The captivating children's animated tale from the UK, THOMAS & FRIENDS, portrays the adventures and mishaps of a talking locomotive named Thomas the Tank Engine. Joined by friends Henry, Gordon, and James (who come in all shapes and sizes), Thomas works the rail lines on a fictional island called Sodor. The show teaches children about the world of train engineering and how transportation troubles are resolved through the spirit of teamwork. In "Edward and Gordon," for example, poor Edward feels older and not as powerful as the other trains, but learns he is better than they are at going uphill. Or in "Thomas and the Trucks," Thomas wants to fill in for Edward by pulling his trucks, but gets in hot water when he realizes the load is too much for him. Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr provides Thomas's voice for all these episodes.