Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas's on-screen appearances in the TV series were developed by Britt Allcroft. The first series of 26 stories premiered in October 1984 on the ITV Network in the UK, with former Beatles drummer/vocalist Ringo Starr as storyteller. The stories were featured as segments as part of Shining Time Station in the US beginning in 1989 with Starr as the show's Mr. Conductor character. From 1991 to 1993, George Carlin replaced Starr as both the storyteller and as Mr. Conductor for Shining Time Station. Carlin also told the Thomas stories for Shining Time Station in 1995.
David Mitton
The show became an instant success on British television, and in 1989, Allcroft helped created "Shining Time Station" (1989–1995) in the United States on the Public Broadcasting Service. Because of the sequences that introduced the stories from "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends" to American audiences, "Shining Time Station" became a successful television show. Merchandise for "Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends" had been available before the television programme, but the programme created a new multimillion-pound industry and became an unstoppable phenomenon which could be seen in 145 countries worldwide.