"New To Me" Thomas & Friends Show on PBS Kids

Here's a little thing about Thomas in recent years. After Hit Entertainment (the same company that owns Bob the Builder) bought the franchise off the original creators of the TV series - Britt Allcroft and David Mitton - in 2003, Thomas became a rather mundane and generic baby show where morals were shoved down the kids throats. It got more and more apparent well after the show went full CGI in 2009. It wasn't until 2013 when Mattel bought the majority of the franchise and Thomas started to get back to its roots of being a more grounded, unique show heavily driven by its excellent characters. Not to mention improved the animation.

Thomas,

Thank you for the scoop!  I was not aware of any of that until now!  I'm just glad to see Thomas on Television for the next generation to come to know.  I don't know what the previous animation was like, but I will say I like the current animation a lot!  

I have to admit to liking Thomas better when it was models instead of computer animation.

Bogie

I agree Oldbogie.  But then I have liked model trains for as long as I can remember.

I always like the original show with the real models back in the day when my kids were small. Admired the modeling done on the layout, too. Here's a youtube vid someone made, apparently shows the original models and set used in the TV show.

Penn-Pacific, that is great!  Here is a shortcut to the Behind the Scenes of the old layout used on the Shining Time Station program Island of Sodor

I have a very good friend even though he's into HO whose wife is a special ed teacher and child psychologist. She made an interesting remark on the the way to the show up in Lynden Washington a couple Octobers ago.

What she said is that a fascination with Thomas was one of the indicators of psychological problems in teenagers. It is not a test for preteens nor for adults which make Phil and I feel better being adults reliving our preteen years. Our teen years come out in our fascination for fast cars and motorcycles which we can now afford.

Bogie

Yes, we become too old for childhood things, then we become not too old for childhood things.  I'm glad the too old phase passed quickly. 

OldBogie posted:

I have to admit to liking Thomas better when it was models instead of computer animation.

Bogie

Agreed. It may just be nostalgia but I prefer the classic series with models over CGI

As much as I loved the original model era (at least before 2004) and felt that the classic era was a lightning in a bottle, I can't fault the current team for trying to recapture the magic, and is paying respect to the older generation while not coming off as complacent to its intended audience.

And BTW, this was the animation used from 2009 to 2012:

And this is the animation used now:

Thomas, Yes the animation is very good now!!!

The original series was the best. Especially the episodes narrated by Ringo Starr and George Carlin.

Thanks for posting Mark.

RSJB18 posted:

The original series was the best. Especially the episodes narrated by Ringo Starr and George Carlin.

Thanks for posting Mark.

Agreed, the show was the best when it was shot with actual models.  It has sucked since they went cheap/digital 

A friend of mine did the DVD menu's and artwork for the first 8 releases. It was an interesting experience.. The original layout was G gauge and was built in an airplane hanger in England.  The film makers seemed to be very serious about the production and the would get angry and start screaming at each other if things didn't quite go right... One of the guy's who did the voices lived in Toronto. Seems this Thomas production was global...

Some of the models and props for the show are open to viewing at Drayton Manor in England, which is a theme park -- and it has a thomas the tank themed section to it.  

A friend of mine did the DVD menu's and artwork for the first 8 releases. It was an interesting experience.. The original layout was G gauge and was built in an airplane hanger in England.  The film makers seemed to be very serious about the production and the would get angry and start screaming at each other if things didn't quite go right... One of the guy's who did the voices lived in Toronto. Seems this Thomas production was global...

Would those be the stories narrated by Ringo Starr and George Carlin?
We had them on tape. My kids loved those tapes, and would watch Shining Time Station on PBS when they could.
Both men did a very nice job narrating the stories, although I have to say that I thought Ringo was the better of the two. 

Would those be the stories narrated by Ringo Starr and George Carlin?
We had them on tape. My kids loved those tapes, and would watch Shining Time Station on PBS when they could.
Both men did a very nice job narrating the stories, although I have to say that I thought Ringo was the better of the two. 

 Not sure who narrated them.  He did the menu's and intros for the first 8 DVD's.  Then his company lost the contract.  It was interesting to hear how involved it was to do this type of project...

In the US, Ringo did the first two seasons, and then George did seasons 3 and 4. After that, Alec Baldwin narrated seasons 5 and 6. Michael Brandon narrated after up until season 17 when Mark Moraghan took over to the present.

Mikado 4501 posted:

In the US, Ringo did the first two seasons, and then George did seasons 3 and 4. After that, Alec Baldwin narrated seasons 5 and 6. Michael Brandon narrated after up until season 17 when Mark Moraghan took over to the present.

Thank you for the great information!!!  Our girls watched when Ringo and George narrated.  I think they must have stopped watching then, because I wasn't aware of Alec Baldwin being involved.  I liked Ringo because of his British accent which went well with the British origin of the stories.  

    I often left the tv on all day years ago, and one day heard the softer side of George Carlins wisdom, at sat to watch. That was my into to Thomas, then Ringo a few days later.  But my initial thought was that if Carlin was doing it, there was going to be an interesting aspect somewhere. When I saw Ringo, heard the name, and saw the set,  I wondered what decade it was for a second, lol.....but kept watching; he was the the comical Beatle....and there were trains . I stumbled on the bookcover and realised I had a copy of that that story book, but I wasn't ready for trains with buffers yet. The Little Engine That Could, The Trolley on Telegraph Hill, & Casey Jr were more my speed.

  The focus on lessons and general writing was simplified greatly to draw younger kids & what their parents turn on for them.  With all the popularity I was surprised there was never a show carrying a secondary theme "Young Thomas" or "Thomas's Travels", etc.. ....I mean, Thomas is a teaching tool and there could have been be two story types, each aimed at different age demographiccs, 3weeks to 5years; 6 to adult

   CGI is cool, but it's not stop motion or live action models which imo grabbed attention just from the media's style. What else on tv was/is stop motion or live model? Not much since Rankin&Bass Chistmas specials except for Robot Chicken & Thunderbirds, not exactly 3 year old kiddie fare. 

I have the old set of DVD's of the original shows from when my kids watched it and all the newest DVD and movies for the grand kids. They love both new and old. There is a new movie just out on DVD at Walmart; Journey Beyond Sodor. 

I have the fleet of Thomas characters released by Lionel over the years with Lion Chief controls and have them running at several train shows each year, the Thomas the Tank engine weekends at the Railway museum and Polar Express 4 weekends. The kids small and older even teens love running Thomas and know the characters so well! The little ones go nuts when they see the trains and get to control them.

Just tuning up and repairing the Thomas fleet for the fall shows.  Sure wish Lionel would do some more characters like Bachmann has done in HO they did most of the regular fleet of engines! 

That sounds like good shows you do for kids.  I have a Lionel LionChief Thomas set with Annie and Clarabelle I am saving for kids to run.

I got rid of our Lionel G gauge Thomas because I did not think it was well made, and it couldn't  be used with O gauge.

We kept the die cast Ertl Thomas trains that were made about the time that those Ringo Starr and George Carlin tapes were made. 

We also have a few wooden Thomas pieces that are compatible with Brio.

I have several of the lionel thomas related models and several  of the bachman HO scale items.  Overall I like them but they don't make "show sounds" -- in the fact the bachman model don't make any sounds and have no working lights.   I've seen retrofits on the web for DCC sound and led installations on them.  It's been on my list for quite some time to give that a try, just you know - all the 10000000 other things get in the way.

One thing I like about the show is many if not most of the characters are based on real engines.    I place for that kind of info at the Thomas and friends wiki in the "basis" section (and also in the right side panel).

For example, they are expanding their characters all the time (got to drive new sales!) -- so a new one is called Merlin and it's based on a LSWR N15/SR "King Arthur" according to the wiki.

In the explainer it gives more details:  "Merlin is based on the LSWR N15 Class, referred to as the "King Arthur" class by the Southern Railway, specifically No. 783 Sir Gillemere. In 1943, Sir Gillemere was fitted with three stovepipe chimneys by Oliver Bulleid as a wartime experiment."

Kinda cool...

Also Hornby's is yet another source of Thomas related models - but while slightly different scale than HO in other dimensions -- its runs on HO scale track, or this is what I understand.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/s.../thomas-friends.html

(note that several of these items say "DCC ready")

Can you provide a link to the Thomas and friends Wiki?

Sure, thought I did but probably forgot it.  http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Tho...the_Tank_Engine_Wiki

Some pops up, so be forewarned.   There's also an excellent game of thrones wiki.   Different topic though there.

Very nice information.  Thank you, Bob!!

I created a Thomas-themed layout when my children were younger - based on his branch line from Elsbridge to Knapford (and the junction). We really got into it - there are some incredible resources online based on the original stories. 

My wife has bought me a copy of the original Rev. W. Awdry book with color drawings, a small child's Thomas Rhymes book, and some Thomas Golden books.  Also partial sets of Thomas trains that run on what look like Brio track pieces at the thrift store.  We will see if we have grandchildren if we can get them interested.  Who knows where it may go.

My son loved that show (the non CGI version).  But I was angry with how the DVDs were handled in the US (and presumably Canada), where other than the 1st season, you could not buy season boxsets of the program.  They were released either thematically or just plain randomly grouped.  One could (and one did) spend a small fortune on those DVDs.  Luckily my son outgrew them before we became total completists!   The Ringo ones were the best.

If you are trying to get your grand kids interested, you may want to seek out the advice of a financial advisor first... (that's a joke)   A.C. Moore in my neck of the woods has a pretty good wooden train selection for sale and it is from time to time 40% off...

Well I can't count grandchildren before there are any.  My wife has finding this kind of thing at almost no cost, so I won't worry.  Yes, I know a small fortune could be spent.  If were to go that route, I would be working until they wheel me out to the funeral parlor!

Also Hornby's is yet another source of Thomas related models - but while slightly different scale than HO in other dimensions -- its runs on HO scale track, or this is what I understand.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/s.../thomas-friends.html

Yep, in the U.K., it’s OO gauge, same gauge as HO but with models that scale 1:76 (actually 4mm to 1 foot).

I want to get me some of the OO stuff.  Anyway,  there's also "trackmaster" -- these are slightly larger with plastic train like track and are battery powered.  They mostly come in themed sets.

These seem like something of a bridge to traditional train sets.

Unlike the Bachmann models, Hornby Thomas models are based off the engine prototype. So for instance they modeled Thomas off of a LB&SCR E2 locomotive. Whereas Bachmann models use the TV style. I prefer the prototype honestly.

Mikado 4501 posted:

In the US, Ringo did the first two seasons, and then George did seasons 3 and 4. After that, Alec Baldwin narrated seasons 5 and 6. Michael Brandon narrated after up until season 17 when Mark Moraghan took over to the present.

Actually in the US/Canada Carlin narrated series 1-4. 

Severn posted:

I want to get me some of the OO stuff.  Anyway,  there's also "trackmaster" -- these are slightly larger with plastic train like track and are battery powered.  They mostly come in themed sets.

These seem like something of a bridge to traditional train sets.

 

Bought a ton of this stuff for my son when he was little. The sets were nice quality, trains, track, turnouts, crossovers, etc all were well made. They changed manufacturers toward the end and the quality dropped off significantly.

CNtomato posted:

Mikado 4501 posted:

In the US, Ringo did the first two seasons, and then George did seasons 3 and 4. After that, Alec Baldwin narrated seasons 5 and 6. Michael Brandon narrated after up until season 17 when Mark Moraghan took over to the present.

Actually in the US/Canada Carlin narrated series 1-4. 

I dunno.  I remember watching Ringo narrate on Shining Time Station during the first 2 seasons here in good old middle America. 

I remember when it was being first advertized.  The thought balloon went up above my head with one word  "Ringo??????"  I wondered about the sanity of the producers, but I was proved wrong.  Ringo was a great narrator.

Carlin may have redubbed the first two seaons for reruns.

Rusty

Rusty Traque posted:

CNtomato posted:

Mikado 4501 posted:

In the US, Ringo did the first two seasons, and then George did seasons 3 and 4. After that, Alec Baldwin narrated seasons 5 and 6. Michael Brandon narrated after up until season 17 when Mark Moraghan took over to the present.

Actually in the US/Canada Carlin narrated series 1-4. 

I dunno.  I remember watching Ringo narrate on Shining Time Station during the first 2 seasons here in good old middle America. 

I remember when it was being first advertized.  The thought balloon went up above my head with one word  "Ringo??????"  I wondered about the sanity of the producers, but I was proved wrong.  Ringo was a great narrator.

Carlin may have redubbed the first two seaons for reruns.

Rusty

You are correct, Carlin re-narrated series 1 and 2.