Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends: Season 5 (ThomasSirHandel's version)

The fifth season of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends would have premiered in late 1998 on citv for the UK and in early 1999 on PBS for the US with being re-shown on Fox Family and Sprout. Michael Angelis narrated all UK episodes with George Carlin narrating all US episodes. This season would have included 36 episodes in the main series, 12 episodes in the Skarloey Railway series and 4 episodes in the Small Railway mini series.

Returning Characters
Rail and Non-Rail Vehicle Characters
 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Duck
 * Donald and Douglas
 * Oliver
 * Emily
 * Bill and Ben
 * Stepney
 * Diesel
 * Daisy
 * BoCo
 * Bear
 * Mavis
 * The Diesel
 * Skarloey
 * Rheneas
 * Sir Handel
 * Peter Sam
 * Rusty
 * Duncan
 * Duke
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Henrietta
 * Toad
 * S. C. Ruffey
 * Terence
 * Bertie
 * Trevor
 * George
 * Caroline
 * Harold
 * Alice and Mirabel (do not speak)
 * Isabel and Dulcie (do not speak)
 * Jinty and Pug (cameo)
 * D199 (cameo)
 * Bulgy (cameo)
 * Bulstrode (cameo)

Human Characters
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Lady Hatt
 * Stephen Hatt
 * Bridget Hatt
 * Mr. Percival
 * Mr. Hugh
 * Tom Tipper
 * The Firelighter
 * The Little Boys
 * The Vicar of Wellsworth
 * Mrs. Kyndley
 * The Refreshment Lady
 * Nancy
 * Jeremiah Jobling (not named)
 * The BBC Television Producers (do not speak)
 * Jem Cole (cameo)
 * Farmer Trotter (cameo)
 * Farmer Finney (cameo)
 * The Storyteller (cameo)
 * The Crovan's Gate Policeman (cameo)
 * The Dryaw Policeman (cameo)
 * The Tailor (cameo)
 * Mr. Murphy (cameo)
 * The Portly Man (cameo)
 * The Important Passenger (cameo)
 * The Elsbridge Cricket Club (cameo)
 * The Painter (cameo)
 * Mid Sodor Manager (cameo)
 * The Enthusiasts (cameo)
 * The Elephant Caper (cameo)

Characters Introduced
Rail and Non-Rail Vehicle Characters
 * Old Stuck-Up
 * Pip and Emma
 * Derek
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * Bert
 * Rex
 * Mike
 * Old Slow Coach
 * Butch
 * The Horrid Lorries
 * Cranky
 * Talyllyn (physical appearance; does not speak)
 * Dolgoch (does not speak)
 * The Ballast Spreader (does not speak)
 * Thumper (does not speak)
 * Tiger Moth (does not speak)
 * Albert (Mid Sodor; cameo in flash back)
 * Jim (Mid Sodor; cameo in flash back)
 * Atlas (Mid Sodor; cameo in flash back)

Human Characters
 * Old Bailey
 * Mr. Mack
 * Mr. Bobbie
 * Fergus Duncan
 * The Thin Clergyman
 * The Fat Clergyman
 * Willie
 * The Special Visitor
 * Mrs. Kyndley's Daughter
 * Tiger Moth's Pilot
 * Richard Robert Norramby (physical appearance)
 * Dowager Hatt (not named)
 * The Lighthouse Keeper (not named)
 * Harry Topper (mentioned)
 * The Dukes (mentioned)

Main Series

 * George Carlin would continue to narrate the series instead of Alec Baldwin.
 * This season would have used the models, sets, lighting and music from Seasons 3-4.
 * Season 5 would have been a mix of Railway Series stories, original episodes, magazine and annual adapted stories similar to Season 3.
 * The majority of locations from Seasons 3-4 would have appeared in this season.
 * The episodes would have aired in order in US broadcasts.
 * Knapford Station would remain the main terminus in the fifth season but Kirk Ronan would still appear in some episodes.
 * Knapford Docks from Seasons 3-4 would remain as the main dock export rather than Brendam, but Brendam would still remain in the series as a minor dock export.
 * Butch and Tiger Moth would have been given faces in all their appearances.

Tales From the Skarloey Railway

 * Mr. Percival would replace Sir Topham Hatt as controller for the Skarloey Railway.
 * The small scale models of the narrow gauge engines would have been easier to make/use and would continue to be used from the fifth season onward.
 * The Skarloey Railway sets from Season 4 would have also continued to be used.

Small Railway Engines

 * Tit for Tat, Mike's Whistle and Useful Railway would use similar scripts as their existing Season 20 scripts, but Thomas would be omitted from the episodes. Rex's crash would also be done in a Seasons 3-4 esque crash.
 * The small scale models of the miniature gauge engines would contain their motors inside their tenders and would also have similar eye merch to the road vehicle characters, but would only be used when interacting with the standard gauge engines. Their large scale models would be around the same size as the smale scale Skarloey Railway models.

Story Adaptions

 * Cranky Bugs - Bill and Ben would replace Thomas and Percy, Donald and Douglas would replace Gordon and James, Edward and BoCo would replace Henry and Duck.
 * A Better View for Gordon - Emily would replace Percy's role in the beginning.
 * Old Stuck-Up - Re-written so Old Stuck-Up would come to temporally replace Gordon while he's away at the works during A Better View for Gordon.
 * Bye George - Sir Handel and Duke would replace Skarloey and Rheneas in the beginning and Percy would pick up George at the Skarloey Railway Engine Sheds from Season 4.
 * Double Teething Troubles - Edward would replace Duck and Thomas and Percy would have been at Elsbridge instead of Brendam.
 * Busy Going Backwards - Set on the Little Western, Duck would replace Henry and Donald and Douglas would replace Gordon and James.
 * Happy Ever After - Elsbridge would replace Wellsworth; Kissing scene would also be omitted; Edward would have a larger role.
 * Make Someone Happy - James would be shunting at Elsbridge instead of Ffarquhar but Ffarquhar would still appear; Daisy would replace Duck's cameo at Ffarquhar and would also have a speaking role.
 * Rusty and the Boulder - Sir Handel and Peter Sam would replace Thomas and Percy's roles.
 * Duke to the Rescue - Based on shunterproductions's story but with Bear replacing Stanley's (TV Series) role.
 * Frozen Falcon - Re-written version of Snow, but with Duke telling the story to Thomas and Rusty. Sir Handel (when he was called Falcon) would replace Skarloey's role in the flash back and the flash backs would be set on Mid Sodor. Duke and Bertram would replace Rusty and Duncan's cameos in the flash backs. Albert, Jim and Atlas from the Mid Sodor would also make cameos in the flash back.
 * Little Engines - Loose adaption of Ballast due to the Small Railway stories being adapted after Duck got his branch line and Oliver being saved from scrap.