| For other uses, see Thomas Saves the Day (disambiguation). |
- “Slow down, slow down! And puff with care!”
- ― Annie and Clarabel advising Thomas about the difficult bend
Thomas Saves the Day is the sixth episode of the eighth series.
Plot
One Summer's Day, Thomas is helping with the construction of a brand-new station of Kellsthorpe Road on the Main Line by taking the workmen to the site and back home again. However, there is a difficult bend before the final approach to the station, which makes Thomas nervous, but Annie and Clarabel always advise Thomas to slow down and puff with care. Upon arrival at the new station, Thomas is informed by the Fat Controller that Annie and Clarabel are due for an overhaul at the repair yard, so he must take them there and use other coaches to take the workmen.
However, Thomas is very worried that, without Annie and Clarabel, he will not be able to tackle the difficult bend. The next morning, Thomas' nerves get the better of him, as he accidentally bumps into his substitute coaches, which roll back into James, who crossly warns him to watch what he is doing. Later, whilst negotiating the difficult bend, Thomas decides to speed up, but ends up coming off the tracks with the coaches and stopping in the bushes. Harvey comes to Thomas' rescue, but Thomas feels that he is not really useful without Annie and Clarabel. Harvey believes otherwise and takes the workmen and the coaches to the new station.
Thomas heads off for Tidmouth Sheds, longing to be back with Annie and Clarabel, but then he spots some trucks which have broken away from Edward, heading towards the new station. Thomas gives chase and overtakes the runaway trucks, knowing they will destroy the station if they reach it before he does, but he is getting closer and closer to the difficult bend. This time, Thomas remembers his coaches' advice to slow down and puff with care. He gets around the bend on his own, and the runaway trucks go around the twisty tracks as well. Thomas keeps ahead of the trucks and alerts the signalman to change the points to stop the oncoming runaway. The signalman does so just in time, and the runaway trucks are diverted into a siding, where they are stopped by crashing into the buffers, destroying the trucks in the process but leaving the station safe.
Thomas is taking Annie and Clarabel to the new station for the grand opening the next day, but he finds the bend is no longer difficult this time.
Characters
- Thomas
- James
- Harvey
- Annie and Clarabel
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Toby (does not speak)
- Edward (pre-filmed footage; does not speak)
- Stephen Hatt (cameo)
- Bridget Hatt (cameo)
- Gordon (pre-filmed footage cameo; full role cut)
- Percy (pre-filmed footage cameo)
- Troublesome Trucks (mistakenly mentioned)
- Henry (deleted scene)
Locations
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Kellsthorpe Road
- The Difficult Bend
- Knapford
- Sodor Dairy (mentioned)
- Brendam Docks (mentioned)
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the fifth episode of the eighth series.
- Extended pre-filmed footage from the eighth series episode Chickens to School, as well as classic extended stock footage from the fifth series episode Bye George! is used.
- This episode shares its name with the US dub of the first series episode Thomas and the Breakdown Train.
- A deleted scene shown in the learning segment "Sir Topham Hatt's Helping Hand" shows that Gordon was to have a larger role in this episode. A promotional picture also shows Thomas with his depressed face and Harvey on the same track he is on.
- In the Peep! Peep! Hurray! Three Cheers for Thomas VHS/DVD and half-hour Nick Jr. UK airing Personality, Thomas saying "Thank you sir" and the narrator saying "He was so proud it made his firebox glow" are said earlier than in the individual version of the episode with the UK dub.
- In the individual version of the episode, the music at the end is omitted except for in the CITV airing and The Greatest Stories US DVD.
- This episode marks the first appearance of two things:
- The first appearance of Kellsthorpe Road station in the television series.
- The first physical appearance of Thomas' anxious face in an episode, since it was used in the Trouble on the Tracks PC game.
- This episode marks the last of a few things:
- Annie and Clarabel's last episode with leading roles until the eighteenth series episode, Not So Slow Coaches and their only speaking roles in the eighth series.
- The final episode taking place on Sodor where Thomas pulls the Red Branchline Coaches instead of Annie and Clarabel until the twenty-fourth series episode, Thomas' Animal Friends.
Goofs
- In a close-up of Thomas talking to Annie and Clarabel about the grand opening of the new station, his eyes are a little bit misaligned.
- In a close-up of the Fat Controller at the beginning of the episode, he has markings on the left (viewers' right) side of his neck.
- In a first-person shot from Thomas, the end of the set is visible.
- The narrator refers to the runaway trucks as troublesome trucks, yet they are mostly flatbeds of pipes, and none of the trucks have faces.
- When the trucks pass Thomas, another section of tracks can be seen.
- Thomas says he will tell the stationmaster about the runaway trucks, but he tells the signalman.
- Thomas applies his brakes to slow down at the bend, but his wheels are still moving.
- Due to stock footage, the signalman was different than the one Thomas was talking to at Kellsthorpe Station.
- When the signalman changes the points, a thin wire that is used to change them can be seen. Also, a piece of vegetation next to the points slightly moves because of the wire.
- Just before the trucks crash, the buffers appear to move down a bit.
Merchandise
- Magazine Stories - Thomas Saves the Day (2005)/Thomas Saves the Day (2009)
- Books - Thomas Do Not Panic
In Other Languages
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Home Video Releases
UK
UK DVD BoxsetsAUS
AUS DVD Boxsets
US/CANUS/CAN DVD Packs
NOR/SWE/DKFINROMROM DVD PacksCZZAZA DVD BoxsetCHNMYSJPNPOLNLHUNHUN DVD BoxsetINIDNSPNSPN DVD BoxsetTHATWNHK
KOR |
| #01 Thomas and the Tuba | #10 Emily's New Route | #19 Fish |
| #02 Percy's New Whistle | #11 Thomas and the Firework Display | #20 Emily's Adventure |
| #03 Thomas to the Rescue | #12 Gordon Takes Charge | #21 Halloween |
| #04 Henry and the Wishing Tree | #13 Spic and Span | #22 You Can Do It, Toby! |
| #05 James Gets a New Coat | #14 Edward the Great | #23 James Goes Too Far |
| #06 Thomas Saves the Day | #15 Squeak, Rattle and Roll | #24 Chickens to School |
| #07 Percy's Big Mistake | #16 Thomas and the Circus | #25 Too Hot for Thomas |
| #08 Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough | #17 Thomas Gets It Right | #26 Percy and the Magic Carpet |
| #09 Don't Tell Thomas | #18 As Good as Gordon | |