The eighth season of the television series was the first to be produced by HiT Entertainment. The twenty-six episode season was first broadcast in 2004 and narrated by Michael Angelis in the UK and Michael Brandon in the US.
Episodes[]
| Screenshot | UK title (top) US title (bottom) |
Original UK release date |
Episode number # | ||
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| "Thomas and the Tuba" | 1st August 2004 | #01 | |||
| Thomas is so excited to collect the brass band that he
leaves the tuba player behind. The band leader realises this and Thomas looks for the tuba player. Meanwhile, the tuba player tries to fetch rides so he can head to Maithwaite. | |||||
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| "Percy's New Whistle" | 1st August 2004 | #02 | |||
| 'Arry and Bert tease Percy for only having a whistle.
Percy becomes cross and practices whistling louder out of spite, not realising he's causing trouble for Thomas and Bertie. Percy later regrets it, but can't resist another whistle and whistles so loud that a giant snowball collides into him. However, the next day, he spots a snowdrift on the line, and hears Thomas approaching. Percy uses his whistle to save him and learns how to use a whistle properly. | |||||
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| "Thomas to the Rescue" | 8th August 2004 | #03 | |||
| Thomas is sent to work at the quarry with Mavis, though
it turns out Diesel is there too. Diesel gives Thomas a hard time, declaring the Fat Controller is planning to scrap steam engines. The next morning, Salty brings fresh diesel fuel. Diesel boasts about it, but the fuel makes all of the diesels on the island sick. | |||||
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| "Henry and the Wishing Tree" | 8th August 2004 | #04 | |||
| Henry usually pulls goods trains, but longs for a chance to pull the express.. Thomas tells Henry about the wishing tree,
and Henry wishes that he could pull the express. The next day, his wish comes true, but he isn't used to coaches and gives the passengers a bad journey. | |||||
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| "James Gets a New Coat" | 15th August 2004 | #05 | |||
| James had just been repainted and boasts to the others
how he is special because of red paint. This puts Percy down, as he feels he isn't special. Later, James is sent to the coaling plant to help Percy deliver an important order, but James is too busy showing off along the way and Percy is left on his own. | |||||
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| "Thomas Saves the Day" | 15th August 2004 | #06 | |||
| Before the construction site of a new station, there is a
difficult bend. Annie and Clarabel always assist Thomas with it, but they are due for an overhaul. Thomas doesn't feel really useful without his coaches, especially when he derails at the difficult bend. However, some trucks break away and head for the new station, and Thomas has to stop them in time. | |||||
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| "Percy's Big Mistake" | 22nd August 2004 | #07 | |||
| Percy is overworked, which often makes him late. The
dock manager has enough of it and tells the Fat Controller. That night, Percy overhears the Fat Controller telling his driver he will be sent to the scrapyard the following day. Percy is horrified and believes he is going to be scrapped. | |||||
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| "Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough" | 22nd August 2004 | #08 | |||
| Emily tells Thomas everything he's doing wrong, which
irritates him to the point where he decides to ignore her completely. It is said that heavy snow is coming and everyone must wear their snowploughs. Emily heads to find Thomas, but he refuses to listen. He soon wishes he had. | |||||
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| "Don't Tell Thomas" | 29th August 2004 | #09 | |||
| Thomas has been working hard clearing the lines of snow.
The engines want to thank him by organising a party, but they want it to be a surprise. Thomas becomes increasingly annoyed that they are not sharing the secret with him. | |||||
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| "Emily's New Route" | 29th August 2004 | #10 | |||
| Emily is given the flour route for the summer, and James warns her of a monster in Black Loch.
Emily's trucks cause her to crash and be late, so the Fat Controller transfers her to the Black Loch route. Emily is scared, but perseveres and discovers what the "monster" really is. | |||||
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| "Thomas and the Firework Display" | 5th September 2004 | #11 | |||
| Thomas is upset that James gets the task of delivering
fireworks instead of him. Along the way to Knapford, James breaks down. Thomas is sent to help James, but the clock is ticking, and the display looks like it'll be called off. | |||||
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| "Gordon Takes Charge" | 5th September 2004 | #12 | |||
| Percy is taking passengers for the first time in a long
time, so Gordon teaches him how to treat coaches. Gordon uses this as an opportunity to show off, which leads to trouble. | |||||
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| "Spic and Span" | 12th September 2004 | #13 | |||
| There is to be a cleanliness competition, and Gordon,
Emily and James believe they'll win. Thomas and Percy want to win too, but Thomas slowly loses confidence as the other engines arrive at the washdown before him. | |||||
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| "Edward the Great" | 12th September 2004 | #14 | |||
| Spencer comes back to Sodor, and the other engines are not pleased. Spencer challenges Edward to a race to The Duke and Duchess of Boxford's Summer House. The big engines don't think he can do it, but Edward proves that slow and steady can win the race. | |||||
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| "Squeak, Rattle and Roll" | 19th September 2004 | #15 | |||
| Diesel tries to rattle Gordon by saying steam engines
will be scrapped. Gordon doesn't believe him, but starts to worry when he hears a squeaking and rattling. If he slows down, the noise disappears, so he decides to go slowly, even when he has to take The Fat Controller and some children on a boating trip. | |||||
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| "Thomas and the Circus" | 19th September 2004 | #16 | |||
| Thomas is told to take the circus train, and to share
the load due to its weight. But Thomas wants all the glory, so he tries to pull the circus train all by himself. He turns down offers of help from Salty, Percy and James. He regrets his decision though as his siderods break from the weight. | |||||
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| "Thomas Gets it Right" | 26th September 2004 | #17 | |||
| Gordon and James hope to make as many journeys as
possible. Thomas gets competitive too, but becomes upset when Farmer McColl stays in his cab to make sure his eggs are safe, and he has to go slowly. | |||||
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| "As Good as Gordon" | 26th September 2004 | #18 | |||
| Gordon is given the job of taking the newly-elected
Mayor of Sodor around the island, so someone else has to pull the Express. Emily is chosen, but Gordon doesn't believe she can take the Express across the island and back before teatime like he can. Emily is determined to do the job as good as Gordon | |||||
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| "Fish" | 3rd October 2004 | #19 | |||
| Thomas is sent to help Arthur on the coastal branch, but he must only take five trucks due to rough track-work. However, Thomas hates the smell of fish and takes a long line of trucks to get the job over and done with. They take advantage of him though, and spiral out of control. | |||||
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| "Emily's Adventure" | 3rd October 2004 | #20 | |||
| A storm blows off Farmer McColl's barn roof, so Emily is
sent to collect timber to repair it. Along the way, she doesn't use her manners when the tracks are cleared. This lands her into trouble when Elizabeth refuses to take orders from her. | |||||
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| "Halloween" | 10th October 2004 | #21 | |||
| Thomas and Emily have to pick up a delivery of iron from
the Smelters, and dismiss the existence of ghost. 'Arry and Bert scare them and make them question whether they may exist after all. A tarpaulin falls on Emily and accidentally scares herself as well as Thomas, 'Arry, and Bert. | |||||
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| "You Can Do it, Toby!" | 10th October 2004 | #22 | |||
| Gordon believes Toby isn't a proper engine, which makes Toby nervous when he has to look after Wellsworth
while Edward is at Brendam. He is uncertain he can do it but Thomas manages to encourage him The test comes when Gordon gets stuck on the hill and Toby has to push him. | |||||
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| "James Goes Too Far" | 17th October 2004 | #23 | |||
| James is cross when other engines cut him off because
their jobs are more important. Then, James is given his own important job: delivering coal to all the stations. He is so arrogant that he refuses to take on water or help Edward, but realises his mistake when he runs out of water and nobody helps him. | |||||
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| "Chickens to School" | 17th October 2004 | #24 | |||
| Thomas had taken coal trucks all night, and is very
tired the next morning. He takes on three jobs: taking chickens to market, sheep to the farm, and children to school. Gordon remarks that really useful engines do not need help, so Thomas decides he doesn't need it. Lack of sleep gets the better of him as he mixes the jobs up. | |||||
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| "Too Hot for Thomas" | 24th October 2004 | #25 | |||
| James and Toby are taking children to the seaside.
Thomas is disappointed he can't until he delivers ice cream ingredients. Along his journey, he is delayed continuously. | |||||
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| "Percy and the Magic Carpet | 24th October 2004 | #26 | |||
| Percy is excited about being given a special for a
flower show, but is disappointed to find it's only a carpet. Salty suggests it is magic, like in stories he's heard of. Percy is doubtful, until the carpet flies away. He is amazed, but now he has to catch it. | |||||
Songs[]
- Sounds
- Emily
- Surprises
- A World Around You
- Determination
- Patience
- Ode to Gordon
- Engine Rollcall
Characters[]
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Harvey
- Emily
- Arthur
- Spencer
- Diesel
- Mavis
- 'Arry and Bert
- Salty
- Annie and Clarabel
- Bertie
- Elizabeth
- Harold
- Cranky
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Farmer McColl
- Sodor Brass Band
- One member of the Railway Board
- Murdoch (does not speak)
- Trevor (does not speak)
- Refreshment Lady (does not speak)
- Lady Hatt (does not speak)
- Alicia Botti (does not speak)
- The Duke and Duchess of Boxford (do not speak)
- Henrietta (cameo)
- George (cameo)
- Caroline (cameo)
- Butch (cameo)
- Tiger Moth (cameo)
- Stephen Hatt (cameo)
- Bridget Hatt (cameo)
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- Jem Cole (cameo)
- Jeremiah Jobling (cameo)
- Farmer Trotter (cameo)
- Nancy (cameo)
- Cyril the Fogman (cameo)
- The Storyteller (cameo)
- City of Truro (picture cameo)
- Donald and Douglas (mentioned; deleted scene)
- Duck (music video cameo)
- Oliver (music video cameo)
- Rheneas (music video cameo)
- Rusty (music video cameo)
- Toad (music video cameo)
- The Fisherman (music video cameo)
- Bill and Ben (deleted scene)
Characters introduced[]
- The Ice-Cream Factory Manager
- Halloween Engine (does not speak)
- Kuffy the Clown (not named; does not speak)
- The Dairy Manager (cameo)
- The Photographer (cameo)
Half hour format[]
Season 8 was the first half hour format airing of Thomas and Friends that first aired in the UK on Nick Jr., PBS Kids in the US and Treehouse in Canada. In the airing, two Season 8 episodes, one Season 7 episodes, a few Learning Segments and a song is paired. In the Nick Jr. airings in the UK, Michael Angelis' narrations of Season 7 episodes are paired with Robert Hartshorne's music replacing Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell's music. On November 18th, 2006, an airing called "Thomas' Winter Tales" aired replaying four Season 8 episodes, learning segments and a song.
Sounds[]
- Thomas and the Tuba
- Learning Segment: Which Whistle Suits Thomas
- Song: Sounds
- Peace and Quiet
- Learning Segment: Sounds
- Percy's New Whistle
Differences[]
- Thomas to the Rescue
- Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Gordon
- Learning Segment: Steamies and Diesels Sounds
- Emily's New Coaches
- Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - Thomas, Henry and Toby
- Henry and the Wishing Tree
Personality[]
- James Gets a New Coat
- Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - Percy
- Song: Emily
- Best Dressed Engine
- Learning Segment: Being Blue
- Thomas Saves the Day
Listening[]
- Percy's Big Mistake
- Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - James
- Learning Segment: How Does Emily Get To the Station?
- Gordon and Spencer
- Learning Segment: Percy Pulls Out of the Station
- Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough
Surprises[]
- Don't Tell Thomas
- Learning Segment: Toby is Surprised to see...
- Song: Surprises
- James and the Queen of Sodor
- Learning Segment: Surprise Destination
- Emily's New Route
Responsibility[]
- Thomas and the Firework Display
- Learning Segment: Thomas Trundles out of the Station
- Bill, Ben and Fergus
- Learning Segment: Thomas and the Mast
- Learning Segment: Being on Time
- Gordon Takes Charge
Determination[]
- Spic and Span
- Learning Segment: Thomas and Percy play Hide and Seek
- Song: Determination
- Not So Hasty Puddings/Not so Hasty Cakes
- Learning Segment: Truck Trouble
- Edward the Great
Sharing[]
- Squeak, Rattle and Roll
- Learning Segment: Which Way Should Thomas and Emily Go?
- Learning Segment: Sharing
- Percy Gets it Right
- Learning Segment: Sharing Trucks
- Thomas and the Circus
Patience[]
- Thomas Gets it Right
- Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Emily
- Song: Patience
- What's the Matter with Henry?
- Learning Segment: The Children Wait for Gordon
- As Good as Gordon
Difficulties[]
- Fish
- Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Edward
- Learning Segment: What Thomas needs to do in the Winter
- The Old Iron Bridge
- Learning Segment: Helping One Another
- Emily's Adventure
Confidence[]
- Halloween
- Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - Emily
- Song: Ode to Gordon
- Trusty Rusty
- Learning Segment: What Makes Percy Feel Better?
- You Can Do it, Toby!
Helping[]
- James Goes Too Far
- Learning Segment: Henry Huffs out of the Station
- Three Cheers for Thomas
- Learning Segment: Getting There
- Learning Segment: Edward Helps Emily up Gordon's Hill
- Chickens to School
Weather[]
- Too Hot for Thomas
- Learning Segment: Painting James
- Song: A World Around You
- Salty's Stormy Tale
- Learning Segment: How does Thomas Get to the Timber Yards?
- Percy and the Magic Carpet
Thomas' Winter Tales[]
- Percy's New Whistle
- Thomas' Emily and the Snowplough
- Gordon Takes Charge
- Don't Tell Thomas
- Learning Segment: Thomas Trundles out of the Station
- Learning Segment: What Thomas needs to do in the Winter
- Song: Ode to Gordon
Trivia[]
- This was the first season of several things:
- The first season to not feature any new characters that would appear after their debut episodes.
- The first season produced by Simon Spencer.
- The first season not to have Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell involved in production.
- The first season in the US where all episode titles are the same as the UK.
- Sam Barlow's first season as story executive.
- The first season entierly directed by Steve Asquith after Britt Allcroft, Mike O'Donnell, Junior Campbell and David Mitton retired. Stock footage directed by David Mitton however was used until Edward the Great and in music videos.
- The first season to use the font, Flange (Bold), for title cards and credits.
- The first season not to feature Terence, Duck, Oliver and the Skarloey Railway since their debuts, although Duck, Oliver, Rheneas and Rusty made stock footage cameos in a song.
- The first season to use new opening and closing titles, the Island of Sodor introduction sequence, and Engine Rollcall as the theme. The original opening however is used in the Greek version.
- The first season shot using BetaCam video, as opposed to 35mm film.
- The first season that established the Steam Team.
- The first season to air on PBS outside of Shining Time Station.
- This was also the last season of several things as well:
- Abi Grant's second and last season as script editor.
- The last season to be broadcast on ITV in the UK, who would lose the license to Channel 5 in 2006.
- The last season narrated by Leo Morimoto in Japan, as well as the last season to feature the original Japanese voice cast.
- This was also the only season of several things as well:
- Paul Larson's only season as script editor.
- The only season to use an extended version of the theme for the end credits.
- This season contained the 200th episode of the television series.
- When broadcast on ITV from 2005-2006, the episodes were shown
with a different theme arrangement and lacked the Engine Rollcall before the credits.
- Due to seasons 5-7 never being shown in Finland, those viewers
would not have known who Emily, Harvey, Arthur, Spencer, 'Arry and Bert, Salty, Elizabeth, Cranky, Farmer McColl, Murdoch and Alicia Botti are.