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2 • July 29 - August 4, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By Francis Babin TV Media O nce upon a time, there was an unfair belief held by many that arts and crafts were for little kids and grandparents. It was glitter-covered macaroni art that your kid sister brought home from school or some- thing your nana knitted while watch- ing "Matlock" or "Murder, She Wrote." Times have changed, however. Nowadays, crafts are in and crafts- manship is cool, while DIY is much more than a simple acronym — it's a lifestyle. On Tuesday, July 31, grab your paint, glue gun, hammer and saw, and let the crafting begin with the premiere of "Making It" on NBC. Arts and crafts are big business these days. Not long ago, arti- sans and builders had limited options if they wanted to sell their wares, but this is no longer the case, thanks in large part to social media and the rise of the internet. Now anyone with a bit of extra time can easily sell their homemade cat toys, keychains, beads, quilts, frames, chairs and just about anything homespun on Face- book, Instagram, eBay or Etsy with only a few clicks. Items that were made to pass the time on a rainy day can now be found on the walls of a home halfway around the world — and for good money. NBC is looking to capitalize on the popularity of handcrafted goods (and television reunions) with its new, six- episode competition series, "Making It." Three years after the end of the critically lauded "Parks and Recre- ation," the always hilarious Amy Poehler reunites with her equally funny former co- star, Nick Offer- man, to host the competition. The basic premise of the craft-off is quite simple, and it's fun for the whole family. Every week, eight arti- sans from across America are pitted against one another to try to impress Poehler, Offerman and the expert judges, Simon Doonan and Dayna Isom Johnson. The contestants com- pete in themed challenges that are inspired by crafting and DIY trends that test their creativity, skills and outside-the-box thinking. The talented fabricators have a chance to shine over the course of two rounds: the faster-craft round and master-craft collection round. The former is a timed challenge that will test the makers' ability to work quickly and be creative under pres- sure. The latter is a special challenge in which the competitors must use their inventiveness, expertise, experi- ence and know-how to successfully put together the winning craft. "Making It" features contestants who are extremely proficient with paint, fabric, wood and metal. Over the course of six episodes, we will get to know and love the competitors as they share their touching and person- al stories that often inspire them. Sadly, however, there can only be one Master Maker. The competition sheds light on a world that many aren't familiar with, and features plenty of laughs, puns and extraordinary creations that are guaranteed to inspire. Poehler touched on this during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying: "At the very most, you will fall in love with our makers, get introduced to a world you may not know anything about, and even get inspired to make something at home!" Impressing the hosts is no easy feat, and standing out in front of the expert judges is even harder. The Cre- ative Ambassador-at-Large of the New York City-based clothing store Barneys, Doonan serves as one of the judges for the competition. The al- ways witty fashion commentator has penned several popular books and is no stranger to creativity competi- tions. He has made many appearanc- es on the long-running "America's Next Top Model," VH1's "Full Frontal Fashion" and "Iron Chef America." Johnson steps in beside Doonan as a fellow expert judge. Along with her judging duties, Johnson serves as an Etsy trend expert who shares the latest and greatest designs and excit- ing stories behind some of the most popular Etsy shops and sellers. Hav- ing worked for the wildly successful company since its early days, Doonan has developed some amazing insight into the world of crafts. As for the well-loved hosts, the co- medic duo both share a passion and love for crafts and craftsmanship. The "Parks and Rec" BFFs are looking for- ward to showcasing America's most talented makers and what can be ac- complished with only a few tools and a great idea. Poehler is a self-proclaimed craft novice who is more interested in the skills involved than in the crafts themselves. She has always been fas- cinated with the visionaries out there who can not only imagine but exe- cute incredible projects by hand. Offerman, on the other hand, is a noted woodworker who builds boats professionally when he's not in front of the camera. The comedian fabri- cates furniture, canoes and other wooden structures on the side, and has even released several instruction- al DVDs on woodworking. The peacock network has already struck gold with its two other origi- nal, unscripted summer series, "World of Dance" and "America's Got Talent," and is no doubt looking to go three for three. Have a laugh, learn what vellum is, get inspired and be creative with "Making It," pre- miering Tuesday, July 31, on NBC. Getting creative Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman reunite in the name of crafting Cover Story this week Conan In Florida, an 87-year-old man has donated 100 gallons of blood throughout his lifetime. And the weird thing is, only half of it is his. The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon I read about a woman in Washington, D.C., who found a dead lizard in her bag of Trader Joe's kale. When people heard that, they were like, "Gross! Kale?!" The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (repeat) Trump announced that he was going to halt the joint military exercises with South Korea and the U.S., but that came as a shock to our close allies, South Korea and the U.S. In fact, a spokesperson for South Korea said, "At this moment, the meaning and intention of President Trump's remarks requires more clear understanding." Which is Korean for "Whaaaa!?" The Late Late Show With James Corden (repeat) The workout company CrossFit is now getting into the meal delivery business. But their meal kit is getting mixed reviews because, well, it isn't really a meal, it's nothing but 10 pounds of raw meat. And you thought your dog chased the mailman before. It's just giant slabs of meat all packed together. Oh, wait, that's a CrossFit class, sorry. 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