Season 12

The twelfth season of the television series aired in 2008. The twenty episodes were narrated by Michael Angelis in the UK and Michael Brandon in the US.

Songs

 * Engine Rollcall (CGI face version)

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Oliver
 * Ben
 * Emily
 * Murdoch
 * Neville
 * Rosie
 * Whiff
 * Stanley
 * Diesel
 * Mavis
 * Salty
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Sir Handel
 * Peter Sam
 * Duncan
 * Freddie
 * Mighty Mac
 * Rusty
 * Toad
 * Hector
 * Bertie
 * Jack
 * Harold
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Lady Hatt
 * Dusty Miller
 * The Photographer
 * Alice
 * The Engineer
 * The Dairy Manager
 * Stepney (does not speak in UK version)
 * Harvey (does not speak)
 * Arthur (does not speak)
 * 'Arry and Bert (do not speak)
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
 * Henrietta (does not speak)
 * Rocky (does not speak)
 * Trevor (does not speak)
 * Alfie (does not speak)
 * Cranky (does not speak)
 * Jeremy (does not speak)
 * Dowager Hatt (does not speak)
 * Mrs. Percival (does not speak)
 * Jenny Packard (does not speak)
 * Sodor Brass Band (does not speak)
 * Bulgy (cameo)
 * Max or Monty (cameo)
 * Farmer Trotter (cameo)
 * Proteus (mentioned, seen as a statue)
 * The Mayor of Sodor (mentioned)
 * Dennis (learning segment)

Characters introduced

 * Hank
 * Flora
 * Colin
 * The Balloon Repairman
 * The Bargeman
 * The Tree Specialists (do not speak)
 * Mr. Giggles (does not speak)
 * Miss Marvel (does not speak)
 * The Fireman (does not speak)
 * The Percival Children (The Percival Twins; do not speak: The rest of them; cameo)
 * The Ginger-haired Boy (cameo)
 * The Blond-haired Boy (cameo)
 * The Teacher (cameo)

Half hour format
When season 12 aired on PBS Kids, Nick Jr. and Treehouse, each broadcast had 2 episodes from season 12, a segment dedicated to one of Thomas' friends and past animated learning segments and songs from seasons 8, 9 and 10 were used.

Good Friends

 * Best Friends
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Emily
 * Song: H is for Harold
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Rosie and Molly
 * Learning Segment: What is Henry Thinking of?
 * Henry Gets it Wrong

Being Careful

 * Thomas and the Billboard
 * Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - Percy
 * Learning Segment: Who Should Take the Telegraph Pole?
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Toby
 * Learning Segment: Which Way Should Thomas and Emily Go?
 * Learning Segment: Which Whistle Suits Thomas?
 * Steady Eddie

Good Turns

 * Heave Ho Thomas!
 * Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - James
 * Song: Pride
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Henry
 * Learning Segment: Which Engine for Which Job?
 * Toby's Special Surprise

Right Track

 * Don't Go Back
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Gordon
 * Learning Segment: Over the Bridge
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Gordon
 * Learning Segment: Which Track for Henry?
 * Learning Segment: Emily Huffs out of the Station
 * Percy and the Bandstand

Courage

 * Thomas Puts the Brakes On
 * Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - Emily
 * Song: Brave
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Neville and Dennis
 * Learning Segment: Getting There
 * Gordon Takes a Shortcut

Presents and Prizes

 * The Man in the Hills
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Edward
 * Learning Segment: What is Thomas Thinking of?
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Harold and Jeremy
 * Learning Segment: Which Load to Which Station?
 * Excellent Emily

Kindness

 * Tram Trouble
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Toby
 * Song: Responsibility
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Edward
 * Learning Segment: Who Can get to the Washdown?
 * James Works it Out

Pulling Together

 * Rosie's Funfair Special
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Percy
 * Song: Togetherness
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Diesel
 * Learning Segment: Which Load for What Occasion
 * Push Me, Pull You

Adventures

 * Duncan and the Hot Air Balloon
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Thomas
 * Learning Segment: What Does Toby see?
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - The Narrow Gauge Engines
 * Learning Segment: Percy's Treasure
 * Mountain Marvel

Mistakes

 * Saved You!
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Gordon
 * Song: Doing it Right
 * Thomas' Favourite Friends - Percy
 * Learning Segment: Surprise Destinations
 * The Party Surprise

Trivia
Dowager Hatt, Jenny Packard and Sodor Brass Band's first appearances in full CGI. characters introduced in this season have only ever appeared in their debut episodes. but was later replaced by Michael Angelis and Michael Brandon for unknown reasons.
 * This was the first season of several things:
 * The first season of the CGI Series.
 * The first season where all engines' faces, human characters, animals and environmental surroundings are in full CGI and move.
 * Harold, Sir Topham Hatt, Lady Hatt, Alice, The Engineer,
 * Sharon Miller's first season as head writer.
 * The first season to have twenty episodes.
 * The first season produced and to contain CGI by Nitrogen Studios.
 * The first HiT season recorded and edited in 25fps (aside from the end credits).
 * The first Thomas & Friends production since Thomas and the Magic Railroad to have moving people.
 * The first New Series season to not air in its half hour airing first in the UK.
 * The first season since their debuts where Rocky and Cranky appear, but do not speak in any of their appearances.
 * This was also the last season of several things as well:
 * The last season to use models and clay faces, however the clay faces were only used in background shots.
 * Simon Spencer's last season as producer.
 * The last season filmed at Shepperton Studios.
 * The last season to feature songs by Ed Welch.
 * The television series veteran Steve Asquith's final season as director.
 * The last season to have all of the characters voiced by the narrator until Thomas Goes to New York.
 * The last time Paul Larson writes an episode until the seventeenth season as well as the last season he writes an episode by himself.
 * The final time until the eighteenth season episode, Samson Sent for Scrap to use the brake sound from The Train.
 * This was the last season to have songs sung by children until The Adventure Begins.
 * The last season to open with Awdry's letter to Christopher in television broadcasts.
 * This was also the only season of several things as well:
 * The only season to use a hybrid model-CGI mix.
 * Dino Athanassiou's only season as CGI director.
 * Pete Atkin's only season as voice director.
 * The only season where Ben appears without Bill.
 * The only season not shown on Japanese television, but some episodes have been shown exclusively at Thomas Land's 3D Theatre and Video on Demand in Japan.
 * The only CGI season not to have a full voice cast for the characters.
 * Aside from the Teacher and the tree specialists, all of the
 * This season contained the 300th episode of the television series.
 * Pierce Brosnan was originally going to narrate this season,
 * In the UK, this season was supposed to be show after The Great Discovery, but was brought forwards for unknown reasons.
 * This season was never shown in Hungary, Norway, Romania, Poland and the Netherlands.
 * Harvey and Arthur were the only engines not to utilise a CGI face mask. However, two pictures from a magazine story show Harvey with a CGI face.
 * The series cost £2.5 million to make, with each episode taking around five days to film.