“Children, they’re multidimensional, and they still like that time where they can be with their stories, be with their characters, and feel that they’re not being pushed.”
— Britt Allcroft, NPR interview, 2013.
Britt Allcroft, the British television producer who initiated the evergreen children’s animation franchise Thomas the Tank Engine, died on Christmas Day (December 25) in Santa Monica at age 81. The news of her passing was shared today by friend Brannon Carty, who created the 2023 documentary An Unlikely Fandom: The Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine.
Carty wrote in his X post:
“Britt was an adoring mother and wife. A visionary producer. She brought so much joy and happiness to people everywhere during her time on Earth … While I am devastated by her passing, we can all find comfort in the certainty that her legacy will endure forever through Thomas and his fans around the world.”
Allcroft was born December 14, 1943 in Worthing, on the south coast of England, and started her career in radio and television while still a teenager and became a presenter for Blue Peter in 1966 before joining the production team. Through the 1970s and ’80s, she created a number of unscripted hits for BBC and ITV, as well as staging theatrical productions. In 1979, while working on a documentary about British steam trains, Allcroft met the Rev. Wilbert Awdry — author of the 1940s books known as The Railway Series, about a community of anthropomorphic engines living on the fictional island of Sodor.
Allcroft became fascinated by the nostalgic characters and set about securing rights and setting up Britt Allcroft Railway Productions (later The Britt Allcroft Company) with her husband at the time, TV producer Angus Wright. After four years of funding and development, the first 26-episode series of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends were launched on October 9, 1984, directed by David Mitton and narrated by Ringo Starr.
The show proved a hit in the U.K. and, fueled by the extensive merchandising campaign planned by Allcroft, soon became an international sensation. The show’s first spin-off, the live-action sitcom Shining Time Station, swiftly followed in 1989. Since then, Thomas has starred in numerous animated series iterations across stop-motion, 2D and CG, as well as feature films — including Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), written and directed by Allcroft, who also voiced the character Lady.
In addition to Thomas, Allcroft brought the 2D-animated series Magic Adventures of Mumfieto screen in 1994. The show was based on the books by Katharine Tozer, and, after leaving her original company and re-acquiring the rights, Allcroft launched a reboot Mumfie series in 2021. She also directed 1996’s Mumfie’s Quest: The Movie, and provided the voice of The Queen of the Night in both the original series and feature.
Allcroft was predeceased by her former husband, Angus Wright, in 2012. The pair had divorced in 1997. She is survived by their two children. Carty notes that fans can honor her memory by donating to their local ASPCA in Allcroft’s name.
It is with 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. A full obituary will be released in the London Times later today. The family is currently in mourning and asks that… pic.twitter.com/LSFq8VL7jK
— carty™ (@cartycinema) January 3, 2025
