![]() |
Thomas' Magical Birthday Wishes is the first out of four mini series of online videos made to celebrate the 75th anniversary of The Railway Series.[1] It revolves around Thomas using his thirteen magical birthday wishes to help his friends while they set up a surprise birthday party without his knowledge. The shorts are written by Eric Branscum, and the series features the UK voice cast in both dubs as opposed to redubbing the shorts with American actors. The shorts were animated by Pixel Zoo and use an animation style that is more cartoony than that of the main series, and feature the voices of John Hasler, Rob Rackstraw, Rachael Miller and Yvonne Grundy. Rackstraw and Miller also substitute the UK voice actors for many of the featured characters. The series ran for 14 videos and was succeeded by Learning with Thomas and The Sodor Springtime Parade.
Characters[]
- Thomas
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Toby
- Emily
- Rosie
- Belle
- Nia
- Rebecca
- Skiff
- Henrietta
- Harold
- Cranky
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Flynn (mentioned)
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as Gordon, James, Percy, Toby, Skiff, Harold, Cranky and Sir Topham Hatt
- Rachael Miller as Emily, Rosie, Belle, Rebecca and Henrietta
- Yvonne Grundy as Nia
Trivia[]
- John Hasler and Yvonne Grundy were the only voice actors not to voice more than one character in the series.
- James and Toby were the only roles that Rob Rackstraw had voiced in the main series prior. Likewise, Rebecca was the only featured character Rachael Miller had voiced in the main show.
- Throughout the videos, all the vehicle characters do not have crews.
- Excluding the final short, James and Percy are the only characters to appear in multiple installments.
- Toby is the only former Steam Team member to appear.
- James, Toby, Nia and Rebecca are the only characters other than Thomas not to have a substitute voice actor in this series.
Thomas and the Ants![]
Thomas and the Ants! is the first video in the series. It was originally released on 2 May 2020.
Plot[]
Some ants have taken the food Percy was supposed to deliver to the Animal Park, so Thomas decides to use one of his magical birthday wishes to become as small as an ant and get the food back.
Characters[]
Locations[]
- Sodor Animal Park (mentioned)
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as Percy
Trivia[]
- Rob Rackstraw voices Percy in this video instead of Nigel Pilkington.
- For the first time in the franchise's history, Thomas can deform his shape in cartoonish stretching. He can also jump off the track, which along with the shape deformation will become more prevalent in the All Engines Go! 2D reboot.
- Percy with an open truck and goods van is a reference to the Meccano Percy train set.
Goofs[]
- In a few seconds, Thomas' wheels and siderods are not moving.
- Throughout the video, Percy's lamp irons are positioned incorrectly. This would continue through to future 75th Anniversary shorts.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas e as Formigas |
German | Thomas und die Ameisen |
Indonesian | Thomas dan Semut |
Italian | Thomas e Le Formiche! |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas y las Hormigas |
Polish | Tomek i mrówki |
Russian | Томас и муравьи |
Video[]
Thomas and the Balloons![]
Thomas and the Balloons! is the second video in the series. It was originally released on 9 May 2020.
Plot[]
When Rebecca loses her balloons, Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to become as light as a balloon and help out Rebecca.
Characters[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rachael Miller as Rebecca
Goofs[]
- Rebecca has Raul's whistle sound.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas e os balões |
German | Thomas und die Luftballons |
Indonesian | Thomas dan Balon |
Italian | Thomas e I Palloncini |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas y los Globos |
Polish | Tomek i balony |
Russian | Томас и воздушные |
Video[]
Too Many Thomases![]
Too Many Thomases! is the third video in the series. It was originally released on 16 May 2020.
Plot[]
Nia is trying to put up a tent but needs nine other engines to help her out before the party guests arrive, so Thomas uses his birthday wishes to create eight other Thomases to help himself and Nia out.
Characters[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Yvonne Grundy as Nia
Goofs[]
- In some shots, Nia's funnel can be seen clipping through the top of the tent.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Diez Mini Thomas |
German | Zehn kleine Thomase |
Indonesian | Sepuluh Thomas Kecil |
Italian | Dieci Piccoli Thomas |
Latin American Spanish | Diez Mini Thomas |
Polish | Wielu Tomków |
Russian | Десять маленьких Томасов |
Video[]
Thomas the Submarine[]
Thomas the Submarine is the fourth video in the series. It was originally released on 23 May 2020.
Plot[]
When Cranky accidentally drops a crate into the ocean, Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to become a submarine and find the crate.
Characters[]
Locations[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as Cranky
Trivia[]
- Rob Rackstraw voices Cranky in this video instead of Matt Wilkinson. His voice is the same as Tony Toberomi from Bob the Builder.
- This is the first video where Thomas helps a non-Steam Team member.
- As a submarine, Thomas' funnel is reused from Nia's fantasy in the twenty-fourth series double-length episode, A New Arrival.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas o Submarino |
German | Thomas und das U-Boot |
Indonesian | Thomas si Kapal Selam |
Italian | Thomas Il Sottomarino |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas el Submarino |
Polish | Tomek Łódź podwodna |
Russian | Подводная лодка Томас |
Video[]
Super Bubble Thomas![]
Super Bubble Thomas! is the fifth video in the series. A South Korean dub was uploaded on 10 September 2021 on YouTube.
Plot[]
James is given the responsibility of cleaning Knapford Station, but he runs out of soap, so Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to clean the station from inside a soap bubble.
Characters[]
Locations[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as James
Trivia[]
- The goods section next to Line 6 of Knapford Station is replaced by brick walls.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Super Bolha Thomas |
German | Thomas und die Superseifenblase |
Indonesian | Thomas si Gelembung Super |
Italian | Thomas La Super Bolla |
Korean | 슈퍼 버블 토마스 |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas la Super Burbuja |
Polish | Tomek i superbańka |
Russian | Большой пузырь Томас |
Video[]
Thomas and the Monkeys[]
Thomas and the Monkeys is the sixth video in the series. It was originally released on 6 June 2020.
Plot[]
Thomas comes across Rosie, who is having trouble rounding up some monkeys who run away from her every time she tries to catch them, so Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to turn himself invisible and entice the monkeys back into the animal park.
Characters[]
Locations[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rachael Miller as Rosie
Trivia[]
- Rachael Miller voices Rosie in this video instead of Nicola Stapleton.
Goofs[]
- In one shot, part of Rosie's chassis is clipping through her smokebox.
- When Thomas says "What monkey can resist a floating banana?", his siderods do not move.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas e os Macacos |
German | Thomas und die Affen |
Indonesian | Thomas dan Monyet |
Italian | Thomas e le Scimmie |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas y Los Monos |
Polish | Tomek i małpki |
Russian | Томас и обезьянки |
Video[]
Thomas the Giant[]
Thomas the Giant is the seventh video in the series. It was originally released on 13 June 2020.
Plot[]
Thomas comes across Henrietta, who is looking for Toby after the coupling chain broke on Gordon's Hill. Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to turn himself into a giant so Toby can see him and then reunite with Henrietta.
Characters[]
Locations[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as Toby
- Rachael Miller as Henrietta
Trivia[]
- Rachael Miller voices Henrietta in this video instead of Maggie Ollerenshaw.
- This is the first video where Thomas helps a former Steam Team member and the first to feature more than two speaking characters.
- Buffering sound effects from the model series are used when Thomas' voice makes Henrietta shake.
Goofs[]
- When Thomas starts growing, he straddles over the track on Henrietta's left. When he finishes growing, he is no longer over the track and is instead beside it. He returns to his original position after Toby finds them.
- Toby has Flora's bell sound. This sound was also used for Lady in some games and on her ride at Drayton Manor Theme Park.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas o Gigante |
German | Thomas und der Riese |
Indonesian | Thomas si Raksasa |
Italian | Thomas Il Gigante |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas el Gigante |
Polish | Tomek Olbrzym |
Russian | Гигант Томас |
Video[]
Thomas the Helicopter[]
Thomas the Helicopter is the eighth video in the series. It was originally released on 20 June 2020.
Plot[]
Harold has broken down whilst making a delivery to the Mainland, and with the Vicarstown Bridge out, Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to turn himself into a helicopter and make Harold's delivery for him, as well as finding an engineer.
Characters[]
Locations[]
- Island of Sodor
- Vicarstown Bridge (mentioned)
- The Mainland
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as Harold
Trivia[]
- This is the first video in the series to use YouTube's premiere function.
- Rob Rackstraw voices Harold in this video instead of Keith Wickham.
- This is the first video in the series to feature a human character, albeit only a minor one at the end.
- The rotors are reused from an animation sequence from You Can Only Be You. In this video, however, the rotor shaft is mounted in Thomas' funnel instead of his dome.
Goofs[]
- The station is missing two of its doors.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas o Helicóptero |
German | Thomas der Hubschrauber |
Indonesian | Thomas si Helikopter |
Italian | Thomas L'Elicottero |
Latin American Spanish | El Helicóptero Thomas |
Polish | Tomek Helikopter |
Russian | Вертолет Томас |
Video[]
Thomas the Rescue Engine[]
Thomas the Rescue Engine is the ninth video in the series. It was originally uploaded on 22 June 2020 before premiering five days later on the usual date. A South Korean dub was released on 3 November 2020 in Naver TV and 6 November 2020 on YouTube.
Plot[]
Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to help Belle put out a burning barn that she cannot reach.
Characters[]
Locations[]
- Sodor Bakery (mentioned)
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rachael Miller as Belle
Trivia[]
- This is the first video in the series not to be uploaded first on a Saturday, albeit only as an unlisted video in a playlist.
- Rachael Miller voices Belle in this video instead of Teresa Gallagher.
- Thomas' equipment includes Flynn's horns, sirens, ladder, headlights and winch, Butch's wheels and Belle's water cannons.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas o Trem de Resgate |
German | Thomas der Rettungswagen |
Indonesian | Thomas si Kereta Penyelamat |
Italian | Thomas Il Mezzo di Soccorso! |
Korean | 토마스, 소방차로 변신 |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas el Camión de Rescate |
Polish | Tomek Strażak |
Russian | Спасательная машина Томас |
Video[]
Thomas and the Lighthouse[]
For other uses, see Thomas and the Lighthouse (disambiguation). |
Thomas and the Lighthouse is the tenth video in the series. It was originally released on 4 July 2020.
Plot[]
On a cloudy day, a lighthouse by the shore stops working, so Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to help Skiff and become as bright as a lighthouse and guide the ship away from the rocks.
Characters[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as Skiff
Trivia[]
- Rob Rackstraw voices Skiff in this video instead of Jamie Campbell Bower.
Goofs[]
- At the end of the video, Skiff's mouth moves but does not say anything. This is fixed in the foreign dubs, where he says "Happy Birthday, Thomas!".
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas e o Farol |
German | Thomas und der Leuchtturm |
Indonesian | Thomas dan Mercusuar |
Italian | Thomas e Il Faro |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas el Faro |
Polish | Tomek i latarnia morska |
Russian | Томас и маяк |
Video[]
Thomas Full Speed Ahead[]
Thomas Full Speed Ahead is the eleventh video in the series. It was originally uploaded on 1 July 2020, before premiering ten days later on the usual date.
Plot[]
Gordon breaks down on the Main Line with a train full of passengers, so Thomas uses one of his magical birthday wishes to become super fast and get them to their destination on time.
Characters[]
Locations[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as Gordon and Percy
Trivia[]
- Rob Rackstraw voices Gordon in this video instead of Keith Wickham. Additionally, this is the first time a character other than Thomas has appeared in more than one video.
- This is the second time someone other than Gordon has said “Oh, the indignity.”
- A reference to both The Adventure Begins and the first series episode Thomas and Gordon is made when Thomas says "Wake up, lazybones!".
Goofs[]
- When Thomas whistles at Gordon, no steam comes out of his whistle.
- Gordon says he has an express coach, when he actually has more than one. Additionally, only one of the coaches has visible passengers.
- The station is missing two of its doors and bulletin boards. Also, the window frames are painted red instead of white.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas a todo vapor |
German | Thomas Volle Kraft voraus |
Indonesian | Thomas Melaju Dengan Kecepatan Penuh |
Italian | Thomas A Tutto Gas |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas a Máxima Velocidad |
Polish | Superszybki Tomek |
Russian | Томас на полной скорости |
Video[]
Thomas the Rubber Band[]
Thomas the Rubber Band is the twelfth video in the series. It was originally released on 18 July 2020.
Plot[]
When James is running out of control, Thomas wishes himself to become elastic so he can stop James before he crashes into the station.
Characters[]
Locations[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as James and Sir Topham Hatt
Trivia[]
- Rob Rackstraw voices James and Sir Topham Hatt in this video instead of Keith Wickham.
- This is the first video where Thomas helps a human character. It is also the first time he has helped someone a second time.
Goofs[]
- Thomas' siderods clip through his frames when James collides with him.
- Thomas and James' crews are missing from the engine's cabs.
- In the German version:
- The apostrophe on the title card is misplaced and it says "Thomas 'magische Geburtstagswünsche".
- James lost his Texan accent he had in his previous video. Instead, Sir Topham Hatt gained the accent.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas e o Elástico |
German | Thomas und das Gummiband |
Indonesian | Thomas si Gelang Karet |
Italian | Thomas L'Elastico |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas la Banda Elástica |
Polish | Tomek z gumy |
Russian | Резинка Томас |
Video[]
Thomas the Elephant[]
Thomas the Elephant is the thirteenth video in the series. It was released on 25 July 2020.
Plot[]
When Emily loses a baby elephant, Thomas sets off to find him, using a magical birthday wish to turn into an elephant and help the little animal.
Characters[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rachael Miller as Emily
Trivia[]
- Rachael Miller voices Emily in this video instead of Teresa Gallagher.
- The baby elephant is animated in a more cartoony design, most notably having larger eyes than in real life along with more spheroid proportions.
- Like in Series 8 to the half of Series 17 as well in some merchandise along with some games, Emily has Henry's whistle sound.
- This is the first online video where Emily has her number.
- Elephant Thomas became a popular internet meme after this video.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas e o Elefante |
German | Thomas und der Elefant |
Indonesian | Thomas dan Gajah |
Italian | Thomas e L'Elefante |
Latin American Spanish | Thomas el Elefante |
Polish | Tomek i słoń |
Russian | Слон Томас |
Video[]
Thomas and the Birthday Surprise[]
Thomas and the Birthday Surprise is the fourteenth and final video in the series. It was released on 1 August 2020.
Plot[]
Thomas attempts to wish for a birthday party for himself, but he finds out that he has run out of magical birthday wishes. His friends, however, have already prepared a party for him at Knapford station to thank him for helping them.
Characters[]
Locations[]
Songs[]
Cast[]
- John Hasler as Thomas
- Rob Rackstraw as Gordon, James, Percy, Toby, Harold and Sir Topham Hatt
- Rachael Miller as Emily, Rosie, Belle, Rebecca and Henrietta
- Yvonne Grundy as Nia
Trivia[]
- Every character featured in the Magical Birthday Wishes shorts appears with the exception of Cranky and Skiff.
- When Thomas blows his whistle, it budges up and down similarly to how Nitrogen Studios animated the whistles.
- Everyone (with the exception of Thomas and Percy) sings "A Thomas Birthday Wish" from the album Happy Birthday Thomas!. Prior to this, Thomas would sing snippets of the song to himself at the end of the prior videos.
Goofs[]
- At one point during the song, Thomas blows his whistle, but no steam emits from it.
- On the Latin American YouTube channel, the Polish version of this video was uploaded instead of the Latin American Spanish version. The Latin American version of this video was later uploaded on the Latin American YouTube on 1st September 2020, where it was included in a compilation with the previous shorts.
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Thomas e a Festa Surpresa |
German | Thomas und die Geburtstagsüberraschung |
Indonesian | Thomas dan Kejutan Ulang Tahun |
Italian | Thomas e La Sorpresa Di Compleanno |
Latin American Spanish | El Cumpleaños Sorpresa de Thomas |
Polish | Tomek i urodzinowa niespodzianka |
Video[]
In Other Languages[]
Language | Title |
---|---|
Brazilian Portuguese | Desejos Mágicos de Aniversário do Thomas |
German | Thomas' magische Geburtstagswünsche |
Indonesian | Permohonan Ajaib Ulang Tahun Thomas |
Italian | I Desideri Magici del Compleanno di Thomas |
Korean | 토마스의 생일 소원 |
Latin American Spanish | Deseos Mágicos de Cumpleaños de Thomas |
Polish | Magiczne życzenia urodzinowe Tomka |
Russian | Волшебные пожелания день рождения Томаса |
Gallery[]
International Logos[]
References[]