Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Festive fun: Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman turn on the charm in ‘Making It’
to try to impress the “Parks and Recreation” BFFs as well as the judges. Impressing the hosts is no easy feat, and impressing the expert judges is even harder. Returning for another round of judging are Simon Doonan, creative ambassador for Barneys New York, and Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy trend expert.
The new season functions as it did before, with competitors who are well versed with paint, fabric, wood and metal facing off against one another in two challenges each episode: “Faster Craft,” a timed project, and “Master Craft,” a themed project. Each project tests the competitors’ ability to think outside the box and puts their creativity to the test as they work with food, felt and other materials.
The holiday-themed season has the artisans taking on office makeovers and three-dimensional festive creations on top of other entertaining challenges. In addition to extraordinary fabrications that are guaranteed to inspire, viewers at home are once again in for delightfully silly puns, plenty of laughs and an all-around good time with the witty hosts. Poehler and Offerman told the Hollywood Reporter, “We’re sew excited to be ‘Making It’ again. We promise Season 2 will have you glued to your seats.” If you enjoyed that word play, “Making It” is going to bring you much holiday cheer.
Over the course of the second season, we will get to know and love the competitors as they share their touching and personal stories. Although the artisans are front and center, the series makes sure to give us plenty of time with our friendly hosts. Poehler is a self-proclaimed craft novice; on the other hand, Offerman is a noted woodworker. The comedic duo might not share the same skills, but they do share a passion and love for crafts and craftsmanship.
The hosts’ passion for arts and crafts and a shared goal of creating a feel-good atmosphere was undeniable the first time around, and things have not changed since then. “We want it to be a hug of a television show,” is how Offerman recalled Poehler’s original pitch to the network. The first season absolutely succeeded in doing this. It also succeeded in displaying intricate works that serve to inspire the viewer at home.
Beyond giving us hugs through our television sets and presenting outstanding builds, a flannel-wearing, bearded Offerman discussed in an interview with Deadline this past summer the reason he chose to reunite with his former colleague: he sought to illustrate the magic of crafting and its considerable value to the individual, but also to the world at large.
He continued by explaining that he was raised in a self-sufficient and extremely resourceful agricultural family that built a lot of things around the house. This resourcefulness gave him a great appreciation of people’s problem-solving abilities and what can be done with a few tools, a good idea and our own hands. “There’s a real whimsy and a sort of wizardry to it, and I came by it naturally.” He is positively correct. The skills that fabricators from coast to coast display are unparalleled and seem almost magical.
On Monday, Dec. 2, Poehler and Offerman showcase America’s most talented makers. Find out what can be accomplished with only a few tools and a great idea in the feelgood holiday crafting competition of the year, “Making It.”