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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the magazine story.

“Geoffrey? Geoffrey? What's all this talk about Geoffrey? I'd like to know what this strange engine is doing on my railway. But you, Thomas, seem to be the only one who's seen him.”
― The Fat Controller

Who's Geoffrey? is the first episode of the nineteenth series.

Plot

It is a very busy day on the Island of Sodor, and Thomas is late delivering his goods train to Brendam Docks. When he arrives, Thomas causes trouble by carelessly bashing into some trucks, which causes Cranky to drop a shipment of bouncy balls which bounce all over the dockyard. The trucks say someone pushed them, and Salty and Porter declare that it was not them, which could only mean Thomas bumped into them. Instead of owning up, Thomas lies that the accident was caused by a new engine, that he made up, called Geoffrey. Everyone wants to know about Geoffrey, so Thomas, taking inspiration from things around him, describes Geoffrey as being a big steam engine who came over from the Mainland. After that, Thomas races away quickly before any more questions are asked.

At the Sodor Steamworks, Annie and Clarabel are being repainted when Thomas arrives to collect them. Victor has heard all about Geoffrey and tells Thomas that if the new engine ever needs a fresh coat of paint, he is to come and see him at the Steamworks. Victor asks for Geoffrey's colour, and Thomas tells him that Geoffrey is red.

At Knapford Station, James and Gordon are discussing the elusive new engine. Gordon says that Geoffrey cannot be very fast, but Percy corrects him by saying he was so fast that no one at the docks could get a glimpse of him. Then, the Fat Controller wanders up and is confused by all the talk about Geoffrey and wants to know what the big, red steam engine is doing on his railway. Thomas arrives and tells the Fat Controller that Geoffrey is very shy and is currently hiding in Henry's Tunnel. The Fat Controller orders Thomas to take him there at once, but Thomas races away. The Fat Controller climbs aboard Percy and chases after Thomas.

Due to a level crossing, Thomas arrives at Henry's Tunnel first and hides inside. Percy and the Fat Controller arrive shortly afterwards. The Fat Controller calls into the tunnel to ask Thomas if Geoffrey is there. Thomas says he is, and the Fat Controller then asks to speak to Geoffrey. Thomas quickly disguises his voice and talks to the Fat Controller as Geoffrey, who promises to have no more accidents. The Fat Controller walks away and Thomas thinks he has just gotten away with it, until he hears a whistle coming from behind him. It is Spencer's whistle, but Spencer does not know that Thomas is in the tunnel. Thomas starts quickly and manages to get out of the tunnel as Spencer brakes hard. Out in the open, the Fat Controller is concerned about Geoffrey. Spencer tells the Fat Controller that there was no one else in the tunnel, and Thomas is forced to own up. He apologises and admits to inventing Geoffrey to take the blame for the accident he caused at Brendam Docks. The Fat Controller tells Thomas he should own up what he did and making up Geoffrey caused a lot of chaos. He hopes Thomas can learn from his mistakes today. Percy was sad that Geoffrey doesn’t exist. Thomas puffs away but collides with some more bouncy balls, but this time, he owns up while Spencer unamusingly sighs.

Characters

Locations

Cast

UK

US

  • Joseph May as Thomas
  • Kerry Shale as Gordon and the Man on the Bridge
  • Rob Rackstraw as James
  • Christopher Ragland as Percy and the Troublesome Trucks
  • Glenn Wrage as Spencer and Cranky
  • David Menkin as Porter
  • Keith Wickham as Salty, Bertie, Sir Topham Hatt, the Dock Manager and Some Dock Workers
  • David Bedella as Victor
  • Teresa Gallagher as Annie and Clarabel
  • Steven Kynman as the Bird Watcher

Trivia

  • This is the first episode of several things:
    • The first episode to have John Hasler and Joseph May as the voice of Thomas in the UK and US dubs, respectively.
    • The first episode to have Rob Rackstraw and Keith Wickham as the voice of James and Sir Topham Hatt, respectively, in the US dub.
    • The first episode where Matt Wilkinson gives Cranky a different voice tone.
    • The first episode to feature Nigel Pilkington and Christopher Ragland as the voice of Percy in the UK and US dubs, respectively.
    • The first episode to be written by Lee Pressman since the seventeenth series episode, Wayward Winston.
    • The first episode to have Nigel Pilkington as part of the UK dub cast.
    • The first episode to use the new theme and credits. However, on the DVDs, Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures all the way to Ultimate Friendship Adventures, the original version of the Engine Roll Call is used.
    • The first episode narrated by Francesco Facchinetti in Italy.
    • The first episode since the third series episode, Trust Thomas, where Thomas has his red lining rear on the back of his coal bunker.
    • The first time Spencer appears with his front headlamps.
  • This is the fourth and final original series episode to use a question mark in the title. The first was What's the Matter with Henry?, the second was Which Way Now?, and the third was Bill or Ben?.
  • This is the only episode where Keith Wickham voices the Dock Manager in the UK and US dubs, as well as the only time he is voiced by the same person in both English dubs.
    • On another note, the Dock Manager does not have any dialogue in this episode apart from a few short exclamations.
  • According to Lee Pressman in a 2020 interview, he did not write the ending to the episode. He stated "I really like Who's Geoffrey? (apart from the baffling ending which I didn't write)."[1]
  • On the PBS Kids airing and on nineteenth series digital download, this episode was paired with The Truth About Toby. On the Nick Jr. US airing, this episode was paired with The Other Side of the Mountain.
  • The episode is referenced in the twenty-first series episode, Dowager Hatt's Busy Day, which is another episode written by Lee Pressman.
  • The Fat Controller saying to Thomas that he does not want to hear his excuses could be a reference to the special, Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure.
  • In the Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Baltic Russian and Vietnamese dubs, the UK English dub can be heard in the background as a dubbing track was not used.

Goofs

  • The position of the hill Thomas is on when the Docks are seen in the distance does not appear to match the Island of Sodor's coastline. Then, the hill cannot be seen from the Docks, once Thomas is there.
  • In the first shot of Brendam Docks:
    • Cranky's load is orbiting him, yet Cranky's cabin is not rotating with it.
    • Salty billows steam.
  • At Brendam Docks, in one scene, the Troublesome Trucks appear to have been moved forward when Percy arrives, but no engine is seen moving them.
  • Rob Rackstraw is credited in the UK credits, despite none of his characters speaking in that dub. Additionally, Kerry Shale is not credited in said dub despite voicing the man on the bridge.
  • In the US dub, Salty does not exclaim "Geoffrey?" with Porter, yet Salty's mouth still moves.
  • When Salty shouts, "Shiver me axles!", his mouth does not match what he is saying.
  • A ball lands on Salty's handrail, but in every scene afterwards, the ball is not there.
  • When Spencer exits the tunnel, he is shown to have stopped, but in the next shot, he is still moving.
  • Clarabel complains twice about going fast backwards, even though she is the only part of Thomas' train actually going forwards.

Merchandise

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Brazilian Portuguese Quem é Geoffrey?
Chinese Mandarin 谁是杰弗瑞
Czech Kdo je Geoffrey?
Dutch Wie is Geoffrey?
French Qui est Geoffrey?
Greek Ποιος είναι ο Τζέφρι;
Hungarian A Titokzatos Geoffrey
Italian Chi è Geoffrey?
Japanese なぞのきかんしゃジェフリー
Korean 제프리가 누구지?
Norwegian Hvem er Geoffrey?
Polish Kim jest Jurek?
Romanian Cine e Geoffrey?
Russian Кто такой Джефри?
Serbian Ko je Džefri?
Slovenian Kdo je Gašper?
Spanish ¿Quién es Geoffrey?
Ukrainian Хто такий Джеффрі

Home Media Releases

UK

US

  • Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures (Direct-to-Home Video; US)
  • Season 19

AUS

  • Whale of a Tale and Other Sodor Adventures

FRA

  • Series 19 (Digital Download)

CHN

References



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