Season 7

The **seventh season** of the television series aired in 2003. All twenty-six episodes were narrated by Michael Angelis with original music in the UK and Michael Brandon with new music in the US. Michael Angelis also narrated four episodes for the US release, New Friends for Thomas and Other Adventures. This season was filmed during HiT Entertainment's acquisition of Gullane Entertainment. An episode is paired with season 8 and season 9 airings on PBS and Nick Jr airings on weekends.

## Songs

* Five New Engines in the Shed
* The Red Balloon
* There Once Was an Engine Who Ran Away
* Troublesome Trucks
* Salty
* The Whistle Song

## Characters

* Thomas
* Edward
* Henry
* Gordon
* James
* Percy
* Toby
* Duck
* Donald and Douglas
* Oliver
* Bill and Ben
* Harvey
* Diesel
* 'Arry and Bert
* Mavis
* Salty
* Skarloey
* Rheneas
* Peter Sam
* Duncan
* Rusty
* Annie and Clarabel
* Toad
* Bertie
* Bulgy
* Elizabeth
* Harold
* Cranky
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Lady Hatt
* Refreshment Lady
* The Tailor
* The Lighthouse Keeper
* The Fisherman
* The Dockyard Manager
* Stephen Hatt (*not named*)
* Stepney (*does not speak; stock footage*)
* Terence (*does not speak*)
* Trevor (*does not speak*)
* Jem Cole (*does not speak*)
* The Vicar of Wellsworth (*does not speak*)
* Farmer Trotter (*not named; does not speak*)
* Henrietta (*cameo*)
* George (*cameo*)
* Butch (*cameo*)
* Tiger Moth (*cameo*)
* Bridget Hatt (*cameo*)
* Mrs. Kyndley (*cameo*)
* Farmer McColl (*cameo*)
* Farmer Finney (*cameo*)
* Nancy (*cameo*)
* Cyril the Fogman (*cameo*)
* Miss Jenny (*cameo*)
* The Storyteller (*cameo*)
* The Butler (*cameo*)
* Tiger Moth's Pilot (*cameo*)
* One Member of the Railway Board (*cameo*)
* Duke (*stock footage cameo*)
* The Crovan's Gate Policeman (*stock footage cameo*)
* The Dryaw Policeman (*stock footage cameo*)
* BoCo (*music video cameo*)
* The Diesel (*music video cameo*)
* S.C. Ruffey (*music video cameo*)
* The Elsbridge Cricket Club (*music video cameo*)

### Characters introduced

* Emily
* Fergus
* Arthur
* Murdoch
* Spencer
* Sodor Brass Band
* Lord Callan
* The Captain
* The Teacher
* Dusty Miller (*not named*)
* The Duke and Duchess of Boxford (*do not speak*)
* The Mayor of Sodor (*mentioned*)

## Trivia

* This was the final season of several things:
	+ David Mitton's final season as director.
	+ Phil Fehrle's last season as producer.
	+ Peter Urie's last season as executive producer.
	+ The final season to have Britt Allcroft involved in production.
	+ The final season to include music composed by Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell.
	+ The final season to use music composed with Proteus 2, Proteus 2000 and Proteus 3.
	+ The final season to use 35mm film.
	+ The final season in 4:3 fullscreen in Japan (As well as the last season to be released on Japanese video tapes).
	+ The final season to use the original opening credits and theme.
* This was also the first season of several things:
	+ This was Michael Brandon's first season as narrator.
	+ This was the only season to have different soundtracks in

different regions. In the US, the episodes were recomposed with music by
 Robert Hartshorne and using Engine Rollcall as the theme.

* + This was Jocelyn Stevenson's first season as executive producer.
	+ This was the first season to use the **Thomas & Friends** logo in the opening titles.
	+ This was the first season not dubbed in Norwegian or Slovenian.
	+ This was the first season filmed under HiT Entertainment.
* The US version of this season uses the eighth season intro and music.
* US versions of Gordon and Spencer, Emily's New Coaches, The

Spotless Record, Peace and Quiet, Harold and the Flying Horse, Bulgy
Rides Again, and Salty's Stormy Tale scored by Mike O'Donnell and Junior
 Campbell were released on the New Friends for Thomas and Thomas and the Jet Engine VHS/DVDs respectively in 2004.

* UK versions of the season, excluding Snow Engine, A Bad Day at

 Castle Loch, The Refreshment Lady's Tea Shop, The Grand Opening and The
 Runaway Elephant, recomposed by Robert Hartshorne were broadcast on
Nick Jr. and included on the Bumper Party Collection! DVD.

* This was Jan Page's only season as script editor.
* This was Britt Allcroft's only season as creative consultant.
* This season uses more stock footage than any other season.
* This season has the most episodes broadcast out of production order.
* This season was never shown in Norway, Spain or Germany.
* In the UK versions of some of the episodes, Britt Allcroft is not credited for creating the series for television.
* This season saw the return of two episodes being compiled into

 one 10-minute block when CiTV broadcasted this season. The only
difference is that the opening titles are shown again at the end of the
first episode. At the same time, CiTV also compiled the previous
episodes from the sixth season into 10 minute blocks.