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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the 2003, 2013 magazine stories or the German DVD.

“Rocky! What are you doing with that crate?!"
"Dropping it... boss.”
― Victor and Rocky

Surprise, Surprise is the eleventh episode of the fifteenth series.

Plot

Thomas is excited because it is time for a Christmas party, but on his travels, he sees Percy on the Fenland Track. Percy is suffering from a cracked coupling rod, so Thomas kindly shunts him to the Steamworks. Shortly, Thomas finds Edward who has a popped piston, so Thomas pushes him to the Steamworks too. A little later, Thomas meets up with Stanley who has a faulty firebox. Thomas shunts him to the Steamworks as well.

Thomas is sure that his friends will be repaired in time for the children's party, but Victor is not so sure; he cannot fix them all by teatime, which leaves Percy, Edward and Stanley all upset at the thought of missing the party, and Victor knew they were right. However, Thomas has an idea: he wants to hold a Christmas party for them at the Steamworks, but makes his first mistake when he does not tell Victor his plan because he looks too busy.

Thomas puffs away to make arrangements and soon finds Charlie at Maithwaite. Thomas decides that Charlie's jokes will be excellent for his friends' party and the pair puff back to the Steamworks. Once there, Thomas tells Charlie to quietly tell his jokes so that he does not bother Victor and Kevin. However, Charlie is not very good at being quiet and Victor soon hears him laughing and orders him and Thomas to leave. Thomas quickly reverses, but carelessly backs into Charlie and derails him.

Thomas sets off to find Rocky. At the docks, he spots Rocky helping Cranky loading Christmas trees onto a flatbed. Thomas explains his plan to Rocky and suggests that they could borrow a Christmas tree. Rocky thinks it is a good idea and Thomas tells him not to tell Victor about their plans as they set off.

Back at the Steamworks, Victor is still very busy whilst Rocky unloads the tree. Victor hears Rocky who drops the Christmas tree crate - right in front of Kevin who bashes into it. Victor is cross and Thomas decides that he should better tell Victor his plan. Victor is very sympathetic and tells Thomas that he should have told him the plan earlier. Victor then agrees to help Thomas with the preparations and tells Kevin to make room for the Christmas tree. Soon the Steamworks is decorated with sparkly lights, and it is time for the Christmas party to begin. Percy thinks it is the best Christmas party ever and Thomas agrees.

Characters

Locations

Cast

UK

US

Trivia

  • This episode aired before Day of the Diesels premiered, meaning the audience may not have known who Belle is.
  • This is Charlie’s first and only accident in the series.
  • This episode officially confirms that Rocky's forward cars can be uncoupled from him (something only seen in merchandise of him), demonstrated when he lifts the tree from Thomas' flatbed at the Steamworks
  • This episode marks several things for Stanley:
    • The first time he is voiced by Ben Small in the US; thus making Ben Small join the US voice cast, as he took over the role from Kerry Shale.
    • His first speaking role in a fully CGI-animated episode.
    • His first speaking role in an episode since the twelfth series episode, Thomas Puts the Brakes On.
    • His only episode and last speaking role in the Nitrogen era.
    • His last speaking role until the eighteenth series episode, Samson at Your Service.
  • This marks the last episode to feature Glenn Wrage as Charlie in the US dub. Ben Small takes over the role up until Not So Slow Coaches, before Steven Kynman takes over after Small left the voice cast after the eighteenth series.
  • The episode was re-narrated on the Merry Winter Wish UK DVD to replace the Winter Holidays lines with Christmas Holidays.
  • A variation of Go, Go Thomas plays throughout the episode.

Goofs

  • In the beginning of the episode, James' siderods turn too slowly.
  • When Thomas finds Percy, he is behind him; but when they arrive at the Steamworks, Thomas is in front. The same thing happens with Edward and Stanley.

Merchandise

In Other Languages

Language Title
Brazilian Portuguese Surpresa, surpresa
Catalan Sorpresa!
Chinese Mandarin 大大的惊喜
Czech Překvapení
Finnish Talvi Yllätys
German Die Winter-Werkstatt-Party
Hebrew הפתעה מפתיעה
Hungarian Meglepetés
Italian Sorpresa Sorpresa
Japanese ステキなクリスマス・パーティー
Korean 기관차들의 겨울 축제 (dub)
뜻박의 사건 (subtitles)
Latin American Spanish Sorpresa, Sorpresa
Norwegian Overraskelse
Polish Niespodzianka
Romanian Surpriză, Surpriză
Russian Новогодний сюрприз (Original)
Большой сюрприз (Alternate)
Spanish ¡Sorpresa!

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