, Dolly Albertine Dishcloth Wan, apparently). At one London pet boutique Gok finds a collar that retails at £1,000. “What makes it £1,000?” he politely inquires. “The customer’s sheer idiocy,” the shopkeeper surprisingly doesn’t reply. Eventually, having viewed a selection of more reasonably priced pet gifts available on the high street, Gok settles for a dog selfie ball holder. Don’t ask.