This series had so much potential. The props are impressive, the humor is great, and I love the characters. It could have easily been a great companion piece to _Thomas and Friends._ if only HIT hadn't interfered.
You commented that 32 minutes ago, and this video is 51 mins old and 41 mins long, which means you commented either part way through the vid, or before you watched it
I see Jack and the Pack sort of like a bonus level of the classic era. And now that I think about it, Ned and Oliver’s dynamic has started to remind me of Warrior and Big Mac's dynamic in Tugs.
13:23 Speaking of Thumper, it’s a wonder why no one wrote a fanstory where he gets promoted to work with The Pack yet. Or at the very least interact with some of them.
Two years ago ago, I decided to give The Pack a try. Hadn't seen it in at least a decade and a half, probably since the DVD came out. It was remarkably good, like there was actual care put into it, as opposed to S7, which was decent, but ultimately felt like a cheap contractual obligation. So yeah, Pack was a great spin-off, and it's a shame it only got 13 or so episodes...
@@selinapersaud7629 Either look up the episodes or buy a Jack and the Pack DVD. Those are your best two choices. I found them on UA-cam, but that was two years ago, before Mattel purged the website of most Thomas and Friends episodes...
You talking about Kelly makes me realize how much he's like Toby in the railway series. He's old and wise, but instead of talking sense into Jack, he lets him make a fool of himself and then rescues him like a total Chad. He's also similar in the sense that he cares for others, and despite his accident with the wind, he still helps Isabella in a manner like Toby. *THIS* is how Toby should have stayed.
@@bloodmuzzleactually Kelly has a very similar character to Edward since they are both wise and are coloured blue, while I think Ned is the steam shovel equivalent to Toby
Jack and the pack as a whole had so much potential. The props were impressive and seeing Sodor through a different perspective would've been cool to see.
On site with Thomas is easily a classic 😂 Such a hilarious episode I especially love the bricks constantly falling on Oliver and saying OUCH!! Never fails to make me laugh Also the demolition scene is a masterpiece
The demolition scene has always struck me as impressive, but the fact it was done all in one take, especially granted how big the building set actually was, has given me an all new appreciation for it.
It's such a shame that this series never really came to fruition. As you said, the props were all amazingly well-made, and the characters had so much potential. My favorite Pack characters were always Max & Monty, and the bit about rowdy truck drivers in real life makes me appreciate these two knuckleheads even more XD
It's tragic that the creators not only made 1, but 2 sister shows to Thomas that both floundered to some degree. Jack and the Pack had huge potential, and if Hit never bought Gullaine and the team made the full 26 episode lineup to some warm but successful reception, it's possible that the writing team would have more time to flesh out the later seasons of thomas as they continued writing more episodes for the pack, fulfilling that annual release window to some degree. I'm glad that the CGi Era never forgot Jack and the Pack, though, and I'm glad they got more attention there than they otherwise would.
15:16 For those who don't know, The Importance of Being Patrick is a reference to a farcical comedy of manners by Oscar Wilde entitled "The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People". Its a play from 1895 that takes a satirical look at upper-class Victorian society. Pretty interesting reference. I can tell that the Jack and the Pack writers had a lot of fun coming up with the original episode titles.
@@bernarda1247 I can't give you a video of them because Mattel is copyrighting full episodes and movies of TTTE. But what I can tell you is that Thomas indirectly mentioned Ned in the scene where he meets Marion, and he indirectly mentioned Byron in the beginning of mines of mystery.
I understand how you reacted to seeing the Jack and the Pack episodes as a return to Classic Thomas. I was expecting Season 10 to be pretty much the same, but it turns out that wasn't the case. What a shame. It would have been a great comeback.
22:38 Actually it sounds like he's saying "Sodor Auto Racetrack" but the "or" at the end of Sodor is blending in with Auto, like he's slurring it together.
And with that, Unlucky Tug has once again given all of us a wonderful Thomas Masterpiece on UA-cam. I really enjoyed this video and can’t wait for whatever Thomas content comes to the channel next!
As a kid these just felt like normal Thomas episodes because Thomas and Percy were used so much. I didn’t know that it was actually a spin off show until I saw your original video on Jack and the Pack.
Anyone else notice how in Percy's Scary Tale, the voice used for the narrator and Monty switched when the owl hoots? Always a funny moment. Also, Jack and Alfie are a little like Ten Cents and Sunshine.
I love the moment from Kelly saying that Jack needs to learn the hard way, it reminds me of Toby, tell me he wouldn't let a younger engine make a mistake, embarrass themselves and learn their lesson, so long as no one was in danger of getting really hurt.
In all honesty, I love all the Pack episodes, even Jack Owns Up because it teaches the moral of the owning up to mistakes. Speaking of Max and Monty having the most leads making them standouts, Max and Monty, themselves, are my favorite Pack members because they're both great comedy duos and they represent how even the truck drivers can be careless in real life. I can imagine George, Butch, Thumper, Elizabeth, or, maybe, The Horrid Lorries having 'Jack'-Scaled models built. It's because I think all the Pack vehicles would interact with others outside The Pack, most notably Max and Monty interacting with The Horrid Lorries, Isobella interact with Elizabeth, and Kelly interact with Butch.
I actually owned the 'On Site With Thomas' DVD when I was a kid too. Never had the rest of the DVDs though, so I never got the full Pack experience. But speaking of Thumper at 13:25, it took me years & becoming a major history buff to realize that the chassis for his model was made using a model kit KV-1 tank.
Jack and the Pack are related to Bob the Builder Jack - Scoop /Muck Kelly - Lofty Rolly - George / buster Dizzy and tumbler Patrick Max and Monty / muck
Imagine if Jack and the Pack had the classic series music and was released during 2003 with Season 7. It would hit so much different. I’m really excited for your review on Season 8.
I remember watching jack and the pack when I was really little and I loved all the action scenes and sounds they made, so glad you made a retrospective on it
If that Bertie show was made in the hit era. There’d probably an episode about Bertie and say George disagreeing on how useful trains are and theyd call it like Thomas’ argument.
I just watched "Thomas' Trusty Friends" before listening to what you had to say about the episode and I've got to say, it's pretty comedic despite having no real moral behind it. Sometimes these "slice of life" episodes can be good if done properly and this episode is one of very few. Not to mention, the practical effects are stunning to boot. Dare I say this episode could fit right into a compilation of Season 5 and spills and thrills episodes with the chimney falling on top of the warehouse.
I find it funny that "On Site With Thomas" was actually one of if not my first pieces of the show I watched as a kid. To learn of it's history and production here is pretty cool
I love on site with Thomas it starts out with Patrick being most important so the whole pack were making rumor who is most important and Max and Monty are arguing who is Patrick and makes Patrick cause an accident getting dipped into the concrete
One thing I find really fascinating about this spinoff is the human figures. In the main series, there were always large scale human figures exclusive to close-up shots as they couldn’t be as detailed in wide shots, given the scale of the engine props. However, because of how big the Pack props are, the human figures are just plain large scale all the time, with the exception of on the Gauge 1 sets that are shown in the spinoff.
Well done on this one Nick this retrospect stuff about Thomas & Friends, Star Wars, etc. good work on all of this I love Thomas & Friends and I have had it in my life since I was little!!
Around 2013, Irish actor and comedian Ardal O'Hanlon was asked to voice Patrick, however he declined the role, implying that Patrick was at some point intended to return in the CGI series. It is currently unknown what series or special Patrick's return was planned for.
You made a good connection to Ned and Oliver making a subtle nod to Laurel and Hardy with their dynamic. I had never thought of it myself, but the original episode title "Another Fine Mess" definitely confirms it. In addition to that, I caught a couple other references to the duo. The bricks repeatedly hitting Oliver is seen in L&H a couple times, notably in "Dirty Work". Then Michael Brandon, I can't help but wonder if he was a fan himself? Those little grunts Oliver the Excavator made by Brandon are very similar in timing and tone to the grunts made by Hardy throughout the series, almost a signature of his performances. Absolutely loved this Retrospective!
I also they are similar to Chris Farley And David Spade, Carl Wheezer and Jimmy Neutron, Greg Heffley, Finn the human and Jake the dog, and other famous duos from Western culture
I love that Oliver keep saying ouch, 😂 & I’m looking forward for the next retrospective of season 8 of Thomas and friends. As well as part 2 of Star Wars focusing on the prequel era.
I’d like to believe Jack and the Pack would’ve still failed even if HiT didn’t buy out Gullane. Because Bob the Builder was so popular in terms of sales and evidently the clear winner when it comes to the market for talking construction vehicles. The Builder had a number 1 single, you can’t let go of a franchise at that level
Not to mention Bob the Builder was a lot easier and cheaper to produce as it was animated. It just would have been too expensive to produce both Thomas and Jack or any other spin offs they wanted to do. It would have been fun to see them attempt a whole Jack season in CGI though when it would have been easier to produce.
That is likely, still I think it would have been cool if Jack and the Pack at least got a fair chance, even just getting the full 26 planned launch episodes would have been nice to show everything off. Could have possibly made a nice cult classic with just enough episodes to binge through. Never been big on the 13 episodes limit it and TUGS and so many other early cartoons that didn't take off got stuck with, just never seems enough.
@@vanguardRailgun924I don’t think so, because there’s a clear chance that Jack and the Pack is related to Thomas, so basically kids will be more glued to Thomas than any other kids show?
I have a lot of nostalgia for Jack and the Pack (Thomas’ Trusty Friends in the UK where I’m from), loved the DVD and the two season 6 episodes. Such a cool concept with some fun episodes!
While this can be similar to "Bob the Builder", Thomas the Tank Engine's mini companion series had much more moving model work without using the stop-frame technique and more detailed model sets.
Something that I love and hope is mentioned in the S8 retrospective video, is that some buildings that are built in the mini-series like the new school or the dairy would appear later in some S8 episodes. It's just a neat continuation detail to me
When I was still really young, I never even thought these episodes would were supposed to be their own series. I just thought they were an extension of the main series, just like the Narrow Gauge episodes. Like, they were a special “every now and then” group of characters
In episode was called Operation S.K.A.R.L.O.E.Y. Aka Sir Handel Knows As Rheneas Likely On Every Year What if unlucky tug talks about facts about narrow gauge engines the episodes what narrow gauge episodes are Tallylynn version
Tbh, I always thought that the Narrow Gauge Engines should have had their own spin-off, but that's just me. I vaguely remember watching these episodes many years ago, the large scale props of Thomas and Percy were fascinating to me. Great video as usual
25:44 Wow. You just reminded me how much that scene scared me as a kid. I vividly remember being creeped out by Max's sudden turn and that devilish smile.
I've never seen an episode of Thomas, but your enthusiasm for the entire series makes me also feel disappointed they never did more with Jack and the Pack.
Do heard about Trainz Adventure of Thomas and tracks to big adventure Trainz Adventure is half model/cgi it’s even cool better then AEG so what if we could pretend Trainz Adventure and tracks to big adventures are season 25 26 27 28
Model Thomas will never get rebooted. I'm sorry but since models were getting too expensive to continue, CGI took over to keep the show going so the show can only continue or rebooted in CGI. We all know that models cannot last in shows forever.
It's funny that both "Tugs" (1989) and "Jack & the Sodor Construction Company" (2003) had only 1 season of episodes and sadly didn't get another series of episodes. Both spin off series deserve another chance. I hope that the Unlucky Tug speaks about the Cars spin off series "Planes" because that is unrated and is the only Pixar films series that was made by DisneyToon studios before it closed down.
“And we weren’t released in a lot of countries, had a promo DVD at Woolworths… I don’t know, Everett, was it the one branch or all of them?” I cannot hear Woolworths and not think of that film XD
I think he IS saying “auto racetrack” and just saying it weird Edit: I told my mom about the plot for The Importance of Being Patrick and she said “yep that’s british humor for ya”
37:46 I think “Charming” would have been a better word for this series. 🤔 “Quaint” is a word that most of us are accustomed to hearing with an abundance of snark behind it. 🤨
I want to watch these episodes again now - you have made me read that they were way better than I remember. Also, I knew these were build in a gauge far bigger than the Thomas & Friends models but HOLY SH*T HOW BIG WAS THAT CHIMNEY PROP?!
I did a re-watch of the HiT era last month. It had an alright-ish start but went downhill pretty fast. It also got very annoying having very long streaks of episodes with ONLY Thomas as the main character. The new characters from the era were pretty neat, I just wish they got more than like 2 episodes each. Oh, and if you thought season 12 was the worst season of this era... then you sure won't like season 10.
I think my favorite detail in Thomas' Trusty Friends is that, after the chimney comes crashing down, the wall that Oliver was working on doesn't immediately fall, instead waiting for a few seconds, before also collapsing. It's almost like it was mocking him.
I remember watching the pilot on New Friends For Thomas, and I never knew they were from Season 6. And really thinking about it, I think I enjoy the pilot more than the actual spin off.
Glad you covered this. Hardly *anyone* ever acknowledged its presence all because it came out during the middle of the HiT model era (which will *never* be the worst of the series!). I remember your original review back in 2016, but something about this re-review is pure perfection! Here’s my ranking of the (OG) Pack members: 1. Ned 2. Jack 3. Alfie 4. Kelly 5/6. Max & Monty 7. Oliver 8. Isobella 9. Buster 10. Patrick 11. Byron 12. Nelson Unlike most fans, I can’t wait for the next 4 Thomas Retrospectives Season 6 - Cute Season 7 - Eye of the Storm Jack & The Pack - Quaint
We’ve come a long way throughout the retrospective series. I choose to see Jack and the Pack as in between S6 and S7, like S6.5. I feel like Thomas first appearing in Nelson Gets Carried Away would be more special and impactful. What if he wasn’t going to appear much in the second half of this spinoff season. Buster by Michael Brandon sounds like Goofy lol. I love how Brandon is so enthusiastic during his narration. That chimney falling stunt I never knew was only able to do do one take of it. This series had an insane amount of potential, if HiT hadn’t interfered. A little later, the retrospective continued. As they approached the next episode, they saw Season 8. “Here we go,” said Henry’s driver.
Now that Project Tiger Moth has proven to be a success, y’never know we could have another various of “Jack & the Pack” Honestly though, if I was in charge, I would call it “Jack’s Crew” due to practicality and simplicity
This video is so interesting! I didn't know about some of the changes that HIT entertainment made like how it was HIT's desijen to have Thomas and or Percy in all the episodes. When I was a kid I always thought that the pack episodes were part of the HIT era. Jack And The Pack is an amazing spin off series! You did an amazing job talking about it! Hope you have a great day!
Growing up, I had, and still have, the Totally Thomas Volume 9 box set. It included Thomas' Trusty Friends and 13 other assorted episodes. This was my only Thomas experience until I've started watching your channel!
Off-topic, but I still can't believe you're engaged! I remember I was 14 when I first started watching your content way back in 2010!I'm 27 now. My how time flies! Congratulations!
I was kinda in a way just as surprised that some members came back. As much as this show was like Bob the Builder I both enjoyed them in their own ways I also kinda noticed that if Jack has a snowplough he would be like Scoop since Scoop has also been shown to have a snowplow and another comparison David Menkin voiced Scoop in Ready Steady Build in the US same as how he voiced Jack in the US of the CGI series.
Such a shame this little spin off was snubbed at the last second, wouldn’t mind it being a little one season story that sets them up as a crew and continue to keep them more prevalent and involved in the show forward, but I’m glad it wasn’t lost entirely either
This is very interesting history of the series. When I first watch it, I never know it is made during the classic era although I thought it is made during season 8. It is get expanding from the two part pilot story. I actually like Jack’s snow rescue and definitely a good one
Wait, I just had a fun theory The reason why Thomas acts so weirded out about the pack enjoying knocking down buildings is because the events of Thomas comes to breakfast
Thank you for your retrospective! I'm not a modern fan of the show many any means, but this show holds a special place to my heart as an adult who first got their liking to locomotives when small. As an adult it's amazing learning about how this show was created and changed through the years along with the original source materials.
I never knew Jack and the Pack even existed i always thought they were meant to be just added props to the show. That was until you started mentioning them and now i know all that i need ro know. It definitely wouldve been so cool to have this show but at least it wasnt around long enough to get the same reputation as Thomas did under HIT. Speaking of which we all better buckle up kids because weve got SO many seasons of HIT: Horrible Ideas for Thomas. I also want to mention i love the fact that one ofnthe episodes references Clint Eastwood Kellys Heroes movie with its title. That ie just so awesome i love it.
It's a shame more of those funny visual gags the series had didn't carry over into Hit era Thomas more often, could have really added a fun redeeming quality to those seasons while keeping to the more light hearted format that period aimed for.
That is a great retrospective on Jack and the Pack. I already learned about info of the mini series but nice to hear you say it. Honestly though, Thomas can be less light-hearted when it comes to exciting moments, serious and mature stuff like in the first five seasons and truly evil villains like Sailor John and originally Diesel 10 at some times. Make it more exciting if you will. Just only my thoughts but just understand all the same please even if you agree or not. You'd think that the Brenner era writers would have tried to revive the mini series or even have the episodes included in the main show now that HIT is no longer part of Thomas since 2013.
This series had so much potential. The props are impressive, the humor is great, and I love the characters. It could have easily been a great companion piece to _Thomas and Friends._ if only HIT hadn't interfered.
Me too
You commented that 32 minutes ago, and this video is 51 mins old and 41 mins long, which means you commented either part way through the vid, or before you watched it
@@splendidredscrapiron...
HIT absolutely sabotaged the series. an engineered failure top secure BTB as the *only* construction series.
@@splendidredscrapironyea he probably commented before watching
It's kinda a general opinion on the miniseries tho so like eh who cares
I see Jack and the Pack sort of like a bonus level of the classic era. And now that I think about it, Ned and Oliver’s dynamic has started to remind me of Warrior and Big Mac's dynamic in Tugs.
They also remind of Laurel and Hardy, David Spade and Chris Farley, And other comedy duos
There's 2 Oliver's on sodor i suppose, the train and the other,
@@antonioscholten They should've had an engine named Ned, Just to make Marion very confused XD
13:23
Speaking of Thumper, it’s a wonder why no one wrote a fanstory where he gets promoted to work with The Pack yet.
Or at the very least interact with some of them.
I actually really like the voice Brandon gives Patrick. The way he just spouts “CONCRETE”and his overall gruff Irish voice is always amusing
Wow I love Michael Brandon when he good voice actor as a narrator and diesel in model and cgi
C O N C R E T E
*BUT I'M THE MOST IMPORTANT!*
I’d say it’s a Scottish accent he gave him but I prefer Michael angiles’ northern ish voice for Patrick
Two years ago ago, I decided to give The Pack a try. Hadn't seen it in at least a decade and a half, probably since the DVD came out. It was remarkably good, like there was actual care put into it, as opposed to S7, which was decent, but ultimately felt like a cheap contractual obligation.
So yeah, Pack was a great spin-off, and it's a shame it only got 13 or so episodes...
Where did you find it? My friend wants to watch it.
@@selinapersaud7629I just looked it up it's on UA-cam if you search it
@@selinapersaud7629 Either look up the episodes or buy a Jack and the Pack DVD. Those are your best two choices. I found them on UA-cam, but that was two years ago, before Mattel purged the website of most Thomas and Friends episodes...
Season 7 was great
It’s also a shame that HiT changed the episodes, and I agree with Unlucky Tug here, Thomas and Percy are overused in this spinoff.
Brandon made Monty and Max basically Beavis and Butthead and I'm into it wholeheartedly
🤣
I love those guys
You talking about Kelly makes me realize how much he's like Toby in the railway series. He's old and wise, but instead of talking sense into Jack, he lets him make a fool of himself and then rescues him like a total Chad. He's also similar in the sense that he cares for others, and despite his accident with the wind, he still helps Isabella in a manner like Toby.
*THIS* is how Toby should have stayed.
I love characters like that tbh, it would have been great seeing Toby and Kelly together.
@@bloodmuzzleactually Kelly has a very similar character to Edward since they are both wise and are coloured blue, while I think Ned is the steam shovel equivalent to Toby
Especially in CGI Brenner era.
Jack and the pack as a whole had so much potential. The props were impressive and seeing Sodor through a different perspective would've been cool to see.
I am sure what Michael Brandon really said was "The Sodor Auto Race Track"
On site with Thomas is easily a classic 😂
Such a hilarious episode
I especially love the bricks constantly falling on Oliver and saying OUCH!!
Never fails to make me laugh
Also the demolition scene is a masterpiece
That episode you're talking about is actually "Thomas' trusty friends"
The demolition scene has always struck me as impressive, but the fact it was done all in one take, especially granted how big the building set actually was, has given me an all new appreciation for it.
20:38 Brandon being a maniac 😈
No wonder he’s the best Diesel/troublesome trucks voice/laugh.
It's such a shame that this series never really came to fruition. As you said, the props were all amazingly well-made, and the characters had so much potential. My favorite Pack characters were always Max & Monty, and the bit about rowdy truck drivers in real life makes me appreciate these two knuckleheads even more XD
As soon as you mentioned the buyout, I was immediately like “Do I smell corporate sabotage??”
i like jack and his pack, i would love to have seen the unproduced episodes be produced, wish we got more.
this is gonna be a good retrospective
Well my favorite pack are Jack Alfie Oliver Kelly Max and Monty
It would be really cool to see the fans adapt those lost stories using the given episode outlines.
@@bloodmuzzle Especially in CGI style with many things like Trainz.
It's tragic that the creators not only made 1, but 2 sister shows to Thomas that both floundered to some degree. Jack and the Pack had huge potential, and if Hit never bought Gullaine and the team made the full 26 episode lineup to some warm but successful reception, it's possible that the writing team would have more time to flesh out the later seasons of thomas as they continued writing more episodes for the pack, fulfilling that annual release window to some degree.
I'm glad that the CGi Era never forgot Jack and the Pack, though, and I'm glad they got more attention there than they otherwise would.
15:16
For those who don't know, The Importance of Being Patrick is a reference to a farcical comedy of manners by Oscar Wilde entitled "The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People". Its a play from 1895 that takes a satirical look at upper-class Victorian society.
Pretty interesting reference. I can tell that the Jack and the Pack writers had a lot of fun coming up with the original episode titles.
I love the Jack and the Pack miniseries. It's a shame the series never took off, because I love what we got.
Same man
“Puck” 😂
@@augustdavis4725 Fixed.
I'm already putting this on my Best Thomas Fan Content Playlist because that's how much I love your videos!
Just gained a subscriber
who doesn't love them?
Fun fact: Byron was indirectly mentioned in mines of mystery. And Ned was indirectly mentioned in tale of the brave.
Can you give me a video of it?
@@bernarda1247 I can't give you a video of them because Mattel is copyrighting full episodes and movies of TTTE. But what I can tell you is that Thomas indirectly mentioned Ned in the scene where he meets Marion, and he indirectly mentioned Byron in the beginning of mines of mystery.
@@TheSpongeBobGuy01 oh ok
The best part of the chimney destruction is that the last wall to fall was the one Oliver was trying to take down. Perfect comedic timing
I loved that part of the episode so much!
I understand how you reacted to seeing the Jack and the Pack episodes as a return to Classic Thomas. I was expecting Season 10 to be pretty much the same, but it turns out that wasn't the case. What a shame. It would have been a great comeback.
22:38 Actually it sounds like he's saying "Sodor Auto Racetrack" but the "or" at the end of Sodor is blending in with Auto, like he's slurring it together.
And with that, Unlucky Tug has once again given all of us a wonderful Thomas Masterpiece on UA-cam. I really enjoyed this video and can’t wait for whatever Thomas content comes to the channel next!
Same over here! I mean it when I say it but the unlucky tug is like our god for the Thomas Fandom
@@Noah-ey5zf Isn't Wilbert Awdry the god of the fandom?
@@TheSpongeBobGuy01 well yes he created the franchise but I meant the unlucky tug is a god for just how good his work is in video
As a kid these just felt like normal Thomas episodes because Thomas and Percy were used so much. I didn’t know that it was actually a spin off show until I saw your original video on Jack and the Pack.
Anyone else notice how in Percy's Scary Tale, the voice used for the narrator and Monty switched when the owl hoots? Always a funny moment. Also, Jack and Alfie are a little like Ten Cents and Sunshine.
i like to imagine Thomas doesn’t get the destruction being fun because of how often he crashes.
He’s focused on feeling hurt
The more I learn about cases like this, the more upset I get with the BS of the corporate world and their dealings
Same
I love the moment from Kelly saying that Jack needs to learn the hard way, it reminds me of Toby, tell me he wouldn't let a younger engine make a mistake, embarrass themselves and learn their lesson, so long as no one was in danger of getting really hurt.
I seriously thought that you were going to re-release the old Jack and the pack review, but this is even better!
In all honesty, I love all the Pack episodes, even Jack Owns Up because it teaches the moral of the owning up to mistakes. Speaking of Max and Monty having the most leads making them standouts, Max and Monty, themselves, are my favorite Pack members because they're both great comedy duos and they represent how even the truck drivers can be careless in real life.
I can imagine George, Butch, Thumper, Elizabeth, or, maybe, The Horrid Lorries having 'Jack'-Scaled models built. It's because I think all the Pack vehicles would interact with others outside The Pack, most notably Max and Monty interacting with The Horrid Lorries, Isobella interact with Elizabeth, and Kelly interact with Butch.
I actually owned the 'On Site With Thomas' DVD when I was a kid too. Never had the rest of the DVDs though, so I never got the full Pack experience.
But speaking of Thumper at 13:25, it took me years & becoming a major history buff to realize that the chassis for his model was made using a model kit KV-1 tank.
Not to mention some tractors in the background through some of the early seasons were based on the chassis of the M3/M5 Stuart.
Jack and the Pack is one of my favorite seasons of Bob the Builder
Jack and the Pack are related to Bob the Builder
Jack - Scoop /Muck
Kelly - Lofty
Rolly - George / buster
Dizzy and tumbler Patrick
Max and Monty / muck
Imagine if Jack and the Pack had the classic series music and was released during 2003 with Season 7. It would hit so much different. I’m really excited for your review on Season 8.
Jack and the Pack are before s8 and after s7
@@vanessasandoval96that’s when it takes place, but it was released in between season 9 and 10
I remember watching jack and the pack when I was really little and I loved all the action scenes and sounds they made, so glad you made a retrospective on it
If that Bertie show was made in the hit era. There’d probably an episode about Bertie and say George disagreeing on how useful trains are and theyd call it like Thomas’ argument.
I just watched "Thomas' Trusty Friends" before listening to what you had to say about the episode and I've got to say, it's pretty comedic despite having no real moral behind it. Sometimes these "slice of life" episodes can be good if done properly and this episode is one of very few. Not to mention, the practical effects are stunning to boot. Dare I say this episode could fit right into a compilation of Season 5 and spills and thrills episodes with the chimney falling on top of the warehouse.
I find it funny that "On Site With Thomas" was actually one of if not my first pieces of the show I watched as a kid. To learn of it's history and production here is pretty cool
I love on site with Thomas it starts out with Patrick being most important so the whole pack were making rumor who is most important and Max and Monty are arguing who is Patrick and makes Patrick cause an accident getting dipped into the concrete
One thing I find really fascinating about this spinoff is the human figures. In the main series, there were always large scale human figures exclusive to close-up shots as they couldn’t be as detailed in wide shots, given the scale of the engine props. However, because of how big the Pack props are, the human figures are just plain large scale all the time, with the exception of on the Gauge 1 sets that are shown in the spinoff.
Well done on this one Nick this retrospect stuff about Thomas & Friends, Star Wars, etc. good work on all of this I love Thomas & Friends and I have had it in my life since I was little!!
18:50 This right here is probably my favourite bit of narration in any Thomas media.
Around 2013, Irish actor and comedian Ardal O'Hanlon was asked to voice Patrick, however he declined the role, implying that Patrick was at some point intended to return in the CGI series. It is currently unknown what series or special Patrick's return was planned for.
Careful now!
13:27 that's a point, why WASN'T Thumper made part of the pack? it would've at least given him more screen time
You made a good connection to Ned and Oliver making a subtle nod to Laurel and Hardy with their dynamic. I had never thought of it myself, but the original episode title "Another Fine Mess" definitely confirms it. In addition to that, I caught a couple other references to the duo. The bricks repeatedly hitting Oliver is seen in L&H a couple times, notably in "Dirty Work". Then Michael Brandon, I can't help but wonder if he was a fan himself? Those little grunts Oliver the Excavator made by Brandon are very similar in timing and tone to the grunts made by Hardy throughout the series, almost a signature of his performances. Absolutely loved this Retrospective!
I also they are similar to Chris Farley And David Spade, Carl Wheezer and Jimmy Neutron, Greg Heffley, Finn the human and Jake the dog, and other famous duos from Western culture
Love how you put Max/Monty's snicker as a post credits scene
What if George was joined the pack and be friends with Max and Monty
@@vanessasandoval96 An official puzzle depicts George and Elizabeth in the pack instead of Buster and Isobella
I love that Oliver keep saying ouch, 😂 & I’m looking forward for the next retrospective of season 8 of Thomas and friends. As well as part 2 of Star Wars focusing on the prequel era.
"Wake up, homies. The Unlucky Tug just dropped Jack n Pack episode."
I’d like to believe Jack and the Pack would’ve still failed even if HiT didn’t buy out Gullane. Because Bob the Builder was so popular in terms of sales and evidently the clear winner when it comes to the market for talking construction vehicles. The Builder had a number 1 single, you can’t let go of a franchise at that level
You aren't wrong.
Not to mention Bob the Builder was a lot easier and cheaper to produce as it was animated. It just would have been too expensive to produce both Thomas and Jack or any other spin offs they wanted to do.
It would have been fun to see them attempt a whole Jack season in CGI though when it would have been easier to produce.
That is likely, still I think it would have been cool if Jack and the Pack at least got a fair chance, even just getting the full 26 planned launch episodes would have been nice to show everything off. Could have possibly made a nice cult classic with just enough episodes to binge through.
Never been big on the 13 episodes limit it and TUGS and so many other early cartoons that didn't take off got stuck with, just never seems enough.
Yeah Bob the builder does 😊
@@vanguardRailgun924I don’t think so, because there’s a clear chance that Jack and the Pack is related to Thomas, so basically kids will be more glued to Thomas than any other kids show?
I have a lot of nostalgia for Jack and the Pack (Thomas’ Trusty Friends in the UK where I’m from), loved the DVD and the two season 6 episodes. Such a cool concept with some fun episodes!
32:57
Guy: I spend two weeks build that, What will you do with it?
Producer: Demolish it.
Guy: What?
While this can be similar to "Bob the Builder", Thomas the Tank Engine's mini companion series had much more moving model work without using the stop-frame technique and more detailed model sets.
I got another idea what if unlucky tug could even make episodes about the Bob the Builder history scoop
2010 cgi bob the builder
20:02 “Again with the cowboy voice, what is with that?”😁
I definitely lament that Jack & the Pack never got a proper chance, but we still have some amazing props and good characters that came out of it.
Something that I love and hope is mentioned in the S8 retrospective video, is that some buildings that are built in the mini-series like the new school or the dairy would appear later in some S8 episodes. It's just a neat continuation detail to me
I always used to think the episode “Thomas’ Trusty Friends” as a fun and active episode when I the TTF DVD back in the day.
That episode was actually the first Pack episode I’ve watched when I was younger.
The OG names of the episodes are so hilarious and classic, and it was so infuriating that they changed them
When I was still really young, I never even thought these episodes would were supposed to be their own series. I just thought they were an extension of the main series, just like the Narrow Gauge episodes. Like, they were a special “every now and then” group of characters
In episode was called
Operation S.K.A.R.L.O.E.Y. Aka Sir Handel Knows As Rheneas Likely On Every Year
What if unlucky tug talks about facts about narrow gauge engines the episodes what narrow gauge episodes are Tallylynn version
Tbh, I always thought that the Narrow Gauge Engines should have had their own spin-off, but that's just me.
I vaguely remember watching these episodes many years ago, the large scale props of Thomas and Percy were fascinating to me.
Great video as usual
25:44 Wow. You just reminded me how much that scene scared me as a kid. I vividly remember being creeped out by Max's sudden turn and that devilish smile.
I've never seen an episode of Thomas, but your enthusiasm for the entire series makes me also feel disappointed they never did more with Jack and the Pack.
If model Thomas ever gets rebooted, we need more Jack And The Pack to go with it!
😎
…and Tugs too!
Do heard about Trainz Adventure of Thomas and tracks to big adventure Trainz Adventure is half model/cgi it’s even cool better then AEG so what if we could pretend Trainz Adventure and tracks to big adventures are season 25 26 27 28
Model Thomas will never get rebooted. I'm sorry but since models were getting too expensive to continue, CGI took over to keep the show going so the show can only continue or rebooted in CGI. We all know that models cannot last in shows forever.
Tugs is a product of it's time... So it wouldn't take off nowadays
@@danielferrovias That doesn't mean people could try to have it take off even in the present time.
Quite cool that my country, the Netherlands, is one of the only countries where the mini-series released
23:51 Mike O'Donnell confirmed that he and Junior did indeed compose their own music for the series, but due to the HiT buyout, it never happened
i miss the intro in the retrospectives, such beauty in the transitions with the music
It's funny that both "Tugs" (1989) and "Jack & the Sodor Construction Company" (2003) had only 1 season of episodes and sadly didn't get another series of episodes. Both spin off series deserve another chance.
I hope that the Unlucky Tug speaks about the Cars spin off series "Planes" because that is unrated and is the only Pixar films series that was made by DisneyToon studios before it closed down.
“And we weren’t released in a lot of countries, had a promo DVD at Woolworths… I don’t know, Everett, was it the one branch or all of them?”
I cannot hear Woolworths and not think of that film XD
I think he IS saying “auto racetrack” and just saying it weird
Edit: I told my mom about the plot for The Importance of Being Patrick and she said “yep that’s british humor for ya”
I hadn't ever heard of this before, and it is pretty cool! Thanks for covering it Tug.
I was very surprised that Jack and The Pack wasn’t more popular. Construction shit was very popular cause of all the sandboxes at playgrounds.
37:46
I think “Charming” would have been a better word for this series.
🤔
“Quaint” is a word that most of us are accustomed to hearing with an abundance of snark behind it.
🤨
I want to watch these episodes again now - you have made me read that they were way better than I remember.
Also, I knew these were build in a gauge far bigger than the Thomas & Friends models but HOLY SH*T HOW BIG WAS THAT CHIMNEY PROP?!
I wish there was more fan made stories for the Pack. I think they deserve it.
Good luck reviewing the HIT era, Tug. You're gonna need it my man
I did a re-watch of the HiT era last month. It had an alright-ish start but went downhill pretty fast. It also got very annoying having very long streaks of episodes with ONLY Thomas as the main character. The new characters from the era were pretty neat, I just wish they got more than like 2 episodes each. Oh, and if you thought season 12 was the worst season of this era... then you sure won't like season 10.
I think my favorite detail in Thomas' Trusty Friends is that, after the chimney comes crashing down, the wall that Oliver was working on doesn't immediately fall, instead waiting for a few seconds, before also collapsing. It's almost like it was mocking him.
I remember watching the pilot on New Friends For Thomas, and I never knew they were from Season 6. And really thinking about it, I think I enjoy the pilot more than the actual spin off.
Excited for the chaos that follows after here lmao
Glad you covered this. Hardly *anyone* ever acknowledged its presence all because it came out during the middle of the HiT model era (which will *never* be the worst of the series!). I remember your original review back in 2016, but something about this re-review is pure perfection!
Here’s my ranking of the (OG) Pack members:
1. Ned
2. Jack
3. Alfie
4. Kelly
5/6. Max & Monty
7. Oliver
8. Isobella
9. Buster
10. Patrick
11. Byron
12. Nelson
Unlike most fans, I can’t wait for the next 4 Thomas Retrospectives
Season 6 - Cute
Season 7 - Eye of the Storm
Jack & The Pack - Quaint
Yesss finally done with the classic series 1984-2003
why u want it done so bad?
Why are you so happy with the classics seasons retrospective done?
Thats not a good thing
👍
It was a good run! 🫡✌️
I'll admit, I liked the idea of having a spin off series within the Thomas franchise. Not just Jack & The Pack but other railway characters too
It's always the best shows that are short lived
(Cough) Motorcity...
*cough* *cough* The Owl House
Tugs
Gravity Falls
I mean better to go at a high point than linger on like the empeor on the golden throne.
We’ve come a long way throughout the retrospective series. I choose to see Jack and the Pack as in between S6 and S7, like S6.5. I feel like Thomas first appearing in Nelson Gets Carried Away would be more special and impactful. What if he wasn’t going to appear much in the second half of this spinoff season.
Buster by Michael Brandon sounds like Goofy lol. I love how Brandon is so enthusiastic during his narration. That chimney falling stunt I never knew was only able to do do one take of it. This series had an insane amount of potential, if HiT hadn’t interfered.
A little later, the retrospective continued. As they approached the next episode, they saw Season 8. “Here we go,” said Henry’s driver.
Now that Project Tiger Moth has proven to be a success, y’never know we could have another various of “Jack & the Pack”
Honestly though, if I was in charge, I would call it “Jack’s Crew” due to practicality and simplicity
I wish they had a made an episode where Jack quits in front of people. It should be named "Jack's off publicly".
Jack & The Pack looked like an interesting spin-off series for Thomas. Shame HiT never got around to letting Gullane go through with it.
I think a Bob the Builder retrospective series would be cool. Other than Thomas, it was my go-to show when I was little.
This video is so interesting! I didn't know about some of the changes that HIT entertainment made like how it was HIT's desijen to have Thomas and or Percy in all the episodes. When I was a kid I always thought that the pack episodes were part of the HIT era. Jack And The Pack is an amazing spin off series! You did an amazing job talking about it! Hope you have a great day!
Growing up, I had, and still have, the Totally Thomas Volume 9 box set. It included Thomas' Trusty Friends and 13 other assorted episodes. This was my only Thomas experience until I've started watching your channel!
Off-topic, but I still can't believe you're engaged! I remember I was 14 when I first started watching your content way back in 2010!I'm 27 now. My how time flies! Congratulations!
I was kinda in a way just as surprised that some members came back. As much as this show was like Bob the Builder I both enjoyed them in their own ways I also kinda noticed that if Jack has a snowplough he would be like Scoop since Scoop has also been shown to have a snowplow and another comparison David Menkin voiced Scoop in Ready Steady Build in the US same as how he voiced Jack in the US of the CGI series.
Such a shame this little spin off was snubbed at the last second, wouldn’t mind it being a little one season story that sets them up as a crew and continue to keep them more prevalent and involved in the show forward, but I’m glad it wasn’t lost entirely either
Toby actually had 13 faces on his Series 6 face reference sheet.
This is very interesting history of the series. When I first watch it, I never know it is made during the classic era although I thought it is made during season 8. It is get expanding from the two part pilot story. I actually like Jack’s snow rescue and definitely a good one
10:38 I'd like to point out that the German Release skipped "Jack owns up" and "Percy's Scary Tale" for unknown reasons.
Wait, I just had a fun theory
The reason why Thomas acts so weirded out about the pack enjoying knocking down buildings is because the events of Thomas comes to breakfast
Amazing video, there was 13 planned episodes for this Spin-Off series😎
Honestly, the Gullane Era of Thomas, regardless of writing quality, is very entertaining
The writing ain’t that bad.
@@rmgilyard it’s not even bad it’s just like mediocre
@@Numpey I disagree, but aight.
Thank you for your retrospective! I'm not a modern fan of the show many any means, but this show holds a special place to my heart as an adult who first got their liking to locomotives when small. As an adult it's amazing learning about how this show was created and changed through the years along with the original source materials.
I never knew Jack and the Pack even existed i always thought they were meant to be just added props to the show. That was until you started mentioning them and now i know all that i need ro know. It definitely wouldve been so cool to have this show but at least it wasnt around long enough to get the same reputation as Thomas did under HIT.
Speaking of which we all better buckle up kids because weve got SO many seasons of HIT: Horrible Ideas for Thomas.
I also want to mention i love the fact that one ofnthe episodes references Clint Eastwood Kellys Heroes movie with its title. That ie just so awesome i love it.
I love the Pack episodes! I have the “Thomas’s Trusty Friends” DVD and honestly I still love it today! Thanks for the great video Tug! 😃
It's a shame more of those funny visual gags the series had didn't carry over into Hit era Thomas more often, could have really added a fun redeeming quality to those seasons while keeping to the more light hearted format that period aimed for.
24:19 yep Patrick’s definetly the forgotten member
That is a great retrospective on Jack and the Pack. I already learned about info of the mini series but nice to hear you say it. Honestly though, Thomas can be less light-hearted when it comes to exciting moments, serious and mature stuff like in the first five seasons and truly evil villains like Sailor John and originally Diesel 10 at some times. Make it more exciting if you will. Just only my thoughts but just understand all the same please even if you agree or not. You'd think that the Brenner era writers would have tried to revive the mini series or even have the episodes included in the main show now that HIT is no longer part of Thomas since 2013.