| Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Series 4 | |||
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DVD cover art |
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| Country of origin | UK | ||
| No. of episodes | 26 | ||
| Broadcast | |||
| Original run | 10 September 1994 – 30 May 1995 |
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| Season chronology | |||
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Thomas and Friends is a children's television series about the engines and other characters working on the railways of the Island of Sodor, and is based on The Railway Series books written by the Rev. W. Awdry.
This article lists and details episodes from the fourth season of this series, which was first broadcast from 10 September 1994 to 30 May 1995. Some episodes in this season have two titles: the original UK titles are shown in bold; the U.S.-adapted titles underneath.
Season 4 is narrated by Michael Angelis, although George Carlin narrates the episodes for U.S. audiences. The first half of the season focuses mainly on flashbacks to the Mid Sodor Railway and, not in flashbacks, the Skarloey Railway.
It was produced by Gullane (Thomas) Limited 1994 & 1995.
Contents |
The fourth series saw the introduction of the smaller narrow gauge engines. For ease of filming, Series 5 would introduce larger-scale versions of the characters, and from Series 6-12, these larger models were used almost exclusively.
Half of the third series consisted of stories written by the show's staff, but only one original story, "Rusty to the Rescue," was written for the fourth series. The episodes which used The Railway Series did take some liberties with the source material, in order to fill the runtime and make the stories more accessible. From series 5 onward, all stories would be staff-written, without using the Awdrys' books as a source.
Stepney, a character based on a real-life engine and used to highlight the preservation movement in the books, was given an entirely different background when he was introduced. This decision carried on into later series, in which he was seen on either a fictionalized Bluebell Railway or as a member of The Fat Controller's railway.
The show had come under fire for having too few female characters, and a conscious decision was made to rewrite Rusty, who was always a male character in the books, as gender-neutral.[1] This led to a minor controversy years later when the American dub of the ninth series referred to Rusty as a female. While HIT Entertainment, Thomas's new owners, initially defended the decision, citing Rusty's gender neutrality since Series 4, later releases of the same episode substituted male pronouns in reference to Rusty.
In the United States, Series 4 was the last to feature the narration of George Carlin. Initially, each episode was broadcast in installments of the children's program Shining Time Station. Two stories were aired in each of the hour-long "Family Specials" in 1995. The rest were broadcast in a six-episode offshoot called Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales. Later they would air in a new half-hour program called Storytime with Thomas, which also included a Series 5 episode narrated by Alec Baldwin and an episode of Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie.
| # | Total | Title (Top) US Title (Bottom) |
Source | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 79 | "Granpuff" | Duke the Lost Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
10 September 1994 |
| Thomas tells the story of Duke, a Narrow Gauge engine who the younger engines admired. But when his line closed, the old engine was put away in a shed. | ||||
| 2 | 80 | "Sleeping Beauty" | Duke the Lost Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
12 September 1994 |
| Thomas continues his story of Duke. The railway decides to search for him, but his shed was long since covered. But they know Duke is around, and continue the grand search. | ||||
| 3 | 81 | "Bulldog" | Duke the Lost Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
14 September 1994 |
| Falcon is sent to take the Mountain Line with Duke. Falcon doesn't pay attention to where he's going, and winds up dangling from a cliff with Duke holding tight. | ||||
| 4 | 82 | "You Can't Win" | Duke the Lost Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
21 September 1994 |
| Duke isn't feeling well, and Stuart teases him for it. Soon, he is too ill to manage on his own, so Falcon and Stuart assist him. But Duke has enough energy for a trick on Stuart. | ||||
| 5 | 83 | "Four Little Engines" | Four Little Engines By Rev. W. Awdry |
25 September 1994 |
| On the Narrow Gauge Railway, the coaches derail Sir Handel, meaning he can't work. Meanwhile, Skarloey is itching for a good run, but might be too old to work. | ||||
| 6 | 84 | "A Bad Day for Sir Handel" | Four Little Engines By Rev. W. Awdry |
30 September 1994 |
| When Skarloey and Rheneas become overworked, Peter Sam and Sir Handel come to help. But Sir Handel is in a grumpy mood today, and only makes it worse for himself. | ||||
| 7 | 85 | "Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady" | Four Little Engines By Rev. W. Awdry |
2 October 1994 |
| Peter Sam is pleased running the line on his own. But Henry's threat to leave if he isn't on time makes him rush, and he accidentally leaves the Refreshment Lady behind. | ||||
| 8 | 86 | "Trucks" "Rusty Helps Peter Sam" |
The Little Old Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
7 October 1994 |
| Sir Handel doesn't feel like working, so Gordon suggests he feign illness. But the trucks don't know it's now Peter Sam there, and they go ahead with a scheme. | ||||
| 9 | 87 | "Home at Last" | The Little Old Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
9 October 1994 |
| Skarloey returns home, and meets Rusty and Peter Sam. He also meets Duncan, a rude and careless engine. Soon, Skarloey has to rescue him from under a fallen tunnel. | ||||
| 10 | 88 | "Rock 'n' Roll" | The Little Old Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
14 October 1994 |
| Duncan is cross about Rusty telling him what to do when he simply advised him. With a tip from James, Duncan is off on his own and heading for trouble. | ||||
| 11 | 89 | "Special Funnel" | Gallant Old Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
9 January 1995 |
| Peter Sam's funnel is still in bad condition. He has been promised a new funnel, but he starts to lose hope in it, especially when an icicle hits his broken funnel. | ||||
| 12 | 90 | "Steamroller" | Gallant Old Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
14 January 1995 |
| Sir Handel wants to prove his wheels make him superior, so he agrees to handle George, a rude steam roller. But George and Sir Handel are too evenly hot-headed. | ||||
| 13 | 91 | "Passengers and Polish" | Gallant Old Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
30 January 1995 |
| Duncan complains about not getting a polish while the passengers and other engines get such luxuries. He gets so cross that he decides, "No polish means no passengers." | ||||
| 14 | 92 | "Gallant Old Engine" | Gallant Old Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
2 February 1995 |
| Skarloey wants to talk some sense into Duncan, so he tells the story of Rheneas. Rheneas once went through a steep hill and crude weather for the sake of the passengers. | ||||
| 15 | 93 | "Rusty to the Rescue" | Original By Britt Allcroft and David Mitton |
7 February 1995 |
| A new engine is needed, and Rusty suggests that he searches the spot Oliver was found - the Scrapyard. Only diesels go there, so Rusty sets out bravely on his mission. | ||||
| 16 | 94 | "Thomas and Stepney" | Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
10 February 1995 |
| Thomas is cross when the visiting engine Stepney is talked about more than he is. It doesn't help his anger when he is shunted on his own branch line for Stepney that night. | ||||
| 17 | 95 | "Train Stops Play" | Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
16 February 1995 |
| As Stepney's driver and fireman watch a game of cricket, a player hits the ball so hard it lands in one of Stepney's cars. Therefore, the players chase Stepney in their old car, Caroline, to get their ball back. His driver and fireman completely misunderstand the players' message. | ||||
| 18 | 96 | "Bowled Out" | Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
20 February 1995 |
| Stepney's visit is coming to an end, but a new visitor has just arrived. This one - the Diesel - is rude and snobbish. But an inspector's hat soon puts him in his place. | ||||
| 19 | 97 | "Henry and the Elephant" | Troublesome Engines By Rev. W. Awdry |
12 March 1995 |
| The Circus has arrived and Henry is upset when James gets to pull the circus train instead of him when it's time to leave. Later Henry is called to investigate a blockage in his tunnel, where he unhappily comes across part of the circus. | ||||
| 20 | 98 | "Toad Stands By" | Oliver the Western Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
19 March 1995 |
| Oliver is sad when the trucks tease him for his accident. Toad has a plan to put the silly trucks in their place. But the trucks' leader, S.C. Ruffey, is the one who really pays. | ||||
| 21 | 99 | "Bulls Eyes" | Branch Line Engines By Rev. W. Awdry |
2 April 1995 |
| Daisy scoffs at Toby and his cowcatchers, thinking they're no use at all. But she comes across a bull on the line that will need more than a command to move away. | ||||
| 22 | 100 | "Thomas and The Special Letter" | The Eight Famous Engines By Rev. W. Awdry |
4 April 1995 |
| After Sir Topham Hatt reads a letter to the engines requesting them to go to the city, he then tells the engines going that they must show other engines their tasks. As Thomas shows Oliver how to manage coaches, he recalls the time he beat Bertie in a race and becomes very conceited, putting his big trip in jeopardy. | ||||
| 23 | 101 | "Paint Pots and Queens" "Thomas Meets the Queen" |
Gordon the Big Engine By Rev. W. Awdry |
6 April 1995 |
| As her Majesty the Queen plans to visit the Island, Thomas and Gordon have made up for their disgrace, and a paint accident with Henry opens up some jobs for them. | ||||
| 24 | 102 | "Fish" | Really Useful Engines By Christopher Awdry |
8 April 1995 |
| Extra vans are added onto the Flying Kipper, and Henry needs a back engine as a result. Duck offers to help, but a badly attached lamp causes problems. | ||||
| 25 | 103 | "Special Attraction" | Toby, Trucks and Trouble By Christopher Awdry |
1 May 1995 |
| Percy and the trucks have trouble with a grumpy old barge, Bulstrode. | ||||
| 26 | 104 | "Mind that Bike" | Really Useful Engines By Christopher Awdry |
30 May 1995 |
| The postman, Tom Tipper, is upset about losing his van and having to ride a bike to deliver the mail. Percy inadvertently flattens Tom's bike as he is in a rush. In the end, Tom gets a smart new van. | ||||
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