Star Trek
The original Star Trek TV series aired in 1966, with reruns well into the 1970’s and beyond. A number of movies were released from 1979 to 1991 featuring the characters from the original series. In 1987, the story line was continued with a new generation of shipmates in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Star Trek franchise has had a major impact on pop culture, and practically any merchandising gimmick exists with the Star Trek theme.
As far as the toys go, the 80’s were a mixed bag of original series toys and Next Gen toys. Not only could you buy an action figure of Kirk, but you could also get an action figure of Picard. All the various ships were available from die-cast to models, and many kids had Star Trek lunchboxes when we were in grade school. The continuation of the franchise has created an entire new generation of fans, and the toys continue to grace store shelves.