George Carlin

George Carlin (born George Denis Patrick Carlin on May 12, 1937 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA - died on June 22, 2008 in Santa Monica, California, USA) was a five-time Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and voice actor who played Mr. Conductor and his evil twin in Shining Time Station.

On June the 22nd, 2008, Carlin died of heart failure at a hospital in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 71. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered, without any religious ceremonies, as he wished. Following his death, Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow wrote tributes to him, giving fond memories of working on the show with him and knowing him personally.

While Carlin usually insulted most of the shows that he did due to issues like directors (like his time on The George Carlin Show), he usually spoke very fondly of both Shining Time Station and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. He claimed in various interveiws and in his posthumous book Last Words that he loved working on the show for various reasons. He wanted people to see a more gentle side to him, it helped his carrer and it brought him more out of his shell as Britt Allcroft explained in her tribute to him. Both shows helped George connect with Britt on how the two had lonely childhoods despite having siblings.

Filmography

Film

• "With Six You Get Eggroll (1968)
• "Car Wash (1976)
• "Americathon (1979)
• "Outrageous Fortune (1987)
• "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
• "Working Trash (1990)
• "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
• "The Prince of Tides (1991)
• "Dogma (1999)
• "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001)
• "Scary Movie 3" (2003)
• "Jersey Girl" (2004)
• "Tarzan II" (2005)
• "The Aristocrats" (2005)
• "Cars" (2006)
• "Happily N'Ever After" (2007)

Television

• "The Kraft Summer Music Hall" (1966)
• "That Girl" (1966)
• "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" (1968)
• "The Flip Wilson Show" - also writer and performer (1971-1973)
• "The Mike Douglas Show" (1972)
• "Saturday Night Live" (1975 and 1984)
• "Justin Case" (1988)
• Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (1991-1996)
• Shining Time Station (1991-1995)
• Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales (1996)
• "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures" (1991-1993)
• "The George Carlin Show" (1994)
• "Streets of Laredo" (1995)
• "The Simpsons" (1998)
• "Caillou" (1998-2008)
• "The Daily Show" (1999, twice, and 2004)
• "MADtv" (2000)
• "Inside the Actors Studio" (2004)

HBO specials

• "George Carlin at USC" (1977)
• "George Carlin: Again!" (1978)
• "Carlin at Carnegie" (1982)
• "Carlin on Campus" (1984)
• "Playin' with Your Head" (1986)
• "What am I Doing in New Jersey?" (1988)
• "Doin' it Again" (1990)
• "Jammin' in New York" (1992)
• "Back in Town" (1996)
• "George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy" (1997)
• "You are All Diseased" (1999)
• "Complaints and Grievances" (2001)
• "Life is Worth Losing" (2005)
• "It's Bad for Ya" (2008)

Discography

• "Burns and Carlin at the Playboy Club Tonight" (1963)
• "Take-Offs and Put-Ons" (1967)
• "FM and AM" (1972)
• "Class Clown" (1972)
• "Occupation: Foole" (1973)
• "Toledo Window Box" (1974)
• "An Evening with Wally Londo Featuring Bill Slaszo" (1975)
• "On the Road" (1977)
• "Indecent Exposure: Some of the Best of George Carlin" (1978)
• "Killer Carlin" (1981)
• "A Place for My Stuff" (1981)
• "Carlin on Campus" (1984)
• "Playin' with Your Head" (1986)
• "What am I Doing in New Jersey?" (1988)
• "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" (1990)
• "Jammin' in New York" (1992)
• "Classic Gold" 1992)
• "Back in Town" (1996)
• "You are All Diseased" (1999)
• "The Little David Years (1971-1977)" (1999)
• "Complaints and Grievances" (2001)
• "George Carlin on Comedy" (2002)
• "Life is Worth Losing" (2006)
• "More Napalm and Silly Putty" (2007)
• "It's Bad for Ya" (2008)

Books

• "Sometimes a Little Brain Damage can Help" (1984)
• "Brain Droppings" (1997)
• "Napalm and Silly Putty" (2001)
• "More Napalm and Silly Putty" (2002)
• "When will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" (2004)
• "Three Times Carlin: An Orgy of George" (2006)
• "Last Words" (2009)
• "Watch my Language" (2009) [Unreleased]

Major awards and nominations

• WON: Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording, 1972, for "FM and AM"
• WON: Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album, 1993, for "Jammin' in New York"
• WON: Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album, 2001, for "Brain Droppings"
• WON: Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album, 2002, for "Napalm and Silly Putty"
• WON: Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording, 2008, for "It's Bad For Ya"
• Nominated - Daytime Emmy Awards - Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series, 1992 and 1994 for "Shining Time Station."

Trivia

• He, Ringo Starr, and Alec Baldwin have hosted Saturday Night Live and made guest appearances on The Simpsons. Brian McConnachie has worked on both shows as well.
• He was good friends with Russell Means, who played Billy Twofeathers in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. He was also friends with Jerry Hamza, who helped produce all of Carlin's HBO stand-up comedy specials for thirty years and wrote a biography on Carlin as well.
• He starred in the 1976 film Car Wash along with Leonard Jackson, who played Harry Cupper.
• George has referenced Shining Time Station twice in his comedy works after his time on the show. The first time in his 1999 HBO special "You are All Diseased" where he was talking about children by saying: "And remember this is Mr. Conductor talking, I know what I'm talking about!". The second time was in his book and audiobook "More Napalm and Silly Putty" where he repeated the same subject.

Gallery

George Carlin as Mr. Conductor

George Carlin off set with Britt Allcroft

George Carlin and Britt Allcroft in a Recording Studio

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As Mr. Conductor's Evil Twin

Group photo for George Carlin's entrance