the show is good for boys 2-4 but i hate it.
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Thomas and his train friends huff and chuff around.
Themes in this show include: friendship
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 3 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends was written by Joly Herman
Parents need to know that this is generally a male-centric series, though a few females do make appearances. Otherwise, the dramatic action told through the voice of a single narrator will be compelling even for the youngest viewers, without overstimulating young children's sensitive field of perception.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the role that Thomas and his friends play in the Sodor community. How do they help their community and each other?
- Do you think the various train characters enjoy their jobs or not? Why aren't there more female trains?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
What’s the Story?
On the fictional island of Sodor, Thomas the Tank Engine and his other engine friends are kept busy porting loads of steel, food, and passenger cars to meet the demands of their human counterparts. Model engines with expressive faces are the media with which this tale is told, creating a fascinating fictional world that many young viewers will enjoy. By staying true to the single-voice narration, the storybook aspect of THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE & FRIENDS has been well maintained.
Is It Any Good?
The Thomas the Tank Engine stories were conceived by a young British boy early in the 20th century, who would listen to the trains as they chuffed through the countryside. The stories he told his son -- who has consequently passed them on to his own son -- have been documented in books and toy train models. Since the series was introduced to television viewers in the 1980s, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends has seen a healthy fan base sprout worldwide. Parents can be assured that this series has educational aspects as well as behavioral modeling. Some of the expressions on the train's faces can be a tiny bit creepy, but the intention behind the animation is good, as follows the tradition of a well-told story.
Our Members Say
See all 12 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
for boys ages 2-4
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
For everyone including 2+
This show is the greatest show! This teaches kids frendship and responsibility.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Show is great for all ages
This show is great. WE watched it when we were 1.
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
Sons fave show since he was 2 1/2.
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I rate this title off for age 5 and give it
What's up with the RUDE Thomas Shows?
My son has been watching Thomas since he was 2, he has an obsession with Thomas the Tank toys, shows, movies, anything to do with it. At a certain point I had to take away all the video watching as it came to my attention that the engines are all very RUDE to each other most of the time. Occasionally there is a decent message, but the focus is mostly on the rude behavior and my son started imitating it!!!! Recently I brought the shows back out, this time trying to fast forward through the unacceptable episodes, but I had to cut it off when an episode from the Halloween DVD featuring the "trouble trucks" (my son's favorite!) the first word of the show is "Shut Up!" and the engine named Duck bashes into a bunch of trouble trucks! I was shocked and turned it off immediately! What a horrible thing for a children's show! They blame each other for things, I'm so disappointed. Why is there not more talk about this? What's more is that while he was playing with his trains yesterday he acted out the scene and I heard him say "shut up!". Now I have to explain to him that that is not a nice thing to say and he is confused as to why..."but Duck said that" he looks at my confused. Argh!@#!
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