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- "Ding-a-long, ding-a-ling, find the bell with the very best ring."
- ― Freddie
Ding-a-Ling is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the eleventh series. It is also the final episode to be made with models.
Plot
James has delivered a new bike for the Thin Controller, but it does not have a bell. Freddie does not know where to find one, but he pretends he does know so as to not look silly and sets off.
He sees a cow's bell and has it put on the bike, but Mighty Mac note that the cows do not look at it. Freddie quickly sets off for the station and borrows Kuffy the Clown's necklace of bells. Peter Sam remarks that the children are not taking any notice, and Freddie runs off. He decides to return to the wharf, but when he sees James, Peter Sam and Mighty Mac, he backs off. He sees a bell destined for the school and has it put on too, but the bike falls over and it creates such a noise that the others come to investigate what it is about.
Freddie sheepishly leaves, when he sees Thomas with an old foghorn. He has an idea and once it is cleaned and polished, the bell from the Thin Controller's old bike is attached to the new one.
Characters
- Thomas
- James
- Peter Sam
- Freddie
- Mighty Mac
- Mr. Percival
- Kuffy the Clown (does not speak)
- The Transfer Yards Manager (does not speak)
- Bridget Hatt (cameo)
- Mrs. Percival (cameo)
Locations
- The Wharf
- Rocky Hill Beside Narrow Gauge Runby
- The Transfer Yards
- Mountain Village Station
- Sodor Castle
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the twenty-fifth episode of the eleventh series.
- This episode marks the last of several things:
- Mac's last speaking role in an episode.
- The final full live-action model episode. The next series would continue to use live-action albeit with CGI visuals for the engines' faces and other entities until Hero of the Rails.
- The last episode to air on UK television during former producer and director David Mitton and former US narrator George Carlin's lifetimes before their deaths in 2008.
- The last episode to have Satoshi Katougi as part of the Japanese voice cast, as well as the last episode where he voices Peter Sam. Hiroo Sasaki would later take over the role starting with Blue Mountain Mystery.
- Sodor Castle's last appearance in the model series and its last appearance until the eighteenth series episode, Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger.
- The final appearance of James’ Gauge 3 model in an episode.
- The last episode dubbed into European Spanish until the fifteenth series episode Gordon and Ferdinand, It is also the last episode dubbed in European Portuguese until Creaky Cranky.
- In the UK and PBS Retro Versions, the lines "Mr Percival's old bicycle was far to wobbly ", "These are far better than a Bicycle Bell & "I found the very best one for you" are muted.
- This episode marks the only of a few things for Freddie:
- His only speaking and starring role in the eleventh series.
- The only episode to feature both his disappointed and concerned faces that were both originally made for the previous series.
Goofs
- As Freddie arrives at the farm and stops, his steam platform is visible.
- Red and blue wires can be seen underneath Freddie's tank when he is standing outside Mountain Village Station.
- In one of the scenes on PBS Retro subtitles, Freddie is mistaken as "Freddy" and Kuffy is mistaken as "Cuffy".
- Coincidentally, there is a clown named Cuffy who appears in the live stage show, A Circus Comes to Town.
- At the mountain station, two Bridget Hatts are visible, one in her usual attire and the other in her hiking gear from Which Way Now?.
Merchandise
- TrackMaster - Freddie and the bicycle on a flat truck (discontinued)
- Magazine Stories - Ding-a-Ling!
In Other Languages
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Home Media Releases
UK/AUS
UK DVD BoxsetsAUS DVD BoxsetsUS/CAN/SPN/GER/NL/NOR/SWE/DK/FIN
US DVD BoxsetsARAINDTHA
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| #02 Emily's Rubbish | #11 Smoke and Mirrors | #20 Percy and the Left Luggage |
| #03 Dream On | #12 Thomas Sets Sail | #21 Skarloey Storms Through |
| #04 Dirty Work | #13 Don't Be Silly, Billy | #22 Cool Truckings |
| #05 Hector the Horrid! | #14 Edward and the Mail | #23 Wash Behind Your Buffers |
| #06 Gordon and the Engineer | #15 Hide and Peep | #24 Duncan Does It All |
| #07 Thomas and the Spaceship | #16 Toby's Triumph | #25 Sir Handel in Charge |
| #08 Henry's Lucky Day | #17 Thomas and the Runaway Car | #26 Ding-a-Ling |
| #09 Thomas and the Lighthouse | #18 Thomas in Trouble | |