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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the Philippine DVD.

“It's sure nice to be away from the railway for once."
"And far cleaner.”
― The Fat Controller and Lady Hatt

Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday is the twentieth episode of the fifth series. In the US, it aired with Lady Hatt's Birthday Party in an episode of Storytime with Thomas.

Plot

The Hatts are going on holiday, but when they exit Annie and Clarabel at Tidmouth Hault, Lady Hatt complains about feeling hot and tired, and recommends turning the two coaches into beach huts. Thomas is insulted and his driver assures him that the coaches will never be retired, rather to be improved.

The next day, Percy takes the family to Dryaw Airfield, for them to board Harold. Their flight is delayed, however, by a low-flying biplane called Tiger Moth, but they soon get to their retreat. After staying there for several days, Harold arrives to tell them that Tiger Moth has gone missing. The Fat Controller joins the search and in the end they find Tiger Moth crashed in a haystack. The Fat Controller scolds the pilot for his recklessness, seeing to have him and his plane grounded and continuing his holiday, boating on a canal. However, they become bogged down in mud and after being unable to be pulled out by other boats, Percy helps them back to Tidmouth Hault.

At the station, Thomas with new aesthetic improved Annie and Clarabel are waiting for them. Lady Hatt comments that the coaches appear more suitable than their previous appearances, while no one says anything about it. That evening, Thomas agrees with his coaches that no matter what they look like, they will always be Really Useful.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • In the UK, the title remains as Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday despite normally referring to him as the Fat Controller.
  • According to a film slate:
    • The scenes on the Tidmouth Hault set were filmed on the 30th of October 1997. Close-ups were filmed on the 4th of November.
    • The scenes on the Maithwaite Station set were filmed on the 5th of November 1997. An unused close-up of Sir Topham and Lady Hatt on the platform was filmed the next day.
    • The scenes on the Dryaw Station set were filmed on the 12th of November 1997.
    • The scenes on Callan Station set were filmed on the 14th of November 1997.
    • Close-ups at the two aforementioned stations were filmed on the 19th of November 1997.
    • The scenes on the Fishing Village set were filmed on the 20th of January 1998.
    • The scenes on the Church Station set were filmed on the 23rd of January 1998. Close-ups were filmed on the 2nd of February.
    • Most scenes along the river were filmed on the 3rd of March 1998.
    • The scene reused from Thomas and the Rumours was filmed on the 6th of March 1998.
    • The Hay Farm set was filmed on the 9th of March 1998, with close-ups being filmed on the 11th.
    • Close-ups at the river and in Harold were filmed on the 10th of March 1998.
    • The scene of Harold at the dam was filmed specifically for the Harold the Helicopter music video. It was filmed on the 16th of March 1998.
    • The scenes at Sir Topham Hatt's Holiday Home were filmed on the 3rd of April 1998.
  • Stock footage from Trucks and Thomas and the Rumours is used, as well as a mirrored scene from the latter.
  • Deleted shots of Percy at Callan (and later arriving to help the Fat Controller and his family out of the mudbank) and some deleted close-up shots of Toby picking the Fat Controller and his family up from Maithwaite indicate that they both may have intended to have speaking roles.
  • As seen in several deleted scenes, Thomas was originally going to pick up the Fat Controller and his family from Callan at the start of the episode.
  • In the US dub, Annie and Clarabel gain Southern accents.
  • This episode marks the first of a few things:
    • Tiger Moth's first appearance.
    • The first time in the model series that a character's model is replaced within an episode rather than a series, with Annie and Clarabel's refurbished appearances debuting in this episode following their tenmille kits from the earlier scenes. Their resin models would later appear in the 2000 film Thomas and the Magic Railroad, and the sixth to eighth series before new resin models were made in Calling All Engines! and used through the twelfth series.
  • In the last shot at the end of the episode, Thomas is wearing his original smiling face from the third and fourth series. This marks the last time it was used onscreen as well as the last appearance of his concerned face with raised eyebrows as from the sixth series onwards, his faces would have mostly triangular eyebrows.
  • This episode aired exactly 14 years after the television series' premiere.
  • This episode marks the only appearance of the Dryaw Canal Runby in the fifth series as well as its last, not counting stock footage in Toby's Windmill.
  • This is the last episode where a brake van is seen at the end of an engine's passenger train until the twenty-fourth series episode, A New Arrival, as well as the last production where this happens until the Meet the Steam Team video, Meet Nia (not counting the song, Percy's Seaside Trip, as well as excluding stock footage in the seventh series episode, James and the Queen of Sodor).
  • In a deleted scene, the barn that Thomas crashed into in Bye George! is shown.

Goofs

  • Lady Hatt's small-scale model has longer hair than her large-scale model.
  • Harold's tail rotor is on the other side because mirrored stock footage is used.
  • When Toby stops next to the Sodor Maid, his steam disappears, indicating a film cut.
  • The 2000 US title card is missing an apostrophe in the word, "Hatt's".

Quotes

Lady Hatt: Those coaches are old and uncomfortable. Why don't you use them as beach huts instead?
Thomas: [offended] You won't let them turn Annie and Clarabel into beach huts, will you?
Driver: Of course not, Thomas, but I must admit they could be smartened up.

[Tiger Moth flies dangerously past Harold and the Hatts]
  • The Fat Controller: [taking cover] What was that?!
  • Harold: That's Tiger Moth. It's rude and flies much too low.
  • The Fat Controller: So I can see! Please take us up, Harold, before there's another disturbance.

[Harold returns to the Hatts' holiday home with bad news]
Harold's pilot: It's Tiger Moth. It's gone missing. Do you wish to join the search with us?
The Fat Controller: I think I'd better.
[Harold takes off to find Tiger Moth, he is later found stuck nose-down in a haystack]
The Fat Controller: There's Tiger Moth! [later speaks to the pilot] You were showing off and flying dangerously. I will speak to your controller and request that you are grounded.
Tiger Moth's pilot: Yes, sir!
The Fat Controller: Now if you'll excuse me, I shall return to my holiday.
Tiger Moth's pilot: Jolly good idea, sir!

[after the Hatts' boat stuck in the mud bank]
  • The Fat Controller: [as the boat gets stuck in mudbank] Botherration! We're stuck!
  • Narrator: And they were. Other boats try to pull them off the mud bank, but it was no use.
[Percy arrives at the scene of the incident]
  • Percy's driver: Is there anything we can do to help?
  • The Fat Controller: Yes, indeed, there is. [cut to the family's boat now on Percy's flatbed] This is the life, isn't it, dear?!

[after Annie and Clarabel are refurbished]
Lady Hatt: My! What splendid coaches! So much more suitable than those old beach huts on wheels!
Narrator: No one said a word.

Annie and Clarabel: It's very nice to get compliments, but no matter what we look like, we'll always be useful. Won't we, Thomas?
Thomas: Of course!

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Albanian Pushimet e Zotit Tofam Hat
Brazilian Portuguese As férias de Sir Topham Hatt
Chinese Mandarin 托芬海特先生的假期
Czech Dovolená tlustého přednosty
Danish Hr. Tophøj Hatts ferie
Dutch De vakantie van de heer Hoogsmahoed
Finnish Herra Päätarkastajan loma
German Sir Tophams Ferien
Hungarian A Kövér Ellenőr Vakációja
Italian Le Vacanze di Pallone Gonfiato
Japanese トップハム・ハットきょうのきゅうか
Korean 가족 나들이
Latin American Spanish Las Vacaciones de Sir Topham Hatt
Norwegian Ferieturen
Polish Wakacje Grubego Dyrektora (TVP3)
Wakacje Grubego Zawiadowcy (JimJam)
Romanian Concediul Domnului Topham Hatt
Russian Отпуск сэра Тофема Хэтта
Serbian Odmor gospodina Cilindra še širka
Slovenian Počitnice gospoda Cirila Klobučarja
Swedish Kontrollchefens semester

Home Media Releases

UK

DVD Boxsets

US

CAN

  • Spills and Chills and Other Thomas Thrills

DVD Boxsets

AUS

DVD Packs

NZ

  • Happy Holidays

ZA

JPN

PHL

GRC

DK

MYS

ITA

NOR

  • The Old Coach

SWE

SVN

HK

THA

TWN


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