10 Years of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (renamed 10 Years of Thomas & Friends in 2001) is a US VHS/DVD celebrating the tenth anniversary of the television series in the United States. It features two first series episodes, two second series episodes, five third series episodes and one fourth series episode narrated by George Carlin and one song. It was distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 1999 and was released on DVD in 2005. Each song and story was bookended with interviews about Thomas from various people at a Day Out with Thomas event at the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Lionsgate released the title for digital download in 2013.
Description
1999/2001 VHS:
This commemorative Collector's Edition video celebrates 10 years of Britt Allcroft's Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends in America, and highlights Thomas' favorite friends, as chosen by the experts - his loyal fans! Children love Thomas and his friends because they can identify with their everyday friendships, squabbles and rivalries and parents love Thomas because of its entertaining wholesome qualities that teach gentle messages important in developing good morals and values.
In this anniversary video, children from across the country came out for a special day with Thomas to share with us their favorite Thomas friends and episodes, and to help us choose these 10 classic Thomas stories. In a live-action clip introducing each episode, you'll learn straight from the fans just what they like about their favorite characters. The grand finale features the music of Thomas' theme with special appearances by all the friends Thomas has made over the last 10 years!
2005 DVD:
This commemorative Collector's Edition DVD celebrates 10 years of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends in America, and highlights Thomas' favorite friends, as chosen by the experts - his loyal fans! Children love Thomas and his friends because they can identify with their everyday friendships, squabbles and rivalries and parents love Thomas because of its entertaining wholesome qualities that teach gentle messages important in developing good morals and values.
In this anniversary DVD, children from across the country came out for a special day with Thomas to share with us their favorite Thomas friends and episodes, and to help us choose these 10 classic Thomas stories. In a live-action clip introducing each episode, you'll learn straight from the fans just what they like about their favorite characters. The grand finale features the music of Thomas' theme with special appearances by all the friends Thomas has made over the last 10 years!
2008 DVD:
This commemorative Collector's Edition, now for the first time on DVD, celebrates 10 years of Thomas & Friends in America, and highlights Thomas' favorite friends, as chosen by the experts - his loyal fans! Children love Thomas and his friends because they can identify with their everyday friendships, squabbles and rivalries and parents love Thomas because of its entertaining wholesome qualities that teach gentle messages important in developing good morals and values.
In this anniversary DVD, children from across the country came out for a special day with Thomas to share with us their favorite Thomas & Friends episodes, and to help us choose these 10 classic Thomas stories. In a live-action clip introducing each episode, you'll learn straight from the fans just what they like about their favorite characters. The grand finale features the Thomas & Friends theme music with special appearances by all the friends Thomas has made over the last 10 years!
Episodes
- Thomas and Bertie's Great Race
- Old Iron
- The Trouble with Mud
- Terence the Tractor
- Percy's Ghostly Trick
- Mavis
- Henry and the Elephant
- Percy's Promise
- James Goes Buzz Buzz
- All at Sea
Song
Throughout the program, extracts of the songs Don't Judge a Book By its Cover, Let's Have a Race, Really Useful Engine, Toby, The Island Song and Gone Fishing are featured as background music in the live action interstitials.
Bonus Features
- Breakfast-Time for Thomas read-along (from Salty's Secret & Other Thomas Adventures)
- Bios of your favorite engines (from Percy Saves the Day & Other Adventures)
- Build an Engine game (from The Early Years)
- Link to the official website
Trivia
- The release was made to celebrate ten years of Thomas' introduction to America, which was on 29th January 1989 - the air-date of the first Shining Time Station episode, A Place Unlike Any Other.
- This was the last VHS to feature the original Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends logo on the cover.
- The DVD won a Parents' Choice Award.
- A tin bank was included in some limited edition releases of the VHS.
- Mr. Conductor's whistle from Shining Time Station is heard at the start of each episode.
- The Day Out with Thomas clips were featured in the music videos in Storytime with Thomas on Fox Family.
- Interviews feature children telling stories of their favorite characters, some of which reference episodes that were not included on this video:
- The stories about Gordon allude to the first series episodes, Edward Helps Out and Henry to the Rescue.
- The story about Toby alludes to the third series episode, Time for Trouble.
- The story about Henry alludes to the first series episode, Come Out, Henry!
- One story about James alludes to the first series episode, Thomas Saves the Day.
- Wilbert Awdry was not mentioned on the release, despite having written the original stories for each of the episodes on this video (except for All at Sea). Shining Time Station was not mentioned either.
- The music video appears twice in the DVD menu, once in the episode selection and again in the sing-along song menu.
- Some VHS copies are black tapes and some are blue tapes.
- During an interview, a parent mentions Culdee as one of her son's toys, thus marking the first time the Culdee Fell Railway has been alluded to in a television series production.
- The live-action segments were filmed at the Strasburg Rail Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. This railroad would be used for filming again in Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- Julia Weinstein, who was a producer for Shining Time Station, was post-production supervisor for this.
- The recordings of the Day Out with Thomas event took place between 30th April and 2nd May 1999.
- James Goes Buzz Buzz is referred to under its UK title on its title card and the episode selection menu on DVD.
- This is the only VHS release to be captioned by the National Captioning Centre.
Goofs
- Henry and the Elephant is called "Henry the Elephant" on the back cover and in the DVD's booklet.
- Culdee and Skarloey's names are spelled "Coldy" and "Skarloway" on the closed captioning.
Merchandise
- Wooden Railway (discontinued)