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- “No engine is better at making a pouty face than James."
"What about this face?"
"Ooh, how about me?"
"Never mind James, whatever is bothering you will probably seem better in the morning.” - ― Thomas, Henry, Gordon and Percy to James
Pouty James is the eighth episode of the twentieth series.
Plot
James the Red Engine likes being the centre of attention and is always showing off to the others. This often leads to him overshooting the platform or undershooting it. One day, the latter happens to James and he is told off by the stationmaster, but James does not listen. He continues to show off for the rest of the day, and the Fat Controller ends up having enough. He tells James that it is time that he has to change his attitude and takes his coaches away until he does so as punishment for his behaviour, which horrifies James.
At the sheds, the engines are settling down for the night. They notice James' pouty face and proceed to make silly faces to mess with him. Percy thinks that whatever is bothering James will be better in the morning, but Percy is wrong; James is still pouting. The Fat Controller tries to persuade James to work, but James objects to budge, so the Fat Controller tells James he can stay in the shed, which frustrates him just the same. Emily explains to him that it is not fun to stay in the sheds all day and the engines continue to make faces at him.
It is not much fun sitting in the sheds, so when the Fat Controller comes back, James apologises for his grumpy mood and tells the Fat Controller that he will be on his best behaviour. That is, until he sees that he has to pull dirty waste trucks to Whiff's Waste Dump. James wants his coaches instead of trucks. Stanley explains to him that Edward took his coaches by the Fat Controller's orders. For the rest of the day, James not only returns to his pouty mood, but takes his time to get from place to place. The Fat Controller finds him down at the docks and once again tells him to change his attitude. Cranky tells James he looks crankier then him. Everyone starts making faces again, but James soon finds it amusing. Thomas and Emily see that James is changing his attitude and they tell him to put a smile on his face.
Whenever James starts sulking again, the other engines remind him with a silly face to brighten his spirits. He begins to enjoy himself, even without coaches. However, this does not last long before he goes back to his old ways again but is still smiling.
Characters
- Thomas
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Emily
- Stanley
- Philip
- Cranky
- Sir Topham Hatt
- The Ginger-haired Boy
- The Wellsworth Stationmaster
- Edward (laughs only)
- Porter (not named; makes noises only)
- Duck (cameo)
- Whiff (cameo)
- Scruff (cameo)
- Stephen (cameo)
- Diesel (cameo)
- Salty (cameo)
- Sidney (cameo)
- Stafford (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
- First and Second Slip Coaches (cameos)
- The Dock Manager (cameo)
- The Teacher (cameo)
- Dowager Hatt's Friends (cameos)
- The Welsh Bird Watcher (cameo)
- Albert's Wife (cameo)
- The Great Railway Show Judge (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)
Locations
- Knapford
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Wellsworth
- Whiff's Waste Dump
- Kellsthorpe Road
- Brendam Docks
- Sodor Dairy
- Crosby Washdown
Cast
UK
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Keith Wickham as Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, the Fat Controller, the Wellsworth Stationmaster and Some Passengers
- Nigel Pilkington as Percy
- Teresa Gallagher as Emily, the Ginger-haired Boy and Some Passengers
- Matt Wilkinson as Stanley and Cranky
- Rasmus Hardiker as Philip
- David Menkin as Porter (uncredited)
- Jules de Jongh as the Little Girl (uncredited)
US
- Joseph May as Thomas
- Kerry Shale as Henry and Gordon
- Rob Rackstraw as James
- Christopher Ragland as Percy
- Jules de Jongh as Emily and the Little Girl
- John Schwab as Stanley
- Rasmus Hardiker as Philip
- Glenn Wrage as Cranky
- Keith Wickham as Sir Topham Hatt, the Wellsworth Stationmaster and Some Passengers
- William Hope as Edward (uncredited)
- David Menkin as Porter (uncredited)
- Teresa Gallagher as the Ginger-haired Boy and Some Passengers (uncredited)
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the nineteenth episode of the twentieth series.
- Apart from making noises, Porter does not have any dialogue in this episode.
- Apart from laughing, Edward does not have any dialogue in this episode.
- This is the only episode where John Schwab voices Stanley in the US dub. It is also the only episode to have Schwab as part of the voice cast.
- This episode marks last with a few things:
- The last episode where Stanley speaks in the main episode, as his next few speaking appearances are only in fantasy sequences.
- The last episode where James' name is in the title until the twenty-fourth series episode, James the Super Engine, and this is also the first episode his name is in the title since the fifteenth series episode, James to the Rescue.
- David Menkin voices Porter in the UK dub for this episode.
- On the twentieth series digital release, this episode is paired with The Way She Does It.
Goofs
- When Stanley is shunting coaches for James, a part of his tanks is not modelled properly, thus there being a hole in the tanks.
- In the shots of the Fat Controller scolding James at Knapford, there are steps behind him leading into the platform, but there is nothing underneath it. This is likely because the platform model used in this episode is reused from Vicarstown Station.
- When the Fat Controller says to James that he can stay in the shed, the tracks are floating in mid-air.
- When Stanley shunts James' waste trucks, one of the trucks change from green to red.
- Some actors are not credited in the credits for both dubs, these being:
- David Menkin voicing Porter in both dubs.
- William Hope voicing Edward in the US dub.
- Jules de Jongh voicing the Little Girl in the UK dub.
- Teresa Gallagher voicing the Ginger-haired boy and some passengers in both dubs.
Quotes
- The Fat Controller: James?
- James: What? Oh! Sir?
- The Fat Controller: Don't you remember what I said about changing your attitude? Oh, you don't expect me to let you pull passengers with a face like that, do you?
- James: Humph!
- The Fat Controller: Don't you want a job today, James?
- James: What does it matter what I want?
- The Fat Controller: Huh! Very well! You can stay here then, in the shed!
- James: (Gasps)
- The Fat Controller: Oh, I don't know. Engines today.
- James: Oh...
The Fat Controller asking James to change his attitude.
- James: Change my attitude? How am I supposed to change my attitude?
- Cranky: What a face James! (Laughs) You look even crankier than me!
- Thomas: No engine is better at making a pouty face than James is!
- James: Stop teasing!
- Thomas: (Makes a funny noise)
- Emily: (Giggles and makes a funny noise)
- James: (Sniggers)
- Porter: (Make a funny noise)
- James: (Sniggers)
- Thomas: (Makes a funny noise)
- James: (Chuckles)
- Thomas: That's it, James! That's much better!
- James: What do you mean?
- Emily: He means you're changing your attitude!
- Thomas: Come on, James, put a smile on that face! We've got work to do!
- Emily: Last one back to the shunting yard is a broken brake van!
- James: (Laughs)
Thomas and Emily making pouty faces at James to change his attitude.
Merchandise
- Magazine Stories - Pouty James (2023)
In Other Languages
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Home Media Releases
UK
AUS/NL
- Team Up With Thomas
US
IDN
| #01 Sidney Sings | #11 Letters to Santa | #21 Henry in the Dark |
| #02 Toby's New Friend | #12 Love Me Tender | #22 Three Steam Engines Gruff |
| #03 Henry Gets the Express | #13 The Railcar and the Coaches | #23 Engine of the Future |
| #04 Diesel and the Ducklings | #14 Mucking About | #24 Hugo and the Airship |
| #05 Bradford the Brake Van | #15 Cautious Connor | #25 The Missing Breakdown Train |
| #06 Saving Time | #16 All in Vain | #26 Skiff and the Mermaid |
| #07 Ryan and Daisy | #17 Buckled Tracks and Bumpy Trucks | #27 The Christmas Coffeepot |
| #08 Pouty James | #18 Tit for Tat | #28 Over the Hill |
| #09 Blown Away | #19 Mike's Whistle | |
| #10 The Way She Does It | #20 Useful Railway | |