Another commercial for "Ski" yoghurt attracted the attention of television producer Britt Allcroft, who had acquired the television rights to a series of books known as "The Railway Series" from its author, the Reverend Wilbert Awdry. Allcroft approached Mitton to develop a pilot for a television series, and in a joint partnership between her production company (known as The Britt Allcroft Company) and Clearwater Features, they made "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" between 1984 and 2003. On 1 January 1991, Clearwater Features became part of The Britt Allcroft Company, and in 2002, HiT Entertainment bought out Allcroft and retitled the programme "Thomas & Friends".