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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the Japanese VHS, the Buzz Book or the magazine story.
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“Some jokes are funny but not this one, James. You have caused confusion.”
― The Fat Controller

No Joke for James is the eleventh episode of the third series. It is based on the magazine stories The Express and A Passenger for James written by Andrew Brenner.

Plot

Being a mixed-traffic engine taking goods and passengers, James is proud of his smart red paint and so is his driver who tells him that he brightens up everyone's day. Shortly afterwards one morning, James boasts to Thomas and Percy that he is the smartest and most useful engine on the line, though they both disagree with him. Later, as James boasts to Gordon that he is the pride of the line, Gordon tells him that he is only a goods engine. James lies to Gordon that the Fat Controller has plans for him and Gordon believes him, much to James' concern.

Thomas is shunting coaches in the yard. James hoped they were him, but Thomas tells him that they are for Gordon's express and that he will fetch James' trucks next. So, James decides to trick Thomas, lying that the Fat Controller told him that he is to take the express and that Gordon is to pull the trucks. He is then coupled to the coaches and steams out of the yard just as Thomas arrives with James' train of tankers for Gordon, leaving him and his driver shocked and furious.

Meanwhile, James is puffing along and enjoying himself enormously, thinking to himself how clever he is. His fun does not last, however; he finds the Fat Controller waiting for him at Elsbridge and he quickly reprimands James for his naughtiness and sends him to his shed as punishment for causing confusion. James ends up with Gordon and Henry teasing him by asking each other who will pull the express now. The next day, James is let out of the shed and apologises to Thomas, who gives him his trucks. James then shunts trucks in the harbour for the rest of the day as he pulls and pushes them into place.

As James and his crew prepare to head home, a gentleman arrives and tells the driver that he is to attend an important meeting with the Fat Controller. He must not be late for it and he asks for a ride in James, whose driver recognises the man as a railway inspector and agrees. When James arrives at Knapford, the railway inspector praises James. The Fat Controller agrees and tells James that he has once again proven himself to be a Really Useful Engine.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • In the first shot of James shunting at the harbour, he is pushing a truck that has "N.E." written on it.
  • The railway inspector is Jeremiah Jobling.
  • This is James' last episode with a leading role until the fifth series episode, James and the Trouble with Trees.
  • In a few promotional images, Gordon arrives next to Thomas on his left rather than on his right. In another image, Gordon is smiling rather than frowning and a siding is also behind him.
  • The Tidmouth Goods Station appears as a building in Knapford Yards.
  • The first draft was written on 1 March 1991.
  • In the restored version, the opening of James pulling the goods train is extended and the scene of him passing Brendam Canal with the express coaches is shortened.
  • This episode marks the last appearance of Brendam Canal until the seventh series episode, James and the Queen of Sodor.
  • In the original UK dub, the line of James telling someone to look at him and saying that he is "the smartest, most useful engine on the line" is taken from the early UK narration of Time for Trouble.
  • A music cue is used at the end of the US dub and the Ukrainian voice-over. However, it is omitted in both UK dubs and most international ones, excluding the Ukrainian voice-over.
  • The models of Big Mickey, Izzy Gomez, a scrap tractor model, the steel company building and the steel rig from TUGS can be seen at the harbour.
  • The episode was cut from the Fox Family airing of the Shining Time Station episode Oh, What a Tangled Web. However, it was seen on the Fox Family shows Mister Moose's Fun Time and Storytime with Thomas. On Storytime with Thomas, it was paired with Train Stops Play.
  • This and Diesel Does It Again are the only episodes in the whole series where Sir Topham Hatt's English name was used in the Finnish dub to address him by his real name.

Goofs

  • In the first scene and the moment James pulls up beside Gordon, studio equipment is visible in the top centre corner of the screen and his eyes also slightly jitter for a moment.
  • When James talks to Gordon, his eyes are misaligned and his face is also loose.
  • When James first arrives at the Sodor Shipping Company building, Thomas is seen shunting two salt vans and a tanker. In the same shot, studio equipment can be seen in the restored version. Next, red express coaches can be seen coming down the line two shots later. Then, the salt vans Thomas was shunting are coming backwards and Thomas is also gone.
  • When James wheeshes steam at the Fat Controller, the latter shakes a bit.
  • When Gordon said "I wonder who'll be pulling the express today?", some of the mud on his top front end were visible from the previous episode.
  • In the shot of Henry teasing James, both of his brake pipes are facing upwards. One should be facing downwards.
  • When James says "Actually, Thomas," the smoke coming from the chimney in the background disappears and reappears.
  • In the restored version, the first shot at the harbour shows James pushing three trucks. Two of them are derailed as they are seen bumping across the sleepers as this was a deleted scene of this episode.
  • When Thomas and James are talking, Edward is seen pulling a goods train on another line, then in the next shot, he is nowhere to be seen.
  • When Thomas is shunting Gordon's trucks into place, the line next to him is clear. Then in the next shot, express coaches appear. Then, when Thomas says "And so here are your trucks!", Percy can be seen shunting some trucks on the same line. In the next shot, Percy and his trucks disappear.
  • In most scenes, the top red stripe on Thomas's boiler is bent.
  • When James arrives at Elsbridge, there is a man standing next to the Fat Controller. But in the close up of him, the man disappears.
  • On the New Zealand VHS release of Trust Thomas and Other Stories, James' whistle is omitted at the start of the episode.
  • Jeremiah Jobling's small scale figure does not have a moustache.
  • When James tricks Thomas that he was taking the express, his eyes are misaligned and at least twice his eyes make some noticeable jerks, indicating film cuts.
  • At the very end of the episode, a large crumb can be seen on James's running board, just behind his middle lamp iron.

Quotes

James: Look at me! I am the smartest, most useful engine on the line.
Thomas: Rubbish! We're all useful. The Fat Controller says so and he's Sir Topham Hatt, head of the whole railway!
Percy: You know what, James?
James: What?
Percy: You're getting all puffed up!

Narrator: Thomas was shunting shining new coaches.
Thomas: Good morning, James!
James: Are those coaches for me?
Thomas: No. These are for Gordon's express. I'll fetch your trucks next.
James: Actually, Thomas, I'm taking the coaches. The Fat Controller asked me to tell you.
Thomas: What about the trucks?
James: Uh, give them to Gordon.
Thomas' Driver: Come on, Thomas. Orders are orders.

The Fat Controller: [having heard of James' recent antics] Some jokes are funny but not this one, James. You have caused confusion!
James: [disappointingly] Yes, sir.
The Fat Controller: You will now stay in your shed until you are wanted.

Gordon: I wonder who will be pulling the express today?
Henry: I expect it'll be you. James is stuck in the shed for being silly.
Narrator: James felt sad.

Man (Railway Inspector): Excuse me, I've a meeting with Sir Topham Hatt and I mustn't be late. May I ride back in you?
James' Driver: Of course.

Railway Inspector: This clever engine gave me a splendid ride. You must be proud of him.
The Fat Controller: Yes, indeed. James, once again, you are a really useful engine.

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Albanian S'ka shaka per Xheimsin
Chinese Mandarin 别和詹姆士开玩笑
Czech Jamesův špatný vtip
Danish James laver numre
Dutch James is niet grappig
Finnish Jaskan jekku
German Mit James scherzt man nicht
Greek Το αστείο του Τζίμι
Hungarian James rossz vicce
Italian Gli scherzi di James
Japanese いたずらはだめだよジェームス
Korean 제임스의 속임수 (DVD Acadamy)
제임스의 거짓말 (JEI TV)
Norwegian Ingen spøk for James
Polish Niegrzeczny Kuba
Romanian Fără glume cu James
Russian Для Джеймса это не шутка
Serbian Džejmsova pošalica
Slovenian Jakobu ni do šale
Swedish James skämt
Turkish James'e Şaka Yapılmaz
Ukrainian Не жарт для Джеймса
Welsh Pryfocio James

Merchandise

Home Video Releases

UK

UK DVD Boxsets

WAL

US

CAN

  • Trust Thomas and Other Stories
  • Best of James

US/CAN VHS/DVD Boxsets

AUS

  • Trust Thomas and Other Stories (Direct-to-VHS)
  • The Very Best of Thomas & Friends
  • Series Three

AUS DVD Boxsets

NZ

ZA

IND

MYS

ITA

NL

GER

NOR

DK

SWE

FIN

  • Thomas, Percy and the Dragon

SVN

SRP

GRC

GRC DVD Boxset

TUR

THA

JPN

JPN VHS/DVD Boxsets

KOR

CHN

HK

Episode

References



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