Fans of High School Musical enjoyed the songs, fun and young love of Troy, Gabriella and co across three hit movies. But with the original cast graduating, making way for a new year in the forthcoming HSM4 "East Meets West, we thought we'd catch up with what the original stars are up to now.

Troy Bolton was played by teen sensation, Zac Efron. Zac has gone on to become one of the biggest stars of his generation and has appeared in the movie version of Hairspray and hit comedy 17 Again, . His forthcoming feature movies include The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud and Johnny Quest.

Gabriella Montez was the love interest of Troy Bolton, mirrored in real life by Vanessa Hudgens being the girlfriend of Zac Efron. Following HSM, she has worked on the forthcoming brit flick, Beastly, co-starring Alex Pettyfer, and Sucker Punch - not due for release until 2011.

Labels: high school musical

The technical term for Club Penguin is a MMOG - that's a massively multiplayer online game. But all that really matters is that its a massively popular website loved by kids, generally in the 6 - 12 age bracket.

Biscuit is the "lovin' pup" from Furreal which is a lifelike puppy that will make your heart melt. Predicted to be one of the top selling toys this Christmas, Biscuit gives you all the joy of owning a doggy but without downside of having to walk him and deal with the mess.

He responds to six voice commands like sit and lie down, and will even raise his paw.

Like Butterscotch the Pony last year, Biscuit is the top of many a young girl's Christmas list but act quickly because this little canine is likely to go out of stock quickly.

Here's some useful links to help you find a Biscuit this Christmas...

Argos: FurReal Friends Biscuit Puppy
thetoyshop.com - Biscuit Loving Pup

Labels: FurReal

Character is the company behind some of the best loved toys available, including many TV tie-ins such as Dr Who, Primeval, Peppa Pig and Hannah Montana.

You can buy fantastic toys from Character Online direct from their website, and best of all, you can save 5% with this fantastic voucher code promotion.

Simply visit Character Online, add your toys to the basket and then enter the discount code 5discount2008OT to receive your 5% discount. This offer ends 27th December, 2008.

Character Online Website

Labels: doctor who, toy discounts

Elmo is back, with Elmo Live. The popular Sesame Street character comes to life with Elmo Live. Watch him sing, dance and laugh. When he laughs, he'll throw his head back and laugh like he's really sitting there in front of you. You won't believe he isn't actually real.

It's not hard to see why the Toy Retailers Association predicted Elmo Live would be one of the top toys for Christmas 2008. Spend some time with Elmo Live and you'll soon fall in love and have a new best friend.

Buy Fisher-Price Elmo Live

Labels: elmo

Furreal specialise in life-like, and life-size, animals. Previous Furreal hits have included Butterscotch the Pony and Macaw the Parrot.

This year they have Biscuit, the Lovin' Pup. This realistic golden retriever loves attention and will turn his head and as you stroke his gorgeous soft hair. He can respond to commands, such as lay down and beg. He'll even pant like a real dog! Check out the video below to see him in action (caution: you may fall in love with him yourself).



You can get a brilliant 5% discount at TheToyShop.com to help lighten the load this Christmas. Simply visit the website and add the cheeky pup to your basket. During the checkout, use the discount code TAVG to get your 5% discount. The TAVG discount offer is exclusive to ToysAndVideoGames - so go ahead and make your order now!

Labels: FurReal, toy discounts

This year's dream toys have been announced by the Toy Retailers Association. These are the toys they predict will be the best sellers for Christmas 2008. Gary Grant, chairman of the TRA, said of the selection: "From clever new twists on old favourites to ingenious use of new technologies, this selection strikes the balance between familiar brands and the new kids on the block."

The list includes BABY born® with Magic Potty, a gorumet Cupcake Maker - catching the current vogue for designer cakes - and the new canine creation from Furreal called my Lovin' Puppy. A worth successor to last year's smash hit, Butterscotch the Pony.

Click here to see the top toys for Christmas in full.

Labels: christmas