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And should've never left its original art style to move to cgi
Because Thomas is another one of those cherished things that turned from something nice into a money printing machine with some train stories added on as an afterthought.
Things went downhill after ringo stopped narrating.
As Thomas got really popular in the US, they basically just decided to market the show exclusively to the US. Started calling trucks cars, americanised the overall feel of the show etc.
Also on top of this, the show just got way too diluted with a new character every episode. Because obviously they licence toys to be made of Thomas characters, so they need to make a new toy ever other week because of ££££ (or should I say $$$$$?)
So yeah, Thomas is basically a former shell of what it was. The CGI looks like a cheap shiny suit, and it’s been squeezed to fuck and back to make profit.
Also, his name is the Fat Controller, not sir tophat >

If you think the CGI’s bad, you should see All Engines Go, the crazy 2D Thomas show.