| This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the annual story, the 2010, 2012 or 2013 magazine story. |
- “What's that noise, boss?"
"Who knows, Kevin, who knows? Some early bird!” - ― Kevin and Victor
The Early Bird is the sixth episode of the thirteenth series.
Plot
Percy is at the Sodor Steamworks for repairs, so the Fat Controller puts Thomas in charge of the mail run. Thomas is excited to do it, but Gordon tells him to ask Percy for advice on how. Thomas ignores Gordon and heads back to Tidmouth Sheds.
Early next morning, Thomas delivers mail to the Quarry, Brendam Docks and the Steamworks. To alert managers at each location, he blows his whistle loudly, and unknowingly wakes up Mavis, Cranky, Victor and Kevin. On his way back, Thomas is surprised to see Mavis and Cranky making mistakes with their work, unaware that they have fallen asleep as a result of being woken too early.
When Thomas returns to Tidmouth Sheds, the other engines were not there and nor was Percy. But the Fat Controller was there instead and severely speaks to him for blowing his whistle too loudly as Mavis, Cranky, Victor, and Kevin have made mistakes. Thomas feels bad, though he is given a second chance to take the train again as Percy is still under repair. Gordon overhears the conversation, and recommends, again, that Thomas should ask Percy for advice. This time, Thomas puffs to the steamworks to ask Percy, and he tells Thomas to deliver the mail quietly and to not blow his whistle this time.
So when Thomas takes his second mail train, he quietly makes his deliveries and does not whistle and lets Mavis, Cranky, Victor, and Kevin sleep. Percy had woken up early to see him and congratulates Thomas on a job well done -- but Thomas has fallen asleep.
Characters
- Thomas
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Mavis
- Victor
- Kevin
- Cranky
- Sir Topham Hatt
- The Dock Manager (does not speak)
- The Ffarquhar Quarry Manager (does not speak)
- Sir Topham Hatt's Assistants (cameos)
- Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (stock footage cameos)
Locations
- Three-Track Level Crossing
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Knapford Iron Bridge
- Knapford Yards
- Sodor Steamworks
- Tower Windmill
- Sodor Slate Quarry
- Brendam Docks
- McColl Farm
- The Viaduct
- The Poppy Field (stock footage)
Cast
UK
- Ben Small as Thomas
- Keith Wickham as Gordon, James, Percy and the Fat Controller
- Teresa Gallagher as Mavis
- Matt Wilkinson as Victor, Cranky and Kevin
US
- Martin Sherman as Thomas and Percy
- Kerry Shale as Gordon, James, Kevin and Sir Topham Hatt
- Jules de Jongh as Mavis
- David Bedella as Victor
- Glenn Wrage as Cranky
Trivia
- This episode's plot is similar to the eleventh series episode, Edward and the Mail.
- This episode's title is a reference to the saying, "The Early Bird Gets the Worm."
- Stock footage from Hero of the Rails is used.
- This is the only episode written by David Richard Fox.
- In Poland, this episode premiered before Hero of the Rails, so the audience would not know about Victor, Kevin or the Sodor Steamworks.
- On the Korean DVD subtitles, the word "Slate" is not translated.
- The theme throughout the whole episode is a recomposed version of the opening theme from the US version of the seventh series episode, The Runaway Elephant.
Goofs
- Thomas is stated to have never delivered the mail train before, despite having done so in several episodes before.
- As Gordon pulls the express, the brake coach is at the front of the train, instead of the rear.
- The quarry walls at Ffarquhar Quarry have tints of pink.
- As Thomas puffs away from Mavis' shed, the track she is on ends abruptly.
- When Thomas spins round on the turntable, its rails seem to go round with it.
- On the Korean subtitles of this episode's DVD releases, when Thomas accidentally wakes up Mavis, the word "whistle" is translated as "경적" (horn) but almost all the other scenes were translated it correctly as "기적" (whistle).
- When Thomas wakes up to deliver the mail, the US dub refers to the mail cars with the UK term "trucks".
Merchandise
In Other Languages
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Home Media Releases
UK/IRLDVD BoxsetsUS
CAN
DVD PacksAUSMYS/NOR/DK/SWE/FIN/ITA
FRA
JPN
CHNGERDVD BoxsetsTHAKOR |
| #01 Creaky Cranky | #08 Thomas and the Pigs | #15 Splish Splash Splosh |
| #02 The Lion of Sodor | #09 Time for a Story | #16 The Biggest Present of All |
| #03 Tickled Pink | #10 Percy's Parcel | #17 Snow Tracks |
| #04 Double Trouble | #11 Toby's New Whistle | #18 Henry's Good Deeds |
| #05 Slippy Sodor | #12 A Blooming Mess | #19 Buzzy Bees |
| #06 The Early Bird | #13 Thomas and the Runaway Kite | #20 Hiro Helps Out |
| #07 Play Time | #14 Steamy Sodor | |