Thomas & Friends

Thomas & Friends initially relied on various narrators, including Ringo Starr, Michael Angelis, George Carlin, Alec Baldwin, Michael Brandon, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Moraghan, John Hasler, and Joseph May.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} The characters were later given their own voices in the 2009 film Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails, with Thomas the Tank Engine being voiced by Ben Small.^[8]

Thomas & Friends is adapted from The Railway Series, a series of children's books created by Wilbert Awdry.^[14] The BBC attempted to adapt the books to television in 1953, utilising model trains by Hornby Railways. The broadcast went live that June,^[15] and multiple issues such as derailments occurred. Subsequently, the BBC received complaints from viewers,^[16] and the Daily Mail featured the failed broadcast on their front page.^[17] Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote a Railway Series television adaptation in 1977, which was cancelled following concerns that it would be altered upon being released worldwide. Webber's cancelled adaptation would later serve as inspiration for Starlight Express, a 1984 broadway musical about trains.^[15][16]

In 1978, film producer Britt Allcroft discovered The Railway Series during her research for a documentary film about the Bluebell Railway. She "loved this whole little world [Awdry] had created," quickly became "intrigued by the characters, the relationships between them and the nostalgia they invoked," and wanted to adapt the books to television. Allcroft spent four years securing the funds, which included mortgaging her house to gain a £50,000 bank loan. She hired Ringo Starr upon finding his voice "perfect" for narration; his previous work as a member of the Beatles had "nothing to do with" Allcroft's decision. David Mitton was hired to direct, with music being composed by Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell.^[17][18] A pilot episode titled "Down the Mine" was produced in 1983.^[19]

Starr departed from the series in 1990 in favour of returning to his music career; he was replaced by George Carlin in the American dub.^[20] In 2002, Allcroft sold the series and her production company to HIT Entertainment,^[14] who in 2011, would then be bought out by Mattel for US$680 million with the sole intent of acquiring Thomas & Friends.^[21] In 2017, Mattel begun planning a rebrand of the series, titled Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!, which saw Thomas travelling to other countries and breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience. Meanwhile, two female characters—Rebecca and Nia—were added to the main cast; the latter is the series' first African locomotive. A film of the same name released in 2018, with Jam Filled Entertainment producing the new series, which featured a new theme song. Mattel collaborated with the United Nations to design Nia and incorporate their Sustainable Development Goals into both the new episodes and the film.^[1][22]

Thomas & Friends premiered on ITV on 9 October 1984 under the title Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.^[18] The first episode, "Thomas and Gordon", was seen by 8.5 million viewers.^[14] Since then, it has been broadcast on Cartoon Network, Nick Jr., Channel 5, and Netflix.^[19]

In the United States, the series had first appeared in the form of sequences on Shining Time Station, during the program's run from 1989 to 1995 on PBS. The sequences of the series later aired in 1996 on Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales. The series aired as Storytime with Thomas on Fox Family (now Freeform) from 1999 to 2000. Thomas & Friends returned in the form of several direct-to-video releases during series 6 (2002) and as a stand-alone half-hour program on PBS Kids. It was distributed from 2004 to 2007 by Connecticut Public Television, and then by WNET from 2008 to 2017. It also aired on Sprout from 2005 to 2015. The rights to broadcast the series through PBS expired on December 31, 2017,^[24][25] thus ending a period of almost 30 years of programming related to Thomas & Friends on American public television. From 2018 to 2019, Nickelodeon held exclusive rights to the series in the United States. In 2020, the streaming rights were sold to Netflix, with traditional television rights left unresolved.^[26] It also airs on Kabillion.^[27] In spring 2024, classic episodes of the series became available on the free streaming channel PBS Retro.^[28] Early episodes from series 1 through 7 are available on Amazon Prime Video.^[20]

Mattel partnered with several companies, including Budge Studios and Animoca Brands, to create mobile apps based on Thomas & Friends.^[29][30] In 2010, Callaway Digital Arts created apps based on the brand.^{[31][32][33][34]} By mid-2011, thirteen Thomas apps were available.^[35] HiT Entertainment and Mattel both released apps under their own names.^[36][37] During the 75th anniversary press release in 2020, Mattel mentioned an intent for more apps.^[38]

On 12 October 2020, Mattel announced the series would be rebooted with Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, co-produced and animated by Nelvana. The deal stipulated that 104 eleven-minute episodes and two 60-minute specials would be produced, and that the animation would transition from computer animation to 2D animation, with new redesigns for the characters.^[45] On 5 February 2021, it was announced that Cartoon Network and Netflix had jointly picked up the broadcast and streaming rights to the series in the United States, respectively.^[46] On 11 October 2022, Mattel announced that the series was renewed for a third and fourth season, each consisting of 26 episodes and a special.^[47]

A second reboot, first announced in May 2025,^[48] is currently set for a release in 2026.^[49] Thomas' new design was revealed in January 2026.^[50]