I was brought up on the Thomas books - the original ones. Wilbert Awdry's stories had a whimsical charm and a warm, moral heart to them, and evoked all the very best of an England which almost existed once. It is amazing that it took so long before they were adapted to another medium and merchandised.<br /><br />When the first TV series came out I thought it was a marvellous adaptation of those books, complete with Ringo Starr's lugubrious narration. The later TV adaptations, coming into being alongside Christopher Awdry's extension of the book series, wandered somewhat further afield from the feel of the originals, but were still recognisably on-model even though I am aware that Wilbert became somewhat frosty towards Britt Allcroft for deviating from his vision.<br /><br />It was pleasing that this piece of Englishness appealed to US audiences. It was less pleasing that it required to be adulterated via the Shiny Time halfway house for US audiences - I'm sure they could have coped with it as it was.<br /><br />And it is not pleasing at all to see this piece of garbage from Ms Allcroft. It is, in every respect, a travesty - a betrayal of trust on the grandest scale. I am only glad that Wilbert Awdry is not alive to see what has been done to his delightful creations, and I cannot imagine what his poor family feel.<br /><br />Still, I imagine the loot consoles Ms Allcroft. How gratifying that the thing bombed at the box office.