Merchandise for the Thomas & Friends franchise has been produced to capitalise on the success of the television series Thomas & Friends (formerly Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends). Whilst merchandise was produced alongside due to the popularity of the first of The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry since 1945, and the original broadcast of the television series in 1984 in the United Kingdom, large numbers of manufacturers have sought to produce Thomas-branded items after the television series was broadcast in the United States and Japan. The most popular and wide-ranging merchandise are models of the characters, some including accompanying railway systems. Other popular products include videos, books and magazines, computer and video games, audiobooks, annuals, colouring and activity books, jigsaw puzzles, board games, stationery, clothing, cutlery, household items such as curtains, duvet covers and lampshades, and soft drinks. Thomas & Friends ranked number one in the preschool toys category in the U.S. and made the top 10 for the entire U.S. toy industry in 2010. In January 2011, Thomas & Friends ranked as the number-one preschool toy property in the U.K. for the 11th year in a row. Thomas is also a top-selling toy property in Australia, Germany, Japan, and Korea. While the total traditional toy industry in the United States increased 1.9 per cent in 2010, overall Thomas & Friends toy sales increased over 47.1 per cent.[1] In 2015, Mattel began the Thomas & Friends Minis to celebrate the franchise's 70th anniversary. In 2016, the brand was so popular it was a permanent merchandise line.[citation needed]