Not Now, Charlie!

"But elephants don't wear shoes!"

- Percy

Not Now, Charlie! is the tenth episode of the seventeenth season.

Plot
Charlie is always telling jokes. He tells Thomas, Henry and Percy a joke about an elephant which they all find hilarious. One day, Charlie is on his way to pick up some trucks when he meets an elephant on the track. Charlie is puzzled; he didn't think there were any elephants on Sodor. Realising the elephant may be in danger, Charlie blows his whistle to try and get the elephant to move off the line. The elephant takes no notice of Charlie who decides to go and get help.

Charlie meets up with Thomas and tries to explain about the elephant. Thomas thinks it is just another one of Charlie's jokes and puffs away to deliver his passengers. Charlie is surprised by Thomas' reaction. Later on, Charlie meets Percy who is pulling a goods train. Charlie gets the same reaction from Percy who also thinks Charlie is joking. At the shunting yards, Charlie tries to explain about the elephant to Henry who says that he doesn't have time for jokes and leaves.

As he makes his way back to the docks, Charlie even starts to doubt himself. As he approaches the Animal Park, everything becomes clear. Charlie can see that a tree has knocked a hole in the wall of the elephant enclosure and that the elephant must belong to the park. At the docks, Charlie tries to make everyone listen to him, but still no one will believe him. Charlie knows that there is only one option left and heads to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre.

At the rescue centre, Charlie reports the elephant to Harold who agrees that it most certainly is an emergency and takes off. Together, Charlie and Harold head to the animal park where they can see that the damaged wall is already being repaired. There is no sign of the elephant so Harold flies up high to get a better look while Charlie and the zoo keeper keep an eye out on the ground. Suddenly, Harold announces that he can see the elephant near Brendam.

Sure enough, the elephant is found near a bridge where he has drawn quite a crowd of children who are excited to see an elephant out and about. Harold and Charlie arrive with a couple of zoo keepers and a special truck for the elephant. Carefully, the elephant is ushered into the truck and Charlie sets off back towards the park.

On his way to the Animal Park, Charlie passes through the docks where the engines are surprised to see the elephant and even more surprised to learn that Charlie's story had been true. At the Animal Park, the elephant is led back to its enclosure and the Fat Controller praises Charlie for raising the alarm.

Charlie has learned that telling jokes all the time is not always a good thing as no one ever takes him seriously. Charlie vows never to tell another joke again. Unfortunately for Cranky, Charlie's vow does not last for long.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * Percy
 * Charlie
 * Salty
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Cranky
 * Harold
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Zoo Keeper
 * Some Children
 * One of Dowager Hatt's Friends (cameo)

Locations

 * Animal Park
 * Brendam Docks
 * Knapford
 * Sodor Search and Rescue Centre
 * Shunting Yards
 * Coastal Cliffs

Trivia

 * Kerry Shale is not credited for voicing the zoo keeper in the UK credits.
 * The plot of the episode is similar to the classic fairytale The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
 * One of the zoo keepers is actually a workman from the Blue Mountain Quarry.
 * Going by production order, this is the eighteenth episode of the seventeenth season.

Goofs

 * Charlie's wheels spin just a bit too slow for most of the episode.
 * In the UK version, Charlie's laugh does not always match his mouth.
 * The zoo keeper has his US voice in the UK version.
 * The second time Charlie is at the docks, a truck appears in front of Percy then it disappers again.
 * When Charlie first arrives at the docks, Gordon has express coaches, but in the overhead shot of them from Cranky, the coaches have disappeared.
 * Why was the elephant sign facing the wall of the zoo?
 * Harold should not have been flying so close to the trees.
 * The second time Charlie arrives at the damaged wall, the wall is extended.
 * When Thomas is at Knapford, Annie and Clarabel are not coupled to him.
 * Charlie's crew should have alerted the signalman.