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Toys & Collectibles

Friends Are Magic: LEGO’s Central Perk and Harry Potter Hogwarts Clocktower

lego, friends, harry potter
LEGO’s Friends Central Perk and Harry Potter Hogwarts Clocktower Playsets.

Ha! Betcha thought I’d gone Brony on ya. Not quite yet, but the statement stands true. Friends are magic. Here’s a look at two LEGO play sets that demonstrate the theme and prove the sentiment.

Pieceable Kingdom…
LEGO Playset 75948 Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire Hogwarts Clocktower (922 pieces) presents Potter fans with an impressive task and a wonderful world to immerse themselves in.

The Clocktower has the feel of the LEGO Architecture Series, while offering an expansive play value once finished. Turning the beautiful tower facade around reveals a detailed 3 level interior. Above the ground floor entryway sits a classroom space to explore the mystic arts, while the third level represents Dumbledore’s office.

 

lego, friends, harry potter
8 Harry Potter mini figures are prepared to party at the Yule Ball in LEGO’s Hogwarts Clocktower Playset.

 

Dancing Machine…
8 wand wielding mini figures are included with the set. Each is dressed in their Yule Ball finest. The build includes a mechanized “dance” feature that allows the couples to trip the light fantastic on winter’s eve.

Clocking in at nearly 1000 pieces, and aimed at builders 16 years or older, it may take a couple of friends to help you complete this towering ticker.

 

lego, friends, harry potter, central perk
The gang’s all here. Television Friends convene at LEGO’s Central Perk.

 

Espresso Bongo…
Not to be confused with LEGO’s Netflix cartoon of the same name Friends, The Television Series (21319/1070 pieces) is a reproduction of Central Perk, the coffee shop where TV buddies Ross, Joey, Monica, Chandler and Phoebe all hang. Even Gunther the manager/barista is included in the package. Of course a stage area for guitar wielding Phoebe to croon about the adventures of “smelly cat” is a main part of the scene.

Though no spells were cast during the television sitcom that aired for a decade (1994-2004) there is no shortage of magic in the number dollars the series has generated in syndication. Like Seinfeld, another rerun perennial, Friends continues to amass mega money for its cast members. The long strange trip of I’ll Be There for You, the show’s Paperback Writer meets Pleasant Valley Sunday inspired theme song, continues to keep the pots boiling for its bevy of co-authors though it had some reverse charm on the career of The Rembrandts.

Full disclosure, I’m not a particularly avid fan of Friends, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t immediately drawn to the miniaturized representation of the Central Perk set. A telling comment I overheard at the TTPM (Toys, Tots, Pets and More) event this past spring kind of sums it up for me as well. “I don’t even like Friends but I think I need to own this.”

LEGO Central Perk is a finalist in The Toy Association‘s 2020 Toy of the Year Awards for Specialty Toy. The Hogwart’s Castle (71043) won that category last year, while the Clocktower’s sister piece Hogwarts Great Hall (75954) took top honors in the Construction Toy of the Year category.

 

lego, Star Wars, Han Solo, Chewbacca, blockheads
Friends to the end. Han Solo and Chewbaca get the LEGO Star Wars Brickhead treatment.

 

Skeleton Pete Says…
More pointedly aimed at Boomers like myself is the recent release of LEGO Ideas building kit The Flintstones (21316/748 pieces) Hanna-Barbera’s prehistoric spin on The Honeymooners. Not to mention the recent Brickheads versions of friends to the end Han Solo and Chewbaca.

Dear LEGO, topping my wishlist is a Gilligan’s Island Playset in the near future – please.

 

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