Thomas & Friends series 5
| Thomas & Friends | |
|---|---|
| Season 5 | |
 DVD cover art | |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Cartoon Network |
| Original release | 14 September – 19 October 1998 |
| Series chronology | |
Thomas & Friends (previously known as Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends) is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry.
This article lists and details episodes from the fifth series of the show, which was first broadcast in 1998. This series is narrated by Michael Angelis for the U.K. audiences, while Alec Baldwin narrated the episodes for the U.S. audiences.
Production
Stories
The show's staff had decided since Series 3 that most of the best stories of The Railway Series had been adapted, the rest involving too many new characters or closely resembling previous stories.[1] With Series 5, the decision was made to write a full series of original, staff-written stories. One reason for this was producer Britt Allcroft's desire to create a theatrical Thomas the Tank Engine movie, and requested that director David Mitton show off his modelling skills.[2] Series 5 aired in 1998, and the movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad was released two years later.
Some inspiration for the stories came from a former LMR manager named David Maidment. In 1997, Maidment met with Steven Wright about the possibility of supporting the Railway Children charity, and while Wright told him the series' staff commonly received such requests, they would consider. During their meeting, Maidment relayed stories about his railway experiences working in South Wales and as the manager at Crewe station. Days later, Maidment received a call asking if he would allow some of his stories to be used as material – the stories from The Railway Series were frequently based on true events, and Allcroft and Mitton preferred this. Maidment agreed, and was also asked to review each story to make sure that the railway in the show operated realistically. As a result, Maidment received writing credit alongside Allcroft and Mitton. 10,000 pounds ($14,406 in U.S. dollars) was donated to the Railway Children for his work.[2]
These stories are amongst those adapted:
- "Baa!" – a ram invades a railway station and attacks some vandals; additionally, the idea of a "Best Kept Station" competition.
- "James and the Trouble with Trees" – rain erodes an embankment, causing a tree to slide down and stand upright on the tracks.
- "Double Teething Troubles" – a British Rail Class 17 diesel stalls while banking a train.
- "Gordon and the Gremlin" – bathwater in a luxury coach splashes around the compartment.
Additionally, "A Better View for Gordon" was based on a famous incident at Gare Montparnasse in 1895.[2]
The design for each new character would be chosen by David Eves, and given to David Mitton for approval.[1]
Filming
Mitton shot 2,700 slates for Series 5, the most of any of the series he shot for Thomas.[2]
Broadcast
Previously Thomas had only appeared in the US as a segment on the TV show Shining Time Station, but Series 5 aired in the US as part of the half-hour Storytime with Thomas program. Each episode would include a new Series 5 episode, an episode of Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie, and a Series 4 episode narrated by George Carlin, with music videos and footage of Day out with Thomas in between.
Episodes
| Total | # | UK title (top) US title (bottom) |
Directed by | Source | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | 1 | "Cranky Bugs" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 14 September 1998 |
| 106 | 2 | "Horrid Lorry" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 15 September 1998 |
| 107 | 3 | "A Better View for Gordon" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 16 September 1998 |
| 108 | 4 | "Lady Hatt's Birthday Party" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 17 September 1998 |
| 109 | 5 | "James and the Trouble with Trees" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 18 September 1998 |
| 110 | 6 | "Gordon and the Gremlin" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 21 September 1998 |
| 111 | 7 | "Bye George!" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 22 September 1998 |
| 112 | 8 | "Baa!" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 23 September 1998 |
| 113 | 9 | "Put Upon Percy" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 24 September 1998 |
| 114 | 10 | "Toby and the Flood" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 25 September 1998 |
| 115 | 11 | "Haunted Henry" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 28 September 1998 |
| 116 | 12 | "Double Teething Troubles" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 29 September 1998 |
| 117 | 13 | "Stepney Gets Lost" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 30 September 1998 |
| 118 | 14 | "Toby's Discovery" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 1 October 1998 |
| 119 | 15 | "Something in the Air" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 2 October 1998 |
| 120 | 16 | "Thomas, Percy and Old Slow Coach" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 5 October 1998 |
| 121 | 17 | "Thomas and the Rumours" "Thomas and the Rumors" | David Mitton | Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends magazine story by Andrew Brenner | 6 October 1998 |
| 122 | 18 | "Oliver's Find" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 7 October 1998 |
| 123 | 19 | "Happy Ever After" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 8 October 1998 |
| 124 | 20 | "Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 9 October 1998 |
| 125 | 21 | "A Surprise for Percy" "A Big Surprise for Percy" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 12 October 1998 |
| 126 | 22 | "Make Someone Happy" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 13 October 1998 |
| 127 | 23 | "Busy Going Backwards" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 14 October 1998 |
| 128 | 24 | "Duncan Gets Spooked" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, and David Maidment | 15 October 1998 |
| 129 | 25 | "Rusty and the Boulder" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 16 October 1998 |
| 130 | 26 | "Snow" | David Mitton | Original by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton | 19 October 1998 |
Characters
Introduced
- Cranky (Cranky Bugs)
- Horrid Lorries (Horrid Lorry)
- Butch (Horrid Lorry)
- The Ram (Baa!)
- Old Bailey (Haunted Henry)
- Derek (Double Teething Troubles)
- 'Arry and Bert (Stepney Gets Lost)
- Bertram (Toby's Discovery)
- Old Slow Coach (Thomas, Percy and Old Slowcoach)
- Tiger Moth (Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday)
- Thumper (Rusty and the Boulder)
- Boulder (Rusty and the Boulder)
- Dowager Hatt (Gordon and the Gremlin)
Recurring character cast
References
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
