Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure

"What's a Santa Claus?" "Santa Claus is someone who drops presents down chimneys during Christmas time." "I wonder if..." "No! Chimneys, Percy! Not funnels!"

- Percy and Thomas talking about Santa Claus in the UK version

Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure (retitled Thomas and Percy's Mountain Adventure in some North American and New Zealand releases) is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the third series.

Plot
Christmas (UK) Version= Thomas is heading towards the small town of Ulfstead to greet the visitors. One December morning, Thomas announces that Christmas is near and promises to bring them plenty of parcels. However, an early snowstorm arrives a week later and Thomas is given an extra post truck. Percy is unhappy that he cannot help, but his chance comes when Thomas is forced to give Percy his job in favour of another. Thomas is not pleased with the change, but Percy is delighted and sets off.

As he makes his way to the village, a fogman flags him down. He explains that the village is snowed under. Thomas and Percy work together to save the villagers, and Harold and Terence join in; Terence clears the snow, and Harold drops food supplies for them. They call the team "the best Santa Claus the village has had," which confuses Percy. Thomas explains that Santa is the man who brings gifts during the Holidays. Percy looks at his funnel, wondering if Santa could go down funnels and, after Thomas clarifies that Santa goes down chimneys, he remembers that he has left the post train in a siding.

That night at the village, Henrietta is loaded up with paint pots and parcels and Toby sneaks her along with the villagers on board into the yard. When the engines wake up next morning, they are surprised to find the sheds decorated and repainted with parcels that lay everywhere. They all agree that it is the best Christmas they have ever had. Thanksgiving (US) Version= Thomas is heading towards the small town of Ulfstead to greet the visitors. One November morning, Thomas announces that Thanksgiving is near and promises to bring them plenty of parcels. That night, however, an early snowstorm arrives and Thomas is given an extra mail car. Percy is unhappy that he cannot help, but his chance comes when Thomas is forced to give Percy his job in favor of another. Thomas is not pleased with the change, but Percy is delighted and sets off.



As Percy makes his way to the village, a fogman flags him down. He explains that the village is snowed under. Thomas and Percy work together to save the villagers, and Harold and Terence join in; Terence clears the snow, and Harold delivers their Thanksgiving dinner. Thomas then remembers that Percy has left the mail train in a siding.

That night, Toby and Henrietta load up paint pots and parcels and sneak into the yard. When the engines wake up the next morning, they are surprised to find the sheds decorated and repainted. They all agree that it is the best Thanksgiving they have ever had.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Terence
 * Harold
 * Henrietta
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Duck
 * Donald
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Bertie
 * Charlie Sand
 * Sidney Hever
 * Ted
 * Mrs. Kyndley
 * Farmer Finney
 * Farmer Trotter
 * The Railway Society
 * Harold's Pilots
 * Big Mickey
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Douglas
 * Father Christmas

Locations

 * The Waterfall
 * Ulfstead
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Tidmouth Goods Station
 * The Windmill
 * Lower Suddery
 * Bridge Signal Box
 * Brendam Docks
 * Brendam Goods Station
 * Dryaw
 * Dryaw Airfield
 * Knapford

Trivia

 * Stock footage from All at Sea is used.
 * This episode was heavily edited specifically for its airing on Shining Time Station to remove all references to Christmas and replace them with references to Thanksgiving, since the Shining Time Station Season 3 episode that it aired on ("Billy's Party") was a Thanksgiving-themed episode and there were no Shining Time Station Season 3 Christmas episodes planned. The conversation in which Percy asks Thomas who Santa Claus is was also removed from the US dub entirely. As a result, the re-synced US dub is the shortest episode to date, running at four minutes and twelve seconds, not counting the cut opening of Bertie's Chase in the Shining Time Station episode, Washout. The US release is also the first series finale of Thomas & Friends to not mention Christmas, despite retaining plenty of Christmas content.
 * A deleted scene that shows Thomas passing the windmill in this episode was later used in the sixth series intro.
 * In one scene of Thomas and Percy, the latter is seen wearing a different version of his smiling face, which would make frequent appearances in the fourth series.
 * In the restored version, the scene when Percy leaves his post train in the sidings and goes backwards to get help is shortened and the next scene when Percy arrives at Harold's airfield is extended.
 * This episode marks the last of several things:
 * The last episode which Tommy Boyd introduced before his departure on 2nd December 1992.
 * The last appearance of Lower Suddery until the sixth series episode, Jack Frost.
 * The last episode video edited by Lee Myung-pil for JEI TV in South Korea.
 * The last episode narrated by Pedro D'Aguillón Jr. in Latin America (for Shining Time Station), Radovan Vaculík in the Czech Republic, János Bata (for Minimax) and József Kerekes (for JimJam).
 * The last episode in the UK to include any kind of Christmas carols until the eighteenth series episode, Duncan the Humbug.
 * The last episode to air on CITV in 1992, a repeat of the previous episode was used as the final episode until the sixth series episode, No Sleep for Cranky on 6th January 2003.
 * The last broadcast of this episode in Australia happened on Christmas Eve 2003 on ABC.
 * This is one of the only episodes which has different plots for different versions.
 * This episode marks the only appearance of Brendam Goods Station.
 * This is one of the two episodes from the third series that were originally written by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton, the other being All at Sea.
 * Big Mickey, a fishing boat, the crawler tractor and the Fuel Depot Manager's office building from TUGS appear in the episode.
 * On the end credits of the Shining Time Station episode, Billy's Party, the back cover of Thomas' Christmas Wonderland and Other Thomas Adventures, the Holiday Express DVD, Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3 and the Roku Channel, the UK title is used, the Shining Time Station end credits include the caption (Revised) as it was possible Mountain replacing Christmas had yet to happen.
 * The same beginning theme was used in the episode, Bulgy.
 * This episode was never released on DVD in South Korea.

Goofs

 * Harold simply drops the parcels without any parachutes, and thus some of them hit the people after bouncing on the ground.
 * Because the conversation where Percy asks Thomas who Santa Claus is was removed from the US dub, the narration becomes entirely out of sync with the footage, music and sound effects. In versions where the footage is properly cut to sync up with the narration, it is instead the music and sound effects that are out of sync after that point.
 * A deleted scene included in the song Toby shows that the tracks in the sheds end in front of the engines.
 * The exterior shots of Tidmouth Sheds show it with the usual six berths, but in the interior shots, eleven tracks are shown.
 * Through most of the episode, one of Percy's lamp irons is missing.
 * In the close-up of the fogman, the studio is reflected in his lamp.
 * In the Japanese dub, Douglas is mentioned when it is Donald who is shown.
 * In the Korean Thomas and Friends Volume 2 VHS, the English title had a wrong spelling as "Adwenture."
 * When James is struggling to pull the tankers out of the snow, he does not appear to be wearing a face.
 * At the end of the episode, Donald/Douglas' whistle sound can be heard, but neither twins are anywhere to be seen.

Quotes

 * Percy's Driver: What's that?
 * [a fogman is seen down the line, holding a red light]
 * Fogman: The village is cutoff by (the) snow. We need snowploughs/snowplows, workmen and a helicopter. Leave your trucks/cars in the sidings and go back quickly.
 * [later, at the airfield]
 * Percy: Peep, peep! Wake up, lazy-wings, the mountain villagers need your help. They're stranded.
 * Harold: Whizzo! I like an emergency to keep me warm. [leaves to the rescue the villagers]
 * Percy: Now, what's next? [sees Thomas with Terence and a works train.]
 * Thomas: Come on, Percy. Follow me.
 * Narrator: The two engines battled their way through the snow.




 * Terence: [about the snow] Lovely stuff.




 * Toby: We've brought lots of hot drinks and food for the villagers.




 * Narrator: When the engines woke next morning, they could not believe their eyes. The sheds have been repainted and decorated. (Parcels lay everywhere.) The engines whistled in delight and everyone agreed that it was really a Happy Christmas/Thanksgiving.

British (Christmas)

 * Thomas: It's nearly Christmas and I'll bring you lots of letters and parcels.




 * Thomas: Driver said there's lot of post for the village. I'll need an extra truck for it all.
 * Percy: It's not fair, you're not leaving any post for me.
 * Thomas' Driver: There's been a change of plans. The Fat Controller needs us at the big station. Percy, you are to take Thomas' train to the village.
 * Thomas: I won't be able to say Happy Christmas to all my friends.
 * Percy: Don't worry. I'll do it for you.
 * Thomas: It's not the same. [leaves]




 * [after the village is saved]
 * Villagers: Well done, Percy! Well done, Thomas! You're the best Santa Claus this village has ever had!
 * Percy: What's a Santa Claus?
 * Thomas: Santa Claus is someone who drops presents down chimneys at Christmas time.
 * Percy: [looks up at his funnel] I wonder if...
 * Thomas: [laughs] No! Chimneys, Percy, not funnels! Which reminds me, your post train is still back at the siding, isn't it?

American (Thanksgiving)

 * Thomas: It's nearly Thanksgiving, and I'll bring you lots of letters and parcels.




 * Thomas: Driver says there's lots of mail for the village. I'll need an extra car for it all.
 * Percy: It's not fair, you're not leaving any mail for me.
 * Thomas' Driver: There's been a change of plans. Sir Topham Hatt needs us at the big station. Percy, you are to take Thomas' train to the village.
 * Thomas: I won't be able to say Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends.
 * Percy: Don't worry. I'll do it for you.
 * Thomas: It's not the same. [leaves]




 * [after the village is saved]
 * Villagers: Well done, Percy. Well done, Thomas.
 * Thomas: Percy, I just remembered. Your mail train is still back at the siding, isn't it?

Merchandise

 * My Thomas Story Library - The Snowy Surprise
 * Engine Adventures - The Snowy Surprise

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Escape and other stories
 * Thomas' Christmas Party and 17 other stories
 * The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
 * The Complete Series 3
 * Peep Peep Party
 * Seasonal Scrapes
 * Christmas Collection
 * Children's Christmas Favourites

DVD Packs

 * Classic Collection
 * Peep Peep Party/Engines to The Rescue/The Chocolate Crunch Triple Pack
 * Peep Peep Party and Brave Little Engines Double Pack

WAL

 * Help and 15 other stories
 * The Big Christmas Video 2

US

 * Shining Time Station Vol. 6: Billy's Party (Thanksgiving)
 * Percy's Ghostly Trick and Other Thomas Stories (Thanksgiving)
 * Thomas and His Friends Help Out (Thanksgiving)
 * Thomas' Useful Stories (Thanksgiving)
 * Thomas' Christmas Wonderland and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Ultimate Christmas
 * Holiday Express
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

CAN

 * Percy's Ghostly Trick and Other Thomas Stories (Thanksgiving)
 * Thomas and His Friends Help Out (Thanksgiving)
 * Thomas' Christmas Wonderland and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Ultimate Christmas
 * Holiday Express

DVD/VHS Packs

 * Thomas' Halloween Adventures/Percy's Ghostly Trick Double Feature
 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories/Percy's Ghostly Trick Double Feature
 * Totally Thomas Volume 3
 * Adventure On the Tracks
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection
 * Thomas' Useful Stories
 * Thomas' Trackside Tunes and Other Thomas Adventures/Thomas and His Friends Help Out Double Feature
 * Holiday Favorites
 * Thomas' Holiday Collection

AUS

 * Escape and other stories
 * The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
 * The Complete Series 3

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ

 * Escape and other stories
 * The Biggest Ever Christmas Collection
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 5

ZA

 * Buzz, Buzz

GRC

 * The Twin Engines Were Confused!

DVD Boxsets

 * 3 DVD Boxset 2

NOR

 * Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party
 * Thomas Celebrates Christmas

FIN

 * Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party
 * Rock 'n' Roll Locomotive

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.17
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.6
 * Thomas's Christmas
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

GER

 * Heroes and 4 Other Adventures
 * The 9 Best Christmas Stories
 * Lots of Little Helpers

DVD Boxsets

 * Thomas and His Friends Box Set 2

DK

 * The Great Escape and Other Stories

IN

 * Oliver Owns Up and Other Stories

BRA

 * Christmas in the Beautiful Land of Thomas
 * Helping the Friends

MYS

 * Percy, James and the Fruitful Day and Other Thomas Adventures
 * One Good Turn and Other Adventures

ITA

 * Locomotive in Trouble

NL

 * Merry Christmas!
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 7

TWN

 * Holiday Express

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

KOR

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 2

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 12

HK
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 8
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 5

La Aventura Navideña de Thomas y Percy הרפתקת חג המולד של תומס ופרסי ぼうけんいっぱいのクリスマス Tomek, Piotruś i Świąteczna Przygoda Томас и Рождественское приключение Перси