A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter

"It made me feel like a Really Useless Engine!"

- Percy complaining about how Harold took the mail while being held up

A Bad Day for Harold the Helicopter, simply retitled A Bad Day for Harold on some American and British releases, is the fourth episode of the sixth season.

Plot
Percy is getting annoyed that Harold keeps on delivering the mail, even though it is his job, but Harold just says that is what friends are for. One morning, Percy is happily delivering the mail, but gets stuck at a broken signal. He could not go past it as it was stuck at danger, so Harold had to be called to take the mail for him. At first they load a few bags in his net, but Harold demands that all the mail should be loaded in so he is not slow, like Percy. So they load all the mail into the net, and Harold begins to set off.

Just as Harold sets off with the mail, the signal is fixed. Everyone tries to call Harold back, but he does not hear them. But his net is far too heavy for him. While he is up in the air, his engine starts to rattle and the heavy mail causes him to lose control. The mail net gets stuck in a tree and Harold falls down into a haystack. Percy was shocked and puffs over to Harold and asks if he is alright. Harold tells Percy to get someone to pull him out of the haystack, which he does at once.

Back at Tidmouth Sheds, some of the engines tease Harold. The helicopter thanks Percy for helping him out of the haystack and Percy said that is what friends are for.

Characters

 * Percy
 * Harold
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Harold's Pilots
 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Douglas
 * Bill and Ben
 * Mavis
 * Henrietta

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Centre Island Quarry
 * Sir Topham Hatt's Office
 * Misty Valley
 * The Seaside Village

Trivia

 * In a picture of Harold flying through Misty Valley, Toby and Henrietta are not present.
 * This is one of the six episodes of the sixth season re-narrated by Michael Brandon in the US on PBS and Michael Angelis in the UK on Nick Jr. with music composed by Robert Hartshorne and Ed Welch.
 * When the episode was released on the Thomas and the Jet Engine Australian DVD/VHS, aired on CITV and in the half hour airing, Loyalty on PBS Kids and Nick Jr., the widescreen version is used as the top and bottom of the scene is cropped and the left and right sides of the scenes are also cropped.

Goofs

 * When Percy stops at the broken signal, the steam disappears and then reappears due to a film cut.
 * In some close-ups of Percy at the broken signal, the track beside him stops at the background.
 * When Harold crashes into the haystack, he is smiling and his rotor blades have disappeared.
 * Studio equipment and a crew member are visible in the reflection of James' carriage windows when he passes by the camera.
 * In the shot of Percy beside the haystack, Harold looks as if he landed on the haystack.
 * In a close-up of Thomas, a camera's shadow can be seen on James.
 * In the shot of Percy passing the church, he has three mail coaches. In all the shots after that, he has two.
 * Throughout the episode, Harold's unhappy expression is visible behind his mouth whenever he is smiling.
 * When Percy arrives at the broken signal, his first mail truck shakes.

Merchandise

 * Books - A Bad Day for Harold and Excitement to Harold (Germany only)
 * Magazine Stories - Harold's Bad Day, Harold's Bad Day and Percy the Post!

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * The Fogman and Other Stories
 * Bumper Party Collection!
 * The Complete Series 6

DVD Packs

 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends/The Fogman Double Pack
 * Bumper Party Collection and Truck Loads of Fun Double Pack
 * Double DVD Giftset
 * Classic Collection

US

 * Salty's Secret and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Engine Friends
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 6

DVD Boxsets

 * Totally Thomas Volume 2

AUS

 * Thomas and the Jet Engine
 * The Complete Series 6
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 1
 * My First Thomas with Bertie and Harold

DVD Boxsets

 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Series Five and Series Six Double Pack

NOR

 * Scaredy Engines (Norwegian DVD)

PHL

 * A Friend in Need (Philippine DVD)

MYS

 * Busy Going Backwards and Other Adventures
 * Harvey to the Rescue and Other Thomas Adventures

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 6 Vol.2
 * Bertie and Harold Fellow Friends (Japanese DVD)
 * Thomas and his Lovely Friends

KOR

 * I Keep My Promise

ITA

 * Percy and the Haunted Mine (Italian DVD)

SWE/DK

 * The World's Strongest Engine (Swedish DVD)

THA
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 13 (Thai DVD)
 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 20 (Thai DVD)