ThomasNATION Classic Reviews - Thomas and the Billboard
June 27, 2026
Being the final Model Era production before the series had its full transition into CGI, Season 12 of Thomas & Friends is a rough one as a lot of change occurred this year yet the production behind this season is rather interesting especially considering how this is the only season of the original series to be a hybrid of two styles as a mostly model production but now with CGI brought in as well and how we almost had James Bond himself Pierce Brosnan as narrator for the series following his prior debut in "The Great Discovery" yet was shown the door in favor of both Michael Angelis and Michael Brandon returning instead and needing to match their narrations to the already existing animation with Pierce's narrations which kind of restricted having a more natural performance. In a way, this season is a sort of time capsule into HIT Entertainment's priorities with Thomas lied at this time being that they were already dabbling with ideas of how to transition the series into the modern realm of CGI following Season 11 wrapping its production in early 2007 and had intended to keep the series in this hybrid style for a few more seasons before fully transitioning into CGI. Season 12 was in no way the swan song that the Model Era of Thomas deserved and was nothing more than a stain on the franchise's history. But in order to truly understand how unorthodox of a season it truly was, we need to go back to the very beginning of this unique mess of a season as we recount the tale of "Thomas and the Billboard"!
THOMAS AND THE BILLBOARD: Diesel accidentally obscures Thomas in a photograph of the engines, causing Thomas to think he did it on purpose.
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I know that we all like to complain about how we feel like Thomas himself gets too much screentime in the series and takes it away from the other engines, some of whom are in some desperate need of some development. But for Thomas to have to go through all of this trouble just to keep Diesel from being in the new photo for the billboard is completely stupid on his part, and to think that all of this is because he thought Diesel moving right in front of him in the first photo attempt was done on purpose. What I'm sure we all think that he should have done when he saw the first billboard is...to ask to take a new photograph and explain what happened? I swear, this really was the season where not only was the "three strikes" formula at a point where it feels like the writers gave even less care than they did during the prior seasons of the HIT Era, but the most nonsensical of things happen in this season alone just for the sake of plot convenience.
On top of that, let's address the loads that were given out to Gordon, Emily and James. A clown, a brass band and decorations? Why do you have to go all out for something that's not even that exciting in the eyes of so many people? It's just a billboard. It doesn't even really promote anything. This may be a nitpick, but why is Diesel even here in the first place? Not only does it make no sense for him to be there since it's clearly meant to be a billboard of the Steam Team, but if I remember correctly, I thought there was this big vendetta between the diesels and steamies. What, did that concept just suddenly get tossed out the window all of a sudden? Oh yeah, this is the HIT Era of Thomas & Friends, where lessons are forgotten not long after the engines have learned them even if they have to shove the moral of the story down your throat to make sure that it sticks with you. How could I forget? And I know that it's a kids show, but I really don't think a billboard can't be made in just one day. The accident, I find unrealistic. What, was the rope too weak to hold the billboard down to the flatbed or something? It would've been better if Thomas was diverted into a siding via a nearby signalman and a loose tree branch ripped up the poster. The fact the engines choose tracks to go on actually baffles me.
Final Rating: 1.5/5
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