Ian McCue

Thomas & Friends is a British children's television series, which had its first broadcast on the ITV network on 4 September 1984. It is based on The Railway Series of books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. These books deal with the adventures of a group of anthropomorphised locomotives and road vehicles who live on the fictional Island of Sodor. The books were based on stories Wilbert told to entertain his son, Christopher during his recovery from measles. From Series one to four, many of the stories are based on events from Awdry's personal experience.

Shiver me timbers. Surprises await Thomas and his friends as they dig up their most daring adventure yet. Unearthing an old pirate ship, Thomas is on the hunt for Sodor's lost treasure. When Thomas rocks the boat with some new friends, trouble soon rushes in. Will Thomas track down the treasure in time, or will Sailor John set sail with it? Join Thomas and Friends in this explosive movie adventure.

Thomas is working at the Clay Pits when a storm closes in and the rain makes the clay cliffs unstable. A flash of lightning reveals what looks like giant footprints on the slope above, but a landslide has begun and Thomas cannot stay to investigate. Bill and Ben push Thomas to safety just in time. Unable to go back and confirm what he saw, Thomas tells Percy about it, but Percy quickly becomes convinced that there is a monster on the island. He even becomes frightened of taking the mail train at night. When an unusual engine with sloping boilers first appears, Percy thinks he must be the monster. James teases Percy and tries to scare him even more, but the new engine, who is called Gator, proves to be a good friend and ally, who helps Percy discover what it really means to be brave.

All aboard for Thomas' very first adventure! A little tank engine discovers a big new world when he arrives on the Island of Sodor. Escapades abound as Thomas explores his new home and meets some Really Useful new friends. Finding the true blue meaning of hard work and friendship, Thomas transforms into the Number 1 engine!

Thomas lights up the tracks in a magical Christmas collection! Watch as your favourite engines prepare for a festive celebration. Charlie discovers how much fun snow can be whilst Percy gets covered in so much snow that Thomas cannot find him! Salty doesn't have time for presents and parties until Edward finds him the perfect gift, and the engines compete to find the perfect Christmas tree! It is the season for Christmas magic with Thomas & Friends.

Watch Thomas in his very first adventure, as he cheekily tries to pass a danger sign. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of Thomas & Friends, this unique pilot episode, filmed in 1983, is now available for everyone to enjoy for the very first time.

Calling all Thomas Fans! Jump on board for this documentary celebrating 70 years of Thomas & Friends. Children all over the world have grown up fascinated by the tales and adventures of this cheeky little tank engine and have cherished the messages of friendship, teamwork and what it means to be a Really Useful engine. Get a sneak peek into the world of Thomas & Friends with special interviews from Christopher Awdry, son of Thomas the Tank Engine creator, Reverend W. Awdry, as well as the crew and fans worldwide, plus behind the scenes footage of how the latest shows and products are created. Sit back and enjoy as we take you on a journey through 70 years of Thomas & Friends in this special documentary.

The Queen has invited The Fat Controller to London to receive an award and Thomas is selected to take him there! But Thomas has never been to London before and, with no knowledge of how to get there, their journey is soon filled with confusion and delay. During the journey, Thomas befriends a very important looking engine, who has broken down just outside of London. Despite being pressed for time, Thomas helps her to the station. But little does he know just how important she is!

When Rebecca tells James, he could be a comic-book super-engine, he takes her seriously, and Rail Rocket is born! Thomas helps Ace to overcome his fear of animals and joins Shankar for a fancy dress contest. Meanwhile, Ruth turns an old windmill into an energy-efficient workshop and invents a walking bridge! Cleo's on a mission to save the snow, and Nia's bright idea guides Harold through a storm.

When his good friend Hiro is derailed, Thomas rushes off to find him some spare parts. Alone in the woods, the old rails give way leaving Thomas stuck in the mud with no one to hear his peeps. Meanwhile, Henry is delighted to be given the Express to pull, "Rough & Tough" Diesel strikes up a fluffy friendship and new brake van Bradford arrives on Sodor, bringing with him a set of strict rules and regulations! Join the engines in 8 tales of friendship and adventure, featuring escaping sheep and some very Troublesome Trucks!

The Emperor Akbar breeds animals in captivity, to honour his first born son. His unsettled cheetah fails to breed. Akbar experiments with the enclosures he has built for his collection in order to induce the cheetahs to mate. After many frustrated attempts, Akbar gains a greater understanding.