Old TV shows never die, they just go into perpetual reruns. Two of the hardiest survivors are "Star Trek" and the British "Dr. Who." To satisfy the seemingly unquenchable appetites for nostalgia of Trekkies and Who fans, toy store shelves are overflowing with product spinoffs from the series.
Commemorating the 25th anniversary of "Star Trek," the most beloved creature to emerge from the show is now available. No, we're not talking about Kirk, Spock, Bones, or Scotty. Here come those adorable handfuls of hair, Tribbles. Hug them, they purr; squeeze them, they squeal—provided, of course, you've inserted a nine-volt battery in the hidden pocket. Tribbles don't have much play value, but they sure are cuddly. The important thing is, as Lt. Uhura said, "They give us love." Tribbles come in white, tan, or brown from Starstruck Corp., Calabasas, Calif., and can be found at toy and comic book stores for $19.95 (or $9.95 for the nonelectric version).
The Silver Anniversary Dr. Who set, on the other hand, is designed for play, with a cast of four-inch articulated figures including Daleks, Tetrap, Ice Warrior, Cyber-man, and assorted versions of the seven different Doctors and their companions, as well as K9, the Doctor's personal robot-dog computer. If this all seems gibberish to you, it's obvious you've not a devoted watcher and might as well skip to the next item. If you are steeped in Who-lore, you'll be thrilled to know that the Tardis—the London police box that is in reality a time and space vehicle—also is available. The Dr. Who figures and accessories from Dapol USA, St. Louis, can be found in toy stores at $7-14, with the anniversary set running $80.
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
