Thomas & Friends

Thomas & Friends is the timeless television series based on the much-loved books by Reverend W. Awdry. Set on the imaginary island of Sodor, the show follows the adventures of Thomas, a cheeky little Tank Engine. Each half hour segment features three separate stories, including two seven-minute adventures and one five-minute "classic" Thomas story. The stories focus on the seven original engines: Thomas, Edward, James, Gordon, Percy, Henry and Toby, plus Emily, the first female steam engine — all under the watchful eye of Sir Topham Hatt, the manager of the Sodor Railway. At the end of each program, the engines are "roll-called" in a musical finale featuring their very own team song. Thomas's world is an idealized place with a strong community ethos typified by a universal willingness to embrace good manners, hard work and a desire to be "really useful." The show stirs viewers to empathize with the hopes, fears, aspirations, achievements and conflicts experienced by the engines.