TARDIS PC and Other Brilliant Gift Buys for British TV Fans

When it comes to figuring out what gifts to get for British TV fans, whether for the holidays, birthdays or other gift-giving occasions, there are plenty of choices. And not just in terms of DVDs either. Here are some of my top picks.

For fans of Doctor Who, there are plenty of novelty items, collectibles, and other gift ideas out there, including these:

But for the Whovian in your life who wants a functioning TARDIS as I do, the following item is about as close as s/he (or I) is going to get to having one.

It’s the TARDIS PC.

While it’s neither made of wood nor bigger on the inside, it can take any Doctor Who fan across time and space, albeit not physically. And it is in the TARDIS blue.

An official BBC Worldwide-licensed product, the TARDIS PC is available exclusively from Scan Computers in the UK. Pricing starts at £935.99 (roughly $1500 at today’s exchange rate). Visit the website for specs and to configure one for your Whovian.

For diehard British TV fans, I highly recommend a multi-region/region-free DVD player. It is invaluable for watching programs that aren’t available on DVDs that work on standard U.S. players, and there are so many shows for which this is the case. If you think you have to spend an arm and a leg for a good multi-region/ region-free DVD player, you don’t. Many models are priced under $100, and even the ones under $50 do the job quite well.

And for fans who would like to stream British TV shows from Acorn TV, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, and Netflix to their televisions, a streaming media device such as the Roku would make a great gift. (BTW, you can also get subscriptions to the above streaming video services as gifts, too.)

Now, if you’re inclined to get a gift that’s related to British TV but not necessarily to the viewing of it, allow me to recommend a few things.

First, a kettle. Namely an electric kettle. This kitchen gadget is so convenient and shows up on programs so often that I even wrote a blog post about it. But don’t take my word regarding it being a must-have small appliance. In an interview with the Washington Post, Sophie McShera, a.k.a. Daisy in Downton Abbey, exclaimed this about her hotel suite in NYC: “But there was nothing in the kitchen. No kettle, nothin’.” ‘Nuff said.

Second, a tea set, and perhaps tea cups and saucers to go with it, à la Hyancinth Bucket and her Royal Doulton in Keeping Up Appearances. Or something a bit more practical, such as a tea-for-one set.

Third, a pair of Wellies, a.k.a. Wellington boots, rain boots, muck boots, which characters in Brit TV shows wear nearly as often as they drink tea. There are all kinds of styles under numerous brand names for women, men, and kids, but if your Brit TV fan follows royal fashions, know that both Kate Middleton and Prince Harry recently switched from the Hunter brand to Le Chameau boots.

And, of course, there are British TV DVDs, which number well over a thousand titles. Search for the perfect one(s) for the Brit TV fan(s) in your life right here.

Happy shopping and gift giving!

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