HISTORY has found its niche with the Built America franchise, but The Mega-Brands That Built America is the best of the bunch. The series has proven to be both educationally relevant and surprisingly compelling. The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4 keeps the show’s high quality up, even if some of the subject choices are unexpected.
The Season 4 premiere, “The Road Warriors,” feels like an extension of the Season 3 finale. Whereas that previous episode detailed the battle between tire makers, Season 4 goes into car history—specifically what led up to the creation of the SUV (sport utility vehicle). It’s still as thorough as the series has always been, and viewers will no doubt appreciate how this popular family vehicle has its original roots in World War II. “The Road Warriors” does what the best Mega-Brands episodes do: leave fans smarter about something that’s in plain sight. But it’s interesting to have two automotive episodes back-to-back, even if there’s been a break between seasons.
The Mega-Brands That Built America really hits its stride with the second episode, entitled “The Game Makers.” Doing an episode about the history of the game show sounds like an odd choice, but the story is engaging and the creative team does an excellent job of explaining why something that’s considered “light entertainment” is important to the fabric of the country. Plus, it’s wonderful to have these classic game show names back in the public consciousness; today’s audiences have probably heard of the remakes of Password and Family Feud, but likely don’t know the history behind them. In fact, this episode is a great argument for HISTORY’s next spinoff to be The Television That Built America.
But stepping outside the box is a double-edged sword for Season 4. What makes Mega-Brands That Built America special is that the audience is usually learning more about brands that are in their own homes, and have applications in their life. “The Game Makers” is a departure, but it works since game shows like Jeopardy! and Family Feud have been in people’s homes on a nightly basis for decades. Conversely, HISTORY has confirmed that a later episode this season will feature NASCAR, which is indeed a huge American brand, but not as universal and feels like it would be better suited to a sports docuseries (which, to be fair, HISTORY also does well).
Yet four seasons on, every TV show has to start looking for new ideas in order to last another four seasons. As long as this one continues to prioritize storytelling over brand recognition, it will survive. Mega-Brands stands out, even among HISTORY’s collection of similar series, because it’s a show that the audience can immediately connect with. They can often turn around and see the brand name that’s being talked about, or one that’s connected to the subject. That makes it more than just a history program. The Mega-Brands That Built Season 4 keeps that quality alive. Add in the typically high production values and the eternal narration of actor Campbell Scott, and this is another season that should be on everyone’s weekend watch list.
The Mega-Brands That Built America premieres tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HISTORY. Photo Credit: Courtesy of HISTORY.
Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.
