Thomas and the Tuba

"Where could the tuba player be?"

- Thomas

Thomas and the Tuba is the first episode of the eighth season.

Plot
Thomas is happy that he is to collect the brass band, much to the annoyance of James and Gordon. When Thomas arrives at Knapford with Annie and Clarabel, he is very excited; so excited that he accidentally leaves the tuba player behind and it is only when he arrives at Maithwaite that the band leader realizes this. Thomas goes off to find the tuba player, unaware that the tuba player is at the bus stop under the railway bridge.

Bertie takes the tuba player as far as he can and then Elizabeth gives him a lift. Thomas is in such a rush looking for the tuba player that when he flies through the crossing, he does not see Elizabeth with the tuba player. Elizabeth takes the tuba player to the windmill where Trevor gives him a ride. Once again, Thomas is rushing about and does not see or hear the tuba player aboard Trevor when he passes them.

Thomas is looking around Knapford Yards between trucks and inside coaches when he crashes into Percy and his trucks of bunting. Harvey arrives and Thomas tells him what happened; Harvey advises him to look and listen. So, taking Harvey's advice, Thomas searches more carefully until he hears the tuba player aboard Trevor and then takes him to Lady Hatt's birthday party.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Harvey
 * Bertie
 * Elizabeth
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Sodor Brass Band
 * Gordon (does not speak)
 * James (does not speak)
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
 * Trevor (does not speak)
 * Lady Hatt (does not speak)
 * George (cameo)
 * Butch (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)
 * Bridget Hatt (cameo)
 * Jem Cole (cameo)

Locations

 * Ffarquhar
 * Maithwaite
 * Knapford
 * Bulgy's Bridge
 * Shunting Yards

Trivia

 * This was the first episode of several things:
 * The first episode of the New Series.
 * The first episode directed by Steve Asquith since the sixth season.
 * The first made by HiT Entertainment.
 * The first produced by Simon Spencer.
 * The first episode not to have Britt Allcroft or David Mitton involved in production.
 * The first episode to be narrated by Sky du Mont in Germany, Arturo Mercado Jr. in Latin America, Daniel Vulcu in Romania, Ian MacAmhlaigh in Scotland and Kalle Øby in Norway. This is also the first episode since the fourth season that Povl Dissing has narrated in Denmark.
 * In the All Aboard with the Steam Team DVD release and the Nick Jr broadcasts, Bertie's eye movements are animated differently to the US version and the other UK versions.
 * Going by production order, this is the twentieth episode of the eighth season.

Goofs

 * The narrator calls Elizabeth's dumper a flatbed.
 * The narrator says that Thomas and the trucks of bunting were derailed, but Thomas is still on the track.
 * In some close-ups of Elizabeth, eye mechanism is visible in her cab.
 * In real life, it would have been illegal for the tuba player to ride in Elizabeth's dumper.
 * A brakevan should have been added to Percy's train.
 * The tuba player's instrument is actually a euphonium.
 * Clarabel could clearly see the Tuba player was left behind, so she could have just told Thomas that they left him at Knapford.
 * Trevor's eyes are wonky when Thomas leaves for Maithwaite.
 * The go slow sign at the level crossing should not have just said "go slow", it also should have shown the exact speed limit.