Why did Britt Allcroft quit her Children’s company? Thomas the Tank Engine series creator dies at 81

Britt Allcroft, creator of the beloved Children's television series Thomas & Friends, quit the series as deputy chairman after poor reviews and disappointing comments on the Thomas and the Magic Railroad feature film, which she produced and directed. The creator of the show passed away at 81, as per filmmaker Brannon Carty's X post, which mentioned,

"It is with the great sadness that I share with you the passing of Britt Allcroft. The Allcroft-Wright family has asked me to bring this news to the Thomas fandom. The family is currently in mourning and asks that their privacy be respected at this time."

Brannon knew Allcroft from making the 2023 documentary An Unlikely Fandom: The Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine. In her post, she described Britt as an "adoring mother and wife" and a "visionary producer" and noted that her legacy will continue forever "through Thomas and his fans around the world."

After Allcroft resigned, Gullane Entertainment insisted that she remains the series' "creative cornerstone" after signing a two-year contract to develop the Thomas brand.

More about Britt Allcroft

Brit Allcroft from Worthing, England, was known for producing several shows for British television during the 1970s before she secured rights to the Rev. W. Awdry's Railway Series books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine.

She then went on to form the Britt Allcroft Company with her husband, fellow TV producer Angus Wright, and spent four years raising the funding to produce the first 26 episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends in 1984. The show became an instant success with young audiences by featuring intricate model trains and narration by actors such as Ringo Starr and George Carlin.

After the series gained massive success in the UK, it expanded to other regions, and in 1989, American producer Rick Siggelkow created Shining Time Station.

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Thomas & Friends ran for 24 seasons and 584 episodes from October 9, 1984, to January 20, 2021. As per the Independent UK, the series faced backlash over the years with accusations of alleged sexism in the roles played by male and female characters. It was observed that the leading characters were all dominant male trains while the female ones, Mavis and Daisy, played coaches that were pulled around.

After Brit Allcroft left the show as executive producer, her company was purchased by children's entertainment company HiT Entertainment in 2003. In 2012, US toy giant Mattel bought the Thomas franchise.

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