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.
Thomas and the Magic Railroad
In the early 1990s, the character of Thomas the Tank Engine, adapted from the Rev. W. Awdry's "Railway Series" into the TV series "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends", created by Britt Allcroft, was at the height of his popularity following three successful series. At the same time, "Shining Time Station", an American series that combined episodes from the previous series with original live-action characters and scenarios, also created by Allcroft along with Rick Siggelkow, was made and was also successful. As early as 1994, prior to the launch of "Thomas"'s fourth series, Britt Allcroft had plans to make a feature film based on both of these series, and would make use of the model trains from "Thomas" and the live-action aesthetic of "Shining Time Station".