Shining Time Station

infobox television |Lop
show_name = Shining Time Station


caption = Shining Time Station title screen
format = Children's
runtime = 22-23 minutes
creator = Britt Allcroft
Rick Sigglekow
starring = Ringo Starr (1989-1990)
George Carlin (1991-1993)
Didi Conn
Leonard Jackson (1989-1990)
Tom Jackson (1991-1993)
Nicole Leach (1989-1990)
Jason Woliner (1989-1990)
Erica Luttrell (1991-1993)
Ari Magder (1991-1993)
Danielle Marcot (1991-1993)
Brian O'Connor
country = USA
network = PBS
first_aired = January 29, 1989
last_aired = June 11, 1993
num_episodes = 76
imdb_id = 0098910
tv_com_id = 918
|

"Shining Time Station" was an American television sequel of "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York, but was shot in Toronto. The series aired on PBS from January 1989 to June 1993. It aired on Fox Family for 1998 and 1999, and also on Nick Jr. in 2000 for the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad.

Background

Once Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends had become a critical and commercial success in the UK, Allcroft and her production company teamed up with PBS to create an American version of the show. Every episode of the show would include a couple episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine within the framework of a live-action story that would take place in the United States. [cite web |url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/how-thomas-the-tank-engine-works1.htm l |title=How Thomas the Tank Engine Works |accessdate=2008-06-25 |last=Whitlock |first=Natalie Walker |coauthors=Michael Mallory |date=2006-11-06 |work= |publisher=HowStuffWorks, Inc. ] Thus, Shining Time Station was born. Ringo Starr, who had already been providing the voice of the narrator for the British series, agreed to extend the role to include the on-screen character Mr. Conductor in Shining Time Station. He later left the show and was replaced by George Carlin.

In a review for Entertainment Weekly, Ken Tucker states that, compared to the faster paced "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?", "Shining Time Station wants to slow things down; it's an old- fashioned show that creates a gentle, lulling atmosphere to convince children that life is fun and that trains are the way to travel." [cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,309173,00.html |title=Two Tickets to Ride |accessdate=2008-06-25 |last=Tucker |first=Ken |coauthors= |date=1992-01-10 |work= |publisher=Entertainment Weekly ]

Also, before the executive producer Rick Siggelkow went to work at the BBC, he was planning a Shining Time Station movie. For reasons unexplained, the movie was canceled. [cite web |url=http://www.sodor-island.net/interviews.html |title=Sodar Island Fansite Interviews which contains interview with Rick Siggelkow and the never released Shining Time Movie |accessdate=2008-10-10 |last=Gratton |first=J coauthors= |date=2008-1-21 |work= |publisher=sent in by Sodar Island Fansite member, then posted on the site]

Overview

Shining Time Station is a train station that resides on the Indian Valley Railroad and is located in the fictional town of Shining Time. The station is managed by Stacy Jones, the station master whose grandmother Gracie ran the station when she was Stacy's age. The station's workshop is run by railroad engineer and mechanic Harry Cupper. In the second season, Harry is transferred to a new station in Fort Farley and is replaced by Billy Twofeathers.

A local named Horace Schemer (simply called Schemer by his friends) runs the station's arcade and is always finding new ways to make more money or to protect his arcade. He serves as the series' comic relief. Schemer thinks that strange goings-on in the station happen because the station is haunted. His catch phrases include "Genius time" (for when he has an idea), "Schemer's system of success" (for when he wants to impress his friends) and "This place is haunted". Starting in the second season, Schemer would sometimes be aided in his schemes by his nephew, Schemee.

Harry's granddaughter, Tanya, and Stacy's nephew, Matt, also visit the station occasionally. In the second season, three new children visit the station: Harry's granddaughter, Kara; Stacy's nephew, Dan; and a new girl named Becky.

Other visitors to the station include various townspeople, such as socialite and gossip Midge Smoot, farmer Ginny Johnson, general store proprietor Barton Winslow, bus driver Felix Perez, Shining Time's mayor Osgood Bob Flopdinger (referred to as the mayor of East Shemp in his initial appearance), and J.B. King, Esq., the superintendent of the Indian Valley Railroad.

There is a jukebox inside the arcade that houses a band that perform for the nickels that are dropped inside. The band consists of Didi the drummer, cowboy twin brothers Tex and Rex who together play between them one guitar larger than them, Grace who plays bass guitar, and Tito the leader who plays the piano and collects the nickels they accumulate.

Mr. Conductor is a tiny man who lives in a switch house inside the station's mural and tells the stories of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends to the kids. He can teleport in a cloud of his magic gold dust.

Cast

eries Regulars

*Didi Conn - Stacy Jones
*Brian O'Connor - Horace Schemer

eason 1 Regulars

*Ringo Starr - Mr. Conductor
*Leonard Jackson - Henry "Harry" Cupper
*Jason Woliner - Matthew "Matt" Jones
*Nicole Leach - Tanya Cupper

Christmas Special Characters

* Ardon Bess - Tucker Cupper
*Lloyd Bridges - Mr. Nicholas
* Judy Marshak - Claire
*Rachel Miner - Vickie

easons 2-3 Regulars

*George Carlin - Mr. Conductor
*Erica Luttrell - Kara Cupper
* Ari Magder - Dan Jones
* Danielle Marcot - Becky
*Tom Jackson - Billy Twofeathers

Recurring Characters (Full Series)

*Jerome Dempsey - Mayor Osgood Bob Flopdinger
*Mart Hulswit - J.B. King, Esq.
*Bobo Lewis - Midge Smoot

Recurring Characters (Season 2-3)

* Barbara Hamilton - Ginny
* Jonathan Shapiro - Schemee
*Gerard Parkes - Barton Winslow
* Aurelio Padrón - Felix Perez

The Jukebox Puppet Band

*Olga Marin - Didi
*Alan Semok/ Rory Dodd - Tex
*Craig Marin - Rex
*Jonathan Freeman - Tito Swing
*Peter Baird/ Kenny Miele/ Vanesse Thomas - Grace the Bass

The Jukebox Band Songs

eason Two (1991-1992)

Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales (1997-1998)

Merchandising

*Stacy Cleans Up Volume 1
*Schemer Alone Volume 2
*Bully for Mr. Conductor Volume 3
*Becky Makes a Wish Volume 4
*Sweet and Sour Volume 5
*Billy's Party Volume 6
*Mr. Conductor's Evil Twin Volume 7
*Schemer's Special Club Volume 8

Thomas & Friends Ertl Trains

1989-1990

*Thomas
*Edward
*Henry
*Gordon
*James
*Percy
*Toby
*Annie and Clarabel
*Henrietta
*Duck
*Diesel
*The Express Coaches
*The Old Coaches
*Troublesome Trucks
*Milk and Tar Tankers
*The Breakdown Train

1991-1992

*Bill
*Ben
*Donald
*Douglas
*Daisy
*Boco
*Mavis
*Oliver
*City Of Truro
*Sodor Mail Coaches
*Toad

1993-1994

*Sodor Fuel Wagons

Thomas & Friends Trains

In 1989 when Shining Time Station was to begin, Thomas was a success in USA and The Lionel Train Company who made big scale 1 trains made several sets. These trains are 43mm gauge which is the closest commercially available to the ones used for filming (When the TV shows started Gauge 1 (37mm) models based on Marklin mechanisms were used) The original Gauge 1 (G scale) sets are becoming collectable particullarly original 1993 sets with the play mat and yellow track. In 1994 James the Red Engine with Troublesome Trucks followed in G scale. A re-release of Thomas in G followed in 2000, using sets made outwith the US. These later sets are distinguishable by the brown railway sleepers and interchangeable couplings (bachmann style included).

G Scale

*Thomas with Annie and Clarabel
*James with the Troublesome Trucks
*Separate Sale Troublesome Truck
*Accessory Pack-Set included the Sound System, a 4 1/2' by 7 1/2' Playmat, Sir Topham Hatt and Railway Staff figures, and three Thomas facial expressions
*Yellow track was also made for the Thomas G scale line, and packs of track was sold separately with 4 Straight or Curved Track.
*A Track Kit was made, which included four straight track, four curved track, and a Left and Right Switch Track.
*Also, a model of Wellsworth, the windmill, and a watertower was made, and sold all together in a pack.

O Scale

*Thomas the Tank Engine with Annie and Clarabel
*Percy the Small Engine
*James the Red Engine
*Thomas Expansion Pack
*Sodor Freight Expansion Pack
*Devious Diesel
*Sir Topham Hatt Gateman
*Iron Arry and Bert

HO Scale

*Orriginally produced by Hornby, the Thomas line is now available in the US from Bachmann Industries. The current lineup includes figures, structures, locomotives, and rolling stock. Most of the locomotives have eyes that will look side to side as the train moves. Most of the popular trains are available and are part of the "Standard" series.

Books

* A book was written by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow, featuring the Juke Box Band, entitled, "This Old Band," published by Quality Family Entertainment in 1994.

yndication

United States

*PBS (1989-1998)
*Fox Family (1998-1999)
*Nick Jr. (Nickelodeon) (2000)

Canada

*YTV (1990-1998/99)
*TVO (1999-2000)
*APTN (2000-01)
*Both TVO and APTN aired only the last two series of STS. The main reason that STS aired on APTN was due to the fact that Tom Jackson (Billy Twofeathers) stared on the show.

Ireland

*TV3 (1999-2003)

Trivia

*Shining Time is seen in the movie "Thomas and the Magic Railroad". Didi Conn plays Stacy again, but Tom Jackson's role as Billy was handed over to Russell Means. The new Mr. Conductor is played by Alec Baldwin.
*All of the Shining Time Station episodes only ever have three sets: the main room of the station, the workshop, and the interior of the station's jukebox, where the Jukebox Band resided. This changed in the specials, in which scenes took place outside, in the signal house, and in a large basement-type room that may or may not be part of the station building.

*The train seen in both the opening and closing credits is the real locomotive, the Union Pacific 844.

*The "Rainbow Sun" mentioned in the theme song is the name of Billy Twofeathers' train.

*Every episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends from seasons 1 through 4 was told by Mr. Conductor, at least once, over the course of all 3 seasons as well as the family specials and Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales.

*For reasons unexplained, in the episode "Washout" when Mr. Conductor tells the story "Bertie's Chase" the beginning (Edward waiting for Thomas) was omitted. This scene was also omitted from the James In A Mess picture book for unexplained reasons, but in the Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales episode, "Splish, Splash, Splosh", and in all VHS and DVD releases, the episode is in its entirety.

*When Shining Time Station was aired on Nickelodeon it was aired to promote Thomas And The Magic Railroad.

*When the show aired on Fox Family, it used the credits from the TV Specials but episodes were edited significantly so they could fit the time slot.

*In the Station is a huge wall painting, which resembles WPA paintings of the 1930s.

Funding

Funding for the show was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the financial support of the viewers/stations of PBS

References

External links

* [http://www.angelfire.com/nc/shiningtime/ A very popular "Shining Time Station" fan site]
* [http://hitentertainment.com/thomasandfriends "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends"]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098910/ "Shining Time Station" at Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.tv.com/shining-time-station/show/5416/summary.html/ "Shining Time Station" at TV.com]
* [http://www.shiningtimeu.com An informational guide to "Shining Time Station"]