funding for this program was provided in
part by the corporation for public
broadcasting and by the financial
support of viewers like you
reach for the
go speed the rail may run
reach for the words
reach for the story
follow the rainbow sun
to his shining time
[Music]
simply shocking
dreadful behavior
scandalous
sometimes i think i should give up
reading the comics all together
[Music]
and then you fold it again like this
there
i'm a pilot ahoy shipmate
oh hello
where are you going today
moose
see
lucy sleep
no smoking
please no smoking have a good trip
bye
okay where were we
doodle haven
350. three no 315. 315. doodle haven't
315. here
good thing we checked yeah and our
passengers expect these information to
be accurate right okay
maybe we should double check everything
what do you have a clogging of 11
o'clock 11 o'clock clogged check
mr scoop
uh now is that carol with a ceo with a k
for the k
hey
i remember you you're a newspaper writer
not just a writer sonny a reporter with
the indian valley gazette wait a minute
that's my byline hey yeah my name on a
piece i wrote just last week mayor of
east shemp seeks re-election
believe you me that was not an easy
story to get
so you wrote it and they printed it and
everybody read it
wow
yeah it's a rough job but someone's got
to do it
ms smoot great to see you let's just
scoop hello what are you doing here are
you covering a story oh i hope there's
nothing wrong like trains arriving later
missing tickets oh no of course not man
all news is not bad news you know
but uh speaking of news
what's new
well mr scoop you know how i hate gossip
uh yes ma'am i surely do but i have to
tell someone oh of course of course it's
about jenny you know from farmer's dell
[Music]
must be so neat working for a newspaper
hey
why don't we start our own newspaper
like the becky carradan news no no
better the shining time times and right
on stationery
or
the shining times that's it yeah
awesome
excuse me would you mind lending me a
bounce
sure mr conductor what do you need i've
been trying to repair this signal arm
it's broken it's all bent
trains depend on signals and they have
to be absolutely correct at all times so
i was wondering
here let me try
yeah
okay um everybody okay
okay one two three
oh
thanks a lot i'm glad you fixed it
percy's been having enough trouble with
signals as it is
really what happened oh it's quite a
story why don't i tell you about it
percy works in the yard at the big
station
he loves playing jokes but they can get
him into trouble
one morning he was very cheeky indeed
hurry up gordon the train's ready gordon
thought he was late
laughed percy and showed him a train of
dirty coal cars
gordon thought how to get back at percy
for teasing him
next it was james's turn
stay in the shed today james sir topham
hatt will come and see you ah thought
james sir topham hatt knows i'm a fine
engine he wants me to pull a special
train
james's driver and fireman could not
make him move
the other engines grumbled dreadfully
they had to do james's work as well as
their own
[Music]
at last the inspector arrived show a
wheel james you can't stay here all day
sir topham hatt told me to stay here he
sent a message this morning
he did not how could he he's away for a
week
oh
said james
oh
where's percy
percy had wisely disappeared
when sir topham hatt came back he was
crossed with james and percy for causing
so much trouble
[Music]
but the very next day percy was still
being cheeky
i say you engines i'm to take some
freight cars to thomas's junction sir
topham hatt chose me especially he must
know i'm a really useful engine
more likely he wants you out of the way
grunted james gordon looked across to
james they were going to play a trick on
percy james and i were just speaking
about signals at the junction we can't
be too careful about signals but then i
needn't say that to a really useful
engine like you percy
percy felt flattered we had spoken of
backing signals put in james they need
extra special care you know would you
like me to explain
no thank you james said percy i know all
about signals
percy was a little worried
i wonder what backing signals are he
thought
never mind i'll manage
he puffed crossly to his freight cars
and felt better
[Music]
he came to a signal bother it's a danger
the signal moved to show line clear
its arm moved up instead of down percy
had never seen that sort of signal
before
down means go and up means stop
so upper still must mean go back
i know it's one of those backing signals
come on percy said his driver off we go
stop you're going the wrong way
but it's a backing signal percy
protested and told him about gordon and
james
the driver laughed and explained
oh dear said percy
let's start quickly before they see us
he was too late gordon saw everything
[Music]
that night the big engines talked about
signals
[Music]
they thought the subject was funny percy
thought they were being very silly
so you see percy's problem wasn't that
he made up stories that's fine what he
did wrong was to make people believe
that his made-up stories were true
i think percy should be more careful
yes i'm sure he will be
thank you again for repairing the signal
arm
well what are we waiting for we've got a
newspaper to put out yeah
well yes i suppose you could say that
mine is a typical modern success story
uh i attributed to hard work
dashing good looks
and an exceptionally keen business mind
which i inherited from my mommy
from his mommy anything else about my
mommy well
she's smart
she's honest and she has an
exceptionally talented son getting all
this down that's lakota spelled
l-a-k-o-t-a
lakota soup
are they a very big tribe nation dan
we're called nations and we're a very
great people
as a matter of fact sitting bull was a
chief of the standing rock suit
really
it's interesting
so what do you want to ask me
um
how's the mayor
mayor
well
he's fine
i suppose
do you like him
well i voted for him
yes
i like him thanks
you know i think your readers might be
interested in the history of shining
time station cara did you know that my
grandmother gracie jones was the first
station manager here and boy did she
have stories to tell oh let's see my
favorite story
i'm sorry to interrupt miss jones uh
cara i thought that uh perhaps you could
use a picture of me for the big story
that you're doing about me for your
newspaper here's my front it's my back
yeah oh okay
listen maybe i should uh autograph this
for you as well
now uh my name is spelled s-c-h-e-m-e-r
emphasis on the scheme
yeah
okay where was i
your grandmother in the winter oh right
oh this story i love this toy oh the
press huh well i have a train to catch
so you'll have to make it snap snap
snappy yes sir
um
do you like miss moo
miss who miss smooth
oh oh miss moot certainly oh a lovely
lady i like everyone who voted for me
thanks
wait a minute don't you want to hear
about my new garbage dump
[Music]
so here they are all our stories and you
know what what they're kind of well
boring no one's gonna want to read them
i've got
mayor likes midge smooth and she likes
him so what
how about
mare and midge schmoot
in love
no no better
mid small will marry mayor
but they didn't say that
okay okay
mitch might marry bear but he doesn't
want to that's better
what about schemer he said he likes his
mommy
trying to change a word or two schemer's
mad at his mommy
yeah
[Music]
my man stacy's grandmother wouldn't like
schema yeah maybe stacy doesn't like
schemer
yeah
maybe she wants to kick him out yeah she
says schemer must get out or else
[Music]
did billy say he was related to she's
sitting bull
well
he said they were both sue
billy two feathers grandson of chief
sitting bow
you think they'll like it
sure they will
i feel like shouting newspaper let's
play something on the jukebox to
celebrate our new paper good idea it's
on me
they're telling stories why don't we
tell one ourselves well the only stories
we know are saw you tell them tex i just
did rex i knew i heard it someplace
how about a song about a railroad i got
it i got it how about
tennessee central number nine
one and two
[Music]
[Music]
big
[Music]
the tennessee
[Music]
gonna hit that mountain just
[Music]
[Music]
oh
[Music]
he said
[Music]
i want you to know mayor flopdinger that
i wouldn't marry you if you were the
last mayor on earth but dear woman i can
assure you i was misquoted
oh my word mrs flopdinger will never
speak to me again sure blame it on the
press isn't that what you politicians
always do
oh my dear matter oh my dear miss moot
my my dear my dear voter
schemer i never ever said that i wanted
to kick you out of the station oh no no
then how come it says it
right here in black and white if it's
imprintimus jones it must be true
really okay then it must be true
that you are very mad at your mommy
i love my mommy well it says it right
here
if my mommy weaves that shield
mommy i need right now
damn you better talk to stacy
carol let's go see billy he's gonna be
really angry at all of us
this is some creative writing you've got
here dan
hmm
let's see romance in bloom family
quarrels famous indian chiefs
we just didn't want our stories to be
well boring oh well i guess she was
successful then
i suppose
stacey what's wrong with creative
writing i thought creative was good well
there's a big difference to them between
making a story up which is creative
writing and reporting a story
i'll show you what i mean
remember when we all went to the movies
the other night yeah okay
i'm going to report on that night all
right i'm going to write a report you
help me
let's see
all right it all began
on a dark and stormy night
it wasn't stormy it wasn't even dark
when it began oh all right
the sun was setting that's better
okay
uh we drove to the theater
okay and suddenly we were surrounded by
big machines
roaring and snarling in the darkness
other people's cars
true
okay cars now the gates
were swung wide
all right and we were admitted
by
a cruel and sinister servant to the
castle
uh that was the ticket taker okay
they are cowering in the darkness we
were offered strange and exotic foods
and beverages by unseen
voices so i'm starting to get scared
oh
sorry dad
okay let's go home
that was a real story
yes but it wasn't the real story was it
it wasn't the real report huh
okay i see what you mean
good
grand son of sitting bull huh
now who told you that i never said a
thing like that well you said you were
related to him
didn't you what i said was my ancestors
are soup and i'm very proud of that fact
but you don't have to be related to
somebody famous in order to be proud of
your heritage billy does this mean you
don't like me anymore does this mean i
can't grow up to be an engineer like you
cara becky
it's okay it's just a mistake and we all
make them
but let's get one thing clear i am not
the grandson of sitting bull even if i
did read it in this paper
but you'll have to excuse me kids
and mr conductor i have to go and check
the signal light
hi becky hi kara hi dan oh hi mr
conductor boy are we in a lot of trouble
what are we gonna do don't be worried
dan i'm sure things will be all right
i'm sorry you weren't here to listen to
what my friend billy two-feathers just
told becky and caro how about what about
mistakes and how they're all right as
long as you learn something from them
back on the island of sodor thomas just
found that out for himself
how
well
i'll tell you
thomas the tank engine was grumbling to
the other engines i spend my time
pulling coaches about ready for you to
take out on journeys
the other engines laughed
why can't i pull passenger trains too
you're too impatient they said you'd be
sure to leave something behind
rubbish said thomas i'll show you
one night he and henry were alone
henry was ill the men worked hard but he
didn't get better
he felt just as bad next morning henry
usually pulled the first train and
thomas had to get his coaches ready
if henry is ill he thought
perhaps i shall pull his train
thomas ran to find the coaches
come along come along he fussed
there's plenty of time there's plenty of
time they grumbled thomas took them to
the platform and wanted to run round in
front at once
but his driver wouldn't let him don't be
impatient thomas
thomas waited and waited
the people got in the conductor and
station master walked up and down the
porter banged the doors and still henry
didn't come thomas got more and more
excited sir topham hatt came to see what
was the matter and the conductor and
station master told him about henry
find another engine he ordered there's
only thomas they said you'll have to do
it then thomas
be quick now
so thomas ran round to the front and
back down on the coaches ready to start
let's not be impatient said his driver
we'll wait till everything is ready but
thomas was too excited to listen
what happened then no one knows
perhaps they forgot to couple thomas to
the train or perhaps the driver pulled
the lever by mistake
anyhow thomas started without his
coaches as he passed the first signal
tower men waved and shouted but he
didn't stop
they're waving because i'm such a
splendid engine he thought importantly
henry says it's hard to pull trains but
i think it's easy
hurry hurry hurry he puffed pretending
to be like gordon
people have never seen me pulling a
train before it's nice of them to wave
and he whistled
thank you
then he came to a signal at danger
bother he thought i must stop and i was
going so nicely too what a nuisance
signals are he blew an angry beep
on his whistle the signalman ran up
hello thomas he said what are you doing
here i'm pulling a train said thomas
can't you see
where are your coaches then
thomas looked back why bless me he said
if we haven't left them behind
yes said the signalman you'd better go
back quickly and fetch them
poor thomas was so sad he nearly cried
cheer up said his driver let's go back
quickly and try again
[Music]
at the station all the passengers were
talking at once they were telling sir
topham hatt what a bad railway it was
but when thomas came back they saw how
sad he was and couldn't be crossed
he was coupled to the train and this
time he really pulled it
[Music]
afterwards the other engines laughed at
thomas and said
look there's thomas who wanted to pull a
train but forgot about the coaches but
thomas had already learned not to make
the same mistake again
people will understand if you make a
mistake the idea is not to make a
mistake and then make the same mistake
all over again biggest mistake of all is
not to learn from your mistakes
otherwise you'll find yourselves
quite mistaken
so anyway there i am running home right
i just about get to the front door when
i realized hey my mommy is a doodle
haven visiting one of her friends she's
even gonna see the newspaper so what am
i worried about
yeah i think so
oh gotta go kids
hi schemer sorry about what we wrote
about your mother
yeah i was uh just talking to her right
now on the phone and
she took it pretty hard poor woman
but uh
well there is a way you could make it up
to her how help
by being extra nice to me anybody got a
nickel who wrote this this this shining
times this disgrace to journalism who's
responsible for this that's what i want
to know they are the three of them right
there
all right well listen up kids and listen
good
this is not reporting now if you want to
be in the newspaper game you got to
learn to get your fat straight and you
got to double check your facts before
you go to press we know that now mr
scoop we know there's a big difference
between telling a real story and telling
a made-up story
yeah and we know it's okay to make
mistakes if you learn from your mistakes
well maybe uh i wouldn't know you know i
never get my stories wrong
never
in my reporting never
stoop
where's this scoop i'm looking for this
nincompoop scoop mr mayor here i am your
honor
are you the author of this journalistic
gobbledygook or the story on your
campaign speech yes sir i wrote that
well go ahead read it no read it right
now right there ah
his honor said that he was here tonight
to talk garbage
well
this is what i said i said i was there
to talk about garbage trash collections
clean streets recycling oh
sorry sorry well what are you going to
do about it
we'll print a retraction in tomorrow's
paper no problem
what's a retraction
well it's uh when a newspaper makes a
mistake uh yes yes it happens sometimes
we print a piece as soon as possible
saying that we were wrong and we
apologize
you know your honor it's okay to make
mistakes if you learn from your mistakes
did didn't you say that once in a speech
no
but i will now
come on let's get busy with what with
our special retraction issue of the
shining time good idea
this time let's put a lot of
comics
reach for the speed
reach for the whistle go where the rail
may run
reach for the words reach for the story
follow the rainbow sun
to a shining tide station
where dreams can come true
waiting there for you
so much to see
so far to travel
so much to learn to know
friends by your side
hopes to hold on to who knows how far
you'll go
to a shining time station
[Music]
funding for this program was provided in
part by the corporation for public
broadcasting and by the financial
support of viewers like you
this is pbs
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02x14 - Stop the Press
Watch/Buy Amazon
A local named Horace Schemer, simply referred to as Schemer, runs the station's arcade and serves as the series' comic relief.
A local named Horace Schemer, simply referred to as Schemer, runs the station's arcade and serves as the series' comic relief.