HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

The #1 Preschool Toy & Entertainment Brand Celebrates 65 Years With Thomas & Friends™: The Greatest Stories

An All-New Two Disc Special Edition DVD Set In Stores June 1, 2010 From Lionsgate And HIT Entertainment

03/16/2010

Street Date: 6/1/10
Order Date: 5/5/10
DVD SRP: $16.98

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Inspiring young engineers with timeless tales of discovery, friendship and cooperation, everyone's favorite #1 blue engine, Thomas the Tank Engine™ and his friends celebrate 65 years of great destinations with a fully-loaded 2-disc DVD set, sure to become a collectible fan favorite. The all-new DVD features 20 favorite episodes, including the first ever Thomas & Friends™ episode and features the voice talent of George Carlin, Ringo Starr, Alec Baldwin and Michael Brandon as narrators. The DVD is full of fun including a "Create Your Own Thomas Story" DVD-Rom game where children can place themselves right in the Island of Sodor with their name and favorite things! Including five games, a Thomas Trivia Game, four music videos, four sing-alongs, and an enhanced read-along, this is a must-own DVD for any Thomas & Friends fan!

Special consideration was given to all of the stories selected for the DVD including newly remastered episodes, some of the most popular stories from the book series and the first introduction of Thomas' favorite friends, James, Percy and more! Featuring beautiful O-card packaging, the DVD release delivers on the core brand values of friendship and adventure!

Episodes:

Thomas Gets Tricked Edward Helps Out Diesel's Devious Deed Percy's Ghost Trick Thomas, Percy & the Dragon Trust Thomas Henry & the Elephant Cranky Bugs Snow Engine Thomas Saves the Day

Edward the Great James Gets a New Coat Thomas to the Rescue Thomas and the Birthday Picnic Emily Knows Best Percy and the Carnival Thomas and the Birthday Mail Sir Handel in Charge Skarloey Storms Through Duncan Does It All

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

• "Create Your Own Thomas Story" DVD-Rom: In this game, you can be part of the story! This customizable feature integrates a child's name and favorite things woven into their very own printable Thomas tale! It also features Thomas coloring pages and wallpaper.
• "How Did Thomas Meet His Friends?" Trivia Game: Guess which one of Thomas' best engine friends are described with several clues.
• Storybook Adventure Game: Help Thomas travel over the Island of Sodor by passing five different challenge games:
  • Broken Tracks Game: Match the number of tracks to fit the space where the track is broken
  • Quarry Game: Choose the car with the right shape and color to fill up the freight car with gravel
  • Brendham Docks Game: Choose the correct word that begins with the letter of the alphabet on the screen to fill cars with presents
  • Troublesome Trucks Game: Answer the trivia question correctly to make the runaway trucks miss the new station
  • Station Decoration Game: Decorate the new station for the celebration
• Thomas Saves the Day Enhanced Read-Along
• Four Sing-Along Karaoke Videos:
  • Sir Topham Hatt
  • Percy's Seaside Trip
  • He is a Really Useful Engine
  • Harold the Helicopter
• Four Music Videos:
  • Thomas Anthem
  • It's Great to Be An Engine
  • James the Splendid Engine
  • Never, Never Give Up

MARKETING SUPPORT

In support of Thomas' 65th Anniversary, the #1 blue engine is the centerpiece of a broad-based marketing and promotional campaign. A national promotion is being finalized with Minor League Baseball™ to include 23 teams and cities nationwide in May and June 2010. This promotion will feature Thomas & Friends title nights for family friendly events. These themed nights will include branded in-stadium advertising, PA announcements and team website promotion. Other national promotions include Six Flags Amusement Parks with a special Grand Opening celebration of the fifth new Thomas Town at Six Flags America in the Baltimore-Washington, DC area. All 5 Six Flags with Thomas Town locations will host a special Thomas birthday party for kids on June 5th. The birthday parties will include games, activities, Thomas photo ops, prize giveaways, and park entrance discounts. The "Day Out with Thomas" Celebration Tour will continue to visit heritage railroad stations nationwide where children will have the opportunity to make birthday cards for Thomas.

Radio promotions supporting the DVD will take place with more than 95 stations delivering over 9 million impressions! The DVD will also be promoted on the Thomas & Friends website, www.thomasandfriends.com. The Thomas & Friends DVD website from Lionsgate will also feature a "DVD Match Tool" where moms can answer a few simple questions to receive the best DVDs for her child among the impressive 175+ titles available in the Thomas & Friends DVD library!

ABOUT THOMAS & FRIENDS™

Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son 65 years ago and today is enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories and in 30 languages. The #1 blue engine and his friendsinvite children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Children embark on adventures with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. Thomas & Friends is the number one preschool license for the past 10 years in the UK. It is also the number one licensed preschool toy brand in the US for nine straight years (SOURCE: The NPD Group / Consumer Tracking Service), as well as the number one preschool series on DVD (SOURCE: AC Nielsen, 1/1/09-12/31/09). Each DVD release is consistently ranked in the Top 10 new releases for Children's Non-Theatrical (source Nielsen) and many have received significant awards and recognition from organizations such as Parents' Choice and KIDS FIRST!

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Year of Production: 2010
Title Copyright: Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends™ Based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W Awdry. © 2010 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and Thomas & Friends are trademarks of Gullane (Thomas) Limited. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and Design is Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.
Type: Special Edition
Rating: NR
Genre: Children/Family/Ages 2-5
Closed Captioned: English Closed Captioned
Format: Full Screen
Feature Running Time: 158 minutes
DVD Audio Status: English, Spanish and French 2.0 Dolby Digital
Website: www.thomasandfriends.com

To download art, visit www.lionsgatepublicity.com or www.hitnewsonline.com