Iconic children’s TV show ‘tarnished’ by US reboot claims original series creator

The creator behind beloved kids’ TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends has slammed its US reboot.

Britt Allcroft, 80, who produced the show for 19 years between 1984 and 2003, has said the legacy of the programme has been ‘tarnished’ due to the changes made in the American version.

That US reboot, Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go, launched in 2021, a decade after the property was purchased by international toy company Mattel.

After buying the rights to the show, Mattel said it wanted to take an ‘entirely new approach’ to the franchise, which would involve using a new animation style and featuring a more diverse cast in its shows.