I don't usually do seperate blog posts for specific episodes of Thomas and Friends. But this one has really plagued my thoughts for so long I can't ignore them anymore. As we all know, this episode features the return of the Narrow Gauge engines, and the first time they're seen in full CGI. But that's pretty much it...
The episode itself is a re-write of The Green Controller from Series 10, as well as Sir Handel in Charge from Series 11... yet it's been voted the 2nd most popular Series 16 episode by fans in two separate polls. Why?
Simple. It's the same reason fans like Saved You! and Gordon Takes a Short Cut: the episodes aren't exactly written very well, with the lack of railway knowledge on show perfectly, yet fans like them because old characters returned. In Gordon Takes a Short Cut Duck, Oliver and Toad appeared, while the pannier tank appeared with Donald and Douglas in Saved You!.
However, I'm not too bothered about the above episodes as they were both quite entertaining and, most of all, they were original. Don't Bother Victor was never designed to be original. It was clear even from the description that was provided three weeks before it aired that it was going to be unoriginal!
The whole situation though makes me, above everything else, sad. The Railway Series had good, entertaining stories throughout its 42 volumes. Kids could follow the story through really well and fans judged their opinions on the story they read. Yet now, all they judge opinions on is what they see on screen. That's fine, but that's around 30% of what makes a good television series. In Thomas' case, there are three other factors to consider: voices, music and, most importantly, the story. And it's the story that fans are completely forgetting.
Yes, it was nice to see the narrow gauge engines again. Yes, it was nice to see Victor work away from the Steamworks rather than be told that he'd gone and, yes, the narrow gauge engines looked stunning. But with the story so contrived, repetitive and downright boring as it was, I simply could not enjoy their return, and I can't understand its popularity as an episode.
I know fans have the right to their own opinions, but I think they should really take the rose tinted spectacles off now and remember that Thomas only became famous because of its fantastic storytelling. Without that key component, I fear that Thomas will never be successful as a television show ever again, and will only be successful as a brand to make money from...
If you did like Don't Bother Victor's story though, please do say why in the box below. It will be very interesting to read any and all responses.
What I'd love to see is RWS stories remade in CGI. Fantastic visuals with fantastic stories; now THAT would be nice.
ReplyDeleteSame. Hopefully, with the new production team in place that may happen.
DeleteIts because the Thomas fanbase is pretty much a herd of sheep all they are taught to know is that you should call HiT "sHiT" because its "cool" also to make these horrible long "want lists" like "I WWHANT DOUCK AND BOC O AND SPEHNY BETUM A;ND TAOD!!!!1" I'm sorry to say that for a fanbase who calls themselfs vertrans are really just a bunch of 10 year olds its a pure shame really...
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said it better :P
DeleteI agree, I was happy that NG engines came back, but was not impressed with the episode. If the new production team ever think of having a RWS story on the screen, I would really love to see 'Super Rescue'. Imagine the stunning CGI of Henry hauling two 'dead' diesels with their long trains, now that will be a site to see.
ReplyDeleteI would love the whole Enterprising Engines book to be done, I don't think Tenders for Henry was adapted that well. Sadly though, that wasn't really anyone's fault. If they had a bigger budget it would've been better
DeleteYeah. Enterprising Engines wasn't voted the best Railway Series book for nothing.
DeleteThe only and I repeat ONLY!!! reason why I even remotely enjoy this episode is seeing the Skarloey Railway in CGI. Even that wasn't all it was cracked up to be! The engines looked AMAZING don't get me wrong, but the railway itself looked really unrealistic. First of all, the Talyllyn Railway coaches?! REALLY? Second the shed has been screwed up again! Third, it's NOT a double track line!
ReplyDeleteRant end.
To be honest, I quite liked the coaches. I would've preferred the cream and blue colour scheme but I don't mind what we got. I agree about the narrow gauge railway though, it's been absolutely butchered. The blue mountain quarry's meant to be at the end of the Skarloey line yet there are STANDARD GAUGE tracks there?! Not to mention the constant two track line everywhere else. It's like calling a track with 3 lines "Thomas' branch line"...
DeleteThe only time the NG engine looks believable is in railway series illustrations...
Well I'll have to disagree on saying it makes no sense. The BMQ looks like its a major mining operation (The entire area appears to be bigger than the dieselwork's sourounding area and its dipped down meaning that they mined and dug all of it) I suppose the reasoning behind a standard gauge line would be that clearly that this is a somewhat of major slate cluster that Sodor is tradeing with Britain/other countrys so it would make senese that the (NW)Railway would consider to build a line running up to it because the "Thomas Timeline" is somewhere in the 18th/19th-century that means that Slate is in high demaned, and that supports idea that the Narrow gauge railway is expanding = more traffic (you know some sort of deal was struck with the sodor company to sell slate to other countrys) because the Skarloey Railway can't run soley on tourism, so saying that it was just "Butched" seems daft if you look at the sheer size and cost it must of costed to set something like that up the BMQ and say that it wasn't somehow not funded by the Sodor goverment or some outside soure that isn't the sodor railway itself. so in short BMQ = Massive state mining operation = more traffic = double lines(some sort of main line)
DeleteAnyway thats how I see it cheers.
The reason why I say it makes no sense and why the NG railway (not the engines, they're brilliant :P) is this.
DeleteThe whole Narrow Gauge railway is based on the Tallylyn Railway, that runs from a quarry up in the hills down to the main Wharf at Tywyn, Wales. The only place standard gauge and narrow gauge meet is at Tywyn, and the NG line goes up one track. Only when there's a loop or sidings do you see more than one.
The Railway Series captured that extremely well. The sheds were raised from the ground to match the look of Tywyn's wharf while the standard gauge railway only met with the NG railway at Crovan's Gate. The TV series (Series 4) captured that reasonably well two, despite the sheds not being raised. And despite there being two stations right next to each other. And despite there beijng a three track NG line at the station.
As the series progressed though, two track lines became the norm and it looked nothing like the Tallylyn Railway, nor did it look like it did in Series 4 or the Railway Series. It just looked a mess. Also, as shown in a map on the Standard Gauge vs Narrow Gauge segment, the Skarloey line looks the same as it was mapped out by the Awdrys, with the BMQ on a line past Skarloey station. Since that's the case, the ONLY way a SG engines could get up there is if the line followed the same route as the NG railway. If that's the case, then it just makes the role of a narrow gauge railway on Sodor completely pointless.