Episode Guide
Season 1
1 1-01 09/Oct/84 Thomas & Gordon
2 1-02 UNAIRED Edward & Gordon
3 1-03 UNAIRED The Sad Story Of Henry (Part 1)
4 1-04 UNAIRED Edward, Gordon & Henry (Part 2)
5 1-05 UNAIRED Thomas' Train
6 1-06 UNAIRED Thomas & The Trucks
7 1-07 UNAIRED Thomas & The Breakdown Train
8 1-08 UNAIRED James & The Coaches
9 1-09 UNAIRED Troublesome Trucks
10 1-10 UNAIRED James & The Express
11 1-11 UNAIRED Thomas & The Guard
12 1-12 UNAIRED Thomas Goes Fishing
13 1-13 UNAIRED Thomas, Terence & The Snow
14 1-14 UNAIRED Thomas & Bertie
15 1-15 UNAIRED Tenders & Turntables (Part 1)
16 1-16 UNAIRED Trouble In The Shed (Part 2)
17 1-17 UNAIRED Percy Runs Away (Part 3)
18 1-18 UNAIRED Coal (Part 1)
19 1-19 UNAIRED The Flying Kipper (Part 2)
20 1-20 UNAIRED Whistles & Sneezes (Part 3)
21 1-21 UNAIRED Toby & The Stout Gentleman (Part 1)
22 1-22 UNAIRED Thomas In Trouble (Part 2)
23 1-23 UNAIRED Dirty Objects
24 1-24 UNAIRED Off The Rails
25 1-25 UNAIRED Down The Mine
26 1-26 UNAIRED Thomas' Christmas Party
Season 2
27 2-01 24/Sep/86 Thomas, Percy & The Coal
28 2-02 UNAIRED Cows
29 2-03 01/Oct/86 Bertie's Chase
30 2-04 UNAIRED Saved From Scrap
31 2-05 UNAIRED Old Iron
32 2-06 UNAIRED Thomas & Trevor
33 2-07 UNAIRED Percy & The Signal
34 2-08 UNAIRED Duck Takes Charge
35 2-09 UNAIRED Percy & Harold
36 2-10 UNAIRED The Runaway
37 2-11 UNAIRED Percy Takes The Plunge
38 2-12 UNAIRED Pop Goes The Diesel (Part 1)
39 2-13 UNAIRED Dirty Work (Part 2)
40 2-14 UNAIRED A Close Shave (Part 3)
41 2-15 UNAIRED Better Late Than Never
42 2-16 UNAIRED Break Van (Part 1)
43 2-17 UNAIRED The Deputation (Part 2)
44 2-18 UNAIRED Thomas Comes To Breakfast (Part 1)
45 2-19 UNAIRED Daisy (Part 2)
46 2-20 UNAIRED Percy's Predicament (Part 3)
47 2-21 UNAIRED The Diseasel
48 2-22 UNAIRED Wrong Road
49 2-23 UNAIRED Edward's Exploit
50 2-24 UNAIRED Ghost Train
51 2-25 UNAIRED Woolly Bear
52 2-26 UNAIRED Thomas & The Missing Christmas Tree
Season 3
53 3-01 UNAIRED A Scarf For Percy
54 3-02 UNAIRED Percy's Promise
55 3-03 UNAIRED Time For Trouble
56 3-04 UNAIRED Thomas Gets Bumped
57 3-05 UNAIRED Gordon & The Famous Visitor
58 3-06 UNAIRED Donald's Duck
59 3-07 UNAIRED Thomas, Percy & The Dragon
60 3-08 UNAIRED Diesel Does It Again
61 3-09 UNAIRED Henry's Forest
62 3-10 UNAIRED The Trouble With Mud
63 3-11 UNAIRED No Joke For James
64 3-12 UNAIRED Thomas, Percy & The Post Train
65 3-13 UNAIRED Trust Thomas
66 3-14 UNAIRED Mavis
67 3-15 UNAIRED Toby's Tightrope
68 3-16 UNAIRED Edward, Trevor & The Really Useful Party
69 3-17 UNAIRED Buzz, Buzz
70 3-18 UNAIRED All At Sea
71 3-19 UNAIRED One Good Turn
72 3-20 UNAIRED Tender Engines
73 3-21 UNAIRED Escape! (Part 1)
74 3-22 UNAIRED Oliver Owns Up (Part 2)
75 3-23 UNAIRED Bulgy
76 3-24 UNAIRED Heroes
77 3-25 UNAIRED Percy, James & The Fruitful Day
78 3-26 UNAIRED Thomas & Percy's Christmas Adventure
Season 4
79 4-01 UNAIRED Granpuff (Part 1)
80 4-02 UNAIRED Bulldog
81 4-03 UNAIRED You Can't Win
82 4-04 UNAIRED Sleeping Beauty (Part 2)
83 4-05 UNAIRED Four Little Engines
84 4-06 UNAIRED A Bad Day For Sir Handel
85 4-07 UNAIRED Peter Sam & The Refreshment Lady
86 4-08 UNAIRED Trucks!
87 4-09 UNAIRED Home At Last
88 4-10 UNAIRED Rock 'N' Roll
89 4-11 UNAIRED Special Funnel
90 4-12 UNAIRED Steam Roller
91 4-13 UNAIRED Passengers & Polish
92 4-14 UNAIRED Gallant Old Engine
93 4-15 UNAIRED Rusty To The Rescue
94 4-16 UNAIRED Thomas & Stepney (Part 1)
95 4-17 UNAIRED Train Stops Play (Part 2)
96 4-18 UNAIRED Bowled Out (Part 3)
97 4-19 UNAIRED Henry & The Elephant
98 4-20 UNAIRED Toad Stands By
99 4-21 UNAIRED Bullseyes
100 4-22 UNAIRED Thomas & The Special Letter
101 4-23 UNAIRED Paint Pots & Queens
102 4-24 UNAIRED Fish
103 4-25 UNAIRED Special Attraction
104 4-26 UNAIRED Mind That Bike
Season 5
105 5-01 UNAIRED Cranky Bugs
106 5-02 UNAIRED Horrid Lorry
107 5-03 UNAIRED A Better View For Gordon
108 5-04 UNAIRED Lady Hatt's Birthday Party
109 5-05 UNAIRED James & The Trouble With Trees
110 5-06 UNAIRED Gordon & The Gremlin
111 5-07 UNAIRED Bye George!
112 5-08 UNAIRED Baa!
113 5-09 UNAIRED Put Upon Percy
114 5-10 UNAIRED Toby & The Flood
115 5-11 UNAIRED Haunted Henry
116 5-12 UNAIRED Double Teething Troubles
117 5-13 UNAIRED Stepney Gets Lost
118 5-14 UNAIRED Toby's Discovery
119 5-15 UNAIRED Something In The Air
120 5-16 UNAIRED Thomas, Percy & Old Slow Coach
121 5-17 UNAIRED Thomas & The Rumours
122 5-18 UNAIRED Oliver's Find
123 5-19 UNAIRED Happy Ever After
124 5-20 UNAIRED Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday
125 5-21 UNAIRED A Surprise For Percy
126 5-22 UNAIRED Make Someone Happy
127 5-23 UNAIRED Busy Going Backwards
128 5-24 UNAIRED Duncan Gets Spooked
129 5-25 UNAIRED Snow
130 5-26 UNAIRED Rusty & The Boulder
Season 6
131 6-01 06/Jan/03 No Sleep For Cranky
132 6-02 07/Jan/03 Salty's Secret
133 6-03 08/Jan/03 Harvey To The Rescue
134 6-04 09/Jan/03 A Bad Day For Harold The Helicopter
135 6-05 10/Jan/03 Elizabeth The Vintage Lorry
136 6-06 13/Jan/03 The Fogman
137 6-07 14/Jan/03 Jack Jumps In (Part 1)
138 6-08 15/Jan/03 A Friend In Need (Part 2)
139 6-09 16/Jan/03 It's Only Snow
140 6-10 17/Jan/03 Twin Trouble
141 6-11 20/Jan/03 The World's Strongest Engine
142 6-12 21/Jan/03 Scaredy Engines
143 6-13 22/Jan/03 Percy & The Haunted Mine
144 6-14 23/Jan/03 Middle Engine
145 6-15 24/Jan/03 James & The Red Balloon
146 6-16 27/Jan/03 Jack Frost
147 6-17 28/Jan/03 Gordon Takes A Tumble
148 6-18 29/Jan/03 Percy's Chocolate Crunch
149 6-19 30/Jan/03 Buffer Bother
150 6-20 31/Jan/03 Toby Had A Little Lamb
151 6-21 03/Feb/03 Thomas, Percy & The Squeak
152 6-22 04/Feb/03 Thomas The Jet Engine
153 6-23 05/Feb/03 Edward The Really Useful Engine
154 6-24 06/Feb/03 Dunkin' Duncan
155 6-25 07/Feb/03 Rusty Saves The Day
156 6-26 10/Feb/03 Faulty Whistles
Thomas The Tank Engine ( TVSeries 1984 - 2010 )
Plot
Thomas and Friends is a British children's television series, first broadcast on the ITV network in September 1984. Until 2003, it was named Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. This series was shot on 35mm film. The first 12 Series were filmed at Shepperton Studios, England between 1984 and 2008, with production now in CGI at Nitrogen Studios in Canada from 2009 onward.
It is based on The Railway Series of books by the Reverend W. V. Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry. These books deal with the adventures of a group of anthropomorphised trains and road vehicles who live on the fictional Island of Sodor. The books were based on stories Awdry told to entertain his son Christopher during his recovery from measles. Many of the stories are based on events from Awdry's personal experience.
The show has featured celebrity storytellers Ringo Starr (19841986) for the UK and the USA, Michael Angelis (1991present) for the UK, George Carlin (19841995), Alec Baldwin (19982002) and Michael Brandon (2003present) for the USA, and Pierce Brosnan for the UK and the USA (Guest Narrator).
Many businesses have been eager to cash in on the worldwide popularity of the series. 'Thomas'-themed merchandise has appeared in almost every form imaginable, from books and magazines, through vast series of models, to duvet covers, cutlery, soft drinks and even spaghetti shapes.
Heritage railways have also benefited from the series. "Day out with Thomas" events, in which passengers are given the chance to ride in full-size coaches pulled by locomotives resembling Thomas or his friends, provide a considerable source of income, and attract those who might not otherwise visit the railway.
Production
Animation
The show was originally produced with live action model animation at Shepperton Studios in England. The use of moving models was seen at the time of the show's conception as an effective method of animating the stories. Locomotives and other vehicles were operated by radio, while humans and animals were static figures. Stop-motion was occasionally employed for instances in which a human or animal character would move. Hand-drawn animation was used in Series 3 to create bees.
At the show's conception in 1983, live action model animation would not deliver lip sync, but show co-creator Britt Allcroft and model director David Mitton did not see this as an inhibition. About 20 years later however, with advancement in technology, the show saw the introduction of CGI by HIT Entertainment's subsidiary HOT Animation.[1] At first this was used to generate smoke and other effects, but later, HIT (the new owners of Thomas) announced its intent to introduce a fully-CGI series in 2009.[2] With Series 12, CGI by Nitrogen Studios was used to animate characters' faces and to make people and animals mobile within the stories. The following series saw a transition to full CGI animation.
Models
The original classic live action models were filmed on an extensive model railway layout built at the studios. The models were built to the 1:32 scale, known in model railway circles as "Gauge 1". The locomotives used chassis made by Märklin with specially-made bodies. Along with the moving-eye and eyelid mechanisms, these bodies also included smoke generators. Coaches and trucks were made using Tenmille kits. Later models were constructed entirely from scratch. Some of the models from the sister television series, TUGS were reused in later episodes of the series.
In Series 5 through 12, some larger-scale models were used for the narrow gauge characters, to more easily fit the complex mechanisms into them while retaining a sufficient level of detail. In Series 6, the characters known as "the Pack" (construction machines) were also constructed on a large scale, and larger models of Thomas and Percy were made to interact with them. In the ninth series, another larger Thomas model was built to the same scale as the narrow gauge engines to provide greater possibilities for interaction. It was joined by a large version of James in the tenth series. In 2009, these models were put on display in a special exhibit at Drayton Manor Theme Park's Thomas Land.
Cast
Characters
The show revolves around the machines and people who populate the fictional Island of Sodor. Since the advent of a centralised cast, known as "The Steam Team," in 2004, the show has featured eight main characters.
Thomas the Tank Engine
Edward the Blue Engine
Henry the Green Engine
Gordon the Big Engine
James the Red Engine
Percy the Small Engine
Toby the Tram Engine
Emily
Supporting characters are described in detail on other pages:
Railway Engines
Narrow Gauge Engines
Rolling Stock
People and animals
Non-rail vehicles
Movie Characters
Storytellers
The role of the storyteller dates back to the first series. Britt Allcroft thought it essential to convey the episode as a story that would be read from a book at home.
Ringo Starr (Series 1-2): Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was the first storyteller, and arguably the one most frequently associated with the show. Offered the part after Allcroft overheard him being interviewed on television by Michael Parkinson, Starr was initially reluctant to take it; he had never read any of the Railway Series books and felt that children would be more interested in 'dinosaurs with lasers.' Eventually he changed his mind and accepted the role, narrating the first two series from 1984 to 1986. In 1989 he also appeared in the first series of Shining Time Station, playing Mr. Conductor - the character who would relate the Thomas stories to the other characters at Shining Time - and re-recording parts of his narration to include terminology better suited to a U.S. audience. Starr didn't return when the third series of Thomas began, citing an interest to focus on his musical career, although he remained in contact with Wilbert Awdry until the latter's death.Starr made a brief return to the franchise for the 2009 BBC Children in Need appeal, providing the voice of Thomas for The Official BBC Children in Need Medley single.
Michael Angelis (U.K. Series 3-present/US Video 2004): Michael Angelis has had the longest tenure as storyteller of Thomas and Friends, filling the role for over nineteen years. He narrated the direct-to-video releases Calling All Engines, On Site with Thomas, Engines and Escapades, Hero Of The Rails, and Misty Island Rescue. Angelis narrated one US video release before Michael Brandon took over. He has been involved with Thomas outside of the TV series as well; among other things, he lent his voice to a series of story-and-song tapes in 1995 and, starting from 2006, the first five volumes of The Railway Series on CD.
George Carlin (U.S. Series 1-4): George Carlin took over the role of Mr. Conductor on Shining Time Station and, in turn, retold all of the first four series. While Carlin was known for his adult comedy routines, Britt Allcroft attests that he was gentle and enthusiastic in his approach to the series. Allcroft states that Carlin was nervous recording his voice alone in a sound booth - their solution was to keep a teddy bear in the booth as Carlin's "audience" for the run of the show. Allcroft also recalls that the two of them discussed their lonely childhoods, and felt that Thomas was a way of "filling some kind of void."
Alec Baldwin (U.S. Series 5-6): Baldwin was selected as the new U.S. storyteller for the fifth series, and was cast in the role of Mr. Conductor in Thomas and the Magic Railroad in 2000. Baldwin returned for one more series in 2002.
Michael Brandon (U.S. Series 7-present): When Thomas & Friends debuted in the United States in its new half-hour format in 2004, Michael Brandon was hired not only to narrate the new Series 8 episodes, but also all episodes of Series 7. He re-narrated six episodes in Series 6. Brandon provided his voice for all of the intermissions in this format. He also narrated the US releases of Calling All Engines, On Site with Thomas, Engines and Escapades, Hero Of The Rails, and Misty Island Rescue.
Pierce Brosnan (Guest Narrator): Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan narrated the DVD special, The Great Discovery. Brosnan was enthusiastic to take up the role, recalling his experience with Thomas as a father, reading the stories for his sons. In 2007, HiT Entertainment announced that Brosnan had signed on for "all English-language releases for the brand, including three upcoming Thomas & Friends television series and three DVD specials. The announcement preceded series 12 by several months, and Brosnan recorded lines for series 12 episodes, although he did not feature in their broadcast. Subsequently, Brosnan has been promoted as a "guest narrator" for The Great Discovery
Season 7
157 7-01 03/Nov/03 Emily's New Coaches
158 7-02 03/Nov/03 Percy Gets It Right
159 7-03 04/Nov/03 Bill, Ben & Fergus
160 7-04 04/Nov/03 The Old Bridge
161 7-05 05/Nov/03 Edward's Brass Band
162 7-06 05/Nov/03 What's The Matter With Henry?
163 7-07 UNAIRED James & The Queen Of Sodor
164 7-08 UNAIRED The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop
165 7-09 UNAIRED The Spotless Record
166 7-10 UNAIRED Toby's Windmill
167 7-11 UNAIRED Bad Day At Castle Loch
168 7-12 UNAIRED Rheneas & The Roller Coaster
169 7-13 09/Nov/03 Salty's Stormy Tale
170 7-14 UNAIRED Snow Engine
171 7-15 UNAIRED Something Fishy
172 7-16 UNAIRED The Runaway Elephant
173 7-17 10/Nov/03 Peace & Quiet
174 7-18 11/Nov/03 Fergus Breaks The Rules
175 7-19 27/Nov/03 Bulgy Rides Again
176 7-20 13/Nov/03 Harold & The Flying Horse
177 7-21 14/Nov/03 The Grand Opening
178 7-22 UNAIRED Best Dressed Engine
179 7-23 UNAIRED Gordon & Spencer
180 7-24 UNAIRED Not So Hasty Puddings
181 7-25 UNAIRED Trusty Rusty
182 7-26 07/Dec/03 Three Cheers For Thomas
Season 8
183 8-01 05/Sep/04 Thomas & The Tuba
184 8-02 05/Sep/04 Percy's New Whistle
185 8-03 12/Sep/04 Thomas To The Rescue
186 8-04 12/Sep/04 Henry & The Wishing Tree
187 8-05 19/Sep/04 James Gets A New Coat
188 8-06 19/Sep/04 Thomas Saves The Day
189 8-07 26/Sep/04 Percy's Big Mistake
190 8-08 26/Sep/04 Thomas, Emily & The Snowplough
191 8-09 03/Oct/04 Don't Tell Thomas
192 8-10 03/Oct/04 Emily's New Route
193 8-11 10/Oct/04 Thomas & The Firework Display
194 8-12 10/Oct/04 Gordon Takes Charge
195 8-13 17/Oct/04 Spic & Span
196 8-14 17/Oct/04 Edward The Great
197 8-15 24/Oct/04 Squeak, Rattle & Roll
198 8-16 24/Oct/04 Thomas & The Circus
199 8-17 31/Oct/04 Thomas Gets It Right
200 8-18 31/Oct/04 As Good As Gordon
201 8-19 07/Nov/04 Fish
202 8-20 07/Nov/04 Emily's Adventure
203 8-21 14/Nov/04 Halloween
204 8-22 14/Nov/04 You Can Do It, Toby!
205 8-23 21/Nov/04 James Goes Too Far
206 8-24 21/Nov/04 Chickens To School
207 8-25 28/Nov/04 Too Hot For Thomas
208 8-26 28/Nov/04 Percy & The Magic Carpet
Season 9
209 9-01 04/Sep/05 Percy & The Oil Painting
210 9-02 04/Sep/05 Thomas & The Rainbow
211 9-03 11/Sep/05 Thomas's Milkshake Muddle
212 9-04 11/Sep/05 Mighty Mac
213 9-05 18/Sep/05 Molly's Special Special
214 9-06 18/Sep/05 Respect For Gordon
215 9-07 25/Sep/05 Thomas & The Birthday Picnic
216 9-08 25/Sep/05 Tuneful Toots
217 9-09 02/Oct/05 Thomas & The Toy Shop
218 9-10 02/Oct/05 Rheneas & The Dinosaur
219 9-11 09/Oct/05 Thomas & The New Engine
220 9-12 09/Oct/05 Toby Feels Left Out
221 9-13 16/Oct/05 Thomas Tries His Best
222 9-14 16/Oct/05 The Magic Lamp
223 9-15 23/Oct/05 Thomas & The Statue
224 9-16 23/Oct/05 Henry & The Flagpole
225 9-17 30/Oct/05 Emily Knows Best
226 9-18 30/Oct/05 Thomas's Day Off
227 9-19 06/Nov/05 Thomas's New Trucks
228 9-20 06/Nov/05 Duncan & The Old Mine
229 9-21 13/Nov/05 Bold & Brave
230 9-22 13/Nov/05 Skarloey The Brave
231 9-23 20/Nov/05 Saving Edward
232 9-24 20/Nov/05 Thomas & The Golden Eagle
233 9-25 27/Nov/05 Keeping Up With James
234 9-26 27/Nov/05 Flour Power
Season 10
235 10-01 02/Oct/06 Follow That Flour
236 10-02 02/Oct/06 A Smooth Ride
237 10-03 03/Oct/06 Thomas & The Jet Plane
238 10-04 03/Oct/06 Percy & The Funfair
239 10-05 04/Oct/06 The Green Controller
240 10-06 04/Oct/06 Duncan Drops A Clanger
241 10-07 05/Oct/06 Thomas' Tricky Tree
242 10-08 05/Oct/06 Toby's Afternoon Off
243 10-09 06/Oct/06 It's Good To Be Gordon
244 10-10 06/Oct/06 Seeing The Sights
245 10-11 07/Oct/06 Fearless Freddie
246 10-12 07/Oct/06 Toby's New Shed
247 10-13 08/Oct/06 Big Strong Henry
248 10-14 08/Oct/06 Sticky Toffee Thomas
249 10-15 09/Oct/06 Which Way Now?
250 10-16 09/Oct/06 Thomas & The Shooting Star
251 10-17 10/Oct/06 Edward Strikes Out
252 10-18 10/Oct/06 Topped Off Thomas
253 10-19 11/Oct/06 Wharf & Peace
254 10-20 11/Oct/06 Thomas' Frosty Friend
255 10-21 12/Oct/06 Emily & The Special Coaches
256 10-22 12/Oct/06 Thomas & The Colours
257 10-23 13/Oct/06 Thomas & The Birthday Mail
258 10-24 13/Oct/06 Duncan's Bluff
259 10-25 14/Oct/06 Missing Trucks
260 10-26 14/Oct/06 Thomas & The Treasure
261 10-27 15/Oct/06 James The Second Best
262 10-28 15/Oct/06 Thomas & Skarloey's Big Day Out
Season 11
263 11-01 401A 03/Sep/07 Thomas & The Storyteller
264 11-02 401B 03/Sep/07 Emily's Rubbish
265 11-03 402A 04/Sep/07 Dream On
266 11-04 402B 04/Sep/07 Dirty Work
267 11-05 403A 05/Sep/07 Hector The Horrid!
268 11-06 403B 05/Sep/07 Gordon & The Engineer
269 11-07 404A 06/Sep/07 Thomas & The Spaceship
270 11-08 404B 06/Sep/07 Henry's Lucky Day
271 11-09 405A 07/Sep/07 Thomas & The Lighthouse
272 11-10 405B 07/Sep/07 Thomas & The Big Bang
273 11-11 406A 08/Sep/07 Smoke & Mirrors
274 11-12 406B 08/Sep/07 Thomas Sets Sail
275 11-13 407A 09/Sep/07 Don't Be Silly, Billy
276 11-14 407B 09/Sep/07 Edward & The Mail
277 11-15 408A 10/Sep/07 Hide & Peep
278 11-16 408B 10/Sep/07 Toby's Triumph
279 11-17 409A 11/Sep/07 Thomas & The Runaway Car
280 11-18 409B 11/Sep/07 Thomas In Trouble
281 11-19 410A 12/Sep/07 Thomas & The Stinky Cheese
282 11-20 410B 12/Sep/07 Percy & The Left Luggage
Season 12
290 12-01 04/Apr/10 Thomas And The Billboard
20 12-02 10/Apr/10 Steady Eddie
