Thomas & Friends

*Thomas & Friends*
Thomas & Friends
	Logo used since 2008
Also known as	Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends; Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!
Genre	Children's television series
Created by	Britt Allcroft
Based on	The Railway Series; by Wilbert Awdry; Christopher Awdry;
Developed by	Britt Allcroft
Directed by	David Mitton (series 1–7); Steve Asquith (series 8–12); Greg Tiernan (series 13–16); David Baas (series 17); Don Spencer (series 18); Dianna Basso (series 19–24); Joey So (series 23–24; specials); Ian Cherry (series 24);
Voices of	List of voice actors
Narrated by	British; Ringo Starr; Michael Angelis; Pierce Brosnan; Mark Moraghan; John Hasler; American; Ringo Starr; George Carlin; Alec Baldwin; Michael Brandon; Pierce Brosnan; Mark Moraghan; Joseph May;
Opening theme	Thomas Theme (1984–2003); Thomas' Anthem (secondary) (1991–2003); Engine Roll Call (2004–2017); Big World! Big Adventures! (2018–2021);
Composers	Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell (1984–2003); Robert Hartshorne (2004–2016); Ed Welch (2004–2008); Peter Hartshorne (2011–2016); Chris Renshaw (2016–2021); Oliver Davis (2016–2017);
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	24
No. of episodes	584 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	List Britt Allcroft (1984–1986, 2002) ; Angus Wright (1991–1998) ; Peter Urie (2002–2003) ; Jocelyn Stevenson (2003–2006) ; Christopher Skala (2007–2011) ; Marion Edwards (2009–2015) ; Lenora Hume (2009–2010) ; Karen Barnes (2011–2013) ; Kallan Kagan (2013–2017) ; Jeff Young (2013–2015) ; Steven Hecht (2013–2015) ; Michael Carrington (2013–2014) ; Christopher Keenan (2014–2021) ; Edward Catchpole (2015) ; Marianne Culbert (2016) ; Kyle MacDougall (2016–2021) ; Jamie LeClaire (2016–2021) ; Phil LaFrance (2016–2021) ;
Producers	List David Mitton (1984–1998) ; Robert D. Cardona (1984–1986) ; Britt Allcroft (1991–1998) ; Phil Fehrle (2002–2003) ; Simon Spencer (2004–2008) ; Nicole Stinn (2008–2012) ; Ian McCue (2011–2017) ; Halim Jabbour (2013) ; Robert Anderson (2013; 2015–2017) ; Brian Lynch (2013–2015) ; Jennifer Hill (2014–2015) ; Lynda Craigmyle (2016) ; Jane Sobol (2016) ; Tracy Blagdon (2016–2021) ; Micaela Winter (2016–2018) ;
Production locations	Clapham Junction (1984); Clearwater Studios Battersea (1984); Shepperton Studios (1986–2008);
Running time	4 minutes, 30 seconds (series 1–7); 10 minutes (series 8–12); 11 minutes (Series 13–24);
Production companies	Clearwater Features (1984–1986); Britt Allcroft Ltd. (1984–1986); The Britt Allcroft Company/Gullane Entertainment (1991–2003); HIT Entertainment (2003–2017); Mattel Creations (2017–2021);
Original release
Network	ITV (series 1–3); Cartoon Network (series 4–5); Nick Jr. (series 6–11); Channel 5 (series 12–24);
Release	9 October 1984 –; 20 January 2021
Related
	Tugs; Shining Time Station; Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go;
	Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Thomas & Friends^[e] is a British children's television series which aired from 9 October 1984 to 20 January 2021. Based on The Railway Series books by Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher, the series was developed for television by Britt Allcroft. The series centers on various anthropomorphic steam locomotives as well as other vehicles living on the fictional Island of Sodor. Initially being filmed in live action on model sets, whereas the latter half of its run was produced using CGI, over 500 episodes were produced over the course of 24 series.

In the United States, it was first broadcast along with the spin-off series, Shining Time Station, on PBS' PTV Park block on 29 January 1989, while broadcast of the series did shift over time, it later aired on PBS Kids up until 2017. The rights to the series are currently owned by HIT Entertainment (a subsidiary of Mattel), which acquired Gullane Entertainment in July 2002. HIT was folded into Mattel in 2016.

An American 2D animated reboot, Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, premiered on 13 September 2021 on Cartoon Network's preschool block Cartoonito.

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