Percy and the Magic Carpet

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

Plot

It is a very windy day and preparations are underway for the opening of the flower show at Maithwaite. Sir Topham Hatt 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 his driver ties the carpet down to the flatbed, Percy sets off, worried that he is running late. Soon Percy reaches Maithwaite and tells Sir Topham Hatt about all of the trouble the carpet caused. However, though he explains that magic carpets do not exist, Sir Topham Hatt 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

• Gordon
• James
• Percy
• Salty
• Sir Topham Hatt
• Thomas (does not speak)
• Toby (does not speak)
• Murdoch (does not speak)
• Cranky (does not speak)
• Allicia Botti (does not speak)
• Edward (cameo)
• Henry (cameo)
• Emily (cameo)
• 'Arry and Bert (cameo)
• Caroline (cameo)
• Lady Hatt (cameo)
• Refreshment Lady (cameo)
• The Storyteller (cameo)
• Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)

Locations

• Maron
• Tidmouth Sheds
  • Tidmouth Goods Station
• Brendam Docks
  • Sodor Shipping Company
• The Sheep Field
• Kellsthorpe Road 
• Maithwaite
• The Windmill

Trivia

• Going by production order, this is the thirteenth episode of the eighth series.
• This episode is the first series finale where Thomas appears without a speaking role, as well as the only series finale where this happens until the twentieth series finale, Over the Hill.
• This episode marked the last of several things:
  • The last episode to feature the original six-berth Tidmouth Sheds before being repaired with seven berths in Calling All Engines!
  • The last episode narrated by Leo Morimoto in Japan.
  • The last episode with the original cast for the Japanese narration, and the last produced with the Aoni Production staff.
  • The last 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 season after production of season eight ended.
  • Murdoch's last appearance until the eleventh series episode, Emily's Rubbish.
• 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.
• In the German dub the episode has two titles:
  • Percy and the Flying Carpet (German; Percy und der fliegende Teppich) and Percy and the Magical Carpet (German; Percy und der Zauberteppich)
• According to Steve Asquith, the carpet was originally intended to be a CGI element.

Goofs

• The leaves on the trees are green, but when they fall they are orange and red.
• The position of the carpet changes when Murdoch passes through Maron.
• When Percy chases Toby, the flatbed's back wheel is crooked.
• The position of the carpet changes in every shot when it was on Toby.
• In the widescreen version of this episode, when the narrator says, "Then, there was trouble," the carpet is still seen on Toby's roof, even though it flew off earlier. Additionally, the footage appears to be played backwards, as the steam from Gordon and Percy appears to be going back into them instead of being blown out.

Merchandise

• Magazine Stories - Percy and the Magic Carpet/Percy and the Magic Carpet
• Books - Percy and the Magic Carpet

In Other Languages

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