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Conference ljsrv1::tv_chatter

Title:	The TV Chatter Notes Conference
Notice:	Welcome to TV Chatter :-)
Moderator:	PASTA::PIERCE

Created:	Wed Dec 16 1992
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	498
Total number of notes:	5416

458.0. "Thomas the Tank Engine" by DONVAN::KEEFE () Fri Jul 19 1996 09:55

    From 456.2:
    
    > ...the country that dubs Thomas The Tank Engine ...
    
    Well it isn't dubbing per se is it, as the trains aren't, you know,
    really talking. It's just voiceover. Thomas got the Power Rangers
    treatment.
    
    I noticed the American narrator in the newer shows recently, and don't
    like him of course. The original accents were part of the show's "charming
    eccentricity".
    
    Didn't Ringo Starr read some of the stories, as well as being the
    little conductor? He has a terrific accent. I vaguely remember another,
    more poncy narrator too, but even he was better than the current
    American with his grating gee-whiz manner. 
    
    The whole little Thomas steam-engine world seems so veddy British that
    now it feels odd to hear the bland American talking about Sir Topham
    Hat, and the engines stopping at Upper Codswallop, East Pudding, etc. 
    
    I wonder it they replaced Ringo Starr with George Carlin for the same
    reason--Ringo's accent was too evy for the poor Yank tykes? 
    
    I was surprised to see Ringo in the role, and impressed that he'd take
    such a thing on. I like George Carlin too but hope they didn't dump
    Ringo cause he was too -- ethnic? Once Thomas became a hit maybe they
    had to Americanize/blandize the English for worldwide consumption. Too
    bad.
    
    Neil

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
458.1		TGRAPH::WEGG	Some hard boiled eggs and some nuts.	`Fri Jul 19 1996 12:18`	34
	Re .0 � now it feels odd to hear the bland American talking about Sir Topham � Hat, and the engines stopping at Upper Codswallop, East Pudding, etc. � � I wonder it they replaced Ringo Starr with George Carlin for the same � reason--Ringo's accent was too evy for the poor Yank tykes? Ironic that you should cite Sir Topham Hat, because the name doesn't exist in the the original UK version, he is simply the Fat Controller. This is one of the reasons it is redubbed for the US, another being that American children would be confused by English railway termin- ology. Note, however, we always got Casey Jones uncensored over here, and I don't think I suffered any side effects. :-) � I was surprised to see Ringo in the role, and impressed that he'd take � such a thing on. I like George Carlin too but hope they didn't dump � Ringo cause he was too -- ethnic? Ringo wasn't dumped. He gave up the role after the first few series and was replaced be an actor called Michael Angelis. It was Michael who provided Ringo's voice in the Beatles film "Yellow Submarine" so to UK viewers the change was transparent. � Once Thomas became a hit maybe they had to Americanize/blandize the � English for worldwide consumption. Too bad. I agree - a real shame for you. Luckily we still get the originals. Ian (in the UK) P.S. Another very popular program for young children over here is Enid Blyton's "Noddy and Bigears" but you're not likely to get that at all!
458.2	Sir Ringo Hatt	DONVAN::KEEFE		`Fri Jul 19 1996 13:30`	25
	Re Ringo replaced by Michael Angelis... Do you mean as the conductor, or as the narrator? The current UK shows don't use George Carlin? Is there a whole separate crew within the station? In the US all the humans are chirpy Americans. Interesting how they re-work these shows for different markets. According to: http://www.catt.ncsu.edu/users/gkeeper/HTML/my.useless.pages/STS /Sir_Topham_Hatt.html "Sir Topham Hatt used to be known as _The Fat Controller_ elsewhere outside of the United States. His name was first used by Duck in the story where Diesel first arrives. He is now referred to as Sir Tophamm Hatt. Also interesting is that only the Thomas section is shown outside of the US, Shining Time Station is not." I don't know what the last sentence refers to. I'm sure I remember Ringo talking about Topham. (I also remember being abused by giant cabbages from Saturn as a boy though.)
458.3	As dad to 5-yr-old, I learned these things...	ODIXIE::LOWER	What fools these mortals be!	`Mon Jul 22 1996 03:05`	19
	>Is there a whole separate crew within the station? In the US all >the humans are chirpy Americans. >"...Also interesting is that only the Thomas section is shown >outside of the US, Shining Time Station is not." >I don't know what the last sentence refers to. I'm sure I remember Ringo The last sentence refers to exactly what you asked previously. The name of the series here in the States (on PBS) is "Shining Time Station", the name of the train station. They serve up "Thomas the Tank Engine" stories to illustrate their lessons of the day. That's why all the characters at "Shining Time Station" are Americans, it's an American creation. Incidently, the adult actress who plays the ticket lady at Sining Time Station is DeDe Cohn, formerly of the hit series "Benson" in the 80's.