The New What Made You Frown Today Thread

[Any Del]

My interest in Thomas started back in 2001 when I use to have some Season 5 tapes narrated by Alec Baldwin and watching "Thomas and the Magic Railroad". Season 6 still kept my interest. Yes, the HIT era had some crappy episodes but some were still enjoyable for me at least.

For me I jumped shipped since season 12 when the show started going CGI because I missed the fully modeled episodes. Then after when time passed I took a break from Thomas all together. It wasn't until 2015 "The Adventure Begins" that's when I started getting back into Thomas because the film brought back nostalgia by re-telling old Thomas stories. And then I started appreciating the CGI series (Season 17 - 21). But once BWBA ( Big World, Big Adventures) started. I permanently jumped ship.

 

[LittleJerry92]

I can at least give credit where credit is due with the model era of HiT - some episodes did have some beautiful scenery. It’s just frustrating when you have to deal with that watered-down music and childish plots.

The Andrew Brenner era I will also give credit for bringing back old characters and introducing new RWS stories into episode adaptions, I just never liked the CGI look to the show.

 

[fuzzygobo]

The thing is Thomas originally was meant to only be intended for two seasons in the UK. The crew ended up focusing on its sister show TUGS a year after the second season finished in the UK….. which sadly didn’t gain as big popularity as Thomas did and ended.

Then in 1989 is when Shining Time Station came about and Thomas was brought to America, still only intended for two seasons with Ringo’s narrations. It wasn’t until its popularity in Japan that Thomas got renewed for a third season (courtesy of FujiTV) and then the rest is history.

For me personally, I could have lived with Thomas just having two seasons with UK dubs by Ringo. I could have also lived with the show just having four seasons, or five and the first movie, or seven seasons total. But eight onward is when I officially jump ship.

How do you compare Ringo’s version of Mr. Conductor to George Carlin?

 

[LittleJerry92]

In terms of what, his acting, his narrations or both?

 

[fuzzygobo]

Both.

 

[LittleJerry92]

Well, as far as Mr. Conductor goes, I always had a thing more for Carlin in the role. I felt he had a little more energy with the character than Ringo did. But that could also be because he was only in there for one season.

As for narrations, I think they’re both unique in their own ways. Ringo’s British accent definitely fit the British vibe of the series, and while he started off a little monotone-ish in season 1, he drastically improved in the following season and I love how he had the chance to even re-dub certain areas of episodes from seasons 1 and 2 on Shining Time Station to brighten them up. As a kid I was very surprised hearing his voice in “With a Little Help from my Friends” and “Yellow Submarine.” It took me awhile to figure out it was the same person.

George is my favorite U.S narrator and favorite narrator overall. While I’m not a fan of some of his narrations that Ringo already did in the U.S, he definitely had a good versatility with all the characters and even put on different accents with some of them. It made it feel like the engines all had their own unique voices when watching them as a kid.

 

[fuzzygobo]

I only saw Thomas a few times, once or twice each with Ringo or George.
The character that stood out to me more was Schemer. He seemed like a scuzzy dirtbag hustler. Probably had a second job selling used cars.

 

[LittleJerry92]

I always loved Schemer and how much of an absolute self-absorbed manchild he was. It's too bad his actor didn't really do much afterwards.

But yeah, Thomas was a huge part of my childhood with so many positive memories.... I hate how it's pretty much been milked to death and ruined, and it doesn't help that the original author of the Railway Series Wilbert Awdry was constantly taken advantage of even after his death.

 

[fuzzygobo]

Well, Thomas was to you what Sesame and the Electric Company were to me.

 

[LittleJerry92]

At the very least Sesame Street always stayed up to date with modern events and knew what children wanted to see, regardless of how older fans of different generations may feel about seasons following their time watching. Thomas just…… became an absolute disaster.