TV may be a more niche medium than ever, but fans tend to find one another even in a fractured TV universe. And that makes gift-giving for fellow TV fans an easy proposition.
For TV fans with a taste for grittier programming, FX’s just-ended “Sons of Anarchy” offers up a jewelry collection inspired by the biker gang series. Three rings, priced at $200-$350, display iconic images from the show and are available online at thegreatfroglondon.com.
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With every new season of PBS’s “Downton Abbey” — back on WQED-TV Jan. 4 — there’s a new companion book. This year’s edition, “A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey: Seasonal Celebrations, Traditions and Recipes” ($29.99, St. Martin’s Press) written by “Downton” scripter Julian Fellowes’ niece, Jessica Fellowes, takes readers through the calendar year at the posh estate. There are debutantes in May, Scotland in August and “the sporting season” in November, along with recipes for Seville orange marmalade, Irish stew and cream of watercress soup. A second book, “Downton Abbey Rules for Household Staff” ($14.99, St. Martin’s Press), purports to offer Mr. Carson’s guidelines for each member of the household staff.
For the Anglophile TV fan with more interest in satire, there’s the new book, “A Courageous Decision: The Inside Story of Yes Minister” ($29.99, Aurum Press) by Graham McCann, which looks at the real political fiascoes that inspired the 1980s series, drawing on new interviews with the show’s creators and cast.
There’s a cottage industry of products from HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” including plastic Funko Pop! Vinyl figures of the show’s characters ($9.99 at store.hbo.com, but also spotted at Target) and a slew of books, including a “Living Language” guidebook to speaking Dothraki that includes a CD ($19.99) and the 192-page behind-the-scenes coffee-table book, “Inside Game of Thrones: Seasons 3 & 4” ($40, Chronicle Books).
Fans of “The Daily Show” might enjoy the book “No Man’s Land” ($22.95, Chronicle Books) by “Daily Show” correspondent Aasif Mandvi, who recounts his journey growing up in different cultures. Mr. Mandvi reads an audio version of book, available for download at Audible.com ($14.95).
For young Nickelodeon viewers, there’s a “SpongeBob SquarePants” Chia planter ($22.80, spotted at Rite-Aid) that promises to grow green “hair” on the under-the-sea character in one or two weeks.
And for pint-sized train buffs who gravitate more to Disney Junior’s “Chuggington” than PBS’s “Thomas & Friends,” there’s a new DVD release, “Snow Rescue” ($14.98), and the new Brewster’s Big Build Adventure Set in the StackTrack line ($49.99, available at Target, Toys ‘R’ Us and Amazon.com), complete with a working crane, elevator and escalator. For those seeking more of an experience than a toy, the “Chuggington” live tour, “The Great Rescue Adventure,” makes the second stop on its national tour in Pittsburgh next month at the Benedum Center (6 p.m. Jan. 31, tickets $21-$51 at www.TrustArts.org or call 412-456-6666).
For more gift ideas for TV fans, visit the Tuned In Journal blog.
First Published: December 16, 2014, 5:00 a.m.
