Don't Be Silly, Billy (Thomas & Friends)

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Don't be Silly, Billy
Don2CBillypromo.webp
"Stop telling me what to do Thomas, You are a very bossy engine".
Series: Thomas & Friends
Part of Season: 11
Episode Number: 13
Air Date: September 8, 2007 (US, theatrical)

September 9, 2007 (UK)

Writer: Sharon Miller
Director: Steve Asquith
Previous episode: Thomas Sets Sail
Next episode: Edward and the Mail


Don't be Silly, Billy is the thirteenth episode of the eleventh Season of Thomas & Friends. It aired on September 9, 2007 in the UK but it was first seen theatrically in the US the day before.

Plot

Thomas is given a special to show a new engine around.

Why It Disobeys Us

  1. It introduces the infamous Billy, an unlikable jerk who never listens to Thomas. Here's an example:
    • His line: "Thomas, stop telling me what to do! You are a very bossy engine" shows this and he says it like 5 or 6 times throughout the episode, which gets really annoying by the third time he says it.
  2. Like most episodes in the HiT Model Era, this is one of those episodes that follows the same stupid three Strikes formula.
  3. The episode sends a really bad moral to children that you are allowed to disobey and not take orders from anyone.
  4. Plot hole: Why can't Thomas stand up for himself and tell Billy to just stop?
  5. Speaking of Thomas, his treatment given by Billy is really unjustified. Even when being given the opportunity to work with Billy doesn't help this episode would go down terribly.
  6. Even though Billy's comeuppance was justified, he did not get scolded by Sir Topham Hatt (this may make sense since Thomas saw Billy run out of coal and water).
    • Even worse, Billy didn't even apologize for how he treated Thomas.

Redeeming Qualities

  1. Great narration from Michael Brandon, who does a good job making Billy sound like a jerk. Even Michael Angelis did a good job, too.
  2. Billy's comeuppance was justified enough to make him learn a lesson in the end.
  3. Thomas is still a likable character.

Reception

Don't Be Silly Billy was panned by fans and critics alike and is considered to be one of the Worst Episodes of Thomas & Friends and the Worst Episode of Season 11. It received a 4.9 on IMDb.

Video

Trivia

  • Going by production order, this is the fifteenth episode of the eleventh series.
  • This episode is the first and only appearance of Billy, although he was originally intended to appear in the thirteenth series episode, "Splish Splash Splosh". Charlie replaced him in the final script.
  • This episode was shown in select USA cinemas as part of Thomas and Friends on the Big Screen.
  • This episode was likely made for CGI testing, as Dino Athanassiou released story boards of the episode on his blog, however Dino only worked on the show during the twelfth series, meaning that the storyboards were likely a part of CGI testing.
  • This was the final model series episode to air on ABC Kids airing last in December of 2016.

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