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Entertainment Now | December 17 - 23, 2022 By Sarah Passingham TV Media T he snow is falling, the co- coa is hot and the Lego bricks are out. It's the time of year to spread festive joy and tune in to the "Lego Masters: Celebrity Holiday Edition" special. Three nights in a row of very jolly episodes begin on Fox on Mon- day, Dec. 19. As celebrity guest stars are paired with fan-favorite "Lego Masters" builders to con- struct holiday-themed Lego cre- ations for judges and Lego profes- sionals Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard, Host Will Arnett ("Mur- derville") narrates all of the ac- tion, checking in on the new brick- building duos and surprising them with twists mid-challenge. So who is bringing the holiday cheer to Lego land? None other than "The Masked Singer" judge Robin Thicke, "Curb Your Enthusi- asm" star Cheryl Hines and "The Great Holiday Bake War" star Fi- nesse Mitchell. Also joining the builders is the unforgettable scene stealer of "Will & Grace" and "Call Me Kat," the late Leslie Jordan. Sadly, Jordan died in Los Angeles on Oct. 24, and was re- membered in a statement from Fox Entertainment that read in part, "Leslie carried an infectious exuberance, indelible sense of hu- mor and, throughout, gifted us with countless fond memories that will last forever." While their Lego experience is yet to be revealed, the celebrities are paired with proven builders from past "Lego Masters" sea- sons who bring their experience to the challenges. Celebs and con- testants work together to dream up and construct holiday-themed builds made entirely of everyone's favorite toy for all ages. The "Lego Masters: Celebrity Holiday Edi- tion" special also gets in the giv- ing spirit by eschewing the main series' cash prize for donations to charities close to the guest stars' hearts. In the spirit of the season, the teams work together to create festive builds using all of their col- lective creativity, while working under the pressure of the giant clock ticking toward the final countdown. If you haven't tuned in to "Lego Masters" before, you may be surprised to learn that challenges are typically marathon builds that regularly take over 10 hours to complete. The Season 1 "Lego Masters" finale build gave teams a whopping 24 hours to construct their creations. According to a Fox news release announcing the special, "Lego Masters: Celebrity Holiday Edition" features "jaw-dropping holiday- themed challenges that will make the contestants' faces redder than Rudolph's nose." With every kind of Lego brick and accessory in ev- ery colour imaginable at their dis- posal, the opportunities are end- less for the festive teams. The only limitations for the teams are their own imaginations and, of course, the themes and dreaded twists. Now an international phenom- enon, "Lego Masters" first pre- miered in the United Kingdom in 2017 on Channel 4. An instant hit, the format was quickly picked up in several countries. Similar to the monumentally popular series "The Great British Bake Off" in tone, "Lego Masters" strikes a pleasing chord that turns every- day activities, such as playing with Lego and baking cupcakes, into a high-stakes competition that is equally tense and heart- warming. The grand title of Lego Master and $100,000 are on the line, but it's really all about high- lighting the artist in all of us. In an interview with Daily Blast Live shortly before his death, Jor- dan shared what he learned from filming "Lego Masters: Celebrity Holiday Edition" with the panel of hosts, saying, "I showed up not knowing anything, and I would say that I am now a Lego Master." Jordan gave a sneak peek at what viewers can expect from the cre- ations, saying, "We built every- thing, from bridges to castles." "Lego Masters" judge and Lego product designer Corbett shared in an interview with Nylon in 2021 that "it was a baptism of fire to go from the office, behind the scenes, in Lego HQ in Billund (Denmark) to suddenly being in a Hollywood studio" when she be- gan filming the competition series — her first TV appearance. But it wasn't finding her footing on- screen that turned out to be the most challenging part of joining the show. Corbett told Nylon, "The hard- est part is sending people home." She added, "It's really hard to come to that decision between Ja- mie and I of who we're sending home, but I think it's even harder to tell the contestants because people put their heart and soul into that, and everyone has done an amazing job just to get there." With three seasons of "Lego Mas- ters" under her belt, Corbett is about to see what kind of unique creativity Lego holiday themes in- spire. The judges can relax a bit while critiquing the "Lego Masters: Ce- lebrity Holiday Edition" creations. Having returning contestants who are comfortable with the build stu- dio, celebrity guests to break the tension, and prizes going to chari- ty rather than crowning a champi- on builder — all of that helps take some of the pressure off. This is the first time that the American Lego Masters franchise has produced a holiday edition, let alone a three-part special. The se- ries aired a special crossover epi- sode in June 2022 featuring a sneak peek of the summer block- buster, "Jurassic World," with star Chris Pratt even making an ap- pearance. Get ready to tune in to the first of three nights in a row of "Lego Masters: Celebrity Holiday Edition" on Monday, Dec. 19 on Fox. Will Arnett hosts "LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular" Building the holidays: Celebs play with Lego for charity 2 | Cover story Grindstone Charlie's 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2"

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