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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the book, the 2005 magazine story or the 2010 magazine one.

“Do you know any magic words?"
"You mean like, 'please'?"
"No, Percy. Other magic words like 'Hey Presto', 'Hocus Pocus', and 'Abracadabra'.”
― Salty and Percy

Percy and the Magic Carpet is the twenty-sixth and final episode of the eighth series.

Plot

It is a very windy autumn day and preparations are underway for a flower show's opening at Maithwaite. The Fat Controller announces that a special must be taken there before Allicia Botti opens the show. He chooses Percy to take it, much to the annoyance of Gordon and James.

Percy arrives at Brendam Docks with a flatbed, only to discover that his special is just a roll of red carpet. Salty tells Percy that it might be magic, as he heard tales of carpets that can fly. Salty goes on to talk about magic words: "Hey Presto", "Hocus Pocus", and "Abracadabra". Percy is in doubt, but once he moves, the carpet unrolls itself just like magic.

Stopping at a signal, Percy sees Gordon, who is not surprised that Percy was told to collect a carpet, as he is just a small engine. Suddenly, the wind lifts up underneath the carpet, taking it into the air. Percy is now convinced that it is a magic carpet, but Gordon knows that it is just the wind and he departs to collect a coach for Allicia Botti. Then Murdoch passes Percy and the red carpet lands onto a flatbed in Murdoch's train. Percy gives chase to Murdoch, calling for him to wait. But Murdoch is too far ahead to hear Percy and carries on through Maron station. Percy, speeding through Maron, tells James that Murdoch has his magic carpet, but James tells him that magic carpets do not exist.

Soon, the wind takes the carpet off of Murdoch's train and onto Toby's roof. Percy follows Toby to Kellsthorpe, where he meets Gordon again. The carpet flies off of Toby's roof and lands down onto the tracks. Percy is very upset. Gordon is not impressed; he thinks that Percy is trying to make his "little job" important. Suddenly, they hear Thomas approaching the station and heading straight for the carpet. Gordon and Percy blow their whistles to alert Thomas, but to no avail. Percy decides to say a magic word, but none of the suggestions Salty gave him work. So, Percy says "please" and just as Thomas is about to run over the carpet, the wind blows the carpet away from Thomas and lands onto Percy's flatbed. Now Gordon is convinced that the carpet is magic.

Once Percy's driver ties the carpet down to the flatbed, he sets off, worried that he is running late. Soon, Percy reaches Maithwaite and tells the Fat Controller about all of the trouble the carpet caused. However, though he explains that magic carpets do not exist, the Fat Controller tells Percy that he is right on time whilst the carpet is unloaded and placed onto the platform.

Later, Allicia Botti arrives aboard Gordon's coach and opens the flower show. However, the wind blows underneath the red carpet again whilst it is on the platform, leaving Percy and Gordon unsure whether the carpet is magic or not.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • Going by production order, this is the thirteenth episode of the eighth series.
  • This episode is the first series finale where Thomas appears, but does not speak, as well as the only series finale where this happens until the twentieth series finale, Over the Hill.
  • According to a prop listing for "Episodes 19-26 series 8 as at 17th November 2003":
    • At that point during production, this was episode 20.
    • "Item No. 7" was "1 bin" of "Autumn leaves" for "Sc No 1". The set is given as "montage", and the "Shoot Date" is given as 15th December 2003.
    • "Item No. 8" was twenty-four "Wagon loads of flowers" for "Sc No 1". The set is given as "montage", and the "Shoot Date" is given as 15th December 2003.
    • The above scenes were listed in between scenes filmed for Gordon Takes Charge and Thomas and the Circus the same day.
    • "Item No. 6" was one "Lightweight top hat for F C" for "Sc No 1". The set is given as "montage", and the "Shoot Date" is given as 8th January 2004.
    • Items 9 and 10 respectively were "20ft bunting" and "flowers for flower shows" for "Sc No 12" on the Maithwaite set.
  • This episode marked the last of several things:
    • The last episode to feature the original six-berth Tidmouth Sheds before being rebuilt with seven berths in Calling All Engines!.
    • The last episode narrated by Leo Morimoto in Japan and Giorgio Bonino in Italy.
    • The last episode with the original cast for the Japanese dub, and the last produced with the Aoni Production staff.
    • The last UK episode where the title card is not read out loud by the narrator.
    • The last episode with Abi Grant and Paul Larson as script editors before Sharon Miller took over, starting with the ninth series after production of the eighth series ended.
    • The last appearance of Wellsworth until the eleventh series episode, Gordon and the Engineer.
    • The last appearance of Wellsworth Yards until the sixteenth series.
    • Murdoch's last appearance until the eleventh series episode, Emily's Rubbish, as well as his only appearance in the eighth series.
    • Allicia Botti's last full appearance until the eleventh series episode, Toby's Triumph.
    • The final eighth series episode to air on CiTV in January 2005, as they were broadcast in production order. The remaining thirteen episodes would air in July 2006.
  • The events of this episode were later mentioned by Gordon in the eighteenth series episode, Emily Saves the World.
  • Posters for the circus can be seen when Percy passes James at Maron station.
  • According to Steve Asquith, the carpet was originally intended to be a CGI element.
  • Abi Grant stated on her website that this was one of her favourite episodes centred around Percy, her favourite character. She also stated that it was her favourite episode that she had written and that she "had to fight all the way to the top to get it made."

Goofs

  • Despite the episode being set in the Autumn season, the leaves on the trees are green, but when they fall, they are orange and red.
  • In the first shot of Tidmouth Sheds, James is lifted from his chassis.
  • The position of the carpet changes when Murdoch passes through Maron and in every shot when it is on Toby.
  • When Percy chases Toby, the flatbed's back wheel is crooked.
  • The shot of Gordon and Percy when the narrator says, "Then, there was trouble," is filmed before the carpet flew off, as the carpet is still on Toby's roof in the widescreen version and reversed, as the steam from them are going back into them instead of being blown out.

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In Other Languages

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Language Title
Arabic بيرسي والسجاد السحري
Brazilian Portuguese Percy e o Tapete Mágico
Chinese Mandarin 培西和魔毯
Croatian Pero i Čarobni Tepih
Czech Percy a Kouzelný Koberec
Danish Percy og det Magiske Tæppe
Dutch Percy en het Magische Tapijt
Finnish Pekka ja Taikamatto
French Percy et le Tapis Magique
German Percy und der fliegende Teppich
Percy und der Zauberteppich
Greek O μαγικό χαλί
Hungarian Percy és a Varázsszőnyeg
Italian Percy e il Tappeto Magico
Japanese パーシーとまほうのじゅうたん
Korean 마법의 카펫
Latin American Spanish Percy y la Alfombra Mágica
Norwegian Percy og det Magiske Teppet
Polish Piotrek i Magiczny Dywan
Romanian Percy și Covorul Magic
Russian Перси и магический ковёр
Scottish Gaelic Pearsaidh Agus am Brat Draoidheil
Swedish Percy och den Magiska Mattan

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