New Thomas DVD for December titled Signals Crossed

There is a new Thomas & Friends DVD coming out this December titled Signals Crossed and it has five season 18 episode's. The cover art work looks really good. This DVD is now distributed by Universal Studios.

Episodes: 
Marion & the Pipe
No Steam Without Coal
Signals Crossed
Duncan & the Grumpy Passenger
Thomas & the Emergency Cable

Description: 
Rumbling rails! Thomas and Friends deliver mix-ups and mischief as signals get crossed on the Island of Sodor. Thomas digs Marion out of a deep hole, while Timothy helps Bill and Ben with coal trouble. Toby gets his signals confused at Knapford Junction, as Duncan blows steam dealing with a grumpy passenger. Thomas,Annie and Clarabel put on the brakes when a passenger causes confusion and delay. Join Thomas and his friends as they send out signals for fun and adventure.

Bonus Features: 
Engine Rollcall(Extended Version)
Searching Everywhere music video
Guess Who? Puzzles
Trailers

Signals Crossed Hits US DVD Shelves on December 2nd, 2014

Thanks to the TTTE Wikia for the Information

New Bob the Builder Movie Coming in 2015

We haven't had a Bob the Builder feature-length special since "The Big Dino Dig" in 2011, but next year Hit Entertainment is producing a new one titled "The Diggineers". The image below was found on a news post on the official Hit Entertainment website. Also, a new series of Bob the Builder episode's will be out in late 2015, the title's are still unknown.

Video - Thomas & Friends Railway Mischief DVD Review

Railway Mischief was originally released as a Wall-Mart exclusive in 2013, but I found my copy in another store a year latter, and it came with a 2013 Take n' Play collector's poster. Enjoy the video.

Episode Review: Season 18, Episode 16 - Toad's Bright Idea

 Air Date: September 15th, 2014(UK)

Written By: Davey Moore

Summary

Gator was at the docks waiting for his boat to arrive. He told Salty that he wanted to be useful instead of waiting around. That night Gator was still waiting at the docks when the dock manager told him to bring Olivers trucks to the docks because he broke down.

Right before Gator got to Oliver his lamp went out, so his driver fixed it. Then Gator took Olivers truck's. Then after a few minutes Gators lamp went out again on the way to the docks. Gator stopped by a junction to fix his lamp again, then Gator said hello to James and he ran away scared of Gator because it was night time.

Then soon after Gators light went out again. Toad started to make Gator cross after stopping him to fix his lamp every time it went out, so Gator left Toad behind on the line. But soon after Gator went back to get him because he ran in to some gravel. Since Gators lamp wasn't working Toad said he had to lamp's, so he gave one to Gator. Then they made it to the docks just in time.

Review

This episode was great, and it was nice that the dock manager talked, and that Toad had another roll in an episode. Why did it take Gator until morning to get some trucks to the docks? And what happened to Olive? Did he just stay on the line the whole night? Other than that the episode was an overall great story.

Episode Review: Season 18, Episode 15 - Spencer's VIP

Air Date: September 12th, 2014(UK)

Written By: Andrew Brenner

Summary

Sir Topham Hatt was at Tidmouth Sheds and he told the engine's that he was going to win an award for services to transport. And that an engine would pull the VIP, but Spencer was all ready on the was from the main land with him. Spencer raced by Edward and was diverted on the wrong siding, so he went to the clay pit's and by the time he got to Knapford station he was late and the VIP was cross.

Then all the engine's wanted to take the VIP home, because he didn't want to go with Spencer. So for the rest of the day all of the engine's worked hard, but they were showing off and they all made mistake's. So that night Spencer took the VIP home, but the next day everyone showed him how the railway was really run, and the VIP gave Sir Topham Hatt his transport award, then all the engine's went through the station cheering.

Review

It seems that Percy still asks stupid question's, but it's nice that Emily isn't in the episode and Duck and Oliver are back. The expression's on the signalman were funny with him drinking a cup of coffee and scratching his head, something you never see in the series.

Episode Review: Season 18, Episode 14 - No Steam With Out Coal

 

Air Date: September 11th, 2014

Written By: Davey Moore

Summary

Bill and Ben were at Brendam Docks collecting trucks for the quarry. They decided to race back, but Ben wouldn't wait for his load of coal, and Bill felt bad he lost because he had to carry the heavy load of stone. Once at the Quarry, Marion got cross with Bill and Ben for not getting coal, but they just giggled and said Timothy was the odd one out because he ran on oil.

Then Bill and Ben joked around while shunting trucks of stone. After that Bill and Ben made Timothy feel bad about his oil while he was re-fueling.  After that Bill and Ben had to get more coal, but there was none left, so Timothy had to get the coal from Brendam Docks. Once the coal was loaded in to the hopper Marion made Bill and Ben say sorry to Timothy for being rude to him. Then they all laughed at the end.

Review

This episode was good, and the expressions on Bill and Ben's faces are really funny. Timothy looks like a replacement character for Fergus, and it's strange that Fergus didn't come back instead of introducing Timothy.

Episode Review: Season 18, Episode 13 - Missing Gator

Air Date: September 10th, 2014(UK)

Written By: Andrew Brenner

Summary

Percy was at Brendom Docks thinking about Gator, then there was a flashback of when Percy and Gator first meet at Brendom Docks. Then Percy pulled his next load of trucks thinking about Gator as he went up Gordons Hill. Next time Percy didn't want to think about Gator, so he kept very busy.

Latter he went up to Ulfstead Castle to collect a load of truck's, but he wouldn't wait for them to be coupled on, so he raced down the hill and the trucks got stuck in the mine that Stephen found. Percy was brave and went in  to get the truck's. Once they were delivered Percy was back at Brendom Docks thinking about Gator.

Review

This episode was really great, and the expressions of the Troublesome Trucks are getting better. It was funny that the trucks asked Percy for help and were happy and quiet at the end. This episode is mostly made up of flashback clips from Tale of the Brave. It seems that Andrew Brenner is using character's from the feature-length special's, unlike Sidney having a cameo in Day of the Diesels and never being seen until a few season's latter.

Episode Review: Season 18, Episode 12 - Marion & the Pipe

Air Date: September 9th, 2014(UK)

Written By: Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler

Summary

Marion was fixing an embankment on the mainline, but she also liked to tell stories, so Percy and Gordon avoided her. But soon Thomas came a long and she finished telling him a storie. After Thomas left, Marion burst a hole in a pipe, but she covered it was mud and left. The next day Thomas passed the same spot, then we went to the quarry.

Bill, Ben, and Marion were playing a game of guess what's in the shovel. Then Thomas took Marion to the leaky pipe. Then there was a small landslide, so Marion started to clean it up, but then Gordon came along with the express. Marion knocked a small rock of the track just in time to let him by.

That evening at the quarry Marion was felling a little silly, but Bill and Ben played another game of guess what's in the shovel, it turned out to be mud, again.

Review

Well, it seems like Marion is Emily's replacement character so far. This is a good episode, but why were the workmen laying down not inspecting Marion's work? Normally on a construction site there is a workmen standing by the shovel with a depth measuring stick. Over all the episode was still great, and I really like the sunset scenes.

Episode Review: Seasin 18, Episode 11 - Duncan & the Grumpy Passenger

 Air Date: September 8th, 2014

Written By:  Davey Moore

Summary

Duncan was at the station picking up his passengers, then Rheneas came, and Duncan told him that he had a wobbly wheel and a grumpy passenger. This passenger complained about everything wrong he could think of. At the next station Duncan told Peter Sam about his grumpy passenger.

The next day Duncan got some extra coaches, but he didn't know that they were Skarloey's coaches. Now Skarloey couldn't take his passengers. As Duncan was leaving he saw some workmen waving a flag, but he didn't stop to help. The next morning Duncan's passenger was late, and this held everyone else up, including Skarloey.

Duncan passed the workmen again, and then at the last station Mr Percival was there, he told Duncan that the passenger was always grumpy, so Mr. Percival said to ignore the grumpy passenger and do his work properly. That evening at the station Duncan was happy, and he told Rheneas that he was going to change and stop being grumpy over the passenger. But son after he left the station Duncan was grumpy again.

Review

This was a great episode, and Duncan hasn't been seen much at all in the CGI series, so it's nice that he had a good roll in an episode. I really like the animation on the sunset's in these new episode's as well.

Episode Review: Season 18, Episode 10 - Thomas & the Emergency Cable

Air Date: September 5th, 2014

Written By: Andrew Brenner

Summary

At Knapford Station Thomas, Annie and Clarabel were watching there passenger's get on. There was a strange man with binoculars. On the third station they got to, Thomas asked him who he was, he said he was a bird watcher. Then someone put on the emergency cable, and the grad put the  brakes on the coaches, then they all stopped.

Annie now had a flat wheel, so everyone crammed in to Clarabel. At Knapford Station the bird watcher said sorry to Sir Topham Hatt and then Thomas went to rescue Annie with Rockey. At the Steam Work's, Annie had to wait for the right wheel's to be shipped in.

So Thomas used one coach. Thomas saw the man with binoculars, so he skipped the station, but then a passenger pulled the emergency cable, and Thomas had to stop anyway. At Knapford Station, Sir Topham Hatt was cross with Thomas for not stopping at every station. Then Thomas went to get Annie who was now fixed. At the end of the episode, the bird watcher spotted the rare bird, a wood pecker.

Review

This was a great episode, and the detail in side the coaches is good. Nothing else to say about this episode.

Episode Review: Season 18, Episode 8 - Duck & the Slip Coaches

Air Date: September 3rd, 2014(UK)

Written By: Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler

Summary

It was a busy summer day on Sodor, and Sir Topham Hatt was worried about all the visitor's getting to there destination's on time. Latter that night Duck stayed at the shed's with the engine's. And Duck told the engine's how he used slip coaches on the Great Western Railway when it was busy.

Then Sir Topham Hatt came to the shed's to tell the engine's about the busy day tomorrow. James told Sir Topham Hatt about the slip coaches and how they could help. So the next morning at the shed's there were three slip coaches that had come from the main land. James happily pulled them away.

When James got to the first station and released the coach, he didn't listed to Duck about not slowing down, so the coach bumped in to him. The coaches no longer wanted James to pull them and wouldn't move. Sir Topham Hatt came and realized that it was Duck who told them about the slip coaches. So Duck took the train and everyone got to there destination's.

Review

Wow, never heard of slip coaches before, interesting. It was funny that Emily was kicked out the Tidmouth Shed's twice because of Duck staying there. I hope that the slip coaches will be released in all the toy format's next year. One problem is how do the episode's go from winter to mid summer? You would think they would connect, but I guess not. Over all a great episode.

Episode Review: Season 18, Episode 7 - Duck in the Water

Air Date: September 2nd, 2014(UK)

Written By: Andrew Brenner

Summary

It was winter on Sodor, and James and Duck were at Knapford Station. James was pulling his passenger's and it was raining hard. Then when it was over Harold looked over Duck's line and there was a big puddle on his line. Harold told Sir Topham Hatt that Duck was stuck, then James was told to rescue Duck.

James went to collect Rockey, but he wouldn't wait for his crane arm to be secured. Rockey knocked thing's down on the way including the danger signal that was for Duck. Then Oliver came and hit James and Rockey because there was no signal, then Oliver's driver went to put a danger flag up, but before that Percy bumped all the engine's again putting Duck back in the water.

Harold saw this and told Sir Topham Hatt. James explained that it was his fault because Rockey's crane arm wasn't secured properly. Then after Duck was rescued James took his truck's for him, still grumpy that he couldn't always pull coaches.

Review

This episode was good, it was the first time we've had an early winter on Sodor with rain. What happened to James' driver and fire man? Just like DieselD199 said in his funny episode, they don't seem to have any control over them, but I guess if they did the episode would be boring. It was nice that Duck said his real name was Montague in the CGI series.