Two new seasons of the hit Thomas & Friends animated series are set for release in 2023, with each including an hour-long special.

Mattel has announced that it has renewed Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, the successful animated series based on Thomas the Tank Engine, for two additional seasons.

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Studios has begun co-production with Mattel Television on the two new seasons which are set for release in 2023. Building upon the emphatic reception to Season 26 and the introduction of the series’ first autistic character, Bruno the Brake Car, seasons 27 and 28 will continue to broaden the global viewership of the celebrated series and are comprised of 26 11-minute episodes; each series also includes its own hour-long special.

Season 27 finds Thomas and his friends on Sodor with surprises around every turn, from cleaning up the muddiest of messes to the grand opening of a bakery-café,

“The global impact of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go is as strong as ever and has been reinforced through the franchise’s recent introduction of Bruno,” said Fred Soulie, senior vice president and general manager, Mattel Television. “Alongside our global broadcast partners, we’re excited to maintain the Thomas & Friends legacy by continuing the beloved adventures of Thomas and the Sodor crew, all while allowing audiences to revel in the playful nature of the series and further connect with our characters.”

Global distribution agreements for seasons 25 and 26, the most recent seasons of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (each consisting of 52 11-minute episodes and one 60-minute special), include long-standing partners such as Warner Bros. Discovery (Pan-LATAM and US), Milkshake and Nick Jr. (UK) and WarnerMedia, as well as Netflix (multi-territory).

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go is co-produced by Mattel Television and Nelvana, a producer, distributor and licensor of children’s animated and live-action content, and is executive produced by Christopher Keenan and Fred Soulie for Mattel and by Colin Bohm, Doug Murphy, and Pam Westman for Nelvana.