Series 8

The eighth series of Thomas & Friends was the first series produced entirely after HiT Entertainment's acquisition of Gullane Entertainment had completed. It was narrated by Michael Angelis in the UK and Michael Brandon in the US. It first premiered on VHS and DVD in May 2004 before airing on television in August 2004 in the UK. It was also first broadcast in September 2004 in the US as well.

Production
After their purchase of Gullane, HiT Entertainment decided to make a number of major changes to the format of the series. They created a solidified main cast - the Steam Team. In order to establish its presence, all episodes would feature the eight characters in leading roles, while other characters were relegated to supporting parts.

Along with the Steam Team came Learning Segments, as part of a goal by HIT Entertainment to insert an educational element into the show for a 30-minute broadcast block. The running time of episodes was increased to 7 minutes and Sony camera equipment replaced the 35mm movie camera.

Series 8 was originally meant to be produced by Gullane Entertainment as back in 2001, Gullane were going make 78 episodes that would take up 3 seasons. However, they only made 52 episodes that make up 2 seasons as Gullane would later be purchased by HiT Entertainment the next year in 2002.

According to Sam Barlow, these adjustments were made to help bring the series back to television in the United States after a total of three years of new episodes being released on American home media during the years of the sixth and seventh seasons. On top of those modifications, HiT Entertainment hired Robert Hartshorne as the new composer and Ed Welch as the new songwriter.

Filming of Series 8 began in January 2004, shortly after the seventh series and the planned Jack and the Sodor Construction Company spin-off series were made.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Emily
 * Harvey
 * Arthur
 * Spencer
 * Diesel
 * Mavis
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * Salty
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Bertie
 * Elizabeth
 * Harold
 * Cranky
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Farmer McColl
 * Sodor Brass Band
 * The Dockyard Manager
 * The Coaling Plant Manager
 * Ffarquhar Quarry Manager
 * Murdoch
 * Trevor
 * Lady Hatt
 * Refreshment Lady
 * The Fisherman
 * Allicia Botti
 * The Duke and Duchess of Boxford
 * Farmer Collett
 * City of Truro
 * Henrietta
 * George
 * Caroline
 * Butch
 * Tiger Moth
 * Bridget Hatt
 * Jeremiah Jobling
 * Mrs. Kyndley
 * Jem Cole
 * Farmer Trotter
 * Nancy
 * Cyril the Fogman
 * The Injured Sailor
 * The Storyteller
 * The Lighthouse Keeper
 * The Captain
 * The Second Butler
 * Harold's Pilots
 * Mrs. Last
 * The Mid Sodor Railway Manager
 * Toad
 * Big Mickey
 * Duck
 * Oliver
 * Rheneas
 * Rusty
 * One of the Stone-Dropping Boys
 * The Inspector with the Bowler Hat
 * The Mayor of Sodor
 * Mr. Jolly
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Bill and Ben

Characters Introduced

 * The Ice-Cream Factory Manager
 * The Black Suited Railway Inspector
 * The Halloween Engine
 * The Clowns
 * Kuffy the Clown
 * The Photographer
 * The Dairy Manager
 * The Dairy Employees

Locations

 * Island of Sodor
 * Black Loch
 * Brendam Docks
 * Brendam Canal
 * Brendam Warehouse
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Bulgy's Bridge
 * Callan Castle
 * Dryaw
 * Dryaw Airfield
 * Dryaw School
 * Ffarquhar
 * Ffarquhar Quarry
 * Mavis' Shed
 * Henry's Forest
 * Sodor Wishing Tree
 * Henry's Tunnel
 * Kellsthorpe Road
 * Kirk Ronan Junction
 * Knapford
 * Knapford Sheds
 * Knapford Yards
 * Maithwaite
 * Maron
 * McColl Farm
 * Mr. Jolly's Chocolate Factory
 * Main Line Junction
 * Norramby
 * Norramby Beach
 * Norramby Fishing Village
 * Rail Under Road Bridge and Signalbox
 * Road and Rail Runby and Road Bridge
 * Sir Topham Hatt's Office
 * Sodor Dairy
 * Sodor Fuel Depot
 * Sodor Ice Cream Factory
 * Sodor Ironworks
 * The Coaling Plant
 * The Coal Hopper
 * The Country Village Station
 * The Difficult Bend
 * The Duke and Duchess of Boxford's Summer House
 * The Flour Mill
 * The Intersection
 * The Lumber Mill
 * The Runby Bridge
 * The Sheep Field
 * The Watermill
 * Tidmouth Beach
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Tidmouth Engine Works
 * Tidmouth Goods Station
 * Toby's Shed
 * Tower Windmill
 * Wellsworth
 * Wellsworth Bridge
 * Wellsworth Yards
 * The Hay Farm
 * Tidmouth Tunnel
 * Crosby
 * Sodor Slate Quarry
 * Elsbridge
 * The Mainland

Half Hour Format
Series 8 was the first series to use a half hour format to air Thomas & Friends, airing in the UK and Ireland on Nick Jr., PBS Kids in the US and Treehouse TV in Canada. In the airing, two Series 8 episodes, one Series 7 episode, a few Learning Segments and a song were paired. In the Nick Jr. airings in the UK and Ireland, Michael Angelis' narrations of Series 7 episodes are paired with Robert Hartshorne's music replacing Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell's music. When aired in Latin America on Discovery Kids, the Series 7 episodes are not paired in the airings. The UK airings were also released on DVD in South Africa, with the exception of Patience.

Sounds

 * Thomas and the Tuba
 * Learning Segment: Which Whistle Suits Thomas?
 * Song: Sounds
 * Peace and Quiet
 * Learning Segment: Sounds
 * Percy's New Whistle

South African DVD release: Full Steam Ahead

Differences

 * Thomas to the Rescue
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Gordon
 * Learning Segment: Steamies and Diesels Sounds
 * Emily's New Coaches
 * Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - Thomas, Henry and Toby
 * Henry and the Wishing Tree

South African DVD release: All Aboard with the Steam Team

Personality

 * James Gets a New Coat
 * Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - Percy
 * Song: Emily
 * Best Dressed Engine
 * Learning Segment: Being Blue
 * Thomas Saves the Day

South African DVD release: Arise and Shine

Listening

 * Percy's Big Mistake
 * Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - James
 * Learning Segment: How Does Emily Get to Cronk Station?
 * Gordon and Spencer
 * Learning Segment: Percy Pulls Out of the Station
 * Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough

South African DVD release: Whistle Stop

Surprises

 * Don't Tell Thomas
 * Learning Segment: Toby is Surprised to see...
 * Song: Surprises
 * James and the Queen of Sodor
 * Learning Segment: Surprise Destinations
 * Emily's New Route

South African DVD release: Hide and Peep

Responsibility

 * Thomas and the Firework Display
 * Learning Segment: Thomas Trundles Out of the Station
 * Bill, Ben and Fergus
 * Learning Segment: Thomas and the Mast
 * Learning Segment: Being on Time
 * Gordon Takes Charge

South African VHS/DVD Release: Making Tracks with Thomas

Determination

 * Spic and Span
 * Learning Segment: Thomas and Percy play Hide and Seek
 * Song: Determination
 * Not So Hasty Puddings/Not So Hasty Cakes
 * Learning Segment: Truck Trouble
 * Edward the Great

South African DVD release: The World's Strongest Engine

Sharing

 * Squeak, Rattle and Roll
 * Learning Segment: Which Way Should Thomas and Emily Go?
 * Learning Segment: Sharing
 * Percy Gets it Right
 * Learning Segment: Sharing Trucks
 * Thomas and the Circus

South African DVD release: Happy Little Helpers

Patience

 * Thomas Gets it Right
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Emily
 * Song: Patience
 * What's the Matter with Henry?
 * Learning Segment: The Children Wait for Gordon
 * As Good as Gordon

Difficulties

 * Fish
 * Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Edward
 * Learning Segment: What Thomas Needs to do in the Winter
 * The Old Iron Bridge
 * Learning Segment: Helping One Another
 * Emily's Adventure

South African DVD release: It's Great to be an Engine!

Confidence

 * Halloween
 * Learning Segment: Guess the Engine - Emily
 * Song: Ode to Gordon
 * Trusty Rusty
 * Learning Segment: What Makes Percy Feel Better?
 * You Can Do it, Toby!

South African DVD release: Bold and Brave

Helping

 * James Goes Too Far
 * Learning Segment: Henry Huffs out of the Station
 * Three Cheers for Thomas
 * Learning Segment: Job Destinations - Thomas, Toby and James
 * Learning Segment: Edward Helps Emily up Gordon's Hill
 * Chickens to School

South African DVD release: Peep! Peep! Hurray! Three Cheers for Thomas

Weather

 * Too Hot for Thomas
 * Learning Segment: Painting James
 * Song: A World Around You
 * Salty's Stormy Tale
 * Learning Segment: How does Thomas Get to the Timber Yards?
 * Percy and the Magic Carpet

South African DVD release: Truck-loads of Fun

Trivia

 * This was the first series of several things:
 * The first series of the HiT era in the UK.
 * But because the seventh series, due to it being paired with this series, was the first series of the HiT era in the US.
 * This also technically means that this is the second series of the HiT era in the US.
 * The first series to incorporate CGI into live-action; it was mainly used for the overhead map in the opening sequence and for the steam that puffs out of the engines.
 * The first series since the third series where Diesel appears in more than one episode.
 * The first series in which Mavis appears in only one episode.
 * The first series with Paul Larson and Abi Grant as script editors/head writers (not counting Jack and the Sodor Construction Company).
 * Simon Spencer's first series as producer and showrunner.
 * The first series of the main show not to have the classics Britt Allcroft, David Mitton, Robert Gauld-Galliers, Mike O'Donnell, Junior Campbell, Phil Fehrle, Peter Urie, Jan Page, Brian Trueman, George Tarry, Jenny McDade, Polly Churchill, Robin Kingsland, Lee Pressman, Mike Erander, The Maidstone Studios and Gullane Entertainment involved in production after they stopped working on the main series. However, classic stock footage directed by David Mitton and produced by Gullane Entertainment was used through out the series up until Halloween and in the music videos of the series. Also, unlike the previous two series that used stock footage from episodes that were filmed in 4:3 fullscreen, the footage is instead stretched into widescreen instead of matted into widescreen. This also happens in the Jack and the Pack series.
 * Though in the seventh series, being the first series of the HiT era in the US country, had the stock footage used from the series before it classic in that country.
 * The first series in the US where all episode titles are the same as the UK.
 * Sam Barlow's first series as story executive.
 * Marc Seal's first series as a part of the writing team.
 * The first series to have Steve Asquith as a director since the sixth series, and the first series of the main show entirely directed by Steve Asquith following David Mitton's retirement and the planned Jack and the Sodor Construction Company spin-off series (released two years later).
 * The first series to have music composed by Robert Hartshorne in the UK, since the seventh series in the US used music by Robert Hartshorne, but the UK did not until 2004. This is also the first series that the music videos are scored by the music by Hartshorne.
 * The first series to have songs written by Ed Welch.
 * The first series to use the font, Sodor Bld, for title cards and credits. replacing the Rockwell letter font.
 * The first series in which Duck, Donald, Douglas, Oliver, Bill, Ben, Fergus, Terence, the Skarloey Railway, Post Van, and Tom Tipper do not appear since their debuts, although Donald and Douglas were mentioned in one episode and they also appear in a deleted scene from another episode. Bill and Ben also appear in another deleted scene of yet another episode. Duck, Oliver, Rheneas and Rusty also made stock footage cameos in some songs. Though the likes of Duck, Rheneas and Oliver did appear in the various sixth and seventh series episodes aired alongside the new eighth and ninth series episodes on Nick Jr.
 * The first series to use a new opening and closing title, the Island of Sodor introduction sequence and Engine Roll Call as the theme. The original opening, however, is used in the Greek dub.
 * The first series shot using BetaCam videotape, as opposed to 35mm film.
 * The first series that established the Steam Team.
 * The first series to air on PBS outside of Shining Time Station.
 * The first series to air on American television in a half hour format since the fifth series on Fox Family's Storytime with Thomas.
 * The first series to have the crashes in slow motion.
 * The first series to use the term 'steamie' to describe the steam engine characters.
 * The first series to not introduce any non-human characters, excluding the Halloween Engine.
 * The first series dubbed in Brazilian Portuguese, German and Greek since the fifth series.
 * The first series dubbed in Norwegian since the sixth series.
 * The first series dubbed in European Spanish, Indonesian and Thai.
 * The first series not dubbed in Welsh until the fifteenth series.
 * The first series aired by EBS English in South Korea.
 * The first series that VHS and DVD released on the same date by C4U Media in South Korea.
 * The first series that not released music video on VHS in South Korea.
 * The first series that not released on DVD in Italy.
 * The first series aired by TV4 since the second series in Sweden.
 * The first series aired by MiniMini in Poland.
 * The first series to feature Thomas' unused anxious face from the third series since the PC game, Trouble on the Tracks.
 * The first series to feature Edward's unused sleepy and deadpanned faces that were made sometime prior to the fourth series.
 * The first series to feature Thomas' upset face since the fourth series episode, Paint Pots and Queens.
 * The first series where Thomas does not speak in the finale.
 * The first series to feature Emily's unused annoyed face from the seventh series.
 * The first series since the fifth series where food items are transported in open wagons. According to Sam Barlow, this was done to visually reinforce the contents of rolling stock in order for young children to believe it.
 * The first series narrated by Kim Seung-jun in South Korea.
 * The first series described for visually impaired audiences on PBS.
 * The first series shot in 50fps (converted to 60fps for NTSC regions) or 25fps interlaced.
 * This was the last series of several things:
 * Abi Grant's second and last series as script editor.
 * The last series broadcast on CITV in the UK, who would lose the license to Channel 5 in 2006.
 * The last series narrated by Leo Morimoto in Japan, as well as the last series to feature the original Japanese voice cast from Aoni Production. Starting from Calling All Engines!, there Would be a new Japanese voice cast.
 * The last series of the main show to feature stock footage directed by David Mitton before his death in 2008, thus also being the last series of the main show to use footage produced by Gullane Entertainment (as well as when it was originally known as The Britt Allcroft Company), although this later happens in Calling All Engines! and the Jack and the Sodor Construction Company spin-off series.
 * The last series to be completely released on VHS in the US.
 * The last series to see any VHS releases in the UK and Australia, despite incomplete.
 * The last series released music video on DVD in South Korea.
 * The last series where the title cards are not read aloud by the narrator.
 * The last series to feature Tidmouth Sheds in its original form before its rebuild in Calling All Engines!
 * The last series where Thomas' driver and fireman have speaking roles until the twenty-fourth series.
 * This was the only series of several things:
 * Paul Larson's only series as script editor.
 * The only series Dave Ingham and Robin Rigby were a part of the writing team (not counting Rigby's cancelled Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episodes).
 * The only series to use an extended version of the theme for the end credits.
 * The only series in the model era to not have any narrow gauge engines since their introduction in the fourth series. They were also absent in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth series.
 * The only series where Percy was given a new wincing face.
 * The only series where the Fat Controller appears in every episode except in Don't Tell Thomas.
 * The only series released music video on DVD by Adongmoonhak in South Korea.
 * The only time Harvey's wincing face was used, albeit in a deleted scene.
 * After PBS Kids started adding sponsers after Season 9 first aired, re-airings of Season 8 were edited to make room for them with a few seconds of a scene is cut off whenever the narrator stops for a bit in the Today on the Island of Sodor openings and Learning Segments. The music was also rearranged in the Today on the Island of Sodor opening.
 * The Korean DVDs credit Michael Angelis as the narrator, even though they were re-dubbed in their respective language.
 * In the Vietnamese dub, Michael Angelis' dub can be heard in the background as a dubbing track was not used.
 * In the first MiniMini airing of Squeak, Rattle and Roll, Michael Angelis' dub can be heard in the background as a dubbing track was not used, but it was fixed and in later airings and DVD Michael Angelis' dub is not heard.
 * Unlike the UK dub and international dubs, the Japanese dub of this series has a different closing end sequence as it shows footage of the Welcome to the Island of Sodor introductory sequence at the start before using footage from the Engine Roll Call music video with the Engine Roll Call instrumental playing as the end credits theme.
 * This series contained the 200th episode of the television series which was As Good as Gordon.
 * A deleted scene from Squeak, Rattle and Roll suggests that Thomas would have appeared in the episode. Had he actually appeared, this would have been the first series where Thomas appears in every episode instead of the ninth series. Regardless of whether he would have spoken in the episode or not, the thirteenth series would still be the first series where Thomas speaks in every episode.
 * Mike O’Donnell and Junior Campbell had come up with music ideas for this series, but HiT did not renew their contracts.
 * The Milkshake! reruns of this series aired from 16th October-28th October 2006.
 * This series and the previous series were shown in a CITV segment It's On at Quarter Past Three. This segment changed from the classic clock to a wooden one during this series. Additionally the first few minutes of CiTV were broken during its run of Edward the Great until the actual airing. The episodes were divided into sections of thirteen episodes per year, the first thirteen in January 2005 and the next thirteen in July 2006 ending the terrestrial broadcast apart from older series airing on the CITV Channel between 2006 and 2007.
 * CGI animation is used to create the scene of the map of the Island of Sodor in the introductory sequence.

Staffel 8 Temporada 8 העונה השמינית 第8シーズン Seria 8 Сезон 8 第8季