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"Hurry, kitty-kitty!"
― Alfie

Alfie Has Kittens is the second episode of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company. It was released on Thomas' Trusty Friends.

Plot

Initially excited to work at a demolition site, Alfie is upset when the other machines tease him about his size, which is intentional on Max and Monty's part and unintentional on Ned's. During the workmen's tea break, Thomas notices Alfie's unhappiness. He assures Alfie that it is not size that matters but usefulness. Alfie thinks about this for a moment and determines to be useful when working with Oliver that afternoon.

As Oliver starts demolishing a building, Alfie hears a noise inside. Despite being met with skepticism, Alfie insists he heard something, and the foreman discovers a cat and her three kittens on a ledge inside. Since it is too dangerous to send humans into a collapsing building, and since Alfie is the only machine small enough to fit, he ventures inside to rescue the cats. His initial attempt to coax the cats into his bucket fails before the wall above them starts to crumble. Alfie worriedly tries to coax them again, and when that also fails, he quickly covers the cats with his bucket just in time before the wall collapses.

Once Alfie and the cats are safely outside, Alfie is congratulated for his heroism by Miss Jenny, Thomas, and the other members of the Pack, even the ones who made him feel small. Alfie is proud and would never complain about being small again.

Characters

Location

Trivia

  • This episode's number was confirmed by a document confirming that all 13 completed episodes of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company had been filmed by 27 January 2003[1] and by the storyboards.
  • Both close-ups of Thomas' whistle are stock footage from past seasons of the main series; the first one is from the first series episode Thomas and the Guard, and the second one is a mirrored version of one from the sixth series episode It's Only Snow, which was previously seen in the seventh series episode Three Cheers for Thomas.
  • According to storyboards by Robert Gauld-Galliers, Ned was originally going to play a larger role in helping Alfie save the cat and her kittens. However, this idea was cut with Alfie left to rescue the cat and her kittens by himself instead.
  • This was the first episode for several things:
    • The first episode of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company to have completed filming.
    • The first appearance of the Pack since the sixth series episode, A Friend in Need.
    • The first episode to feature Thomas' new gauge 3.5 happy face.
    • The first episode to feature Alfie's sad, surprised, smirking and determined faces from the sixth series.
    • The first time Jack honks his horn.
    • The first episode to feature Oliver's shocked face from the sixth series.
    • The first episode directed by Steve Asquith since the sixth series (in production order).
    • The first Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episode produced by Phil Fehrle and Gullane Entertainment since the seventh series.
    • Monty's first appearance in the series.
  • This Jack and the Sodor Construction Company episode marks the last to feature Thomas' original sixth series Pack concerned face.
  • This is the only Jack and the Pack episode to be written by Abi Grant.

Goofs

  • When Jack says "Hello, Thomas!", wires and something blue are visible in his cab, most likely his eye mechanism. This also happens with Kelly during the episode.
  • Alfie is smiling when Max rudley tells him to move out of the way, while he should have been shocked.
  • When Alfie is loading Monty, Monty's front wheels are crooked and his eyes are misaligned when Max says "Not half pint", who has misaligned eyes too.
  • Kelly's roof and front wheels are crooked in the scene where everyone congratulates Alfie.

In Other Languages

Language Title
Dutch Alfie Heeft Jonge Katjes
German Kätzchen für Alfie

Merchandise

Home Media Releases

UK/US/AUS/NL/GER

UK DVD Boxsets

US DVD Boxsets

AUS DVD Boxsets

References



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