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Hamish Blake ready for a plastic distraction

Lego Masters steps up the challenges and the fun, at a time the nation needs it.

“Any distraction, in any form, for people at the moment is a good thing,” Hamish Blake suggests.

“We are wall-to-wall in monitoring this situation. Everyone’s got their noses in their phones and online all day to try and figure out what’s happening around the world.

“So to be on someone’s distraction list is a good thing.”

Season Two of Lego Masters plans to be just that… a colourful, playful, slightly-silly and family-friendly entertainment offering.

Nine unveils the first of its 11 episodes  -2 more than its debut season- this Sunday. Eight new teams, aged from 18 – 49 will battle it out for the 2020 title and a $100,000 prize.

Lego Certified Professional Ryan “Brickman” McNaught returns as judge overseeing a series of creative challenges, all centred around the Danish block.

“In one episode we have a massive water tank in the studio”

Season Two naturally steps up the pressure, says Blake.

“In one episode we have a massive water tank in the studio and they have to build something that’s going to be submerged under water. So if you’re setting things at that level, you can’t just go back the next week to something you did in Episode 2. It feels like there’s a good escalation,” he explains.

“Another one is called One Hanging Brick, with one Lego piece hanging above every desk.

“You could have been building Lego your whole life but it would be a massive fluke if someone’s (practised) building off one tiny brick hanging in mid-air. It sort of twists their brains in a whole different way.”

The runaway success of the first season has also brought out some serious players, hungry to win. While some teams are all-rounders, others divide the strategy between the creative and the methodical.

“The ability to communicate becomes the difference”

“Because it’s two people building together, and not by themselves, the ability to communicate becomes the difference between something that’s good or something that’s incredible,” Blake continues.

“How quickly can you share that vision and be on the same page? That human dynamic between the two contestants is something that I think is really lovely to watch.

“Just seeing people working that fast, and that creatively, under pressure is cool.”

In between production wrapping in January and the nation’s recent lockdown, Blake was busy stockpiling Podcasts with Andy Lee. More recently he’s been gate-crashing Zoom webcam meetings as people pass on their Zoom ID.

“I’ve done about a dozen meetings today on Zoom”

“I’ve loved doing it so much because I’m a bit of an extrovert,” he laughs.

“I’ve done about a dozen meetings today on Zoom from website marketing team catch-ups to financial advisors to an Australian swimming meeting.

More seriously he adds, “We’ve never had a moment like this, certainly in my generation, where globally the focus is on one thing. Hopefully the good that will that come out of it is something that carries with it that message: about what makes it great to be a human being, what makes it great to be a society. Art in any of its forms is probably top of that list.”

“Just seeing the way people are adapting and pivoting is, I think, a little bit inspiring.”

Indeed he is seeing signs of creativity through technology and lateral thinking.

“A lot of my mates are in TV production, so just seeing the way people are adapting and pivoting is, I think, a little bit inspiring. We’ve always done it one way, and even if this is a great lesson in anything, it’s people finding there’s many ways to do what they did before.

“That’s been one of the little slivers of hope that’s come out of this… you know, humans are super creative, and people are finding new ways to do things.”

Lego Masters airs Sunday – Tuesday on Nine.

2 Responses

  1. I think season 2 will be even bigger than last year. Historically, I’ve not been keen on Hamish Blake but he won me over in S1 and the challenges were absolutely gripping. This is the kind of show we need right now.

  2. This is where the battle will get interesting now, with nothing up against it House Rules was keeping toe to toe pretty much with last years ratings (remember last years finale got 730,000), however now having Lego Masters and Masterchef in there as well will see how it is truly going.

    I know HR has all the covid-19 News to compete with now however last year it had those two shows Ninja Warrior Aust, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, Anh’s Brush With Fame, The Weekly as well, so covid-19 has king of taken those spots in beating it.

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