| Thomas & Friends, a children's television series produced by HIT Entertainment
is weekly on PBS KIDS. (Please check local listings for dates/times.) These episodes were inspired
by The Railway Series of classic books written by The Rev W Awdry, which have been favorites for children and parents for
over 60 years.
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends stories and books have captivated children since 1945, when the first book was published. With Thomas &
Friends™, children can enter a world of imagination on the Island of Sodor through use of trains and the words of a story. As they embark for fun with their engine
friends, adventures unfold that lead to timeless life lessons. Parents and children enjoy a unique connection on every journey. More than 100 book titles have been
published, with more than 40 million copies sold in the U.S. The characters were first introduced to U.S. broadcast audiences as part of the Emmy® Award-winning PBS KIDS
series, Shining Time Station, which aired during the 1990s.
The Thomas & Friends series on PBS KIDS
are half-hour episodes, each of which contains three separate
adventures. The episodes are introduced by a theme song that transports young viewers to Island of Sodor, where Sir Topham Hatt™ is the head of the railway. Each of
the adventures will feature the off-camera storyteller, veteran stage and screen actor Michael Brandon, who provides compelling narration. The episodes also include
interactive games and sing-along songs that reinforce the stories' key lessons, with the storyteller speaking directly to children and encouraging them to participate.
Each character-driven story focuses on one of the engines embarking on an adventure, encountering an obstacle, and learning what it is to be a Really
Useful Engine. A range of themes is explored, including Responsibility, Sounds, Helping, and The World Around You.
Timeless life lessons, such as the joy of accomplishment, the value of encouragement, and the importance of treating others with kindness, are woven
throughout the episodes. The stories are brought brilliantly to life through the use of high-speed digital photography combined with unsurpassed model-making and
animatronics.
(Please check with your local PBS affiliate for listings of dates/times.) |
