List of Thomas the Tank Engine References in Live-Action Television

The following is an alphabetical list of Thomas the Tank Engine-related sightings and references in live-action television series.

30 Rock
In the episode "College", Jack Donaghy (played by Alec Baldwin) notes how his scholarship at Princeton necessitated him recording every word in the dictionary for their Linguistics Department. He laments that his voice has been dragged in various projects, including "Thomas the Tank Engine". This is a reference to how Alec Baldwin did the American narrations for the fifth and sixth series.

Aliens in The Family
In the episode "Cookie Makes Some Dough", Heather ends up shrinking from Snizzy's zit remover. She complains that at ten inches tall, she will never find a boyfriend. Snizzy quips that she could get together with Mr. Conductor from Shining Time Station.

All About Fast Moving Trains
An ERTL Thomas is seen on a flat car at the Choo Choo Barn layout, as well as a Hornby model of Percy along with the Troublesome Trucks made a cameo.

All Over the Place
In Series 9 of All Over the Place Thomas is referenced in a episode featuring the Talyllyn Railway with Terry The Tank Engine (who is actually Sir Haydn). Wilbert Awdry is also mentioned.

America's Funniest Home Videos
In an episode of the show's twenty-second season, a boy can be seen holding a Wooden Railway Early Engineers Percy toy in one video. In another episode, Wooden Railway versions of Thomas and Peter Sam appeared. In an episode of the show’s thirtieth season, a Thomas Ride-On toy was seen at one point.

The Avengers
In the episode "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Station”, a Meccano Percy set is seen carrying a calling card for Mrs. Peel. This is considered to be the earliest reference to the franchise outside of The Railway Series themselves, even predating the release of the original Thomas & Friends TV series.

Baby Einstein
In the episode "Baby Newton", a TOMY Wind-up Bulgy makes several appearances within montages.

Big Babies
In the episode "DinoDinoDinotown", a miniature locomotive resembling Thomas (albeit with Percy's livery and a dinosaur head) can be seen at the episode's titular dinosaur theme park.

The Big Bang Theory
In the episode "The Friendship Algorithm", Wooden Railway toys of Thomas, Stepney and a dinosaur fossil car are seen on the wooden train table at the bookstore that Sheldon Cooper visits. Later, in the episode, "The Terminator Decoupling", a box of Calling All Engines!-themed fruit snacks can be seen in the background at Penny's apartment.

In the episode "The Irish Pub Formulation", when Sheldon nearly breaks his friendship with Raj, Raj says "I got you a talking Thomas the Tank Engine for Thanksgiving." Sheldon then responds to him by saying "With real puffing smoke?". Raj then responds to him with "Yes.", which leads to Sheldon responding with "Alright."

Big Trains, Little Trains
An ERTL Thomas model is seen on the layout of the All Gauge Toy Train Association of San Diego. Later, during the end credits, Wooden Railway toys of Henry, Mavis, Annie and a Troublesome Truck are seen.

Bill Nye the Science Guy
In "Structures", an ERTL Sticker Face Thomas can be seen crossing a bridge made of drinking straws during the "Nifty Home Experiment" segment.

Bo' Selecta!
A sketch entitled "John Lennon's Dead Day Off" from the episode "Avid Stalks... Michael" features the eponymous Beatle coming back to life and reuniting with different people from his past. At one point, he encounters Ringo Starr, who is depicted as a Thomas-esque tank engine outside of a shed. When questioned by Lennon about why he isn't colored blue, he remarks that copyright reasons dictate that he has to be burgundy.

Bobby Davro's TV Weekly
In a 1990 episode, there is a Thomas the Tank Engine sketch called "Thomas the Tanked Up Engine" featuring a drunken Thomas. The sketch starts of on "one lovely morning" with a drunken Thomas "crawling" into the engine shed, with Gordon and Percy. While they were happy to see Thomas, Thomas tells them keep it down, as he has a "hangover".

Eventually, Thomas asks "Mr. Water Tank" to fill him up. Mr. Water Tank gives Thomas his share, and then says "unless you don't mind taking Gordon's", who is said to be on "bitter lemon."

Thomas then heads to "The Sidings", which is a name for a pub. When Thomas pulls up, he sees "Jeremy the Pink Engine" (a pink repaint of James, and this was before Tickled Pink).

It has him culminating, vomiting on a police officer and being sent to the Betty Ford scrapyard.

This sketch uses original Hornby models of Thomas, Gordon, Percy, James (renamed "Jeremy"), Annie and Clarabel as well as an unknown brand figure of The Fat Controller and custom faces of Thomas.

The Chase
Questions about the show have been asked several times on episodes of the British Game-Show series. Amongst them are "In 'Thomas the Tank Engine' what is the Fat Controller's real name?" and "What was the most famous creation of the clergyman Wilbert Awdry?" wrong answers for each of these questions respectively, were "B. Sir Harry Topp; C. Sir Bottom Bratt" and "B. Jimbo and the Jet-Set; C. Ivor the Engine".

The Chaser's Election Desk
Four Wooden Railway toys of Skiff appear in a skit about Australian politician, Peter Dutton, about how he talks about "stopping the boats".

In another sketch, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is said to be the oldest president of the Thomas the Tank Engine fan club.

Cedarmont Kids: Toddler Action Songs
During the song I've Been Working on the Railroad a Lionel G scale model of Thomas, Annie and Clarabel were seen at the Nashville Garden Railway Socity.

Children's ITV
Gary Wilmot was seen playing with an Ertl Pullback Motor Thomas while presenting on 18th November 1985, in which he introduced the return of the first series in single repeats.

Children's Ward
In the background of several scenes from the show’s first series, window stickers featuring Thomas and Henry were seen.

Christmas Train Spectacular
Lionel O scale models of Thomas, and Annie and Clarabel appear on Tom Germann's layout.

Later Thomas, Percy, Annie and Clarabel, Troublesome Trucks S.C. Ruffey, a Milk Tanker and the flatcar with Harold, appear on John Smith's layout.

Chucklevision
In the episode Traction Attraction, ERTL toys of Oliver, Edward, Donald and Douglas, Bill and Ben, Henry, Toad and City of Truro are seen.

Come Outside
In the episode, "A Carton Drink", blackcurrant juice boxes featuring James and Sir Topham Hatt appear in the picnic basket that Auntie Mabel (Lynda Baron) opens and at the juice box factory she visits.

Coronation Street
In the episode "Mine Your Own", Tony drops in to see Maria with a gift for baby Liam. The gift that Toby gives is a Thomas the Tank Engine book set, which is briefly seen. Barry then says "Our Liam (baby Liam's father) used to love Thomas the Tank Engine, didn't he Helen?", with "Helen responding with "He did indeed."

Criminal Minds
A My First Thomas Bill from a Claim Jumper Arcade Machine appeared on the American CBS show Criminal Minds, in the 2007 episode "Seven Seconds".

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
A Wooden Railway Salty and Quarry Mine Tunnel is seen in one of the live-action segments. At another point, a Thomas toothpaste was seen in another one, and another point, a Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Train Table was seen.

Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish
In a segment of the Series 5 finale, P.A. Problems, Edward, Gordon and Henry, The Fastest Red Engine on Sodor, The Sad Story of Henry and The Great Race were featured. During it, Gorman mocked the Fat Controller for his obsession with technology when he bought the new P.A. system in P.A. Problems and the ending of The Sad Story of Henry, which the scene of the workmen building the wall was edited with a clip of former American president Donald Trump saying "Build that wall!" (x7). Ringo Starr was also mentioned. Gorman then showed a clip of the song You Can Only Be You from The Great Race which he claimed is "beautiful."

Gorman then performed a 'Found Poem' featuring comments in newspaper articles criticising the show for not being diverse. In it, he mentions that "Thomas the Tank IS British" and then contradicts his point and claimed that the engines are "NOT BRITISH ROLLING STOCK", how they "BELONG TO THE SODOR & MAINLAND RAILWAY" and how it "LATER BECAME THE NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY." He later mentioned in the poem how "MOST OF THE FOREIGN LOCOMOTIVES COULDN'T RUN ON THE ISLAND OF SODOR ANYWAY BECAUSE OF THE GAUGE", as well as mentioning the "COUPLING".

Doctor Who
In the episode "Closing Time", in the background during the scenes in the toy section of the department shop, several Thomas & Friends toys were seen on the shelves.

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared
In the episode "Transport", the characters meet a sentient steam engine (an obvious reference to Thomas the Tank Engine) who teaches them about transport.

The Doodlebops
In the episode "All Aboard the Doodle Train", a modified Wooden Railway Battery-Powered James, Annie and Clarabel are seen on a wooden train set.

In some episodes, the original jukebox prop used on Shining Time Station Jukebox could be seen, albeit slightly modified with a different dial to make it fit the setting.

The Dumping Ground
A Wooden Railway/Take Along carrying case appeared in a scene of the Series 5 episode "The Phantom of Ashdene Ridge".

Everybody Loves Raymond
An Ertl toy of Henry once appeared in an episode.

Fast Forward
In Season 3 of the Australian sketch series Fast Forward there are a series of sketches based on Thomas the Tank Engine such as Thomas dealing with people who think he is sexist because there are no female engines, helping the Fat Controller dump toxic waste, dealing with juvenile delinquents and blowing up a chemical plant, going on strike, and the railway being privatized causing Thomas to end up as a statue in a playground.

This sketch series uses the pullback ERTL toys of Thomas and Percy, as well as the Fat Controller (first short featuring him as a LEGO Duplo Figure), including repaints of both engines in either yellow or red and custom made faces and in the final short a repaint of the porter figure.

Other Thomas names like Bertie, Toby, Clarabel, Gordon and Henry are heard, but they do not appear and/or are portrayed by Percy. Other original engines include the unnamed female engine, Alfred (mentioned), Damien the Diesel (not seen), Edgar (mentioned) and Crazy Bartholomew the Loco Locomotive.

The Footy Show
One sketch featured on the show was entitled "Grant Thomas the Tank Engine", parodying how former Australian football coach Grant Thomas was fired by the SEN radio station following his constant criticism of umpires in the league. The sketch utilizes Hornby models of one of the Ironworks twins [as Dermit the Diesel], and Thomas [as Grant Thomas], a Trackmaster Harold [as Hoddle], and modified Annie and Clarabel, and a wooden railway Fat Controller [as the Big Boned Controller] to depict how, following his thoughts on umpires, the eponymous Grant Thomas the Tank Engine is apparently not sacked from the railway by "the Big Boned Controller" for having an opinion but instead for financial reasons and sent to the scrapyard. With tape on his mouth, Grant Thomas muffles his titular line "Cinders and ashes!"

Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights
In the 2010 British comedy sketch show, a trippy Thomas parody was made while none of the regular characters are featured specially made characters are made. This sketch features an engine named Ernie who meets a new engine called Pablo as he tries to do a revolution against the Fat Controller parody, Mr. Manager.

This sketch uses various custom mostly repainted models of Bachmann Thomas and James as well as Hornby Percy on certain characters and for certain closeups which have animated faces the Large Scale Bachmann Thomas and Percy were customed too and instead of gray faces the engines all have faces atone to normal skin tones as well as hair.

Fred: The Show
Regularly throughout the show, a Percy Pullback Racer toy could be seen within the bedroom of the main character, Fred Figglehorn.

French and Saunders
A Comic Relief sketch called "Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan" features a Hornby Thomas as a substitute for the Hogwarts Express.

Full House
Ertl toys of Thomas and James appeared in "Be True to Your Preschool", the fifteenth episode of its sixth season.

Ghost Adventures
In the episode "The Titanic Museum", some Thomas & Friends merchandise was seen at one point in a gift shop.

Girls5eva
One of the characters mentions multiple characters from Thomas & Friends in the episode "Cease and Desist"

Great Railway Journeys of the World
In the first season's 4th episode "Confessions of a Trainspotter", Michael Palin, in what's also his first travel documentary, mentions "The England of Thomas the Tank Engine and The Railway Children." Flying Scotsman, a replica of the Rocket and the National Railway Museum also appear, while a copy of Duke the Lost Engine is seen.

How I Met Your Mother
In the episode "The Drunk Train", Ted and Barney keep riding the late night train to Long Island in the hopes of hooking up with someone. During one of their first rides, Barney makes a bunch of lewd puns around pieces of fiction involving trains and Ted adds to it by saying Thomas the Spank Engine, which Barney disapproves of claiming "Ted, that is a children's book" (only for Barney to say the very same pun later on in the episode).

I Love Toy Trains Part 7
During the LEGO layout section of the video, a custom LEGO system built Thomas was shown as a mining engine, albeit with no face, he also has several trucks that look similar to the kinds on the show.

I Love Toy Trains: Ticket to Ride
Bachmann G scale models of Thomas, James, a fuel tanker, an oil tanker and a milk tanker, along with Lionel G scale models of Annie and Clarabel, and Sir Topham Hatt are seen being operated at the Taltree Arboretum in Valparaiso, Indiana. Additionally, a Bachmann G scale model of Percy can be seen in the arboretum's maintenance room.

James May's Toy Stories
In “The Great Train Race”, the longest model railway line is set up for a race between British and German model railway enthusiasts. A specially designed hydrogen fuel cell engine competes as an alternative-energy engine, and to disguise the batteries, a cover is used which makes it resemble Thomas (albeit with Edward's face). Additionally, Oz Clarke is referred to as the "Fat Controller".

James May's Top Toys
A Hornby Percy cameos in one episode.

Jeopardy
In the June 14th 2021 episode, Thomas was briefly mentioned at one point.

Jon & Kate Plus 8
In a Jon & Kate Plus 8 episode "All Aboard" The Gosselins family head to the Strasburg Rail Road for a Day Out with Thomas. During the event they rode Thomas, Strasburg #3 "Cagney", and Lancaster, Oxford & Southern Railcar No. 10.

Also Strasburg Railroad No. 1, a Pump Trolley, and a Take Along model of Thomas appeared as well.

In another episode "Alexis and Collin" Jon and Collin went to visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania which was seen in A Wonderful American Journey with Thomas and Connie. Also two engines from the video made cameo appearances as well such as: The John Bull, and Pennsylvania GG1 No. 4935.

Lab Rats vs. Mighty Med
During the crossover episode of the two Disney shows, Bree from Lab Rats near the end tells Oliver from Mighty Med "you remind me of someone but, I just can't think of who." Oliver then responds to her with him mistakenly saying "Oh is it Thomas the Tank Engine? I get that a lot... I mean personality-wise, I'm not a train." Bree answers him by saying "No it's not a make believe train..."

Last of the Summer Wine
An Annie or Clarabel model, along with an early cattle wagon, appear briefly in an episode.

The Late Late Toy Show

 * 2000: Host Pat Kenny shows the interactive My First Thomas toys of Edward and James. Kenny puts a microphone up, and presses Edward's dome, and Edward says "I have number two on my tender." Kenny then presses James' dome, and James says "Five is the best number to be." Kenny then says "You know, it's amazing that Ringo Starr made more money out of Thomas the Tank Engine then he did out of the Beatles." This is incorrect, as Starr left narrating Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends in 1990 during Shining Time Station, and Michael Angelis took over for him for the British narrations. Angelis did the voices for the interactive My First Thomas toys of Edward and James, not Starr.
 * 27 November 2020: Host Ryan Tubridy introduces a child named Aidan Pinto, an eight-year-old from Midleton, in County Cork, Ireland. Aidan is a massive fan of Thomas.
 * Aidan brings his collection of Thomas & Friends toys with him, and when Tubridy asks Aidan who is his favourite train, Aidan points at Edward, and he says that he is his favourite, with Tubridy responding with "Edward the Tank Engine." (although Edward is a tender engine)
 * Tubridy then asks him "Who was the voice of Thomas?", which leads Aidan to say "Who was the narrator? Ringo Starr." (However, Aidan first claims that Ringo Starr narrated the first season of Thomas, while George Carlin narrated the second season, when in reality, Starr narrated both two seasons, while Carlin re-narrated them in the US only.)
 * Tubridy then asks Aidan what type of engine is Thomas, with Aidan answering with "An E2 class tank engine."
 * Tubridy then asks him "Who's the number three engine?", with Aidan answering with "Henry!".
 * The two of them then play Mastermind, with a short rendition of the original Thomas Theme when they walk over to the chairs.
 * The questions are in order:
 * "I'm a little blue tank engine and I wear the number one." Answer: "Thomas"
 * "When was Thomas the Tank Engine built?" Answer: "1913" (This is incorrect, as while the E2 class locomotives were built between 1913 and 1916, The Railway Series establishes that Thomas was built in 1915, as he is based of the design of the E2 class locomotives built between 1915 and 1916.)
 * "What colour is Rusty?" Answer: "Orange" (which is true for him in Thomas & Friends, but untrue for The Railway Series, where he was black.)
 * "What is Percy's main job?" Answer: "To pull the mail"
 * "How does Mr. Conductor travel Aidan?" Answer: "Gold dust"
 * "We are twin engines from Scotland and we work..." Answer: "Donald and Douglas"
 * "Who created Thomas the Tank Engine?" Answer: "Wilbert Awdry"
 * "What is the fastest train in Thomas?" Answer: Mallard (who is a real life steam locomotive, and appeared in The Railway Series, and is a Class A4, the basis for the Thomas & Friends character, Spencer. However, in terms of Thomas & Friends, "the fastest train" is Etienne.)
 * "What was the greatest band of all time that happened to feature a drummer called Ringo Starr?" Answer: "Beatles" (video)
 * Aidan's prize is a trip to a train works.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien
The 3 March 2006 episode features O'Brien interviewing Alec Baldwin regarding Baldwin's narration of the fifth and sixth seasons of the show, wherein he tackles a controversial subject that Baldwin's voice given for James sounded gay. A brief clip from "Busy Going Backwards" is shown as an example, with Baldwin jokingly referring it as “Brokeback Railroad”.

Late Night with Seth Meyers
In one episode, Seth Meyers talks about how Marjorie Taylor Greene and mentions how she thinks pot had something to do with the train derailment in Ohio. Meyers then says "We all know there's only one train who smokes pot, and it's the one narrated by Ringo Starr. I'm on to you, Thomas."

An image of Thomas from the Thomas & Friends episode Thomas and Gordon is used, along with an image of Ringo Starr as Mr. Conductor.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
In a skit spoofing the 2023 East Palestine derailment titled "Gimme a Brake", Sir Topham Hatt orders Henry to take a train of murder hornets and smallpox through Vicarstown after lobbying to repeal safety regulations, despite Henry protesting that his brakes are faulty. Resultingly, Henry crashes into another train and releases the hornets, which sting and infect Sir Topham Hatt and his assistants.

The skit uses dubbed over footage from the fourteenth series episode Henry's Health and Safety and the 2017 special Journey Beyond Sodor, as well as the original opening shot of Thomas passing the Windmill. It also uses an edited image of a green 7-plank truck from the Learn with Thomas YouTube series.

Laughing Dog
One reoccurring segment on this Japanese sketch show featured contestants playing a game of word association while dressed as characters from different franchises, it was also narrated by Leo Morimoto. One of these segments was named きかんしゃナーマス and was clearly based on Thomas & Friends, with the contestants dressed as Thomas, Gordon, Percy, Toby and Mavis. Should one of the contestants fail three times, they end up being launched face first into some mustard, with “Gordon” ending up as the loser and crashing into a mustard truck.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
In the Season 6 episode "Game", a Stepney magnet can be seen on the refrigerator.

Life Size Toys
Stunt group Nitro Circus produced a special episode for this Quibi series where they perform tricks over a life-sized Thomas from the Day Out with Thomas event at the Southern California Railway Museum.

Lionel Nation 1
A picture of Thomas can be seen in a display case at the California State Railroad Museum, while Beau's basis can been seen on display.

Later Lionel O scale model of Thomas, and Annie and Clarabel appear on a layout at the FAO Scwartz toy store.

Lionel Nation 2
An Ertl Sir Topham Hatt figure is featured in front of a station on John Potter's ayout.

Lots and Lots of Toy Trains Volume 1: Big Trains & Little Trains!
Lionel O scale models of Thomas, James, Diesel, Annie and Clarabel, S.C. Ruffey and the flatcar with Harold, along with G scale models of Thomas, James and Annie and Clarabel are seen during the montages.

Milkshake!
A 2010 guest appearance by Sesame Street's Elmo on the show has him whistling a snatch of the Engine Roll Call, while host Naomi Wilkinson holds a handmade Thomas card.

Mock the Week
In some of the show's "Scenes We'd Like to See" sketches concerning "Unlikely lines in a children's book":
 * The Fat Controller was stated to having gone on a business strategy course and from then on wanted to be called the "Horizontally Gifted Chief Operations Manager".
 * An exchange took place between a passenger and the Fat Controller over Thomas having been delayed because "that's real life".
 * An "extract" was taken from The Railway Children which claimed that the children had chucked stones at the engine (similarly to Whistles and Sneezes) and spray-painted an insult about Thomas.

In some of the show's "Scenes We'd Like to See" sketches about "Unlikely things to hear on a children's TV programme":
 * The latest episode of Thomas & Friends was stated as being cancelled and replaced by Ronald the Replacement Bus Service.
 * Thomas was stated as being happy as he had joined Thameslink and had not been needed to do anything for over a month.
 * Thomas was stated to have "huffed and puffed as he pulled out of Paddington", who he had run over.
 * Thomas said "Hello" to the Fat Controller who Thomas had referred to by his nickname which the Fat Controller got angered at.

In one of the show's "Scenes We'd Like to See" sketches about "Things you wouldn't hear on a history documentary", Thomas was said to plot revenge against Henry and Edward due to his anger after learning the two had become king.

MSNBC
During the May 3rd, 2020 showing of "This Morning", one headline read "PPP Plagued by Confusions and Delays".

During the October 2nd, 2022 broadcast, a headline referring to US Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas was entitled "Thomas & Friends".

New Zealand Railscene
In issue 13, scenes from Thomas in Trouble were seen during a segment where Christopher Awdry was interviewed. As well as this, Christopher Awdry is seen wearing a Thomas t-shirt.

The NRL Footy Show
The promotional photo of Thomas' Hornby model is used in a recurring gag, with Paul Gallen's face edited over Thomas'.

Numberjacks
In the episode "Out for the Count", toys of Thomas, James, Percy and a Big Loader motor can be seen hidden behind other toys.

In the episode "Almost Human", a My First Thomas toy can be seen.

Only Fools and Horses
In "Miami Twice: Part 1", Damien Trotter's bedroom/Rodney Trotter's old room has Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends wallpaper.

The Outer Limits
In the episode "Re-generation", a Thomas toy can be seen on top of Justin's dresser.

Parks and Recreation
Wooden Railway toys of Cranky, the Sodor Engine Wash and the Water Tower, a Brio Rusty and a Take Along Tidmouth Engine Set were seen in the episode, "Donna & Joe".

Pulp Sport
In season 7 of the New Zealand comedy sketch series there was a series of sketches centred on a walking blue tackle bag with an angry face who always gets rammed at the end of the story called "The Adventures of Thomas the Tackle Bag", the tackle bag is named Thomas and the narrator tells the stories in a similar fashion to the real Thomas & Friends narrations. The title also follows the style of the show.

Psych
A modified Bachmann HO Scale model of Thomas, along with Annie and Clarabel, A Tar tanker, a 7-plank truck, and a 4-plank truck, was used in "High Noon-ish", the third episode of the show's fourth season.

The Red Green Show
A Harold mug was seen in several episodes in the background of the Possum Lodge.

Rikon Bengoshi
In "I won't hand over this child" (Japanese:この子は渡さない), a child watches Best Dressed Engine on television, while playing with Wooden Railway toys of Henry, Gordon and Donald and Douglas.

Rock Profile
In the episode "The Beatles", Jamie Theakston is interviewing Ringo Starr (played by David Walliams), who keeps speaking like he is narrating an episode of Thomas the Tank Engine whenever he finishes a sentence. When Jamie tries to stop Ringo from doing this, Ringo suddenly claims he is Thomas' representative on Earth and Thomas tells him to do good and bad things.

Later, when Jamie asks Ringo what he meant when he said he was Thomas' representative on Earth, Barbara Bach (played by Matt Lucas) enters the room and explains that Ringo's behaviour was due to him being no longer able to connect with reality after Michael Angelis took over as narrator.

Saturday Night Live
On the February 8th 2020 episode, a Thomas Wooden Railway Toby's Windmill item could be seen on a shelf during one of the skits.

Seinfeld
In the episode "The Comeback", the Shining Time Station VHS release of "Bully for Mr. Conductor" can be seen at a video store.

Sesame Street
In one of the videos, "For Me, For You, For Later - Learning to Wait", many Wooden Railway toys can be seen in their original packaging. Also, on Sesame Street and Autism: Nasaiah's Day, Nasaiah is riding on a Thomas tricycle.

The Sooty Show
In the episode "Jigsaw", while Sooty is playing with "old" toys, an Ertl Wind-up Fat Controller is seen.

Spitting Image
In the second episode of Series 5, one sketch features a caricature of Ringo Starr as Thomas, an alcoholic engine with a big red nose who, despite Gordon’s condemnation, ends up completely off the rails.

Another sketch predicts the consequences of the privatization of British Rails, including Thomas being put up for sale for a group of different contractors.

The Story Makers
Brio toys of Gordon, Splatter, Dodge and Stepney along with Wooden Railway toys of Diesel 10 and Toad, and a Percy magnet, were seen in "Trains", the sixth episode of the third series.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
The 2nd August 2022 episode featured Jamie Campbell Bower being interviewed for his role as Vecna from the American television series Stranger Things. Jimmy Fallon brings up that he found out that Bower was also the voice of Skiff from Thomas & Friends, with a picture from the twentieth series episode Skiff and the Mermaid being used for reference. Fallon then shows a clip from the episode where Skiff's voice is replaced with Vecna's voice.

Top Gear
In the eight episode of the fifth series, during a race to a ski resort hotel in Verbier, Switzerland, Richard Hammond and Jeremy May find themselves waiting for the Saint Bernard Express while Jeremy Clarkson drives a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. May describes the engine as one "out of the Reverend W. Awdry's stories."

In the second episode of the twentieth series, when introducing guest star Tom Hiddleston, Clarkson notes how Britain has many great Toms, including "-Mas the Tank Engine".

Toy Train Christmas Memories
Thomas' G Scale Lionel model was featured in the DVD operated by Tom Voltaggio.

TV Burp
A Hornby Troublesome Truck once appeared.