Thomas & Friends

Thomas & Friends is currently streaming in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and ABC iview, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Kidstream Amazon Channel, and it uses the format for more than just a visual hook. With 24 seasons behind it, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. 154 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Watch it in order — the character development is cumulative. Put it on tonight on Amazon Prime Video and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Thomas & Friends earns its spot. Visually distinctive and narratively ambitious, Thomas & Friends operates well above the genre average. Thomas & Friends is a British children's television series, which had its first broadcast on the ITV network on 4 September 1984. It is based on The Railway Series of books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. These books deal with the adventures of a group of anthropomorphised locomotives and road vehicles who live on the fictional Island of Sodor. Keith Wickham and Teresa Gallagher bring voice work that does more than the format usually asks for. It ran for 24 seasons (1984–2021), and the writing holds up across every one of them. Thomas & Friends uses the freedom of animation to tell stories live-action could not attempt. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Animation fans will appreciate the craft, but Thomas & Friends works for viewers who do not typically seek out animation too. Viewers who responded to Popeye the Sailor will find a lot to like here too. The 24-season run rewards the patience it asks of you. Keith Wickham brings more to the role than the format usually demands. A harder one to justify skipping than to start.

Thomas & Friends was cancelled in 2021, created by Britt Allcroft, Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry — and 24 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.