LEGO has been making pop culture-inspired sets for a while now, but one special arena they’ve been paying attention to more in recent years is the small screen. Thanks to both input from fans and licensing deals, the toy company has released a number of models that allow builders to construct favorite settings from brilliant TV shows – including classic sitcoms and modern hits.
They’re both fun to collect and make great gifts for the pop culture junkies in your life, so we’ve put together this feature highlighting some of the best of the best to come out in the last few years. For even more gift ideas to check out this holiday season, head on over to our Black Friday 2022 page.
Seinfeld
A big part of what makes LEGO’s TV-inspired sets so special is their attention to detail, and the Seinfeld set is magnificent in that respect. In addition to being a terrific recreation of Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment from the series, there are phenomenal Easter eggs included, such as Kramer’s Coffee Table book about coffee tables, Elaine’s goldfish from the episode “The Parking Lot,” and even a Festivus pole. The minifigs wonderfully capture the characters, and not only do you get a Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer, but also a Newman. The set was created as part of the fan-inspired LEGO Ideas line, and it’s a perfect gift for any Seinfeld fan (which is why I also included it in our Seinfeld gift guide).
Get the Seinfeld LEGO set on LEGO.com
The Office
Like the Seinfeld set, The Office set is also a result of LEGO Ideas, and it’s the newest one featured in this list. While it doesn’t feature the entirety of the Dunder-Mifflin office space, there is tremendous latitude to set characters up to recreate beloved moments from classic episodes. A total of fifteen minifigs are included, and each one comes with one or more special accessories. Kevin has a pot of chili that you can spill all over the floor, and Stanley has a prize earned from Pretzel Day, but by far my favorite detail is the – ahem – excrement that Todd Packer left as a gift for Michael. The whole layout is terrific, but one of the best features is that Michael’s office slides out so you can separately display as a cute desk toy.
Get the Office LEGO set on LEGO.com
Friends – The Apartments
Continuing the trend of LEGO sets based on sitcoms from NBC’s Must-See TV Thursdays, the Friends Apartments is another release that any fan will love. Like the Seinfeld and Office sets, it’s loaded up with minifigs, and it includes not only Joey, Rachel, Ross, Monica, Phoebe, and Chandler, but also the notorious Janice. It’s incredibly fun to build because it’s overflowing with excellent details inspired from moments in the show. In Joey and Chandler’s apartment, the recliners are constructed to lean back in sync (a reference to the episode where they are first purchased), and LEGO has even managed to recreate the horrifying 3D painting that Phoebe tries to give Monica and Rachel as a gift.
Get the Friends Apartments LEGO set on LEGO.com
Friends – Central Perk
If the Friends Apartments is a bit out of your price range, the good news is that there is still an amazing LEGO set that you can get that recreates another cherished location from the show: the Central Perk café. It too features all six of the main protagonists from the show (in minifigs wearing different, but still memorable costumes), but it also includes a Gunther that you can keep lurking in the back fawning for Rachel. You can practically hear Phoebe warbling “Smelly Cat” as you build it.
Get the Friends Central Perk LEGO set on LEGO.com
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has long been cherished for its wholesomeness and educational capacities for younger audiences, and the LEGO set makes for a wonderful dedication to the show that has meant so much to so many. Characters including Big Bird, Elmo, Bert, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster are included, and the build itself is great and fairly simple. If you have a kid who is old enough to play with LEGOs and loves Sesame Street, the set would make an entertaining activity for you to construct together.
Get the Sesame Street LEGO set on LEGO.com
Get the Sesame Street LEGO set on Amazon
Stranger Things
Because it’s a retired product, the Stranger Things “The Upside Down” set is now pretty expensive – and it was already pretty pricey to begin with – but it’s also the most technically advanced set featured in this article and the most fun to build. You’re basically getting two LEGO sets in one, with the Byers house from “our” world and the version of the house that exists in the alternate reality known as the Upside Down. There is a terrific detail that incorporates a lighting effect for the Christmas lights setup in Season 1, and it features a litany of minifigs – including Eleven, Mike, Lukas, Dustin, Will, Joyce, Hopper, and a Demogorgon.
Get the Stranger Things Upside Down LEGO set on Amazon
The Flintstones
The LEGO set inspired by The Flintstones is a double dose of great. On the one hand, it’s a great tribute to the classic show that brings to life the rock house owned by Fred and Wilma. It could be a terrific addition to a vast LEGO display, and, thanks to its compact size, also makes for cute shelf décor. The other reason it’s awesome is because it includes the iconic foot-peddled car, replete with a giant set of BBQ dinosaur ribs (which, thankfully, don’t cause the thing to tip over. If you have a collection of movie and TV cars in LEGO, this is a must-have to include next to the Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1, the Back To The Future DeLorean, and all of the Batmobiles. Speaking of which…
Get the Flintstones LEGO set on Amazon
Batman
Finally we have what is the biggest set on this list as far as piece count is concerned: the Batcave from the classic 1960s Batman series starring Adam West. This is another set that is a bit pricey due to both its size and it being retired, but it’s cool in oh so many ways. There’s a small section of Wayne Manor that includes the famous red Batphone and the bust of William Shakespeare, but far better is what is underneath… including polls that allow Batman and Robin to spin down into the Batcave. There is a Bat Lab and Batcomputer, as featured on the show, and a helipad for the Batcopter. In addition to including special Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder minifigs, you also get Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, and Catwoman (the Julie Newmar version to be specific).
Get the Batman Batcave LEGO set on Amazon
As we get deeper into the holiday season and closer to Black Friday, stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more gift idea features and news about special entertainment-related deals.
