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- “Thomas and Toby are old friends, and now, Percy, you are my friend too!”
- ― Mrs. Kyndley
Thomas' Christmas Party (originally Thomas's Christmas Party) is the twenty-sixth episode of the first season. In the US, this episode first aired on Shining Time Station's Christmas special 'Tis A Gift in 1990, and aired on the last airing of Storytime with Thomas on FOX Family.
Plot
It is Christmas time and Thomas and Toby are very busy carrying people and parcels along the branch line. Despite Annie and Clarabel complaining that they are overloaded, Thomas retains his festive spirit.
Near his branch line is a little cottage. This is the home of an older woman named Mrs. Kyndley. Thomas always whistles "Happy Christmas!" to her and agrees that Christmas wouldn't be the same without her.
At the sheds, all the engines have been polished but Thomas doesn't mind and tells them he wants to throw Mrs. Kyndley a party to thank her for saving him from a landslide the year before. When she was ill in bed, she waved her red dressing gown out the window to warn Thomas and The Fat Controller sent her to Bournemouth to get better as a reward.
All the engines agree that a party is a great idea and hope that The Fat Controller agrees as well. He does, but on the day of the party, there is a heavy snowfall, trapping Mrs. Kyndley in her house. Thomas bravely puts on his snow plough and sets off with Toby to rescue her, and soon, they arrive at the cottage which is covered in snow. Thomas whistles to Mrs. Kyndley to tell her they have arrived when suddenly, Terence arrives with his snowplow to help clear a path from the cottage to the railway. Once everything is cleared away, Percy takes the workmen home and Terence stays behind to look after Mrs. Kyndley's cottage.
Thomas and Toby take her to the shed, where the party is supposed to be, but as they arrive home, they find the sheds in darkness. Suddenly, a switch is thrown and the sheds are covered in lights. The Fat Controller congratulates the two engines, everybody sings carols, and Mrs. Kyndley says it's the best Christmas party ever.
Characters
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Annie and Clarabel
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Mrs. Kyndley
- Terence (speaks only in Japanese dub)
- Bertie (cameo)
- Henrietta (cameo)
- Farmer Finney (cameo)
Locations
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Mrs. Kyndley's Cottage
- Hackenbeck Tunnel
- The Viaduct (deleted scene)
- Knapford (deleted scene)
- Bournemouth (mentioned)
Trivia
- This episode is based on the story of the same name, released alongside the series in 1984. It also features a flashback from the story Mrs Kyndley's Christmas from The Railway Series book, Toby the Tram Engine, although that story was never published as an episode.
- Stock footage from Thomas' Train and Thomas, Terence and the Snow is used.
- The platform Sir Topham Hatt stands on is made out of LEGO bricks.
- The Christmas lights are real Christmas tree lights.
- The text in the end credits is red in the original version.
- When George Carlin provides the narration, Ringo Starr can be heard in the background when the engines sing at the end. Every foreign version, except the Spanish Version, has this as well, meaning Ringo's singing is built into the soundtrack for some reason. The Spanish version lacks it as the instrumental was likely taken from Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree, where it is also heard.
- George Carlin's narration of this episode was never featured on an episode of Shining Time Station. It first appeared on Thomas' Christmas Party and Other Favorite Stories. It aired on TV on the final airing of Storytime with Thomas in 2001.
- In the Japanese dub, Gordon says Percy's lines during Thomas' flashback.
- This is the last episode filmed at the Clapham Junction. All future episodes would be filmed at Shepperton Studios up until 2008.
- This is the last episode to have Thomas with his BR style brake pipe.
- This is the first episode themed of Christmas.
- On its original broadcast, this episode was paired with Dirty Objects. However, early VHS releases have it paired with Down the Mine.
Goofs
- Clarabel is facing the wrong way in the opening shot.
- When the workmen fit Thomas' snowplough, blu-tak is on one of the men's legs.
- Throughout the episode, Toby keeps losing his brake van.
- When the engines whistle, only Thomas, Edward, and Henry's whistles can be heard.
- At the Christmas party, Henry is in his old shape.
- In the Sprout Channel version, around the time the engines save Mrs. Kyndley and the time Thomas gets back to the sheds, the narration is dramatically out of sync.
- In a deleted scene, Thomas' eyes are wonky.
- When Sir Topham Hatt stands on the Platform, some Blu-tak can be seen under his feet.
- At the beginning when Thomas whistles "Happy Christmas" to Mrs. Kyndley, Clarabel is the front coach and facing forwards, but in the next shot she is at the back of the train and facing backwards.
- Gordon is missing his tender when Mrs. Kyndley said that Percy is now her friend.
Merchandise
- Books - Thomas's Christmas Party
- Buzz Books - Thomas's Christmas Party
- Ladybird Books - Thomas's Christmas Party
- Magazine Stories - Thomas's Christmas Party
In Other Languages
Language | Name | Meaning |
---|---|---|
Spanish | La Fiesta Navideña De Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Norwegian | Juleselskapet til Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Welsh | Parti Nadolig Tomos | Thomas's Christmas Party |
German | Die Weihnachtsfeier | The Christmas Party |
French | La Noël de Thomas | Thomas' Christmas |
Brazilian Portuguese | A Festa de Natal de Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Japanese | トーマスのクリスマス・パーティー | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Hungarian | Thomas Karácsonyi Partija | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Dutch | Thomas' kerstfeest | Thomas' Christmas |
Croatian | Tomičina božićna zabava | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Danish | Thomas holder julefest | Thomas Holds a Christmas Party |
Russian | Рождественская вечеринка Томаса | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Ukrainian | Томас святкує Різдво | Thomas Celebrates Christmas |
Czech | Tomášův vánoční večírek | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Italian | La Festa di Natale di Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Slovenian | Tomaževa božična zabava | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Finnish | Tuomas-Veturin Joulujuhlat | Thomas the Tank Engine's Christmas Party |
Chinese | 托马斯的圣诞聚会 | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Korean | 토마스와 크리스마스 파티 | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Romanian | Petrecerea de Crăcuin a lui Thomas | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Polish | Świąteczne Przyjęcie Tomka | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Slovak | Thomasova vianočná oslava | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Swedish | Thomas och Julfesten | Thomas and the Christmas Party |
Serbian | Tomasova božićna zabava | Thomas' Christmas Party |
Thai | โธมัสฉลองคริสมาส | Thomas Celebrates Christmas |