George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin (12th May 1937 - 22nd June 2008) was a five-time Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor, producer, writer and author.

He narrated the first through fourth seasons of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends for American audiences on Shining Time Station and played Mr. Conductor in Shining Time Station and "Mr Conductor's Thomas Tales". His third season narrations were also used for New Zealand VHS releases. After narrating the fourth season, Carlin left the series to do several explicit comedy specials and pursued other projects.

On 22nd June 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 (the co-producer of Shining Time Station) wrote tributes to him.

While Carlin usually insulted most of the shows that he did, he usually spoke very fondly of both Shining Time Station and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, even in some of his stand-up comedy routines. In an interview on "TV Legends" conducted shortly before his death, he explained that he signed on to both shows so that people could see a different side of him.

Movies

 * "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)
 * "Cars" (2006)
 * "Mater and the Ghostlight" (2006)
 * "Happily N'Ever After" (2007)

Television

 * "The Kraft Summer Music Hall" (1966)
 * "The Hollywood Palace" (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 & 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" (1994-1995)
 * "Streets of Laredo" (1995)
 * "The Simpsons" (1998)
 * "The Daily Show" (1999 twice and 2004)
 * "MADtv" (2000)
 * "Inside the Actors Studio" (2004)
 * "Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales" (2009-2010)

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)

Video Games

 * "Cars" (2006)

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)
 * "I Kinda Like It When A Lotta People Die" (2016)

BooksEdit

 * "Sometimes a Little Brain Damage can Help" (1984)
 * "Brain Droppings" (1997)
 * "Napalm and Silly Putty" (2001)
 * "When will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" (2004)
 * "Watch my Language" (2007)

Major awards and nominationsEdit

 * 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"