Thomas & Friends

Making Tracks to Great Destinations

TV series
1984–present
24 seasons
ITV1
Animation
Kids

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6.8 TMDB worldwide · 161 ratings

Thomas & Friends is a British children's television series, which had its first broadcast on the ITV network on 4 September 1984. It is based on The Railway Series of books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. These books deal with the adventures of a group of anthropomorphised locomotives and road vehicles who live on the fictional Island of Sodor. The books were based on stories Wilbert told to entertain his son, Christopher during his recovery from measles. From Series one to four, many of the stories are based on events from Awdry's personal experience.

About the show

Thomas & Friends is a British children's television series developed by Britt Allcroft. Based on The Railway Series children's books by Wilbert and Christopher Awdry, it centers on Thomas the Tank Engine, as well as various anthropomorphic steam locomotives and other vehicles living on the fictional Island of Sodor.

Allcroft discovered The Railway Series in 1978 and quickly became interested in adapting it to television. It was originally filmed in live action on model sets from 1984 to 2008, before later using computer animation. Over 500 episodes were produced over the course of 24 series. It featured narration from multiple celebrities and actors, beginning with Ringo Starr.

Thomas & Friends premiered on ITV on 9 October 1984 and was broadcast on several other television networks until 20 January 2021. It received mixed critical reception and spawned a franchise of the same name. A film adaptation written and directed by Allcroft, Thomas and the Magic Railroad, was released in theatres in 2000, but underperformed at the box office. A second theatrical film is in development and will be directed by Marc Forster. Thomas & Friends was followed by two reboots: the first was Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, which premiered in 2021 and ended in 2025; and the second, Thomas & Friends: Railway Stories, which premiered in 2026.

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