Thomas and His Friends Help Out

Thomas and His Friends Help Out, re-released as Friends Help Out in 2009, is a US 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 in 1996, again in 2002, TV Static in 1999 and released on DVD in 2003. In Brazil, it was released under Helping the Friends.

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

Bonus Features

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

Trivia

 * This is the last US DVD to open with the Grace & Wild Interactive Development and Gullane Entertainment logos.
 * The 2003 DVD was released along with Percy's Chocolate Crunch as one of the first DVDs to feature the HiT Entertainment Logo.
 * This release contains one episode from each of the first eleven Thomas videos released in the US from Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories to Percy's Ghostly Trick and Other Thomas Stories.
 * This was the first release to feature two things:
 * The first release to have Caroline's nameboard sequence.
 * The first release to feature fourteen characters during a nameboard sequence, commonly having the lead character of the upcoming episode appear last.
 * The 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. It is likely that this re-release was planned for 2000 before being delayed until 2002.

Goofs

 * When this DVD is inserted into a computer, the disc is mistakenly titled, Chills and Spills.
 * On the DVD cover there are paint chips on Thomas' roof.
 * 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.
 * Percy's Promise and Foolish Freight Cars are out of sync; the former is due to the audio being taken from Trust Thomas and Other Stories, 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' face over it.
 * In the DVD menu, Gordon's tracks are standing on top of the bushes and so are Bertie's wheels.
 * 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 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 listed that Thomas' Trackside Tunes and Other Thomas Adventures was available on DVD, but it was not released on DVD until 2008.
 * Henry is shown on the Brazilian DVD cover instead of Percy with the parachute in the water.
 * George Carlin is credited as the narrator in the opening credits of the Brazilian DVD.

DVD Packs

 * Totally Thomas Volume 3
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection
 * Thomas and His Friends Help Out and Percy Saves the Day 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