Percy and the Magic Carpet

"Do you know any magic words?" "You mean like, 'please'?" "No, Percy. Other magic words like 'Hey Presto', 'Hocus Pocus', and 'Abracadabra'."

- Salty and Percy

Percy and the Magic Carpet is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the eighth series.

Plot
It is a very windy autumn day and preparations are underway for the opening of the flower show at Maithwaite. The Fat Controller announces that a special must be taken there before Allicia Botti opens the show. He chooses Percy to take it, much to the annoyance of Gordon and James.

Percy arrives at Brendam Docks with a flatbed, only to discover that his special is just a roll of red carpet. Salty tells Percy that it might be magic, as he heard tales of carpets that can fly. Salty goes on to talk about magic words: "Hey Presto", "Hocus Pocus", and "Abracadabra." Percy is in doubt, but once he moves, the carpet unrolls itself just like magic.

Stopping at a signal, Percy sees Gordon, who is not surprised that Percy was told to collect a carpet, as he is just a small engine. Suddenly, the wind lifts up underneath the carpet, taking it into the air. Percy is now convinced that it is a magic carpet, but Gordon knows that it is just the wind and he departs to collect a coach for Allicia Botti. Then Murdoch passes Percy and the red carpet lands onto a flatbed in Murdoch's train. Percy gives chase to Murdoch, calling for him to wait. But Murdoch is too far ahead to hear Percy and carries on through Maron station. Percy, speeding through Maron, tells James that Murdoch has his magic carpet, but James tells him that magic carpets do not exist.

Soon, the wind takes the carpet off of Murdoch's train and onto Toby's roof. Percy follows Toby to Kellsthorpe, where he meets Gordon again. The carpet flies off of Toby's roof and lands down onto the tracks. Percy is very upset. Gordon is not impressed; he thinks that Percy is trying to make his "little job" important. Suddenly, they hear Thomas approaching the station and heading straight for the carpet. Gordon and Percy blow their whistles to alert Thomas, but to no avail. Percy decides to say a magic word, but none of the suggestions Salty gave him work. So, Percy says "please" and just as Thomas is about to run over the carpet, the wind blows the carpet away from Thomas and lands onto Percy's flatbed. Now Gordon is convinced that the carpet is magic.

Once Percy's driver ties the carpet down to the flatbed, he sets off, worried that he is running late. Soon, Percy reaches Maithwaite and tells the Fat Controller about all of the trouble the carpet caused. However, though he explains that magic carpets do not exist, the Fat Controller tells Percy that he is right on time whilst the carpet is unloaded and placed onto the platform.

Later, Allicia Botti arrives aboard Gordon's coach and opens the flower show. However, the wind blows underneath the red carpet again whilst it is on the platform, leaving Percy and Gordon unsure whether the carpet is magic or not.

Characters

 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Salty
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas
 * Toby
 * Murdoch
 * Cranky
 * Allicia Botti
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Emily
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * Caroline
 * Lady Hatt
 * Refreshment Lady
 * The Storyteller
 * Big Mickey

Locations

 * Maron
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Tidmouth Goods Station
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * The Sheep Field
 * Kellsthorpe Road
 * Maithwaite
 * The Windmill

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the thirteenth episode of the eighth series.
 * This episode is the first series finale where Thomas appears, but does not speak, as well as the only series finale where this happens until the twentieth series finale, Over the Hill.
 * This episode marked the last of several things:
 * The last episode to feature the original six-berth Tidmouth Sheds before being rebuilt with seven berths in Calling All Engines!.
 * The last episode narrated by Leo Morimoto in Japan and Giorgio Bonino in Italy.
 * The last episode with the original cast for the Japanese dub, and the last produced with the Aoni Production staff.
 * The last UK episode where the title card is not read out loud by the narrator.
 * The last episode with Abi Grant and Paul Larson as script editors before Sharon Miller took over, starting with the ninth series after production of the eighth series ended.
 * The last appearance of Wellsworth until the eleventh series episode, Gordon and the Engineer.
 * The last appearance of Wellsworth Yards until the sixteenth series.
 * Murdoch's last appearance until the eleventh series episode, Emily's Rubbish, as well as his only appearance in the eighth series.
 * Allicia Botti's last full appearance until the eleventh series episode, Toby's Triumph.
 * The final eighth series episode to air on CiTV in January 2005, as they were broadcast in production order. The remaining thirteen episodes would air in July 2006.
 * The events of this episode were later mentioned by Gordon in the eighteenth series episode, Emily Saves the World.
 * Posters for the circus can be seen when Percy passes James at Maron station.
 * According to Steve Asquith, the carpet was originally intended to be a CGI element.
 * Abi Grant stated on her website that this was one of her favourite episodes centred around Percy (her favourite character). She also stated that it was her favourite episode that she had written and that she "had to fight all the way to the top to get it made."

Goofs

 * Despite the episode being set in the Autumn season, the leaves on the trees are green, but when they fall, they are orange and red.
 * When the carpet is loaded onto Percy's flatbed, Salty is missing one of his buffers.
 * The position of the carpet changes when Murdoch passes through Maron.
 * When Percy chases Toby, the flatbed's back wheel is crooked.
 * The position of the carpet changes in every shot when it is on Toby.
 * In the widescreen version of this episode, when the narrator says, "Then, there was trouble," the carpet is still seen on Toby's roof, even though it flew off earlier. Additionally, the footage appears to be played noticeably in backwards, as the steam from Gordon and Percy appears to be going back into them instead of being blown out.

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - Percy and the Magic Carpet/Percy and the Magic Carpet
 * Books - Percy and the Magic Carpet

Home Media Releases
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UK/IRL

 * It's Great to be an Engine!
 * The Complete Series 8

DVD Packs

 * Classic Collection
 * 5 Adventurous DVDs
 * Triple Pack
 * The Ultimate Collection

US/CAN

 * Starting This Fall on PBS
 * It's Great to be an Engine!
 * Thomas' Rescue Adventures
 * Springtime Fun!

DVD Boxsets

 * Let's Explore with Thomas
 * Fun Pack
 * All-Aboard for Adventure!

AUS

 * The Complete Series 8
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 2

DVD Packs

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * The Essential Collection
 * Series Seven and Series Eight Double Pack

ZA

 * Truck-loads of Fun

DVD Packs

 * 4 Disc Collection
 * 5 DVD Boxset

DK

 * It's Great to be a Train

NOR/SWE

 * It's Cool to be a Train

FIN

 * It's Great to be a Locomotive!

ROM

 * It's Great to be a Locomotive!
 * Thomas and Friends - Vol. 3

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 3
 * Six DVD Set

CZ

 * Thomas' Best Contraption

SPN

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 2

DVD Boxsets

 * First Season

CHN

 * Holiday Express

IN

 * Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough

MYS

 * Percy and the Magic Carpet and Other Adventures
 * Spic and Span and Other Adventures
 * Magical Collection
 * Best of Thomas Collection

IDN

 * You Can Do It, Toby! and other stories

GER

 * The Best Engines of Sodor

POL

 * Thomas and Circus

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 36

TWN

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 9

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 21

HUN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 3 - Thomas and the Circus

DVD Boxsets

 * Thomas the Tank Engine & Gift Keys extension box

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 8 Vol.5

KOR
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 * Thomas the Little Engine and Friends Season 3 Vol. 2

Percy y la Alfombra Mágica פרסי ומרבד הקסמים Piotruś i Magiczny Dywan Перси и магический ковёр