A Really Useful Children’s Show

First off, a little ditty from the departed Mr. Isaac Hayes:

Who’s the little blue engine that’s the cheeky one to all his friends?

Thomas!

Damn Right.

Who is the steamie that would shunt some trucks for his brother steamie?

Thomas!

Can you dig it?

Who’s the engine that won’t fuss or pout even if his work has put him out?

Thomas!

Right on. 

They say this Thomas is a really useful mother…

Shut your mouth.

Just talkin’ about Thomas.

And we can dig it. 

He’s a complicated engine and no one understands him but Sir Topham Hat.

Thomas the Tank Engine.

I’ve been a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine for years.  In high school, on days when I’d pick up my step-brother from kindergarten, we would often come back home and watch “Shining Time Station” together.  For those who don’t remember it, “Shining Time Station” was an odd little PBS children’s show that took place in, yes, you guessed it, the Shining Time Train Station.  A live action show, the stories about Thomas and his friends were introduced by “Mr. Conductor,” a magical railway personage, roughly a foot tall, who would handily materialize to introduce and narrate a Thomas story related to the day’s moral.  This hokey premise was held together by two remarkable strokes of genius: 1. The structure of the Thomas stories; 2. The casting of Mr. Conductor: Ringo Starr and, later, George Carlin. 

There I was, in high school, watching two of my heroes (I loved the comedy of George Carlin and my favorite band was, and still is, the Beatles) camping it up with moralistic children’s stories.  It blew my mind.  “There must be something to this,” I thought.  After all, how does one of the world’s greatest cynics (here I’m speaking of Mr. Carlin for those of you who may think too ill of Ringo) end up on daytime television narrating stories of productivity and conformity? 

Though my step-brother and I enjoyed the Thomas stories, it wasn’t until after Mimi entered my life, and I had spent years working in preschool education, that I really began to understand the brilliance of how the Thomas stories are presented, particularly for television. 

First off, the stories themselves have a lot going for them:

1.     A wide but not overwhelming cast of primary characters

2.     Gentle misbehavior that children can recognize and relate to

3.     A plot structure that children can anticipate

4.     A realistic and relatable context, but one still removed from reality (e.g. engines that can talk, the fictional island of Sodor, a historical setting)

5.     An extensive cast of supplementary characters that brings out children’s natural instincts for investigation and categorization

But what I find most remarkable is how these stories are relayed in the television format (or at least were).  Critically, each story is told through an omniscient narrator who outlines the action and provides the voices of the characters.  In this sense, “Thomas and Friends” is just about as close to reading a book with your child as television can get.  The only thing missing is the text on the screen.  Hmm, maybe I should see if I can turn on the closed captioning for the show.  That would be great! 

Unfortunately, there have been some changes to “Thomas and Friends” that, I believe, have been quite detrimental to the series.  The first is the shift from shooting each episode using a physical model railroad set to doing everything in CGI.  To some this may be a minor point, but I think it’s a great misfortune.  Even though the trains were models and the people never moved, they felt far more “real.”  Because they were!  They actually existed.  I can’t help think that has an impact on a child’s imagination, both during the show and later when it comes to play.  The relatively static scenes of the models also helped to make the show more like a book reading. 

The switch to CGI has also allowed for the most troubling change to the series: the characters now speak for themselves.  This is a terrible mistake and undermines one of the primary aspects that made the show both unique and endearing.  With the characters now giving voice to their own thoughts, “Thomas and Friends” is much closer to a mere television show than a collection of read-aloud stories.  A quick perusal of the internet will show that I am not alone in my despair.  However, I can select for those pre-CGI episodes to share with Mimi thanks to Netflix streaming. 

Mimi has become a fan of Thomas and we’ve learned to rely on him to help us get her through dinner.  After about 15 minutes of sporadic chewing, slurping, and food-onto-the-floor dropping, Mimi will generally hit a wall with dinner.  It’s at this point that Sumie will call out, “We need Thomas, stat!”  A minute later, Thomas flashes on the screen and Mimi, now excited, whips her head around to look at her father as if to say “thanks” with her big grin.  I think she knows I like Thomas, too.  With the Island of Sodor providing a welcome distraction, we’re usually able to get through another 5 to 10 minutes of sporadic ingestion before whatever is left over gets tossed on the floor.   Here’s Mimi saying hello to her favorite television character shortly before we all sit down to dinner (brining up Thomas early was a pre-emptive strike on our part).  She’s definitely a fan. 

Some may take exception with “Thomas and Friends.”  It is highly moralistic and, arguably, perpetuates an early 1900s ideal of the British class system.  But it also seems to challenge children in a healthy and enjoyable manner.  While the stories are straightforward, the songs and vocabulary can be quite challenging.  How often do we discuss the “shunting of trucks,” “hauling of freight,” or “the need to take refuse down to the smelting yard”?  Children won’t understand these terms, at first, but with time and consistent context they can infer the meaning.  This is an essential comprehension skill for reading and one that I think “Thomas and Friends” helps to develop far better than most programs. 

And, I hate to admit it, it’s just downright cute when an American child slips into British English.  A child of one of Sumie’s friends recently got in trouble with his parents.  As they scolded him he asked, “Are you cross?”  I can’t wait for Mimi to do this.  I can picture it now.

Mimi:  Papa.  Are you cross?

Steve:  Yes.  You have caused confusion and delay.  I need a really useful toddler for my household.

Mimi:  I’m sorry, Sir Topham Dad.

As you may have noticed, I’ve become somewhat fascinated by the structure and philosophy behind children’s television (perhaps I’m going a bit stir crazy?).  I’m planning to write more about it, but I’d love a little help.  Are there any shows or characters you and your children particularly enjoy?  Why are thy so effective?  On the flip side, are there any children’s shows or characters you can’t stand or that you feel are a negative influence on children.  Leave a comment if so, please! 

Steve