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- "I'm the most important!" "I am!"
- ― Max and Monty
On Site with Thomas, originally known as Who's the Boss, is the sixth episode of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company.
Plot
One summer day, during the construction of the community centre, Patrick is pouring concrete for a new platform and boasts that he is the most important because he is a concrete mixer. Thomas explains that Patrick is a bit cheeky as he puffs away with his loaded trucks, but this makes Jack and Alfie curious about who really is the most important. Jack asks Byron, who claims that he is, as he levels the site. Nelson tells him that he is the most important, as he is the main source of transportation. Alfie asks Oliver, who tells him that digging the foundation is the most important. Ned explains that their operators are the most important, as they are in charge of safety. Feeling confused, Jack and Alfie give up in their search.
However, when Thomas returns with his empty trucks, all the other machines are still in a commotion over it. Even Max and Monty decide to outdo each other by seeing who can collect the bigger load. Once loaded, Max and Monty speed out of the site, much to the concern of Kelly and Thomas. Racing each other side by side, Max and Monty are still arguing until they realise that Patrick is coming towards them. Patrick veers off the road, flies off the edge and accidentally falls into his own wet concrete which splatters all over Thomas' paintwork in the process.
Miss Jenny hears about the news and scolds Max and Monty for causing a lot of trouble, especially since Thomas is covered in concrete. Max and Monty explain about the commotion, only for Miss Jenny to explain that, as they are all part of a team, there is no such thing as "most important" in this case. When Jack mentions Patrick, Miss Jenny briefly scolds him for bragging about concrete again.
Characters
- Thomas
- Nelson
- Jack
- Alfie
- Oliver the Excavator
- Max and Monty
- Kelly
- Byron
- Ned
- Patrick the Cement Mixer
- Jenny Packard
- Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)
Location
Trivia
- The original title of the episode, Who's the Boss, is a reference to the 1984 sitcom with the same name.
- This episode is one of only two written by Will Ing,[1] the other being The Tortoise and the Hare.
- Pre-filmed alternate footage from The Tortoise and the Hare is used.
- Completion of filming was celebrated that same day with a special production board with wine glasses and a bottle drawn in the "Slate" section.
- This episode's number was revealed by a document confirming that all 13 completed episodes of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company had been filmed by 27 January 2003.[2]
- This episode marks:
- The first appearance of Nelson.
- Byron's first speaking role since the sixth series episode, Jack Jumps In, and his first of only two speaking roles in the spin-off.
- The only appearances of Patrick the Cement Mixer and the Community Centre Construction Site.
- Virgin TV Anywhere's website refers to this episode with the title of the cancelled episode, The Importance of Being Patrick.
- In a behind-the-scenes photo, Patrick had his face removed in the scene where he fell into his concrete, as well as he was attached to some strings.
Goofs
- When Jack asks Byron if Patrick is the most important, Monty's face is missing.
- Jack's bucket bumps into the truck when he loads it.
- When Thomas says "Makes my boiler ache!" studio equipment can be seen reflected in his pupils.
- When Patrick tells Jack and Alfie to move out of the way, he is smiling while he is supposed to be cross.
- When Thomas leaves the foundations, his trucks disappear.
- When Nelson is talking to Jack, his left front wheel is crooked and his eyes are misaligned.
- When Patrick crashes into the concrete, his undercarriage fan is visible and something blue in his cab (possibly his eye mechanism) is seen bouncing up and down. His cement chute also falls off when he lands face first in the concrete, but is reattached when Miss Jenny arrives.
- Some of the concrete Patrick dives into splashes onto Thomas, even though the concrete was not initially shown to fly in Thomas’ direction at all.
- Because some of the pre-filmed footage is used, the road appears to be sandy rather than being a normal paved road. Max and Monty have also swapped positions because of this.
- When Max and Monty are about to crash into Patrick, Max's eyes are misaligned.
- The sky backdrop is visible in the top-left corner when the narrator says, "Patrick was pouring concrete for a new platform."
- The position of Jack's bucket changes between the shots of him and Alfie reversing from the trucks and him saying, "Roasting radiators, it's hot!"
- When Monty and Max race off to get bigger loads, the ground bounces a bit.
- When the narrator says, "Miss Jenny was cross when she heard the news," all of the Packard machines have misaligned eyes and Kelly is smiling, while he should have been disappointed about what had just happened.
- The sound effect of Patrick crashing into his own cement plays slightly earlier than it should.
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Dutch | Bouwen met Thomas |
| German | Mit Thomas auf der Baustelle |
Home Media Releases
UK/AUS/NL/GERUK DVD BoxsetsAUS DVD BoxsetsUSDVD Boxsets
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References
| #02 Alfie Has Kittens | #21 Percy Helps Out | n/a Bossy Byron |
| #03 Jack Owns Up | #22 A Happy Day for Percy | n/a The Importance of Being Patrick |
| #06 On Site with Thomas | #23 Thomas' Trusty Friends | n/a Pop Goes the Diesel |
| #07 A Visit from Thomas | #24 A Tale for Thomas | n/a Jack and the Quack |
| #10 Mud Glorious Mud | n/a No Dozer Is an Island | n/a Alfie Has a Secret |
| #13 Thomas and the Moles | n/a All Work, No Play | n/a Isobella Gets Steamed |
| #14 The Tortoise and the Hare | n/a Safety First | n/a The Grass Is Greener |
| #15 Percy's Scary Tale | n/a Treasure Hunt | n/a Kelly's Heroes |
| #20 Kelly's Windy Day | n/a Jack's Snow Rescue | |