Thomas and Friends is a British
children's television seriesChildren's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
, first broadcast on the
ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
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 StudiosShepperton Studios is a film studio in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931 since when many notable films have been made there...
, England between 1984 and 2008, with production now in CGI at Nitrogen Studios in Canada from 2009 onward.
It is based on
The Railway SeriesThe Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
of books by the Reverend W. V. Awdry and his son
Christopher AwdryChristopher Awdry is an English author best known for his contributions to The Railway Series of books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, which was started by his father, the Rev. W. Awdry. He has also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles...
. These books deal with the adventures of a group of
anthropomorphisedAnthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
trains and road vehicles who live on the fictional
Island of SodorSodor is a fictional island in the Irish Sea used as the setting for The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and later used in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends television series.-Inspiration and creation:...
. The books were based on stories Awdry told to entertain his son
ChristopherChristopher Awdry is an English author best known for his contributions to The Railway Series of books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, which was started by his father, the Rev. W. Awdry. He has also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles...
during his recovery from
measlesMeasles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
. Many of the stories are based on events from Awdry's personal experience.
The show has featured celebrity storytellers
Ringo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
(1984–1986) for the UK and the USA,
Michael AngelisMichael Angelis is an English actor and voice actor.Michael Angelis was one of the stars of the famous 1982 BBC drama serial Boys from the Black Stuff and another Alan Bleasedale drama G.B.H.. He also starred in comedies such as Luv and The Liver Birds, in which he appeared between series 5 and 9...
(1991–present) for the UK,
George CarlinGeorge Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
(1984–1995),
Alec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
(1998–2002) and
Michael BrandonMichael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman...
(2003–present) for the USA, and
Pierce BrosnanPierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
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 ThomasDay Out With Thomas is a trade name, licensed by HiT Entertainment, for tourist events that take place on heritage railways and feature one or more trains decorated to look like characters from the children's TV series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends....
" 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.
4 September 2009 was the 25th anniversary of Thomas & Friends, as the first ever episode "Thomas and Gordon" aired on 4 September 1984, on the British terrestrial channel
ITVITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
. In the 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows poll conducted by
Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
viewers in 2001, the show was voted at #26.
Animation
The show was originally produced with live action model animation at
Shepperton StudiosShepperton Studios is a film studio in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931 since when many notable films have been made there...
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 syncLip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
, but show co-creator
Britt AllcroftBritt Allcroft is the multi- award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s: "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at...
and model director
David MittonDavid Nelson Godfrey Mitton was a British television producer and director, and an experienced model maker and author, best known for directing and producing the children's television shows TUGS and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends...
did not see this as an inhibition. About 20 years later however, with advancement in technology, the show saw the introduction of
CGIComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
by HIT Entertainment's subsidiary HOT Animation. At first this was used to generate smoke and other effects, but later,
HITHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
(the new owners of Thomas) announced its intent to introduce a fully CGI series in 2009. 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
MärklinGebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH or Märklin is a German toy company. The company was founded in 1859 and is based at Göppingen in Baden-Wurttemberg. Although it originally specialised in doll house accessories, today it is best known for model railways and technical toys...
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,
TUGSTUGS is a British children's television series, first broadcast in 1988. It was created by the producers of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Robert D. Cardona and David Mitton. The series dealt with the adventures of two anthropomorphized tugboat fleets, the Star Fleet and the Z-Stacks, who...
were reused in later episodes of the series.
In Series 5 through 12, some larger-scale models were used for the
narrow gaugeOn the fictional Island of Sodor in The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry, the Skarloey Railway is a narrow gauge railway which runs from the main line at Crovan's Gate to the passenger terminus at Skarloey. Beyond Skarloey the line continues to a slate quarry.In the stories, the railway is run by...
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
ThomasThomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
and
PercyPercy the Small Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam engine from The Railway Series of children's books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry...
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
JamesJames the Red Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. James is a mixed-traffic engine, which means he is just as capable of pulling coaches as trucks...
in the tenth series. In 2009, these models were put on display in a special exhibit at
Drayton Manor Theme ParkDrayton Manor Theme Park is a theme park, resort & zoo in the grounds of the former Drayton Manor, near Tamworth in Staffordshire, England.Drayton Manor is best known because it is a theme park and zoo which attracts around 1.4 million people a year. The attraction has a wide selection of rides set...
's
Thomas LandThomas Land is a themed area at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire, England, based on the TV series Thomas and Friends. It stands on the former site of Robinsons Land, a themed area sponsored by the soft drinks brand of the same name...
.
Storytelling
Before Series 13, narration and dialogue were performed by a single storyteller. This was the choice of Allcroft, who wanted the television stories to be an extension of the way they would be told at home in a comforting environment. All character emotions would come from the nuances of the storyteller's voice, in conjunction with facial expressions, music, and actions on-screen.
The first 130 stories were written for television by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton. For the first four series the shows were closely based on stories from
the Railway SeriesThe Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
books.
Producers
The producer is in charge of every aspect of the show for the relevant series. The following people have been the series' producers:
- Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft is the multi- award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s: "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at...
, David MittonDavid Nelson Godfrey Mitton was a British television producer and director, and an experienced model maker and author, best known for directing and producing the children's television shows TUGS and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends...
, and Robert D. CardonaRobert D. Cardona is an American writer, producer, director and animator. Cardona co-founded Clearwater Features, along with David Mitton, in 1980.-Career:...
(1984–1986)
- Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft is the multi- award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s: "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at...
and David MittonDavid Nelson Godfrey Mitton was a British television producer and director, and an experienced model maker and author, best known for directing and producing the children's television shows TUGS and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends...
(1991–1998)
- Phil Fehrle (2002–2003)
- Simon Spencer (2004–2009)
- Nicole Stinn (2010–present)
Originally the series was produced by Britt Allcroft Productions and
Clearwater FeaturesClearwater Features Ltd. was a British film production company that produced the first two seasons of the children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends from 1984 to 1986, for The Britt Allcroft Company. Clearwater is also known for creating the hit children's TV show TUGS...
Ltd (
David MittonDavid Nelson Godfrey Mitton was a British television producer and director, and an experienced model maker and author, best known for directing and producing the children's television shows TUGS and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends...
and
Robert D. CardonaRobert D. Cardona is an American writer, producer, director and animator. Cardona co-founded Clearwater Features, along with David Mitton, in 1980.-Career:...
's company). Clearwater closed in 1990 and The Britt Allcroft Company (which changed to
Gullane EntertainmentGullane Entertainment was the name of the company that replaced that of The Britt Allcroft Company in 2000, when Britt Allcroft herself left the company she had originally co-founded with her then-husband Angus Wright....
in 2000) was the sole producer until 2002, when
HiT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
bought the company and now runs its operation. HIT Entertainment was acquired in 2005 by the private equity firm Apax. In the US, the series is distributed by
Connecticut Public TelevisionConnecticut Public Television is the PBS member network for the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is owned by Connecticut Public Broadcasting, who also owns Connecticut Public Radio. Together, the television and radio stations make up the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network...
and
WNETWNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
for
PBSThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
.
In September 2010, Apax Partners, the private equity owners of HiT Entertainment, were preparing to sell off HiT Entertainment and its franchises, including Thomas – regarded as the single most valuable asset – in order to help clear HiT's debts.
Music
Mike O'DonnellMike O'Donnell is an English film and television composer and bass guitarist.He co-wrote the scores for the children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and TUGS, and the score for the films That Summer of White Roses, Merlin: The True Story of Magic and October 32nd with...
and
Junior CampbellJunior Campbell is a Scottish composer, songwriter and musician. He was a founding member, lead guitarist, piano player, and singer with the Scottish band Marmalade and co-wrote and produced some of their biggest successes, including "Reflections of My Life", "I See The Rain" and "Rainbow".He...
composed the show's original classic main title theme, incidental music and songs, (see List of Thomas & Friends songs), which were used for Series 1 to 7 comprising 182 episodes between 1984 and 2003.
In 2004, Robert Hartshorne took their place as composer. Ed Welch provided a new theme tune, "Engine Roll Call," and also filled the role of series songwriter up until "The Great Discovery," after which Hartshorne replaced him.
1984–1998
The first series (1984) used stories from the first eight books, along with one specially written by the Rev. W. Awdry, Thomas's Christmas Party. The second series (1986) used stories from Book 9 (Edward the Blue Engine) to Book 30 (More About Thomas the Tank Engine). This book was unusual, as it was written specifically by
Christopher AwdryChristopher Awdry is an English author best known for his contributions to The Railway Series of books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, which was started by his father, the Rev. W. Awdry. He has also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles...
to be adapted by the show. At that time it was a contractual obligation that the show could only adapt stories that appeared in print. The series also used a story from a Thomas Annual, "Thomas and Trevor", and a specially written stand-alone story, Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree. The second series was actually a 27-episode series, As a single (unaired) episode ("The Missing Coach") was in the process of being filmed, but despite being filmed it was never shown because Allcroft decided it was too confusing for young children/younger viewers. The production team went on to use "Thomas, Percy and the Coal" instead.
In between production of the second and third series, the production team were focused in producing the sister television series
TUGSTUGS is a British children's television series, first broadcast in 1988. It was created by the producers of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Robert D. Cardona and David Mitton. The series dealt with the adventures of two anthropomorphized tugboat fleets, the Star Fleet and the Z-Stacks, who...
which ran for one series from 1989 to 1990. However due to the company TVS, who was responsible for producing the show, going bankrupt the show was halted with sets and models reused and later seen in future episodes of Thomas.
Series 3 was broadcast 1991 to 1992 in two parts, (one part having 16 episodes and the other having 10). It was made at a cost of £1.3 million. The series was a combination of episodes derived from The Railway Series, stories in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends magazine, and original stories by Allcroft and Mitton. One of the primary reasons for diverging from the original books was that many of the stories not yet used featured large numbers of new characters, which would be expensive to produce. Another was that the producers wanted more stories about
ThomasThomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
, the nominal main character. The Rev. W. Awdry complained that the new stories were unrealistic (see
Henry the Green EngineHenry the Green Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
for more details).
Series 4 was also broadcast in two parts, (one part having 10 episodes and the other having 16) from 1994 to 1995. The producers planned to introduce some "new" female characters, including Caroline the car, Nancy, and The Refreshment Lady. Some commentators took this as a response to accusations of
sexismSexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
levelled against the series two years earlier. In reality, these were not "new" characters, but creations of the Rev. Awdry from the original Railway Series books. Series 4 was almost entirely based on The Railway Series. The narrow gauge engines were introduced, and were the focus of a number of episodes. Only one original story ("Rusty to the Rescue") was used, but this took certain elements of plot and dialogue from Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine.
The fifth series (1998) was a radical departure, as none of the stories were taken from the Railway Series. This series saw the introduction of new characters, such as Cranky, The Horrid Lorries and Old Slow Coach.
2000
Thomas and the Magic RailroadThomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 British/American film based on the well-known TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and the United States TV series Shining Time Station. The film was co-produced by Gullane Entertainment and the Isle of Man Film Commission. It was written, produced...
was released in July 2000 in the UK. It featured new characters created by Britt Allcroft, along with characters from the show that introduced Thomas to the US,
Shining Time StationShining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
. The film was heavily edited late in production due to test audience responses.
Despite high production values and the popularity of the show, the film was criticised by UK reviewers who were unfamiliar with Shining Time Station. The movie was well-received by young children on both sides of the Atlantic, but made only $16 million at the US box office at matinee prices, against a cost of $19 million to produce.
2002–2003
The sixth and seventh series continued to introduce action-packed storylines and new characters, and saw the introduction of a writing staff. The sixth series in 2002 was notable for its attempt to create a spin-off based on the successful "Bob the Builder" series. Two episodes introduced a group of construction machine characters known as "The Pack". The spin-off didn't materialise for some time. Eventually, in 2006, thirteen episodes were released straight to DVD. The fact that older sets were used and the episodes were shot on 35mm camera (as opposed to the digital camera used at the time of the episodes' release) suggest it was filmed some time before Series 8. In Series 7 (2003) the programme title was officially shortened to Thomas & Friends, this name having been used on merchandise and video covers for three years previously.
2004–2008
The eighth series (2004) introduced a number of significant changes to the show after rights to the show were acquired by
HIT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, a company specialising in children's entertainment.
Many of the original founding team involved in the original classic show, since 1983, including Britt Allcroft (by now working strictly as a consultant), director and writer David Mitton, left the production. Original composers
Junior CampbellJunior Campbell is a Scottish composer, songwriter and musician. He was a founding member, lead guitarist, piano player, and singer with the Scottish band Marmalade and co-wrote and produced some of their biggest successes, including "Reflections of My Life", "I See The Rain" and "Rainbow".He...
and
Mike O'DonnellMike O'Donnell is an English film and television composer and bass guitarist.He co-wrote the scores for the children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and TUGS, and the score for the films That Summer of White Roses, Merlin: The True Story of Magic and October 32nd with...
, also departed, after a protracted dispute with HIT, and a new theme song and incidental music was composed by
Ed WelchEdward William "Ed" Welch is an English television composer.-Career:In 1971, he recorded an album, Clowns, including songs he had co-written with Tom Paxton, and session musicians including Mike de Albuquerque and Cozy Powell. In 1972, acted as producer on a version of “I Don't Know How to Love...
and Robert Hartshorne, respectively. Episode runtime was increased to seven minutes. The series was produced using digital video camera, creating a somewhat different look for the show. Other changes include the additions of CGI educational sequences and transitions between stories.
These series saw the adoption of a centralised cast, including
ThomasThomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
,
EdwardEdward the Blue Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev W. Awdry, and the related TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He is a blue 4-4-0 tender engine with red stripes, about the same size as James the Red Engine, and has...
,
HenryHenry the Green Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
,
GordonGordon the Big Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry. Gordon is painted blue and carries the number 4. Gordon views himself as the most important engine because he is the biggest and he pulls the Express...
,
JamesJames the Red Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. James is a mixed-traffic engine, which means he is just as capable of pulling coaches as trucks...
,
PercyPercy the Small Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam engine from The Railway Series of children's books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry...
,
TobyToby the Tram Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tram engine in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and his son, Christopher; he also appears in the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends...
and
EmilyEmily the Stirling Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam locomotive from the television series Thomas and Friends. She was the first female steam engine to be featured in the television series, and is the only female member of the "Steam Team", the eight core characters of the series...
.
A straight-to-video film,
Calling All EnginesCalling All Engines is a straight-to-DVD film, and a feature spin-off of the TV series, Thomas and Friends. The film is a follow up to Thomas and the Magic Railroad. It is not a direct sequel, but features some of the same characters...
was released shortly before Series 9 in 2005. While featuring characters from Thomas and the Magic Railroad, it was not a direct sequel. It proved successful, and more direct-to-video specials are planned for the future.
Series 9 (2005) and 10 (2006) saw the expansion of the supporting cast with new and old characters. From Series 9 the Narrator would call out the episodes names and from Series 11 the Theme Song was sang starting with the sound of a train whistle. Series 10 aired with twenty-eight episodes rather than the twenty-six of previous years. The eleventh series (2007) was filmed in a
high definitionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
format. Twenty episodes aired in the original broadcast, while six were released
direct to DVDEngines And Escapades was a VHS/DVD of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, containing episodes unseen on TV. These episodes were the 3rd of the annual straight to VHS/DVD releases by HiT Entertainment, and are considered to be part of Season 11 of 2007...
.
The 2008 series saw the introduction of CGI effects, with the intent of producing the show entirely in CGI the following year. Only twenty episodes were broadcast (the US broadcast featured six additional episodes from Engines and Escapades).
2008–2009
The production techniques were similar as that of 2004–2008 except that with the introduction of
CGIComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, the characters could now move their faces and the humans and animals could move more realistically.
2009–present
HIT announced multiple changes to the show beginning in 2009. One new aspect was the introduction of live-action host segments to Thomas home video releases. The host took the form of a character who worked on The Fat Controller's railway, who would instruct viewers in craft projects.
The other major changes were a move to production in CGI, rather than using physical models, and the addition of a voice cast to support the established narrator. The DVD feature,
Hero of the RailsHero of the Rails is a 2009 animated film and feature spin-off of the TV series, Thomas and Friends. The film is a follow up, not a direct sequel to Thomas and the Magic Railroad and a sequel to Calling All Engines! and The Great Discovery...
, was the first Thomas and Friends production to show these changes; Series 13 was the first television series in the new format.
Future
HIT also revealed that its theatrical division would be piloted by a "Thomas" film. Originally targeted for late-2010 release, in September 2009 this was revised to "Spring 2011". As of January 2011, the release date had been pushed back further to 2012 and the name of the production has still not been announced. The initial draft of the script was written by Josh Klausner (screenwriter for
Shrek Forever AfterShrek Forever After, taglined as The Final Chapter, is a 2010 animated fantasy-comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek film series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia, and on May 21 in the United...
), who has also said that the film will be set around the times of World War II. On 8 June 2011,
DeadlineDeadline.com, part of Jay Penske's PMC, is an online magazine, founded and edited by Nikki Finke.-Publication:The site is updated several times a day, with the infotainment industry as its focus.-History:...
announced that 9 director
Shane AckerShane Acker is an American film-maker known for directing 9, which is based on his 2005 Academy Award-nominated film, 9. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.- Background :...
will direct the live-action adaptation of Thomas the Tank Engine, with
Weta DigitalWeta Digital is a digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for Heavenly Creatures. In 2007 Weta Digital’s Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Joe Letteri, was...
designing the film's visual effects. The film's release date has again been pushed back, it will now be released in 2014 by HIT Entertainment's brand new film company, HIT Films, as well as
Media Rights CapitalMedia Rights Capital II LP is an independent film, television and digital studio founded by Mordecai Wiczyk and Asif Satchu. MRC specializes in the creation of premium content. It has full in-house physical production, legal, finance and sales teams, and a complete marketing infrastructure...
and Weta Digital.
Television productions
| Series | Release | Episodes |
|
Series 1 |
1984 |
26 |
|
|
Series 2 |
1986 |
26 |
|
|
Series 3 |
1991 |
26 |
|
|
Series 4 |
1995 |
26 |
|
|
Series 5 Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry....
|
1998 |
26 |
|
|
Series 6 |
2002 |
26 |
|
|
Series 7 |
2003 |
26 |
|
|
Series 8 |
2004 |
26 |
|
| Series | Release | Episodes |
|
Series 9 |
2005 |
26 |
|
|
Series 10 |
2006 |
28 |
|
|
Series 11 |
2007 |
26 |
|
|
Series 12 |
2008 |
20 |
|
|
Series 13 |
2010 |
20 |
|
|
Series 14 |
2010 |
20 |
|
|
Series 15 Season 15 of Thomas and Friends started broadcasting in the UK on 1st March 2011 on the terrestrial channel, Channel 5 and aired in the US between 2 April and 4 June the same year.-Episodes:...
|
2011 |
20 |
|
|
Series 16 |
2012 |
20 |
|
Films, specials, and miniseries
| Film title | Release | Episodes |
|
Thomas and the Magic Railroad Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 British/American film based on the well-known TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and the United States TV series Shining Time Station. The film was co-produced by Gullane Entertainment and the Isle of Man Film Commission. It was written, produced...
|
2000 |
– |
|
|
Calling All Engines Calling All Engines is a straight-to-DVD film, and a feature spin-off of the TV series, Thomas and Friends. The film is a follow up to Thomas and the Magic Railroad. It is not a direct sequel, but features some of the same characters...
! |
2005 |
– |
|
|
On Site with Thomas Jack and the Pack is a direct-to-video release of the series Thomas and Friends. The thirteen episodes feature the Sodor Construction Company, or The Pack: a group of characters introduced in Season 6 with the intent to launch a spin-off series....
(Series) |
2006 |
13 |
|
|
Engines and Escapades Engines And Escapades was a VHS/DVD of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, containing episodes unseen on TV. These episodes were the 3rd of the annual straight to VHS/DVD releases by HiT Entertainment, and are considered to be part of Season 11 of 2007...
|
2007 |
6 |
|
|
The Great Discovery The Great Discovery is a 2008 film and feature spin-off of the TV series, Thomas and Friends. The film is a follow up, not a direct sequel to Thomas and the Magic Railroad and a sequel to Calling All Engines! The DVD was released on September 9 2008 in the United States and October 6 2008 in the...
|
2008 |
– |
|
|
Hero of the Rails Hero of the Rails is a 2009 animated film and feature spin-off of the TV series, Thomas and Friends. The film is a follow up, not a direct sequel to Thomas and the Magic Railroad and a sequel to Calling All Engines! and The Great Discovery...
|
2009 |
– |
|
|
Misty Island Rescue Misty Island Rescue is a 2010 animated film and feature spin-off of the TV series, Thomas and Friends. The film is a follow up, not a direct sequel to Thomas and the Magic Railroad and a sequel to Calling All Engines, The Great Discovery and Hero of the Rails...
|
2010 |
– |
|
|
Day of the Diesels |
2011 |
– |
|
Blue Mountain Mystery |
2012 |
– |
|
Untitled Thomas and Friends Film Project |
2014 |
– |
Home video history
Over the history of the programme, the TV episodes and specials have been released for home viewing in a variety of compilations, formats and languages, by a variety of publishing houses.
- UK
- Britt Allcroft
Britt Allcroft is the multi- award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s: "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", , "Shining Time Station" and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie".She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at...
(1984-1999)
- Guild Home Video
Guild Home Video or Guild Film Distribution was one of the very first video distribution companies to start operating in the UK. Unlike other independent labels such as Intervision or Videoform, GHV not only survived for a very long time, but continued to grow, eventually becoming a video...
(1985)
- Pickwick Video Group
Pickwick Video Group Ltd was a home video division based in the United Kingdom and United States. It was first established in 1982. The company was divided into six video labels:-*Pickwick Video - published children's, sports and drama videos...
(1986–1992)
- Video Collection International (1986–2005)
- 2 Entertain
2 Entertain is a British video and music publisher, formed by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004....
(2005–2008)
- HiT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
(2008–present)
- Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK
Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD distribution arm of Lions Gate Entertainment and most former Artisan Entertainment releases. Its library of more than 8000 films owes some of its size to output deals with other studios...
(with HIT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
) (2011–present)
- USA
- Strand VCI Entertainment/Strand Home Video
Strand Home Video is a video company most famous for distributing Thomas and Friends videos from 1990-1994. The company also distributed other movies and TV programs on VHS and LaserDisc formats, including Kino's Storytime, The Mouse and the Motorcycle and its sequels, Runaway Ralph and Ralph S....
(1990–1995)
- Quality Family Entertainment (with Strand Home Video
Strand Home Video is a video company most famous for distributing Thomas and Friends videos from 1990-1994. The company also distributed other movies and TV programs on VHS and LaserDisc formats, including Kino's Storytime, The Mouse and the Motorcycle and its sequels, Runaway Ralph and Ralph S....
) (1994)
- Video Treasures (1995–1997)
- Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
(1997–2008)
- Gullane Entertainment
Gullane Entertainment was the name of the company that replaced that of The Britt Allcroft Company in 2000, when Britt Allcroft herself left the company she had originally co-founded with her then-husband Angus Wright....
(2001–2002)
- HiT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
(2004–present)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
(with HiT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
) (2006–2008)
- Lionsgate Entertainment (with HiT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
) (2008–present)
- Japan
- Pony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
(with Gachapinis a popular Japanese television character who appeared in the children's program Hirake! Ponkikki on Fuji TV. He is a green, bucktoothed dinosaur, and is usually accompanied by his friend Mukku, a red Yeti.-Summary:...
segments) (1990's-2000's)
- Sony Music Japan (with HiT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
) (2000's-present)
- Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
(2010) (films)
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
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
- Edward the Blue Engine
Edward the Blue Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev W. Awdry, and the related TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He is a blue 4-4-0 tender engine with red stripes, about the same size as James the Red Engine, and has...
- Henry the Green Engine
Henry the Green Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic 4-6-0 steam locomotive from The Railway Series books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry, and the spin-off children's television series, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.Henry lives on the fictitious...
- Gordon the Big Engine
Gordon the Big Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry. Gordon is painted blue and carries the number 4. Gordon views himself as the most important engine because he is the biggest and he pulls the Express...
- James the Red Engine
James the Red Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive from The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and the spin-off TV series Thomas and Friends. James is a mixed-traffic engine, which means he is just as capable of pulling coaches as trucks...
- Percy the Small Engine
Percy the Small Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic steam engine from The Railway Series of children's books written by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry...
- Toby the Tram Engine
Toby the Tram Engine is a fictional anthropomorphic tram engine in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and his son, Christopher; he also appears in the spin-off television series Thomas and Friends...
- Emily
Supporting characters are described in detail on other pages:
- Railway Engines
This article lists the standard gauge Railway Engine characters of the Television Series Thomas and Friends . These are the characters that run on the Fat Controller's railway....
- Narrow Gauge Engines
In Thomas and Friends, the Island of Sodor is home to a narrow gauge railway in the hills. These lines and the engines who work on them are some of the oldest on the island...
- Rolling Stock
- People and animals
- Non-rail vehicles
- Movie Characters
-Thomas and the Magic Railroad:Thomas and the Magic Railroad was the first theatrical Thomas and Friends movie.-Diesel 10:Diesel 10 is a large diesel engine with a claw extending from his roof. He is the main antagonist in the movie. The engines say he is rated "ten out of ten for devious deeds...
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
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
(Series 1–2): Former BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
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 ParkinsonSir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
, 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 StationShining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
, playing Mr. ConductorMr. Conductor was a character in the late-'80s-early-'90s children's TV series Shining Time Station and in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Mr. Conductor was a small man who lived in the signal box in Shining Time's mural...
– 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 NeedChildren in Need 2009 was a campaign held in the United Kingdom to raise money for Children in Need. It culminated in a live broadcast on BBC One which began on the evening of Friday 20 November and ran through to the morning of Saturday 21 November. The broadcast was hosted by Terry Wogan, Tess...
appeal, providing the voice of Thomas for The Official BBC Children in Need Medley"The Official BBC Children in Need Medley" is a cross-over single by Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band. It is the official Children in Need Single for 2009, and was released on 21 November 2009. The song was shown for the first time on Children in Need 2009. The cover art is a parody of the cover...
single.
- Michael Angelis
Michael Angelis is an English actor and voice actor.Michael Angelis was one of the stars of the famous 1982 BBC drama serial Boys from the Black Stuff and another Alan Bleasedale drama G.B.H.. He also starred in comedies such as Luv and The Liver Birds, in which he appeared between series 5 and 9...
(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 SeriesThe Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
on CD.
- George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
(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
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
(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. ConductorMr. Conductor was a character in the late-'80s-early-'90s children's TV series Shining Time Station and in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Mr. Conductor was a small man who lived in the signal box in Shining Time's mural...
in Thomas and the Magic RailroadThomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 British/American film based on the well-known TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and the United States TV series Shining Time Station. The film was co-produced by Gullane Entertainment and the Isle of Man Film Commission. It was written, produced...
in 2000. Baldwin returned for one more series in 2002.
- Michael Brandon
Michael Brandon is an American actor who resides in the United Kingdom and United States.-Life and career:Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York to Miriam and Sol Feldman...
(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
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
(Guest Narrator): Former James BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
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 EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
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.
Popularity with autistic audience
In June and July 2001, the
National Autistic SocietyThe National Autistic Society is a British charity for people with autistic spectrum disorders , including autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The purpose of the organisation is primarily to improve of the lives of people with Autism in the United Kingdom.Founded in 1962 as the Autistic Children's Aid...
conducted a survey of 81 parents of children with
autismAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
and
Asperger syndromeAsperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
to investigate their putative 'special relationship' with Thomas the Tank Engine. The survey confirmed the organisation's assumption from anecdotal evidence that children with autism spectrum disorders associate far more strongly with Thomas the Tank Engine than with other children's characters.
In the National Autistic Society's April 2007 survey, conducted with 748 UK parents of children under 10 with autism, 58% of parents reported Thomas was the first children's character their children enjoyed, with about 1/3 of parents reported their children were able to learn basic facial expressions from the characters, as all of Thomas's friends have easy-to-read expressions. 54% of parents reported that the stories contributed to their child's sense of security.
Merchandise
A wide range of merchandise has been manufactured to cash-in on the success of the TV Series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. It is down to the popularity and longevity of the series – having originated in 1945 with the first of
The Railway SeriesThe Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
books by the
Rev. W. AwdryWilbert Vere Awdry, OBE , was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.-Life:Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire in 1911...
– that large numbers of manufacturers have sought to produce 'Thomas'-branded items.
The most popular and wide-ranging items of merchandise are the models of the characters, which have been produced in many different ranges, some including accompanying railway systems. Other popular products include videos, books and magazines, and computer games. However, 'Thomas' merchandise has also included such diverse items as: audiobooks,
annualAn annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. For example, a weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication....
s, colouring and activity books,
jigsawsA jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces.Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture...
, board games,
stationeryStationery has historically meant a wide gamut of materials: paper and office supplies, writing implements, greeting cards, glue, pencil case etc.-History of stationery:...
, photo notebooks, clothing, cutlery, household items such as curtains, duvet covers and lampshades, and even soft drinks and spaghetti shapes.
Day out with Thomas
"Day out with Thomas", is a marketing name used by
HiT EntertainmentHit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
for special events held at heritage railways in the UK. The characteristic features of these events include locomotives wearing 'faces' to resemble 'Thomas' characters, and a "
Fat ControllerThe Fat Controller is the head of the railway in The Railway Series of books written by the Rev. W. V. Awdry. In the first two books in the series he is known as The Fat Director...
" character, usually performed by one of the railway's volunteers. The general idea is that the public have the chance to ride in a train pulled by 'Thomas' or one of his friends.
In the US the name also refers to "Come Ride the Rails with Thomas" which is a US tour by real trains modelled after Thomas the Tank Engine. The Thomas engine visits various historic railroads across the United States allowing visitors to play games, meet Sir Topham Hatt and to ride on a passenger car pulled by the engine. HIT Entertainment sponsors the event to promote the Thomas and Friends brand.
In the Netherlands is also a "Day out with Thomas", Een dag uit met Thomas, and is held at the South Limburg Railway Compagny a
heritage railwaythumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in
SimpelveldSimpelveld is a municipality and a town in the southeastern Netherlands.Simpelveld has a heritage railway station and is the homebase of the South Limburg Railway Compagny ZLSM . On one weekend in October there is a Day out with Thomas from the children's television series Thomas and...
in the South of the Netherlands in the
province of LimburgLimburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
. The Thomas locomotive is shipped from the UK. The South Limburg Railway Compagny has its own Diesel locomotive.
Amusement parks
In 2007
Drusilla's ParkDrusillas Park is a small zoo near to Alfriston, in East Sussex, UK.The zoo is home to many exotic wild and domestic animals, perhaps most famously ring-tailed lemurs, meerkats, and penguins. There are lots of hands-on activities, a large adventure play area separated for different age groups, a...
near Alfriston, Sussex, England opened a railway ride featuring Thomas, Annie and Clarabel. The track runs through the Zoo Park and also features James, Diesel, Cranky and the Fat Controller.
Since 2007, several
Six FlagsSix Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
amusement parks in the US have included Thomas and Friends -themed attractions:
Six Flags Discovery KingdomSix Flags Discovery Kingdom, formerly Six Flags Marine World, Marine World, The New Marine World Theme Park, and Marine World Africa USA, is an animal theme park located in Vallejo, California. The park includes a variety of roller coasters and other amusement rides, along with a collection of...
,
Six Flags New EnglandSix Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
,
Six Flags Magic MountainSix Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
,
Six Flags Over GeorgiaSix Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
and
Six Flags AmericaSix Flags America is a family theme park and water park located in Mitchellville, Prince George's County, Maryland. It is situated east of Washington D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. The park covers , 131 of which is currently used for park operations...
. Several of these attractions have since been renamed and re-themed.
On 15 March 2008
Drayton ManorDrayton Manor Theme Park is a theme park, resort & zoo in the grounds of the former Drayton Manor, near Tamworth in Staffordshire, England.Drayton Manor is best known because it is a theme park and zoo which attracts around 1.4 million people a year. The attraction has a wide selection of rides set...
in the UK opened their own
Thomas LandThomas Land is a themed area at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire, England, based on the TV series Thomas and Friends. It stands on the former site of Robinsons Land, a themed area sponsored by the soft drinks brand of the same name...
just like Japan's Amusement Park which attracts 1.7 million fans every year.
Thomas LandThomas Land is a themed area at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Staffordshire, England, based on the TV series Thomas and Friends. It stands on the former site of Robinsons Land, a themed area sponsored by the soft drinks brand of the same name...
at
Drayton ManorDrayton Manor Theme Park is a theme park, resort & zoo in the grounds of the former Drayton Manor, near Tamworth in Staffordshire, England.Drayton Manor is best known because it is a theme park and zoo which attracts around 1.4 million people a year. The attraction has a wide selection of rides set...
is on the site of what was formerly Robinsons Land.
For the 2008 & 2009 Season,
Dutch WonderlandDutch Wonderland is a amusement park just east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, appealing primarily to families with small children. The park's theme is a "Kingdom for Kids." The entrance to the park has a real stone castle façade, which was built by Earl Clark, a potato farmer, before he opened the...
in
Lancaster, PennsylvaniaLancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, USA, featured a 'Thomas and Friends Live' production.
Television and film
The series was first broadcast in 1984 on
ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Children's ITV in the United Kingdom. It was shown throughout the late eighties and into the early 90s when it was taken off the terrestrial UK network following broadcast of the third series. Between 1994 and 2002, Thomas was never shown on terrestrial UK networks, although did make a comeback on satellite through Cartoon Network in the mid 1990s and lasted until 1999, which was 5 seasons, and then Nick Jr in the same year.
The Children's ChannelThe Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a television station in the United Kingdom, Benelux and Scandinavia, which was owned by Flextech . It began broadcasting on 1 September 1984, and was closed on 3 April 1998...
repeated shows from 1984 to 1998.
Thomas also made a comeback on Children's ITV in 2002 with its sixth series of four and a half minute stories. The sixth and seventh series were shown in their entirety in 2002 and 2003. The eighth series (the first to be made by Hit Entertainment) was broadcast in 2004, but only 13 episodes were aired, possibly on account of the new format for the programme; it wasn't until July 2006 that the remaining 13 episodes were broadcast. Due to a new agreement between ITV and the Programming Authority (
OfcomOfcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
) which allowed them to cut their children's TV output in mid 2006, five bought the rights to the series. The ninth series began showing on 10 October 2006, followed one month later on 10 November 2006 by the tenth. The channel now shows series 8–12 in rotation.
In 1989, Thomas and Friends was shown in North America, in a television series newly created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggerkow called
Shining Time StationShining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
, which was broadcast on
PBSThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. Thomas segments were also shown on Mister Moose's Fun Time in 1997 (which also appeared on the
Fox Family ChannelABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
). Today, Thomas and Friends is broadcast in more than twenty languages around the world. In 2000 Thomas moved to the big screen, with the release of
Thomas and the Magic RailroadThomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 British/American film based on the well-known TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and the United States TV series Shining Time Station. The film was co-produced by Gullane Entertainment and the Isle of Man Film Commission. It was written, produced...
.
The Thomas and Friends episodes were four and a half minutes long. The first two series showed two episodes at a time, with a show of the characters in the middle. It changed to one at a time in series three. In each series until series eight, the number of trains on the railway increases as the railway expands.
In 2004, the series began using computer animated special effects and the story length changed from five to seven minutes. A half-hour show format (aired on
PBSThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
and
Treehouse TVTreehouse TV is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel with programming targeted towards preschoolers that was launched on October 17, 1997. Its name comes from YTV's old children's programming block, The Treehouse...
in North America and on
Nick Jr.Nick Jr. is a television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland operated by Nickelodeon UK. The channel is aimed at pre-school children.-History:...
in the UK from 2004 to 2008) was also adopted, showing three episodes plus puzzles, songs, and mini stories. The new series made major changes, such as changing the famous theme tune, and took on a more moralistic stance than previous series. Starting series 10, only two episodes aired, with the middle story being replaced with Places around Sodor, a recurring mini-story which features major locations and recaps episodes from series 8–10 that take place at the location. Series 11, also only two episodes aired, and Places around Sodor was replaced by Fun times with One of Sodor Engines. Series 12, the history story was called "One/Two of Thomas' favorite/special friends".
In 1985 and 1987 the show received a BAFTA TV awards nomination for Best Animated Film but lost in 1985 to
Rupert and the Frog SongRupert and the Frog Song is a 1984 animated film written and produced by Paul McCartney and directed by Geoff Dunbar and Raymond 'George' Taylor. The making of Rupert and the Frog Song began in 1981 and ended in 1983. The film was released theatrically as an accompaniment to McCartney's feature...
and lost in 1987 to Super Ted.
International versions
- In Danish, the show is called Thomas & vennerne or just Thomas Tog and has been narrated by Poul Dissing and Tommy Kenter.
- In Dutch
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Thomas de Stoomlocomotief features former D.J. Erik de ZwartErik de Zwart is a Dutch radio and television maker, former D.J., former Music Box, The Music Factory and MTV V.J...
as the storyteller.
- In German, Thomas und seine Freunde has been narrated by Sky Du Mont
Sky du Mont is a German actor. He is known for his role in Eyes Wide Shut, as "Santa Maria" in Der Schuh des Manitu and for narrating the German dub of Thomas & Friends...
- In Finnish, the show is called Tuomas-veturi.
- In French, the series is called Thomas le petit train
- The show is broadcast in Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
with its original title on Zee TVZee TV is an India-based satellite television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which broadcasts various programmes in Hindi and other regional languages of India. Broadcasting is also present in various nations of South Asia, Europe, the Middle East,...
.
- In Greek, the show is known as Τόμας το Τρενάκι Thomas to Trenaki and is narrated primarily by a woman, with a male voice actor for certain roles.
- In Hawaiian
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
, the show is called Ka`aahi Thomas.
- In Hungarian, Thomas a gőzmozdony has been narrated by Zoltán Csankó.
- In Italian, the show is called Il trenino Thomas.
- In Japanese, the show is called きかんしゃトーマス Kikansha Tomasu, and features a full voice cast. Leo Morimoto was the original narrator, but he and the original cast were replaced after Series 8.
- In Korean, the show is called 꼬마기관차 토마스와 친구들 Kkomagigwancha Thomas wa Chinguduel (Little engine Thomas and friends).
- A Mexican Spanish
Mexican Spanish is a version of the Spanish language, as spoken in Mexico and in various places of Canada and the United States of America, where there are communities of Mexican origin....
(Thomas y Sus Amigos) dub has featured Jorge ArvizuJorge Arvizu is a Mexican voice actor who was the first Spanish voice, among others, of Bugs Bunny, Fred Flintstone and Cookie Monster...
(Series 1–2), Eduardo Tejedo (Series 3–4), Salvador Delgado (Series 5–7), Arturo Mercado Jr. (Series 8–12), and Carlos Segundo (Series 13-present) as narrators. A CastilianSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
dub has featured Salomé Larrucea (Series 1–8) and Roberto Cuadrado (Series 8-present) as narrators. A Rioplatense SpanishRioplatense Spanish or River Plate Spanish is a dialectal variant of the Spanish language spoken mainly in the areas in and around the Río de la Plata basin of Argentina and Uruguay, and also in Rio Grande do Sul, although features of the dialect are shared with the varieties of Spanish spoken...
dub is narrated by Diego Brizzi.
- The Norwegian (Lokomotivet Thomas og vennene hans), Polish TV4
TV 4 is a private Polish TV station.TV 4 was created through the amalgamation of the stations Nasza TV and Polsat 2 and started broadcasting on 1 April 2000. The station belongs to the Polskie Media. Polskie Media in approximately 90% owned by Polsat and approximately 9% of TVN...
(Tomek i przyjaciele), Portuguese (Thomas o Trem Azul in Portugal; Thomas e Seus Amigos in Brazil), and Swedish (Thomas och Vännerna) dubs feature female narrators.
- In Ukrainian, the show called Паровоз Томас та його друзі aired on ICTV
ICTV is a privately-held TV channel in Ukraine. Its coverage area allows it to be received by 56.6 % of the Ukrainian population, making the channel the fourth in the nation in terms of coverage , and third by the viewers' ratings.The channel is owned by...
channel, translation done by Oleksa Nehrebeckyj, narrated by Mykola Koziy.
- In Romanian
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
, Thomas si prietenii sai has been narrated by Daniel Vulcu.
- In Welsh, the show is called Tomos a'i Ffrindiau and has been narrated by John Ogwen
John Ogwen is a Welsh actor.Best known to British audiences for his starring role in the 1978 drama series Hawkmoor, and appearances in the television series The District Nurse and the Doctor Who serial Revelation of the Daleks, Ogwen has been a stalwart of Welsh language television and film since...
.
- In Czech
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, the show is called Lokomotiva Tomáš with Bohuslav Kalva as a narrator.
- In Chinese, the show is called 火車頭日記 huŏchē tóurìjì and in Taiwanese
Taiwanese language may refer to* Most commonly** Taiwanese Hokkien, spoken by about 70% of the population of Taiwan* Also** One of the Languages of Taiwan** One of the indigenous Formosan languages spoken in Taiwan...
, the show is called 湯瑪士小火車 tāngmăshì xiăohuŏchē.
- In Bosnian, the show is known as Lokomotivček Tomaž in prijatelji.
- In a special dub, the show is nominated to be Thōmas el Ţrën.
Broadcasting
| Country |
Channel |
 United Kingdom |
Channel 5 (Current Original Channel), 5* (Milkshake! Milkshake! is a television programming block on Channel 5, aimed at children 2 to 7 years old. The strand debuted in 1997 and is broadcast on weekdays from 06:00 to 09:00, and from 07:00 to 10:00 on weekends. Sunday and Monday Mornings its broadcast 05:00 to 09:15/10:00. It used to air on 5*...
) (Current Repeats), Nick Jr./Nick Jr. 2Nick Jr. 2 is Nick Jr.'s second channel in the United Kingdom, generally presenting popular Nick Jr. programming at other times of the day. It launched 24 April 2006. Currently, Nick Jr. 2 carries a schedule separate from the main Nick Jr. channel; however, during the first week after launching, it...
(Current Repeats), ITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
(1984–1994 & 2003–2006) (Former Original Channel), TCCThe Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a television station in the United Kingdom, Benelux and Scandinavia, which was owned by Flextech . It began broadcasting on 1 September 1984, and was closed on 3 April 1998...
(Former Repeats), Cartoon Network (Former Repeats), |
 United States |
PBS KidsPBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States founded in 1993. As with all PBS programming, PBS Kids programming is non-commercial. It is aimed at children ages 2 to 10...
, PBS Kids SproutPBS Kids Sprout is a U.S. digital cable television channel, video-on-demand service, and website providing PBS Kids shows and original programming for preschoolers and their families...
, Nick Jr., (1989–2003) NogginNick Jr. was a programming block on the Nickelodeon television channel, seen on Nickelodeon weekday mornings. It was aimed at a preschool-age audience ages 6 and under. On September 28, 2009, Nick Jr. became its own official channel, replacing Noggin...
(1999–2004) |
 Australia |
ABC1 ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
(1985–present), ABC4 KidsABC 4 Kids is a preschool children's block, broadcast on the Australian television channel ABC2. Launched on 2 May 2011, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
(2005–present), |
 Japan |
Tokyo MX, Cartoon Network Japan |
 Brazil |
Rede Manchete Rede Manchete was a television network from Brazil. It first aired on June 5, 1983 in Rio de Janeiro and simultaneously in other 5 Brazilian cities, like São Paulo on Rede Exclesior's old channel 9 frequency...
, Discovery Kids Latin America |
 Canada |
TVOTVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
, BBC KidsBBC Kids is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Knowledge Network Corporation and BBC Worldwide. It's a commercial-free channel that airs programming aimed at youth ranging from pre-schoolers to teens.-Overview:...
, TeletoonTélétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment...
, Treehouse TVTreehouse TV is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel with programming targeted towards preschoolers that was launched on October 17, 1997. Its name comes from YTV's old children's programming block, The Treehouse...
|
 Germany |
Super RTL Super RTL is a Cologne-based German television network operated by RTL Disney Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG. It was the second German television channel aimed mostly at children...
|
 Greece |
Alter ChannelAlter Channel better known as Alter, is a private TV network in Greece. It launched in 1994 and is owned by Eleftheri Tileorasi S.A, which is headed by Andreas Kouris. Programming mainly consists of news & current affairs shows and entertainment programmes...
|
 Czech Republic |
TV Barrandov, MinimaxMinimax is a decision rule used in decision theory, game theory, statistics and philosophy for minimizing the possible loss for a worst case scenario. Alternatively, it can be thought of as maximizing the minimum gain...
, Jim Jam |
 Finland |
Sub Juniori MTV3 Juniori is a Finnish television channel targeting children owned and operated by MTV3.-External links:*...
|
 Sweden |
TV4 (Sweden) |
 Denmark |
DR1 DR1 is a Danish national television channel, produced by the public service broadcaster, DR. It was the first television station to be established in Denmark, and began broadcasting in 1951 – at first only for an hour a day three times a week....
|
 Norway |
NRK1 NRK1 is the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's main television channel. Test broadcasts started on 12 January 1954, regular test broadcasts started on 13 April 1958 and regular broadcasts started in 20 August 1960. It is Norway's oldest and largest television channel...
(−2005), TV2 |
 Hungary |
M1 Magyar Televízió is the Hungarian national public service television company, with three TV channels, called m1 , m2 and m3....
, MinimaxMinimax is a decision rule used in decision theory, game theory, statistics and philosophy for minimizing the possible loss for a worst case scenario. Alternatively, it can be thought of as maximizing the minimum gain...
, Jim Jam |
 Hong Kong |
ATV WorldATV World , is one of the free-to-air English language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival TVB Pearl. Its sister station, ATV Home, broadcasts in Cantonese language...
, Playhouse Disney Channel Asia |
 Indonesia |
Indosiar Indosiar is a publicly owned national television station in Indonesia, and has been operating from West Jakarta since 1994. It was listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange in 2004. Citibank Singapore has an 8.5 percent shareholding...
, Playhouse Disney Channel Asia |
 Italy |
Rai Due Rai 2 is one of the three main television channels broadcast by Italian public television company RAI alongside with Rai 1 and Rai 3. Rai 2 first started transmissions on November 4, 1961...
, Rai TreRai 3 is part of RAI, the Italian government broadcasting agency, which owns other channels, such as Rai 1 and Rai 2 . Rai 3 first started transmissions on December 15, 1979. In the eighties it was under the predominant political influence of the Italian Communist Party...
, Italia 1Italia 1 is an Italian commercial television channel on the Mediaset network. It is oriented especially at young people.Italia 1 was launched in January 1982 and, originally, was owned by Rusconi; after a few months, however, due to the aggressive dumping practices of Silvio Berlusconi's rival...
, Playhouse DisneyPlayhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
|
 Mexico |
Azteca 7XHIMT is the callsign for the over the air Azteca 7 network flagship station in Mexico City . XHIMT provides some HD programming to cable and satellite viewers.-History:...
, Azteca 13XHDF is the callsign for the over the air Azteca 13 network flagship station in Mexico City . Azteca 13 can be seen in most major cities in Mexico through its affiliates most of which are owned and operated by TV Azteca. XHDF provides HD programming to affiliates and cable and satellite viewers....
, Proyecto 40XHTVM-TV channel 40, also known as Proyecto 40, is the call sign assigned to a TV channel operated by TV Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico, owned by Televisora del Valle de México...
, Discovery Kids Latin America |
 Netherlands |
Nickelodeon The Dutch version of Nickelodeon, seen in the Netherlands and Flanders, launched on September 1, 2002. Nickelodeon is on air 24 hours a day CET ....
, Jim Jam |
 New Zealand |
TV3TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
, FOUR |
 Philippines |
3ABNThree Angels Broadcasting Network, or 3ABN for short, is a nonprofit, 24-hour television and radio network that primarily focuses on Christian and health-oriented programming...
, Cartoon Network PhilippinesCartoon Network is a cable and satellite television channel created by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of Time Warner which primarily shows animated programming. The Philippine version is a branch of Cartoon Network Asia, broadcasting exclusively in the Philippines....
, Playhouse Disney Channel Asia, TV5The Associated Broadcasting Company, Inc is a television network in the Philippines, with main broadcast facilities and transmitter located at 762 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City. The network was previously known as the , Associated Broadcasting Company remains the legal...
|
 Russia |
Telenyanya, (First Channel Worldnet) |
 Poland |
TVP Krakow, MiniMini MiniMini+ is a Polish television channel owned and operated by Canal+. Its mainstreaming its programing mainly to 2-7 children....
, Jim Jam, Polsat Jim Jam |
 Spain |
Cadena Tres, Playhouse Disney Playhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
|
 Singapore |
Okto MediaCorp okto is a television channel in Bestway Building, Singapore, managed by MediaCorp TV12, which was officially launched on 20 October 2008 hence replacing the SPH MediaWorks Channel i, Kids Central and Arts Central brands as oktoDAY and oktoNITE respectively...
, Playhouse Disney Channel Asia, JimJamJimJam is a television children channel which was launched in 2006 in Italy on SKY Italia. In September 2007 was acquired as part of a joint venture partnership between Chellomedia and HIT Entertainment....
|
 Romania |
Minimax TV, JimJam JimJam is a television children channel which was launched in 2006 in Italy on SKY Italia. In September 2007 was acquired as part of a joint venture partnership between Chellomedia and HIT Entertainment....
, Cartoon Network Romania |
 France |
Playhouse Disney Playhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
, France 5France 5 is a public television network in France, part of the France Télévisions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is la chaîne de la connaissance et du savoir...
|
 Taiwan |
ETTV YOYO, MOMO TV |
 China |
CCTV-Children CCTV-14 is a network for children in the People's Republic of China since 2003 & owned by China Central Television. It airs cartoons such as SpongeBob SquarePants and other cartoon programs broadcast in this channel....
|
 India |
POGO POGO may refer to:* Project On Government Oversight, non-profit organization in USA that investigates corruption and other misconduct* Pogo oscillation, a potentially dangerous type of oscillation found in rocket engines....
|
 Arab WorldThe Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
|
MBC 3 MBC 3 is a free-to-air children channel that hosts by Dania al-Shafii and Hassan al-Mula and belongs to the Middle East Broadcasting Center . It was launched on 8 December 2004...
|
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
FTV |
 South Korea |
KBS, EBSEducational Broadcasting System or EBS is the only educational television and radio network covering South Korean territory. Established as KBS 3TV in the 1980's, and became an independent corporation in 2000...
|
 Hawaii |
Kīwī Hawai`i, PBSHawaii |
See also
- Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
- TUGS
TUGS is a British children's television series, first broadcast in 1988. It was created by the producers of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Robert D. Cardona and David Mitton. The series dealt with the adventures of two anthropomorphized tugboat fleets, the Star Fleet and the Z-Stacks, who...
- Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. The show was produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada by the CBC , and the now defunct Cochran Entertainment, and was filmed on a model set using radio...
- Salty's Lighthouse
Salty's Lighthouse was a series for young children, produced by Sunbow Entertainment in 1997 in association with the Bank Street College of Education in New York. The show centred around a young boy named Salty, as he plays and learns with his friends in a magical lighthouse...
- Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
External links
Official websites
Production companies