Pity the poor TV fans back in the old days, eager to buy really cool merchandise tie-ins to their favourite shows.
There weren't 1950s Team Desi or Team Lucy T-shirts proclaiming viewer devotion to husband or wife on I Love Lucy. The Fugitive board game from the 1960s pales next to Walking Dead video games. The 1970s Flying Nun vinyl lunch bag was admittedly cute but somewhat lacking in designer flair.
In this oft-proclaimed new golden age of television, the products that tie-in to the shows are often as impressive as the programmes themselves – and just as legion. Some industry insiders, in fact, are fretting that there is just too much good TV being made – so it is impossible even for discerning viewers to keep up – and warn that a bubble looms. It may burst someday, but for now the bedazzling amount of TV-related products make shopping for small-screen addicts easy. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Binge-watch wear
Help a bleary-eyed friend get comfortable while reliving every hour of Breaking Bad or enjoying a Mad Men marathon.
From The Big Bang Theory, consider the Soft Kitty sleepwear set, decorated with Sheldon Cooper’s favourite feline.
Or get yourself a Dunder Mifflin terrycloth bathrobe, with the fictional paper company's name tastefully embroidered on the front to ward off the winter chill. Admittedly this is not as much of a problem here in the UAE as it is in Scranton, Pennsylvania – the setting for US sitcom The Office, which featured the oddball staff of Dunder Mifflin – but it will at least let you wallow in nostalgia now that the show is off the air.
The proud fan
Do you know someone who would lay down their smartphone to help Taraji P Henson's Empire matriarch, Cookie? Help them show that loyalty with a What Would Cookie Do? T-shirt.
Winter is coming, even here in the desert, and for a Game of Thrones fan who has been very good this year, you could fork out US$250 (Dh918) for a replica of Jon Snow's longclaw sword. As a cuddlier and cheaper alternative, consider a Direwolf cub stuffed animal.
Long-running crime-drama NCIS has plenty of fans – but perhaps only the most-devoted could truly appreciate this: A 19-by-73-inch cardboard cut-out photo of Special Agent Gibbs, as played by series star Mark Harmon. The $39.95 (Dh146) "standee" would be great for your next NCIS party.
The overdue present
Forgot to get a gift for a friend’s wedding and can’t remember where the happy couple are registered? Make it up to them with a suitable TV-themed holiday present.
Consider going retro with a set of Seinfeld oversized coffee mugs proclaiming "No Soup for You," or HBO's set of Girls coasters, featuring quotes from the series.
A thoughtful added touch to help with relaxation: Downton Abbey Afternoon Garden Tea, which could also help to drown a fan's sorrow over its looming finale.
Fashion forward
What gives The Blacklist's Raymond Reddington such style? It's not just his dark wit, the private plane and a tendency toward violence. There is also the distinctive hat that star James Spader wears while portraying the character. The Stetson Mercury in brown is yours for US$189.95 (Dh697). Give it to someone special. Or keep it for yourself.
A sharp-looking handbag is a welcome addition to any woman's list of accessories. For devotees of The Walking Dead, there is one emblazoned with the words "In Daryl We Trust", alongside an image of fan-favourite character Daryl Dixon, as played by actor Norman Reedus. In a nice touch for the flesh-eating zombie show, it's a non-leather, vegan-friendly choice.
artslife@thenational.ae
