Underplayed Gems

Thomas & Friends (1984)

Thomas & Friends poster
Directed by
Steve Asquith, Greg Tiernan, David Mitton
Genre
children's television series, fantasy television series
Country
United Kingdom
Length
24 seasons, 584 episodes
Rated
TV-Y
Rating
6.8 of 10 from 154 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This children's series follows Thomas the Tank Engine and other talking trains on the island of Sodor. The characters learn lessons about friendship, teamwork, and helpfulness through their everyday adventures on the railway.

gentleplayfulwhimsicalsimplecozysoothinglightheartednostalgic

What happens

Thomas & Friends is a British children's television series developed for television by Britt Allcroft. Based on The Railway Series children's books by Wilbert and Christopher Awdry, it centers on Thomas the Tank Engine, as well as various anthropomorphic steam locomotives and other vehicles living on the fictional Island of Sodor. Allcroft discovered The Railway Series in 1978 and quickly became interested in adapting it to television. It was initially filmed in live action on model sets from the mid 1980s to the late 2000s, before later utilising computer animation. Over 500 episodes were produced over the course of 24 series. It featured narration from multiple celebrities and actors, beginning with Ringo Starr. Thomas & Friends premiered on ITV on 9 October 1984 and was broadcast on several other television networks until 20 January 2021. It received mixed critical reception and spawned a franchise of the same name. A film adaptation written and directed by Allcroft, Thomas and the Magic Railroad, was released in theatres in 2000, but underperformed at the box office. A second film is in development and will be directed by Marc Forster. Thomas & Friends was followed by two reboots; the first was Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, which premiered in 2021 and ended in 2025, and the second is scheduled for late 2026. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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