Thomas and Friends - Season 12

infobox tvseason
season_name = "Thomas & Friends" Series 12
headercolour = 8D78CC
show_name = Thomas & Friends
dvd_release_date =
dvd_format =
country = UK, Canada
network = Five, Cartoon Network (US and Au), PBS (US)
first_aired = 1 September, 2008
last_aired =
num_episodes = 20
prev_season = Series 11 (2007)
next_season = Series 13 (2009)|

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, later renamed "Thomas and Friends" is a children's television series, based on the Railway Series of children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry, and which was first broadcast in 1984. Season 12 premiered on 1 September, 2008 in the United Kingdom [http://library.digiguide.com/lib/programmenextshowing/237292&hPage=2] , My DigiGuide - Five schedule] , with Pierce Brosnan has been announced as the new narrator for the UK & US version. [cite web
title =Pierce Brosnan Announced As New Narrator For Thomas & Friends
work =(Press Release)
publisher =HIT Entertainmnent
date =19 July 2007
url =http://www.hitnewsonline.com/releases/detail/pierce_brosnan_new_narrator_for_thomas_friends/thomas_friends
accessdate = 2007-09-10 ]

Changes

Season 12 will mark the beginning of "Thomas & Friends"' transition into CGI. [http://www.licensing.biz/news/1323/NEW-YORK-08-Hit-reveals-new-look-for-Bob-and-Thomas] , Licensing.biz, "Hit reveals new look for Bob and Thomas"] [http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=tombob060908.htm] , Worldscreen, "Thomas, Bob Take CGI Route"] Characters' faces are animated through CGI with the aid of motion capture animation - the physical models' molded faces have been replaced by targets in order to fix a computer-animated face in post-production. Static models of people and animals have been replaced by 3D animations. The animation for this and future seasons will be provided by Nitrogen Studios, moving production of the series out of the United Kingdom and into Canada. [http://www.nitrogenstudios.com/] , Nitrogen Studios website]

HIT Entertainment's Senior Vice President of Production and Programming, Christopher Skala, stated that the change, aside from budgetary reasons, was intended to convey more emotion and flexibility through the stories. Skala claimed that, of his focus group, even those who felt that "Thomas", as an institution, should not be changed in this way ultimately responded positively to the demonstration of the new animation techniques.

The show will be animated entirely in its next season, currently slated to air in 2009.

Narration

Season 12 was announced to feature the narration of "Pierce Brosnan", following the release of his debut episode with "Thomas and Friends": "The Great Discovery". It appears that the first run of Season 12 episodes in the United Kingdom are to feature the narration of former U.K. narrator, "Michael Angelis". This may be due to the fact that HiT planned on "Pierce Brosnan's" first narration with the show to be released on October the 6th on the DVD "The Great Discovery" (in the United Kingdom), while Season 12 premiered on September 1st, prior to "Brosnan's" official debut.

Episodes

Twenty episodes have been confirmed to air on the United Kingdom's Five, airing one story in each broadcast. Currently, all of these episodes are scheduled for broadcast in the United States, which will continue to air two episodes in the twenty-eight-minute format introduced with Series 8. The new episodes will be premiered in a different order from the United Kingdom. [http://www.opb.org/programs/program.php?id=16955] , Oregon Public Broadcasting schedule] [http://www.ket.org/cgi-bin/schedule/series.pl?id=THOF&do=list_episodes&cd=1&&layout=popup] , Kentucky Educational Television schedule] [http://www.thirteen.org/411/program_info.php?id=286] , WNET thirteen Episode Guide]

References