Britt Allcroft, the British writer, director, and producer who brought Thomas the Tank Engine to television 40 years ago, has passed away at the age of 81. She died on Christmas Day in Los Angeles, as confirmed by her daughter Holly Wright.
Thomas the Tank Engine, originally created by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry in the 1940s, was adapted into a 26-episode series by Allcroft in 1984. She took a risk by mortgaging her house to finance the project. The show first aired on ITV in the UK as Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.
Allcroft handpicked Ringo Starr to be the first narrator of the show, followed by other notable celebrities like George Carlin, Alec Baldwin, and Pierce Brosnan. The series made its way to the US on PBS in 1989 with the spinoff Shining Time Station, co-created by Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. She later created another spinoff, Mr. Conductor’s Thomas Tales in 1996.
In addition to Thomas the Tank Engine, Allcroft was also behind the animated series Magic Adventures of Mumfie, based on books by Katharine Tozer, which premiered in 1994. Born in West Sussex, England, Allcroft started her career at the BBC at the age of 19 before forming her own production company.
Her discovery of Thomas the Tank Engine while making a documentary on steam trains led to the creation of the beloved franchise. In 2002, her company was acquired by Hit Entertainment, which was later bought by Mattel in 2012. Allcroft also wrote, directed, and produced the 2000 film Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
Survivors include her son and grandchildren. [Include SEO keywords: Britt Allcroft, Thomas the Tank Engine, creator, producer, Thomas the Tank Engine franchise, Ringo Starr, animated series, Magic Adventures of Mumfie]
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