This television series is based upon the Railway Series children's books by Wilbert Awdry who in the 1950s and 60s wrote a series of charming, captivating and well illustrated books that are good works of art in their own right of 26 volumes. The series captures for us in the present the significance and romance of the railway during the 20th Century and especially the era in which Awdry wrote the books and can be considered great children's literature. The stories were well narrated by Ringo Starr and made in the right period of the 1980s not long after the books and the era of its effect.
The series during the first two seasons recreates the stories of the books and the characters and does this well being a electronic variation of the books and is entertainment. However after the second series when in my view the remaining stories should of been done and completed during making it a classic television series. The problem with the series now is it turned like all children's programs of the 1980s in to a money making spree exhausting and devaluing the series that has lasted to the present and become a merchandise phenomena and spree with new endless books all of which spoils and exhausts the original which is why i have given it an average rating along with the bad title of "Thomas" and not The Railway Series.
As a child i enjoyed the first two series along with the books which is based upon but now it has been stripped of its cultural value and demure. The original series by Ringo Starr and the books belongs in the 20 century and should be left intact in the present as it emphasis in literature the later stage of the railway historically making it a classic as in the early series on television and will encourage children to read the books and the importance of the steam and diesel railway as a historical heritage.
The series during the first two seasons recreates the stories of the books and the characters and does this well being a electronic variation of the books and is entertainment. However after the second series when in my view the remaining stories should of been done and completed during making it a classic television series. The problem with the series now is it turned like all children's programs of the 1980s in to a money making spree exhausting and devaluing the series that has lasted to the present and become a merchandise phenomena and spree with new endless books all of which spoils and exhausts the original which is why i have given it an average rating along with the bad title of "Thomas" and not The Railway Series.
As a child i enjoyed the first two series along with the books which is based upon but now it has been stripped of its cultural value and demure. The original series by Ringo Starr and the books belongs in the 20 century and should be left intact in the present as it emphasis in literature the later stage of the railway historically making it a classic as in the early series on television and will encourage children to read the books and the importance of the steam and diesel railway as a historical heritage.