Thread by @TrackMFan, so what do i think makes Thomas so great and what do [...]

so what do i think makes Thomas so great and what do i think this reboot is missing out on?
usually i prefer to just discuss why i enjoy Thomas and not think about the bad, but i think i wanna speak up a bit more this time around

a long, probably unneeded thread

Thomas has evovled so much over the years. the series started with the books, then the model TVS, and now CGI. but even with the show under HiT's ownership, and then Mattel Creations, the absolute bare minimum of what makes Thomas Thomas is there

what makes Thomas Thomas?? Sodor, this vast and beautiful we've been connected to for ages
this family of characters who stick together through thick and thin, have arguments, but still learn their lessons and make up for it

Sodor did not need a map, Sodor didn't need so many characters. Awdry could have used like 7 characters and left it at that. but he didn't. he cared about this world he was building, so he created several characters and towns to setup the stage for his stories

and while i joke about the TV series a lot, i still applaud the crew for keeping to the magic of Thomas. sure, it wasn't perfect, but it kept what Thomas is at its core. it used tons of the original characters, there was attention paid to the mapping and locations (sorta...)

they cared. the crew for the TVS cared about keeping Thomas' world.

now this next bit will be a bit hard to explain, so... here we go

the HiT model and CGI eras were far from perfect, but i still give them credit. because they still replicated locations from the older episodes (hell, they even made ones that weren't in the show), they used some of the minor characters, while shifting focus to the steam team

but at its core, even with the childish stories, you could tell it was still Sodor. even with the outdated animation, you can tell attention was paid to the world of Thomas and ensuring kids could tell it was Sodor

THAT is really important

now the Mattel CGI era of course had Brenner and once again the original tone of the series and world was truly being recaptured. it was wonderful, because it understood what Thomas originally was, but knew how to re-innovate it for new audiences
again, new locations and old ones

BWBA is REALLY hard to... 'defend' here, because it strips Thomas of basically everything but the world
i don't like BWBA, and what i'm gonna say here is not in defense, but more out of fairness

BWBA takes Thomas around the world, but at least he is still on Sodor most of the time. he is still surrounded by characters of Sodor, and still faces challenges between him and his friends

but yes, knowing what comes next makes it super hard to like BWBA.

... this is not Sodor.

the world of Thomas, which we've all grown to love (and even recreate ourselves) is just hill after hill. i genuinely doubt we're getting even 4 original locations. all i can see happening is Tidmouth Sheds, Knapford and Brendam only out of obligation for Cranky

for a show that still holds the title of Thomas and Friends, this promo picture looks very lonely huh??
for a show that still holds the title of Thomas and Friends, it's kinda shocking that EVERY episode will focus on Thomas huh??

look at these characters. remember all the adventures we shared with them. remember how we saw them overcome their shortcomings, remember how we saw this family grow

and it doesn't matter because we'll never see them grow again under THIS reboot.

all the dignity of Thomas has been taken. the world that so many of us love and know like our second homes is suddenly just looking like any other generic show.
the family who we saw learn, change, and help each other in their times of need, are ALL taking a backseat to 'Thomas'

it is not Thomas and Friends if the show is basically just about Thomas. even BWBA knew this. this is how we got stories about other characters.
now?? nope. not anymore. just Thomas.

i love these characters so much. they mean so much to me. some of my worst days were brightened up by just reading, or watching, or learning about their stories. they felt so real. like i had a real connection to them.

i don't think kids will have any connection to this that goes beyond 'ooooo choo choo train!!'

Thomas is meant to standout from every other show. it has 75 years of heritage, it has been passed down from generation to generation. this series is almost as old as Mickey Mouse

so much work and love was put into Thomas. and now look where we are.

Mattel refuse to take responsibilities for the problems they created. they refuse to appreciate the work of everyone who worked on Thomas. THIS is their thanks. taking the last thing that made Thomas so wonderful away. now it's the PERFECT setup to be like every other show

my wish is for kids to share a similar understanding of Thomas that we do. that this is a big, vast world, where the characters can grow alongside ourselves

not just 'oooo look another kids show!'

Thomas is a hero. he shaped so many people's lives. he grew with us. he learnt so much, he saw the world literally and metaphorically.
my morals of today were shaped by Thomas. i learnt from this series how beautiful friendship is, and how we can make amends and fix things

i see none of that when i see this reboot. all i see is a kids cartoon. i see no pride. i see no wonder. i see no respect to children. i see no respect to the people who cared for this brand.

i hope that one day. someone will come and understand how beautiful Thomas is, take the show, and either mend it for future generations or give it most dignified and wonderful ending that it truly deserves.

so there: that's what made Thomas Thomas. thank you everyone who made this series so great. and thank you for taking the time to read this. please, share your yhoughts on this reboot. even if you look forward to it, i'm super keen to hear your thoughts. we gotta talk about this

end of thread :,)

not end of thread because I should stress that I don’t blame the new team for this work!! I’m glad they have work, and I’m sure they’ll fulfill Mattel’s requests well, but their requests are the problem

NOW that’s the end

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