Thomas and His Friends Helps Out

## Thomas and His Friends Help Out/Friends Help Out

**Thomas and His Friends Help Out**, re-released as **Friends Help Out** in 2009, is a US and Canadian VHS/DVD featuring five first series episodes, three second series episodes and three third series episodes narrated by George Carlin. It was distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment on VHS in 1996, re-released in 2002 and released on DVD in 2003. It was released in Brazil in 2007 under the title **Helping the Friends**, and was released in Mexico in 2008 under the title **Thomas in Action Again**.

## Description

#### 1996 VHS

Thomas, Gordon, Sir Topham hatt, and the rest of the gang have learned many lessons about lending a helping hand. They have selected their favorite stories to create this special "best of" collection - all about helping.

PEEP! PEEP! Hop on board as a heavy snowfall strands the villagers-and Harold, Terence, Thomas, and Percy come to the rescue. Watch as Percy brings Annie and Clarabel home safely through a thunderstorm, and cheer on James as he tries his best to pull a very long train.

#### 2002 VHS

PEEP! PEEP! According to Sir Topham Hatt: "Helping out is one of the best ways to show that you're Really Useful Engine." That's why it's so important for Thomas to race to the rescue when one of his friends needs a "helping hand," or in Thomas' case, a "helping buffer." This special collection of stories highlights your Sodor friends proving that sometimes friendship is stronger than fear as they help out those in need. Remember when Trevor was almost scrapped? Cheer on Thomas, Harold, Terence and Percy as they rescue villagers from a heavy snowfall, and find out what happens down at the mine. All Aboard!

#### 2003/2009 DVD

PEEP! PEEP! According to Sir Topham Hatt: "Helping out is one of the best ways to show that you're a Really Useful Engine." That's why it's so important for Thomas to race to the rescue when one of his friends needs a "helping hand," or in Thomas' case, a "helping buffer." This special collection of stories highlights your Sodor friends proving that sometimes friendship is stronger than fear as they help out those in need. Remember when Trevor was almost scrapped? Cheer on Thomas, Harold, Terence and Percy as they rescue villagers from a heavy snowfall, and find out what happens down at the mine. All aboard for non-stop DVD fun and excitement!

#### 2008 DVD

ALL ABOARD! According to Sir Topham Hatt, "Helping out is one of the best ways to show that you're a Really Useful Engine." That's why it's so important for Thomas to race to the rescue when one of his friends needs a "helping hand," or in Thomas' case, a "helping buffer." This special collection of stories highlights your Sodor friends proving that sometimes friendship is stronger than fear as they help out those in need.

## Episodes

1. Edward Helps Out Template:Note
2. Foolish Freight Cars Template:Note
3. Thomas, Percy and the Mail Train Template:Note
4. Thomas Breaks the Rules Template:Note
5. Down the Mine Template:Note
6. Percy's Promise Template:Note
7. Trouble in the Shed Template:Note
8. Donald and Douglas Template:Note
9. Saved from Scrap Template:Note
10. Bertie's Chase Template:Note
11. Thomas and Percy's Mountain Adventure Template:Note

## Bonus Features

* Character Gallery from Best of Thomas
* Link to The official website

## Trivia

* This release contains one episode from each of the first eleven Thomas & Friends videos released in the US from Thomas Gets Tricked to Percy's Ghostly Trick. With this in mind, the episodes Trouble in the Shed and Thomas, Percy and the Mail Train are swapped around.
* This was the first US release to feature two things:
	+ The first release to have Donald, Douglas, Bill, Ben, Daisy, BoCo and Caroline's nameboard sequences.
	+ The first release to feature fourteen characters during a nameboard sequence, commonly having the lead character of the upcoming episode appear last.
	+ The first release to have the on-screen Video Treasures with music. The logo can be seen in some Laurel and Hardy VHS tapes.
	+ The first DVD release not to have any songs.
* A prototype version of the 2002 VHS cover features Edward on the top and a scene from Bertie's Chase on the bottom. It shows the Britt Allcroft logo in the bottom right corner which was featured on several US releases between 1999 and 2000.
* This is the last US DVD to open with the Grace & Wild Interactive Development and Gullane Entertainment logos. This also marks the last appearance of Gullane Entertainment being shown on a DVD and home video releases.
* The DVD was released along with Percy's Chocolate Crunch and were one of the first DVDs to feature the HiT Entertainment logo on the spine and back cover as well as on Anchor Bay distributed ones.
* On the 2008 Sounds of Sodor Edition, an image from Edward's Brass Band is used.
* Images from Diesel's Devious Deed, No Joke for James, Percy's New Whistle and Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough can be seen on both covers of the Latin American release. Iron Bert and Cranky also appear on the front cover, despite them not being introduced until the fifth series nor appearing in any episodes.
* On the 2009 cover, an edited version of a Calling All Engines! promotional image is used.

## Goofs

* When this DVD is inserted into a computer, it is mistakenly titled Spills & Chills. This was later fixed on the 2009 reprint.
* On the 2002 VHS/2003 DVD cover there are paint chips on Thomas' roof.
* The Gullane Entertainment logo is not shown on the 2003 DVD spine, the back cover, the disc and the back of the booklet.
* At the end of Foolish Freight Cars, the line, "After that performance, you deserve to keep your red coat" is cut out. It is restored in digital releases.
* Edward Helps Out, Foolish Freight Cars and Percy’s Promise are out of sync; the last of the three is due to it being taken from Trust Thomas, where the first few seconds of the opening on said release are cut, while the episode on this release is shown in its full form.
* At the very end of Trouble in the Shed, as the ending theme starts, the top of the credits begin to appear over the picture, but it then cuts off to the nameboards.
* On the 2008 DVD and sound book covers, an image of Edward is used, albeit with Thomas' current smiling face over it.
* In the DVD menu, Gordon's tracks and Bertie's wheels are standing on top of the bushes.
* In some releases, when the narrator says "Long ago" in Down the Mine, the audio cuts out.
* The first five seconds of Saved from Scrap and the first three seconds of Foolish Freight Cars are cut out.
* On the Latin American and Brazilian DVDs, Netflix and Hulu, the credits from the New Series are used.
* In digital releases, after Donald and Douglas, Duncan's nameboard is shown twice.
* In the DVD booklet, it is listed that Thomas' Trackside Tunes was available on DVD, but it was not released until 2008.
* Henry is shown on the Brazilian DVD cover instead of Percy with the parachute in the water.
* George Carlin is credited in the opening credits of the Brazilian DVD.
* In the Latin American description, Wilbert Awdry is mistakenly spelled as *Wilfred* Awdry.
* On some 1999 VHS labels, Britt Allcroft is misspelled "Beth Allcroft."
* The title is missing on some 1999 tape labels. They simply refer to the release as "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends."
* The back cover of the DVD release incorrectly dates this release as 2002 because of its VHS rerelease, even though it was released in 2003.

## DVD Packs

* Totally Thomas Volume 3
* Ultimate Thomas Collection
* Friendship on the Tracks
* Thomas and His Friends Help Out and Percy Saves the Day and Other Adventures 2-pack
* Thomas and His Friends Help Out and Hooray for Thomas and Other Adventures 2-pack
* Thomas and His Friends Help Out and Stop, Train, Stop! 2-pack
* Thomas and His Friends Help Out and Thomas' Trackside Tunes Double Feature

Template:Home Video Releases (US)