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Description

Thomas and Friends, previously known as Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, is the name of the television series based on the Railway Series by the Reverend W. Awdry. It was adapted for television by Britt Allcroft using original stories from the Railway Series before using television-exclusive stories written by independent writers. The series has spawned seventeen television seasons, a movie, and seven feature-length specials, with a second movie in the works. The series is currently being produced by HiT Entertainment, who have filmed the series since its acquisition of Gullane Entertainment in 2003. In April 2008, it was announced that filming of the series would transfer to Nitrogen Studios in Canada and be CGI animated. The first use of CGI for the series was used during the twelfth season for the faces for the engines, people, and animals, although characters in background shots would still have the traditional plastic faces. Hero of the Rails was released in Fall 2009. Since then, the series has been fully CGI animated. In February 2012, it was announced that Arc Productions would take over the CGI animation aspect. Thomas and Friends revolves around the railway engines that live on the Island of Sodor. The show is mainly about the title character, Thomas, a cheeky little blue tank engine with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler, and a short stumpy dome. Thomas and Friends takes place on the standard gauge North Western Railway and the narrow gauge Skarloey Railway. The head of the North Western Railway is Sir Topham Hatt, affectionately nicknamed "The Fat Controller" by the engines and staff. The Skarloey Railway is operated by Mr. Percival, "The Thin Controller". Since the second season, there has been a rivalry between the steam and Diesel engines.