Universal Kids (previously known as Sprout from 2013 to 2017 and PBS Kids Sprout from 2005 to 2013) was an American television channel first launched on 26 September 2005, formed as a preschool-oriented channel jointly operated by PBS, HiT Entertainment, Sesame Workshop, and Comcast.

Thomas & Friends began airing with the launch of the channel in 2005 and aired episodes (Series 1 through 15) consistently, as well as select screening of films such as Thomas and the Magic Railroad and The Great Discovery. The show would stop airing on the channel in 2015, when NBCUniversal (who became the sole owner of the channel in 2013) rebranded the channel as Universal Kids and removed much of its original programming.

The channel was shut down on 6 March 2025.

Trivia

• A few years after the show transitioned to CGI, live-action model era episodes would no longer be aired on most PBS stations and would now only air exclusively on Sprout.
• Episodes from the first five series would exclusively air on this channel, typically at night, since its debut in 2005 in the U.S.
• Sprout is the last television channel to air Series 1 - 15 of Thomas & Friends in American broadcasting. Airings of the model series ended in 2015 when the network got purchased by NBCUniversal.
• There have been several moments where Thomas & Friends has been mentioned throughout the channel's history.
  • In 2006, an Earth Day block featured Henry's Forest, with guest hosts Big Bird and Stinky the Stinkweed from Sesame Street commenting on Henry taking the trees to be recycled.
  • In 2006, the Sprout Diner segment featured Thomas looking for a healthy snack before his important delivery. The snack is shown to be Thomas' Club Car Sandwich, the winning recipe from a contest held during Sprout's Thanksgiving Diner Party.
  • In 2007, a special recipe was provided to make Thomas Train Car Cakes.
  • In 2010, Thomas' 65th anniversary was celebrated on The Sunny Side Up Show. A special broadcast of The Great Discovery was featured, as well as different crafts and games for the viewers. A sweepstakes for special Thomas merchandise was also presented for parents to partake in.
  • In one live airing of The Sunny Side Up Show, one of the human hosts accidentally mispronounced Stepney's name as "Stephanie".
• The HiT Favorites DVDs Lend a Helping Hand and Safety First feature Sunny Side Up Show framing scenes, where Good Egg Awards are given out to characters after their episodes.

Gallery

Thomas & Friends episode title cards

External links

• Universal Kids on Wikipedia