Pouty James

"No engine is better at making a pouty face than James." "What about this face?" "Ooh, how about me?" "Never mind James, whatever is bothering you will probably seem better in the morning."

- Thomas, Henry, Gordon and Percy to James

Pouty James is the eighth episode of the twentieth series.

Plot
James the Red Engine likes being the centre of attention and is always showing off to the others. This often leads to him overshooting the platform or undershooting it. One day, the latter happens to James and he is told off by the stationmaster, but James just shrugs it off. He continues to show off for the rest of the day and the Fat Controller ends up having enough. He tells James that it is time that he changes his attitude and takes his coaches away until he does so, which horrifies James.

At the sheds, the engines are settling down for the night. They notice James' pouty face and proceed to make silly faces to mess with him. Percy thinks that whatever is bothering James will be better in the morning, but Percy is wrong; James is still pouting. The Fat Controller tries to persuade James to work, but James objects to budge. Emily explains to him that it is not fun to stay in the sheds all day and the engines continue to make faces at him.

It is not much fun sitting in the sheds, so when the Fat Controller comes back, James apologises for his grumpy mood and tells the Fat Controller that he will be on his best behaviour. That is, until he sees that he has to pull dirty waste trucks to Whiff's Waste Dump. James wants his coaches instead of trucks. Stanley explains to him that Edward took his coaches by the Fat Controller's orders. For the rest of the day, James not only returns to his pouty mood, but takes his time to get from place to place. The Fat Controller finds him down at the docks and once again tells him to change his attitude. Everyone starts making faces again, but James soon finds it amusing. Thomas and Emily see that James is changing his attitude.

Whenever James starts sulking again, the other engines remind him with a silly face to brighten his spirits. He begins to enjoy himself, even without coaches. However, this does not last long before he goes back to his old ways again.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Emily
 * Stanley
 * Porter
 * Philip
 * Cranky
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The Ginger-haired Boy
 * The Wellsworth Stationmaster
 * Duck
 * Whiff
 * Scruff
 * Stephen
 * Diesel
 * Salty
 * Sidney
 * Stafford
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Slip Coaches
 * The Dock Manager
 * The Teacher
 * Dowager Hatt's Friends
 * The Welsh Bird Watcher
 * Albert's Wife
 * The Great Railway Show Judge
 * Big Mickey

Locations

 * Knapford Yards
 * Knapford
 * Knapford Station Yard
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Wellsworth
 * Whiff's Waste Dump
 * Kellsthorpe Road
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Sodor Dairy
 * The Washdown

UK

 * John Hasler as Thomas
 * Keith Wickham as Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, the Fat Controller and the Wellsworth Stationmaster
 * Nigel Pilkington as Percy
 * Teresa Gallagher as Emily and the Ginger-haired Boy
 * Matt Wilkinson as Stanley and Cranky
 * Rasmus Hardiker as Philip
 * David Menkin as Porter

US

 * Joseph May as Thomas
 * Kerry Shale as Henry and Gordon
 * Rob Rackstraw as James
 * Christopher Ragland as Percy
 * Jules de Jongh as Emily and the Ginger-haired Boy
 * John Schwab as Stanley
 * Rasmus Hardiker as Philip
 * Glenn Wrage as Cranky
 * Keith Wickham as Sir Topham Hatt and the Wellsworth Stationmaster
 * William Hope as Edward
 * David Menkin as Porter

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the nineteenth episode of the twentieth series.
 * This is the only episode where John Schwab voices Stanley in the US dub. It is also the only episode to date to have Schwab as part of the voice cast.
 * David Menkin voices Porter in the UK dub for this episode.
 * On both the Season 20 Digital Download and the Nick Jr. broadcast of the episode, it is paired with The Way She Does It.

Goofs

 * In the shots of the Fat Controller scolding James at Knapford, there are steps behind him leading into the platform, but there’s nothing underneath it. This is likely because the platform model used in this episode is reused from Vicarstown Station.
 * When the Fat Controller says to James that he can stay in the shed, the tracks are floating in mid-air.
 * When Stanley shunts James' waste trucks, one of the trucks change from green to red.
 * Two actors are not credited in the credits for both dubs, these being:
 * Despite voicing Porter, David Menkin is not credited in both dubs.
 * Despite voicing Edward, William Hope is not credited in the US dub.

Quotes
Sir Topham Hatt asking James to change his attitude. Thomas and Emily making pouty faces at James to change his attitude.
 * Sir Topham Hatt: James?
 * James: What? Oh! Sir?
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Don't you remember what I said about changing your attitude? Oh, you don't expect me to let you pull passengers with a face like that, do you?
 * James: Humph!
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Don't you want a job today, James?
 * James: What does it matter what I want?
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Huh! Very well! You can stay here then, in the shed!
 * James: (Gasps)
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Oh, I don't know. Engines today.
 * James: Oh...
 * James: Change my attitude? How am I supposed to change my attitude?
 * Cranky: What a face James! (Laughs) You look even crankier than me!
 * Thomas: No engine is better at making a pouty face than James is!
 * James: Stop teasing!
 * Thomas: (Makes a funny noise)
 * Emily: (Giggles and makes a funny noise)
 * James: (Sniggers)
 * Porter: (Make a funny noise)
 * James: (Sniggers)
 * Thomas: (Makes a funny noise)
 * James: (Chuckles)
 * Thomas: That's it, James! That's much better!
 * James: What do you mean?
 * Emily: He's means you're changing your attitude!
 * Thomas: Come on, James, put a smile on that face! We've got work to do!
 * Emily: Last one back to the shunting yard is a broken brake van!
 * James: (Laughs)

UK

 * Team Up With Thomas
 * The Complete Series 20

AUS

 * Team Up With Thomas

US

 * Season 20 (Digital Download)

IDN

 * Mucking About (DVD)