Shining Time Station
| Shining Time Station | |
|---|---|
| Created by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Joe Raposo |
| Opening theme | "Shining Time Station Theme" sung by Kevin Roth |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States Canada (seasons 2–3) |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 65 + 5 specials |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 28 minutes 60 minutes (specials) |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | PBS |
| Release | January 29, 1989 – November 20, 1995 |
| Related | |
Shining Time Station is a children's television series. It was sequenced based on a true stories of British children's television series Thomas & Friends, told by Ringo Starr and George Carlin. The series ran from January 29, 1989 to November 11, 1996 on PBS for four seasons and 76 episodes. It also aired on Fox Family and Nick Jr. through 1998 to 2000, to promote the theatrical release of Thomas and the Magic Railroad on July 26, 2000. It was produced by Quality Family Entertainment in the United States and Catalyst Entertainment (seasons 2-3) in Canada.
Cast
Main
- Didi Conn as Stacy Jones, the kindhearted station master and aunt to Matt and Dan
- Brian O'Connor as Horace Schemer, the proprietor of the station's arcade
- Ringo Starr as Mr. Conductor (season 1, Christmas special), a 20-centimetre tall conductor with a magic whistle that helps him teleport away
- George Carlin as Mr. Conductor (seasons 2–3, family specials), the first Mr. Conductor's cousin
- Leonard Jackson as Henry "Harry" Cupper (season 1, Christmas special, family special 3), an engineer and grandfather of Tanya and Kara
- Nicole Leach as Tanya Cupper (main, season 1, Christmas special; guest, season 2), Harry's granddaughter and Kara's cousin
- Jason Woliner as Matthew "Matt" Jones (main, season 1, Christmas special; guest, season 2), Stacy's nephew who visits the station
- Tom Jackson as Billy Twofeathers (seasons 2–3, Family Specials), the engineer who replaced Harry after he left and Kit's uncle
- Erica Luttrell as Kara Cupper (seasons 2–3, Family Specials), Harry's granddaughter and Tanya's cousin
- Ari Magder as Daniel "Dan" Jones (seasons 2–3, Family Specials), Stacy's nephew and Matt's cousin
- Danielle Marcot – Becky (recurring, season 2; main, season 3, Family Specials), a local girl who is friends with Dan and Kara
Recurring
- Jerome Dempsey as Osgood Bob Flopdinger, the mayor of the town of Shining Time
- Mart Hulswit as J.B. King, Esq., the superintendent of the Indian Valley Railroad
- Bobo Lewis as Midge Smoot, the town gossip
- Jonathan Shapiro as Schemee (seasons 2–3, Family Specials), Schemer's nephew
- Gerard Parkes as Barton Winslow (seasons 2–3), the proprietor of the town's general store
- Barbara Hamilton as Ginny Johnson (seasons 2–3, Family Specials), a farmer
- Aurelio Padrón as Felix Perez (seasons 2–3, Family Specials), a bus driver
- Bucky Hill as Kit Twofeathers (Family Specials), Billy's nephew
Notable guest stars
- Ardon Bess as Tucker Cooper, Harry's cousin ("'Tis a Gift")
- Lloyd Bridges as Mr. Nicholas ("'Tis a Gift")
- Rachel Miner as Vickie ("'Tis a Gift")
- Ed Begley Jr. as Ned Kincaid and his great-grandson ("Once Upon a Time")
- Jack Klugman as Max Okowsky ("Second Chances")
- Teri Garr as Sister Conductor ("One of the Family")
- Jeannette Charles as the Queen ("Queen for a Day")
The Jukebox Band
- Jonathan Freeman as Tito Swing, the pianist
- Olga Marin as Didi, the drummer
- Wayne White (1989) and Alan Semok (1990–95) as Tex, a guitarist
- Craig Marin as Rex, a guitarist
- Peter Baird (1989–95), Alan Semok (1989), and Kenny Miele (1990–95) puppeteering Grace, the bass guitarist
- Emily Bindinger as the singing voice of Didi
- Rory Dodd as the singing voice of Tex and Rex
- Vaneese Thomas as the speaking voice (1989) and singing voice (1989–95) of Grace
- Beverly Glenn-Copeland as the speaking voice (1990–95) of Grace
The instrumentation of the songs was performed and produced by Steve Horelick, who also arranged the vocals. The music was arranged by Larry Wolf.
Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 20 | January 29, 1989 | June 11, 1989 | |
| 2 | 20 | November 18, 1991 | December 27, 1991 | |
| 3 | 25 | March 22, 1993 | June 11, 1993 | |
| Specials | 4 | February 28, 1995 | November 20, 1995 | |
| Thomas Tales | 6 | October 7, 1996 | November 11, 1996 | |
Season 1 (1989)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Thomas stories | Featured song(s) | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Place Unlike Any Other" | Matthew Diamond | Brian McConnachie | "Thomas Gets Tricked" "Edward Helps Out" | "I've Been Working on the Railroad" "Start Where You Are" | January 29, 1989 | |
| 2 | "Does It Bite?" | "Come Out, Henry!" "Henry to the Rescue" | "Camptown Races" "Don't Be Afraid" | February 5, 1989 | |||
| 3 | "And the Band Played Off" | "A Big Day for Thomas" "Trouble for Thomas" | "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" "Learn from Your Mistakes" | February 12, 1989 | |||
| 4 | "Pitching In and Helping Out" | Ellis Weiner | "Thomas Saves the Day" "James Learns a Lesson" | "Railroad Corral" | February 19, 1989 | ||
| 5 | "Show and Yell" | Brian McConnachie | "Foolish Freight Cars" "A Proud Day for James" | "Freight Train" "Bounce Back" | February 26, 1989 | ||
| 6 | "Faith, Hope and Anxiety" | "Thomas and the Conductor" "Thomas Goes Fishing" | "Wabash Cannonball" "The Kite Song" | March 5, 1989 | |||
| 7 | "Agree to Disagree" | Ellis Weiner | "Terence the Tractor" "Thomas and Bertie's Great Race" | "Abilene" "We Do Things Differently" | March 12, 1989 | ||
| 8 | "Whistle While You Work" | "Tenders and Turntables" "Trouble in the Shed" | "Pop Goes the Weasel" "Let's All Work Together" | March 19, 1989 | |||
| 9 | "Two Old Hands" | "Percy Runs Away" "Thomas Comes to Breakfast" | "A Railroader for Me" "Baking a Cake" | March 26, 1989 | |||
| 10 | "Happy Accidents" | Alan Kingsberg | "Henry's Special Coal" "The Flying Kipper" | "Wreck of the Old 97" | April 2, 1989 | ||
| 11 | "Ring in the Old" | "Toby the Tram Engine" "Thomas Breaks the Rules" | "Train Is a Comin'" "Old But Wise" | April 9, 1989 | |||
| 12 | "Impractical Jokes" | Ellis Weiner | "A Cow on the Line" "Old Iron" | "Poor Paddy Works on the Railway" | April 16, 1989 | ||
| 13 | "Finders Keepers" | Gregory Lehane | Brian McConnachie | "Double Trouble" "James in a Mess" | "The Desperado" "Tubby the Tuba" (excerpt) | April 23, 1989 | |
| 14 | "Just Wild About Harry's Workshop" | Ellis Weiner | "Duck Takes Charge" "Percy Proves a Point" | "Union Train" "What Goes Around Comes Around" | April 30, 1989 | ||
| 15 | "Promises, Promises" | "Better Late Than Never" "Pop Goes the Diesel" | "Oh! Susanna" | May 7, 1989 | |||
| 16 | "Word's Out" | Brian McConnachie | "Diesel's Devious Deed" "A Close Shave for Duck" | "Jesse James" "Be Good to Yourself" | May 14, 1989 | ||
| 17 | "Too Many Cooks" | Ellis Weiner | "Gordon Takes a Dip" "Down the Mine" | "The Ballad of Casey Jones" | May 21, 1989 | ||
| 18 | "Mapping It Out" | "The Runaway" "Percy Takes the Plunge" | "Red River Valley" "Follow Directions" | May 28, 1989 | |||
| 19 | "Things That Go Ga-Hooga in the Night" | Brian McConnachie | "Percy's Ghostly Trick" "Woolly Bear" | "Oh My Darling, Clementine" | June 4, 1989 | ||
| 20 | "Is This the End?" | "Saved from Scrap" "A New Friend for Thomas" | "Little Black Train" | June 11, 1989 | |||
| 21 | Special | "'Tis a Gift" | TV: "Terence the Tractor" "Thomas' Christmas Party" VHS: "Thomas' Christmas Party" "Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree" | "Over the River and Through the Wood" "Jingle Bells" "It's Christmastime at the Railway Station" "The Hobo Song" "Simple Gifts" | November 25, 1990 | ||
Season 2 (1991)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Thomas story(s) | Featured song(s) | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1 | "Scare Dares" | Stan Swan | Ellis Weiner | "Percy's Ghostly Trick" "Thomas, Percy and the Dragon" | "Midnight Special" "What Am I Afraid Of?" | November 18, 1991 |
| 23 | 2 | "Oh, What a Tangled Web" | Sean Kelly | "Diesel's Devious Deed" "No Joke for James" | "Mama Don't Allow" | November 19, 1991 | |
| 24 | 3 | "The Magic is Believing" | Brian McConnachie | "Old Iron" "Edward's Exploit" | "Nine Hundred Miles" | November 20, 1991 | |
| 25 | 4 | "Win, Lose or Draw" | Jill Golick | "Double Trouble" "Gordon and the Famous Visitor" | "Arkansas Traveler" | November 21, 1991 | |
| 26 | 5 | "Sweet and Sour" | Gregory Lehane | Wilson Coneybeare | "Donald and Douglas" "The Deputation" | "Erie Canal" | November 22, 1991 |
| 27 | 6 | "Achoo" | Stan Swan | Brian McConnachie | "Trust Thomas" "Whistles and Sneezes" | "Cosher Bailey's Engine" "Caring" | November 25, 1991 |
| 28 | 7 | "A Dog's Life" | Gregory Lehane | Wilson Coneybeare | "James in a Mess" "The Trouble with Mud" | "Home on the Range" | November 26, 1991 |
| 29 | 8 | "Field Day" | Sean Kelly | "Percy Proves a Point" "Thomas and Bertie's Great Race" | "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" "Everyone's a Winner" | November 27, 1991 | |
| 30 | 9 | "Wrong Track" | Wilson Coneybeare | "Thomas Saves the Day" "Down the Mine" | "Sweet Betsy from Pike" | November 28, 1991 | |
| 31 | 10 | "Washout" | Jill Golick | "Bertie's Chase" "Percy's Promise" | "Cumberland Gap" | November 29, 1991 | |
| 32 | 11 | "Crackpot" | Stan Swan | Jill Golick | "Woolly Bear" "Henry's Forest" | "John Henry" | December 16, 1991 |
| 33 | 12 | "Yabba, Yabba, Yabba" | Ellis Weiner | "Pop Goes the Diesel" "Diesel Does It Again" | "Old Dan Tucker" | December 17, 1991 | |
| 34 | 13 | "Nickel in a Pickle" | Gregory Lehane | Wilson Coneybeare | "Thomas Comes to Breakfast" "Thomas Gets Bumped" | "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean" | December 18, 1991 |
| 35 | 14 | "Stop the Press" | Stan Swan | Sean Kelly | "Percy and the Signal" "A Big Day for Thomas" | "Tennessee Central (Number 9)" | December 19, 1991 |
| 36 | 15 | "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" | Gregory Lehane | Sean Kelly | "Thomas, Percy and the Mail Train" | "I Dream of Jeanie" "Would He Ever" | December 20, 1991 |
| 37 | 16 | "Double Trouble" | Don Arioli | "The Diseasel" "Donald's Duck" | "This Train" | December 23, 1991 | |
| 38 | 17 | "Is Anybody There?" | Peter Wildman | "Thomas Goes Fishing" "A Scarf for Percy" | "Chattanooga Choo Choo" | December 24, 1991 | |
| 39 | 18 | "Do I Hear?" | Wilson Coneybeare | "Mavis" "Toby's Tightrope" | "The Riddle Song" "Better When He Grows Up" | December 25, 1991 | |
| 40 | 19 | "Jingle, Jingle, Jingle" | Stan Swan | Brian McConnachie | "Time for Trouble" "Trouble for Thomas" | "City of New Orleans" | December 26, 1991 |
| 41 | 20 | "All's Fair" | Ellis Weiner | "Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party" | "The Railroad Cars Are Coming" "Home" | December 27, 1991 |
Season 3 (1993)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Thomas story(s) | Featured song(s) | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 1 | "Becky Makes a Wish" | Wayne Moss | Sean Kelly | "All at Sea" | "Cielito Lindo" "Help Your Wish Along" | March 22, 1993 |
| 43 | 2 | "Schemer's Alone" | John Ferraro | Wilson Coneybeare | "Percy, James and the Fruitful Day" | "Polly Wolly Doodle" "I Can Do It" | March 23, 1993 |
| 44 | 3 | "Bully for Mr. Conductor" | Wayne Moss | Brian McConnachie | "Bulgy" | "Jamaica Farewell" "Bad Guy" | March 24, 1993 |
| 45 | 4 | "Stacy Cleans Up" | "James Goes Buzz Buzz" | "Five Hundred Miles" "If Everyone Did a Little" | March 25, 1993 | ||
| 46 | 5 | "Schemer's Robot" | John Ferraro | Wilson Coneybeare | "Tenders and Turntables" "Trouble in the Shed" | "Strolling in the Park One Day" | April 19, 1993 |
| 47 | 6 | "Billy Saves the Day" | Wayne Moss | Jill Golick | "A New Friend for Thomas" | "Get On Board, Little Children" | April 20, 1993 |
| 48 | 7 | "Billy's Party" | Brian McConnachie | "Thomas and Percy's Mountain Adventure" | "We Gather Together" "Thanksgiving" | April 21, 1993 | |
| 49 | 8 | "Fortune Teller Schemer" | Ellis Weiner | "Thomas and the Conductor" "A Cow on the Line" | "Turkey in the Straw" | April 22, 1993 | |
| 50 | 9 | "Billy's Runaway Train" | John Ferraro | Sean Kelly | "A Close Shave for Duck" | "Freight Train Blues" | May 3, 1993 |
| 51 | 10 | "Schemer Goes Camping" | Wilson Coneybeare | "Percy Takes the Plunge" | "Crawdad" "Team" | May 4, 1993 | |
| 52 | 11 | "Mr. Conductor's Evil Twin" | Don Arioli | "Heroes" | "Danny Boy" | May 5, 1993 | |
| 53 | 12 | "Bad Luck Day at Shining Time Station" | Wilson Coneybeare | "Gordon Takes a Dip" | "Engine 143" | May 6, 1993 | |
| 54 | 13 | "Mr. Conductor's Fourth of July" | Sean Kelly | "Escape" | "New River Train" "Patriotic Medley" | May 17, 1993 | |
| 55 | 14 | "Stacy Forgets Her Name" | Wayne Moss | Sean Kelly | "Thomas Gets Tricked" | "Lullaby Medley" | May 18, 1993 |
| 56 | 15 | "Schemer's Special Club" | Ellis Weiner | "Oliver Owns Up" | "Old Joe Clark" | May 19, 1993 | |
| 57 | 16 | "Mr. Conductor's Movie" | Marie Therese Squerciati | "Tender Engines" | "There's No Business Like Show Business" | May 20, 1993 | |
| 58 | 17 | "The Joke's on Schemer" | Ellis Weiner | "Wrong Road" | "This Old Man" "Laugh and a Half" | May 31, 1993 | |
| 59 | 18 | "Dance Crazy" | John Ferraro | Jill Golick | "Percy Runs Away" | "Orange Blossom Special" "Dancin' Maître D'" | June 1, 1993 |
| 60 | 19 | "Mysterious Stranger" | Wayne Moss | Marie Therese Squerciati | "Come Out, Henry!" "Henry to the Rescue" | "Waltzing Matilda" "Everyone's Afraid of Something" | June 2, 1993 |
| 61 | 20 | "Dan's Big Race" | John Ferraro | Wilson Coneybeare | "Henry's Special Coal" "The Flying Kipper" | "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" "Start All Over Again" | June 3, 1993 |
| 62 | 21 | "Mr. Conductor Gets Left Out" | Wayne Moss | Brian McConnachie | "One Good Turn" | "New River Train" | June 7, 1993 |
| 63 | 22 | "Mr. Conductor's Big Sleepwalk" | John Ferraro | Don Arioli | "Better Late Than Never" | "Beautiful Dreamer" "Dreamland" | June 8, 1993 |
| 64 | 23 | "The Mayor Runs for Re-Election" | Wayne Moss | Ellis Weiner | "James Learns a Lesson" "Foolish Freight Cars" | "Hurray for the Railway" | June 9, 1993 |
| 65 | 24 | "Stacy Says No" | John Ferraro | Jill Golick | "Duck Takes Charge" | "Cannonball Blues" | June 10, 1993 |
| 66 | 25 | "How the Station Got Its Name" | "Toby the Tram Engine" "Thomas Breaks the Rules" | "Cowboy Medley" | June 11, 1993 |
Specials (1995)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Thomas story(s) | Featured song(s) | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 1 | "Once Upon a Time" | Wayne Moss Frank Vitale | Sean Kelly | "Rusty to the Rescue" "Thomas and Stepney" | "Lone Star Trail" "Buffalo Gals Medley" "What's New Pussycat?" | February 28, 1995 |
| 68 | 2 | "Second Chances" | Brian McConnachie | "Granpuff" "Sleeping Beauty" | "Down in the Valley" "Skip to My Lou Medley" "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" | September 25, 1995 | |
| 69 | 3 | "One of the Family" | Brian McConnachie | "Toad Stands By" "Thomas and the Special Letter" | "If My Friends Could See Me Now" "Long, Long Ago" "This Land Is My Land" | October 23, 1995 | |
| 70 | 4 | "Queen for a Day" | Sean Kelly | "Thomas Meets the Queen" "Special Attraction" | "The Lovely Ohio" "Greensleeves" / "Scarborough Fair" "Mrs. Murphy's Chowder" | November 20, 1995 |
Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales (1996)
All episodes directed by Steve Wright and written by Sean Kelly.
| No. | Title | Stories | Song | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Missing Whistles" |
|
"Really Useful Engine" | October 7, 1996 |
| 2 | "Wild Life" |
|
"Toby" | October 14, 1996 |
| 3 | "Wish You Were Here" |
|
"Island Song" | October 21, 1996 |
| 4 | "For the Birds" |
|
"Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover" | October 28, 1996 |
| 5 | "Splish, Splash, Splosh" |
|
"Gone Fishing" | November 4, 1996 |
| 6 | "Paint the Town Red" |
|
"Let's Have a Race" | November 11, 1996 |
See also
- Thomas & Friends
- Noddy, a similar series also created by Rick Siggelkow.
Notes
- ↑ Includes an interlude of "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come".
- ↑ Consists of "Yankee Doodle", "Dixie", "The Yankee Doodle Boy", and "America the Beautiful".
- ↑ Consists of "All Through the Night", "All the Pretty Little Horses", and "Golden Slumbers".
- ↑ Includes an interlude of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat".
- ↑ Consists of "Roll On, Little Dogies" and "My Home's in Montana".
- ↑ Vitale directed outdoor scenes.
- ↑ Includes "I Love the Mountains".
- ↑ Includes "Freight Train" and "Pick a Bale of Cotton".
References
- ↑ "Steve Horelick". Deezer. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
Other websites
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Shining Time Station
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