Theodore Tugboat
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| Theodore Tugboat | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Format | Children's |
| Starring | Host Denny Doherty as the "Harbourmaster" (Canada & US) |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of episodes | 120 (only 52 on PBS) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 15 to 20 mins |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel |  CBC (1993-2001)Family Channel
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| Original run | 1993 – 2001 |
Theodore Tugboat is a television show for children about a little tugboat, his friends, and their adventures in the Big Harbour. Produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada by CBC Television and Cochran Entertainment from 1993 to 1999, it is no longer in production and the company has since closed (2001). Classic Media now owns the distribution rights to the program.
It at one time appeared in 80 countries; it aired on CBC Television in Canada; on PBS and Noggin in the United States, and has recently been picked up by the digital qubo children's channel.
The show dealt with events (such as the arrival of a superliner), or feelings like loneliness. The show was filmed on a model set with radio-controlled tugboats, ships, and machinery.
Contents |
[edit] Characters
The Harbourmaster is the narrator of the series, he is portrayed by the late Denny Doherty, formerly of The Mamas & the Papas, in the Canadian and US version and by other performers internationally.
[edit] Tugboats
- Theodore Tugboat: The title character, Theodore wears a red baseball cap and enjoys harbour life. Probably meant to represent the average child, Theodore's personality is kind and fun-loving, but he is inclined to misbehave on occasion. Also, he can become angered when others label him as "small", "cute", or "too little".
- Hank: Hank (the Volcano, as he sometimes calls himself) is assumedly the youngest tug and the smallest of the fleet. Recognizable in his blue toque, Hank is the only tugboat who is not an "ocean tug" (a tug that is eligible to work outside the harbour). He has brittle and delicate feelings, and is more sensitive than the other tugs. He is performed by the puppeteer of Spud from Bob the Builder, Rob Rackstraw.[citation needed].
- Emily "the Vigorous": The single female in the fleet, Emily wears a turquoise fishing hat and is a good friend of Theodore. She often gets herself into trouble by biting off more than she can chew, or straying out of bounds. But Emily is willing to help out in any situation, and every lesson she learns, she takes to heart. Emily enjoys traveling to foreign ports, and engaging in cross-cultural exchanges with ships visiting the Big Harbour.
- George "the Valiant": George is the largest tugboat, and has two smoke stacks instead of one. He is pompous, somewhat tactless, and haughty most of the time. He wears a purple baseball cap backwards, and is the strongest of the group. George is also blunt, and gets himself into trouble by being reckless, careless and putting down other tugs. But despite his mostly gruff character, George is a hard worker and a devoted one.
- Foduck "the Vigilant" Safety Tug: The fleet's fire and rescue tug, Foduck is the second largest tugboat. He carries additional spotlights, a fire nozzle, and a rotating transceiver. He wears a dark red firehat as well. As a "V" tug, Foduck is fully-qualified to make ocean voyages, but his fire and safety duties usually keep him close to the Big Harbour. Foduck has a self-centred, overconfident, and proud air that can annoy his comrades and get him into trouble. He tries to assume leadership most of the time, but has a soft spot or two in his heart.
[edit] Other Tugs
- Oliver "The Vast": A tug who came from another harbour to help for a while. He turned out to be a bully, so Theodore told the Dispatcher about him, and he was sent away. This was one of only two appearance's.
- Molly "The Veament": A tug from another harbour (possibly Oliver's) that won the Tug of the Year award. She was never seen.
[edit] Other Characters
- The Dispatcher: A rotating building on the "Great Ocean Tug and Salvage Company Dock" (the place in the harbour where the tugs live). The Dispatcher assigns the tugs to one or more tasks that are carried out through the course of the episode. He rebukes the tugs when need be as a fatherly figure, but he gives them counselling and practical advice.
- Donald Dock: A wooden dock who resides directly across from the Dispatcher. The tugs often block him from view when they're moored. Although the Dispatcher and some of the tugs have spoken to him seeking advice, the only thing Donald can say in reply is "uh-huh". Occasionally, Donald always has the right answer when he gives his advice.
- The Pilot Boats: The harbour's two pilot boats who patrol the harbour to make sure everything is under control. Pearl is the more senior of the two pilot boats; interactions with Pearl are more likely to be businesslike and brusque. Often Petra plays Hide and Surprise with Theodore and Barrington. Both boats also have the authority to overrule the Dispatcher's orders for the tugboats if needed.
- Bedford Buoy: A buoy who lives where the harbour ends and the ocean begins near Willy's Island. He is very good friends with Theodore, and the two enjoy telling "knock-knock jokes" to each other. He's had some adventures, such as getting lost due to a broken cable, taken on a tour of the harbour, and at one point, he almost left the harbour with Baddeck.
- Benjamin Bridge: A green suspension bridge who spans one end of the harbour to the other. Many ships have to pass under Benjamin on the way to their docks. Benjamin enjoys telling riddles and listening to other tugs conversations. He also has a snoring problem. The design of this character is based on the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, the first of two bridges built to connect Halifax and Dartmouth. On two occasions, Benjamin was involved in mishaps. One was the Queen Stephanie getting stuck beneath him, and another being Tex the oil rig almost running into him.
- The Ferry Twins: Named Phillip and Philmore, the ferry twins travel in parallel across the harbour beneath Benjamin Bridge carrying freight between both sides. They also like to finish each other's sentences. The twins are modelled after the twin Metro Transit ferries Halifax III and Dartmouth III which were built in 1979 to carry passenegers across Halifax Harbour on a daily basis. Phillip and Philmore are sometimes stubborn, and at one point Philmore left the harbour to visit Fundy.
- Digby the Cable Ship: Digby is an old cable-laying ship who is always getting stuck somewhere out on the job. He has a mild East Coast accent. He also says whatever is on his mind even if it is about himself, and especially enjoys talking about cables. Digby is good friends with Theodore, and Dartmouth the giant cable ship. He even made good friends with Guysborough the garbage barge.
- Owan the Oil Rig: Owan is a loudmouth, Barney Fife-type, boisterous oil rig outside the harbour. He always yells instead of talks (save for one occasion where he told Theodore about Oliver the Vast, in which case, he whispered). He is anchored by twelve columns and several cables, but the tugs frequently tow him around the water to drill in new locations. His catchphrase is "yessirreebob!" (although he does use "nosirreebob" on occasion). Owan has had a lot of key roles and cameos. His most famous was the episode "Owan on the Loose", where Owan became worried about Sigrid, so he hauled anchor, snapped his safety cables, and moved towards the harbour. He was saved from almost hitting a rock face, when Northumberland warned the tugboats.
- Northumberland Submarine: Northumberland is a black submarine who usually sleeps while off duty during the day. The tugs hardly ever see him wide awake. He was once trapped under the surface when he was caught in an underwater rockslide with a broken propeller. He was afraid of Pugwash once when he was afraid of her bumping him. He is good friends with the tugs and the Salvage Team (Rebecca, Shelburne).
- Shelburne the Giant Sea Barge: A giant sea barge designed for longer journeys on the open ocean. He sometimes requires two tugs to move. He has a very slow and sluggish nature which is epitomized by his slow speech. Shelburne is often seen helping the tugs raise items up off the ocean floor and back to the surface.
- Rebecca the Research Vessel: Rebecca is a research vessel who goes out to sea to find information. She helps her fellow boats find lost artifacts. She is a good friend of Theodore. Rebecca usually heads out with Theodore, Shelburne the Sea barge, and Northumberland to find treasure. During seasons one and two, her look was different: She had bigger eyes, no eyebrows, and a grey paint scheme.
- Constance the Coast Guard Ship: Constance is a coast guard ship who takes almost everything seriously, and whenever her name is mentioned she is noted as an important ship. She hunted for Theodore & Barrington when they were hiding from Petra the Pilot Boat. Constance has been featured in a number of episodes. Her first was when she and Emily were tracking down a rocket, and another was her showing Theodore and Hank the fun things she can do. In the end, she got her dream: To meet Queen Stephanie.
- Sigrid the Supply Ship: A supply ship who helps Owan work. Sigrid also wants to be a tugboat. Sigrid is good friends with the tugboats. She once helped them dock a ship in a storm and was given a green bumper so that she could be a tugboat too.
- Carla the Cool Cabin Cruiser: A zany cabin cruiser who runs out of control and causes peer pressure. Mainly hangs out with Emily. Carla also has a knack for giving nicknames and loves to go exploring. She usually refers to The Dispatcher as The Dishwasher.
- R. Boat: Short for Row boat, R. Boat is a melancholy little boat. He often complains about how gloomy his life is and hates loud noise. He later wound up becoming good friends with Queen Stephanie, and even got to float in her royal swimming pool.
- Barrington Barge: A little barge Theodore usually pulls in the harbour. Barrngton and Theodore share a special relationship, as in Theodore and Barrington always play around.
- Bobby Barge: A big barge sometimes used for salvage operations, who never knows what his hook will grab. Bobby appeared in the first two seasons, but disappeared later. Bobby, like other barges, is a good friend of Theodore.
- Bonnavista Barge: A little barge sometimes pulled by Hank. Bonnivista was once stolen by Carla the Cabin Cruiser, in an attempt to gain the tugs' attention. Bonnivista is very reliable, and most friendly towards Hank.
- Bayswater Barge: A good friend of Brunswick. Once called Hank "Bumper-Bum". Bayswater and Brunswick are usually looked after by Theodore.
- Brunswick Barge: Brunswick is a barge always looking for thrills and chills. He soon got his wish when a storm caused him to run aground on some rocks, where he thought he had been eaten by a giant clam.
- The Junk Barge: An old barge seen at Old Dock No.9, where no one pretty much goes to anymore.
- Blandford Buoy: A buoy who lives right outside the harbour. Is good friends with Bedford. Blandford and Theodore are also good friends, due to Theodore bringing him his new bell.
- Blankton Buoy: A buoy Theodore helped steer Elo Echo away from a sharp, dangerous rock.
- Bluenose the Sailing Ship: A schooner who lives in the harbour. Bluenose holds the record as the fastest boat in the Big Harbour (seeing as Bluenose has no engine). she is good friends with the tugboats, and one time helped Foduck when seaweed was stuck in his propeller.
- Guysborough the Garbage Barge: Guysborough has a grumpy personality and calls everyone else "rotten". The only ones who can stand him are Theodore and Digby. His catchphrase is "Theee-o-dorrre!" ... which Theodore once used as a foghorn when the lighthouse was out to prevent a shipwreck, in a hilarious solution to an otherwise serious problem.
- Jasper the Junk Dock: The junk dock on the far side of the harbour where the big harbour's garbage is unloaded and where Guysborough the garbage barge lives when he is not working. Jasper is like the opposite of Donald Dock; the only thing Jasper can say is "nope".
- Fundy the Fishing Boat: A little fishing boat who says strange things. It is really his way of giving advice. Fundy and Theodore often spoke in the series, and the Ferry Twins have met him by travelling to his cove!
- Truro the Fishing Trawler: A small fishing trawler who lives and cares for Dorothy in Ceilidh's Cove.
- Dorothy Dory: A dory who lives in Ceilidh's Cove with Truro. Looks to both Truro and Theodore as older siblings. Dorothy is always loud and bursting with questions for Theodore and all the other tugboats. Dorothy also got to have a "Girls Night Out" with Emily, Sigrid, and Carla.
- Baddeck the Buoy Boat: A buoy boat who brings new buoys into the harbour. Theodore was once jealous of Baddeck and his relationship with Bedford and Blanford, but they soon became friends.
- Nautilus The Navy Ship: Nautilus is the only Navy Ship in the big harbour and has the number 411 on his sides. He lives near the Oceanic Institute. Nautilus was first seen being docked by Theodore and George, when George wanted to be a navy ship too. His second appearance was his starring role, as he was in charge of saving Canso the container ship, who was sinking. Theodore and the tugboats seem to look up to him a lot.
- Haliburton Houseboat: Haliburton lives in an enclosed cove near the Big Harbour. Theodore once thought Haliburton was a haunted houseboat, making him scared. Thanks to Foduck, Theodore and Haliburton became fast friends.
- Bingim Buoy: A Buoy-in-training who Hank pumps into one time.
- Pugwash the Mini-Submarine: A mini submarine who once scared Northumberland by bumping him, but now she knows better and travels the world with Stewiake. She does not like lighthouse fog horns and lighthouse lights. Pugwash was once scared off by Lunenburg, and she hid underwater for some time. Soon enough, Theodore helped her out of the situation.
- Stewiacke the Salvage Ship: A ship who loads Pugwash onto him with a cradle. Stewiacke loves to explore the coast, with Pugwash as his underwater aide.
- Millie: A fishing trawler who wears glasses. When she arrived in the harbour, she caused some trouble with her bad eyesight, but gained two friends in Theodore and Hank.
[edit] Visitors to the Harbour
- Tex the Oil Rig: An oil rig that was really rude until a storm nearly made him crash into Benjamin Bridge, after which he learned humility.
- Olympia: An oil tanker brought in when huge packs of sea ice were in the harbour. She almost ran into Willy's Island when Theodore's towrope snapped.
- Magaree Pride: A container ship George and Theodore help out of the harbour the day after Theodore first arrived.
- Gloria Cornwallis: A ship Emily and Theodore were towing during the time Theodore was having nightmares of a sea monster coming at him in the night. She was also brought in during the time that Foduck was bumping Theodore, as well as the time where George and Emily wouldn't talk to each other.
- Julia: First cargo ship that Theodore and Hank brought into the harbour together.
- Kirby: A cargo ship loaded with telephone poles from England.
- Queen Stephanie: The greatest and grandest ocean liner in the world, also the nicest. Occasionally visits the harbour after getting stuck under Benjamin Bridge by accident the first time she appeared in the series. In another, she even had R. Boat in her swimming pool after R. Boat wished he could be big. Apparently, Her Majesty has about 1,001 windows on each of her sides. The Queen holds a special place in her heart for Theodore. She's based on the RMS Queen Elizabeth
- Elo Echo: A container ship Theodore saved when she was about to hit sharp and dangerous rocks by flashing his light and blowing his horn.
- Katherine: A cargo ship who, like Emily, had never met a ship from Russia until Gregor was in the harbour. Also once said Theodore's whistle was cute.
- Margaret: A large cargo ship that visits the big harbour occasionally. She was seen with Theodore and Hank when they were lost in a thick fog, as well as being pulled by George and Emily most of the time.
- Isabel: A cargo container ship who was seen in several episodes, Isabel never was introduced properly.
- Walter: A whale who was separated from his pod by a strong current. Theodore had been babysitting him until George found his family. Walter was returned to his pod before he grew to a tremendous size. He is featured in the book "Theodore and the Whale".
- Freda: A small cargo ship that got stuck on some rocks outside the harbour but Theodore and George teamed up to pull her to safety. She was the first ship Theodore brought in by himself when he was the 'Tug in Charge'.
- Caroline: A container ship Foduck and Emily had trouble with trying to get her to her dock, until George came to help them out.
- Jennifer: A ship who Emily rescued before Theodore got the assignment to rescue Digby who was stuck on a sandspit.
- Snorri the Viking Ship: A Viking ship that arrived at the Big Harbour.
- Gregor: A fishing trawler from Russia whom Emily wanted to meet.
- Colchester: A container ship Theodore and Emily were helping bring in the harbour when Hank was suffering with the hiccups.
- Catherine: A big container ship who carried a "double" load and gave Theodore and George a time trying to move her.
- Shamus: A fishing trawler that was covered in ice once.
- Oliver "The Vast": A tug from another harbour who gave Theodore a hard time. George and Owan seem to dislike him.
- Kulu the Canoe: A story-telling canoe. Saved by Theodore and Foduck when he ran aground on a beach.
- Inverness: A cargo ship that Hank accidentally offends by calling him "needle-nose".
- Clementine: A big container ship who came when Theodore first met Clayton and wished that he could lift things like he could. Clementine becomes paranoid whenever anything happens to one of her containers.
- Cumberland: A big container ship who thought he did not need tugs until he met Theodore.
- Scally: A ship who brought treasures as cargo into the harbour. When he gave the tugs some of his treasures, it didn't take long for them to cause confusion. So they decided to return their treasures back to Scally.
- Louis: A cargo ship Theodore and George brought in the first time they heard that Petra the new Pilot Boat was coming to live in the harbour.
- Dartmouth the Giant Cable Ship: A giant cable ship who won the attention of all the tugboats when he first arrived in the big harbour. Digby showed him good places to lay cables.
- Annapolis: A cargo ship brought into the harbour when the tugs first met Sigrid the Supply Ship. Her name has no relation to Emily's middle name (which is Annapolis too).
- Canso Colossus: A supertanker who had hit rock near the Piktu Peaks and was sinking fast. Apparently, Canso is the king of supertankers, and talks with a very squeaky voice. Canso's biggest pet peeve seems to be "yucky stuff."
- Caroquette: A container ship Theodore had a hard time with keeping steady when George was doing tough tugging. Caroquette had many speaking roles, including the time where she, Theodore, and Hank had a good laugh when George made a funny noise.
- Chester: A container ship who wanted to have flags during the time the ship and boats of the harbour were having their Flag Day.
- Emma Sophia: A small ship who Theodore was to bring in to the harbour, loaded with kumquats.
- Clair a cargo ship that is loaded with special cargo such as bicycles.
- Igloo: An oil tanker who helped the tugs out when Clair was beginning to leak oil.
- Cocomagh: A container ship who was afraid to come into the harbour, until Foduck convinced her that the Big Harbour was the safest and friendliest harbour in the whole world.
- Cabot: A cargo ship with no self control who did not care about safety until Theodore helped him.
- Cabot's Cargo: After Cabot had let some of his cargo fall of his deck, Theodore felt bad, until the cargo spoke to him! Various pieces included a cylinder-like container, a crate, an open shipping container, and a red pipe.
- The Rock Brothers: When Pugwash was hiding from Lunenburg Lighthouse, she discovered the Eekum-Seekum cave, where she meet the three rock brothers (3 pairs of eyes in the cliff). The Rock brothers taunted Pugwash, and Pugwash grew surprised when they mentioned her fear of lighthouses. They have only appeared once.
- S.S. Malarkey: A cargo ship who tells stories that, true to his namesake, are nothing but malarkey.
- Seabright: A cargo ship that was afraid of Benjamin Bridge until Theodore explained there was nothing to be afraid of. After Seabright overcame his fear of Benjamin, he soon became frightned of Clayton.
- Kingston: Kingston is a cargo ship who has visited the harbour on one or more occasions. He was once frightened of Hank.
- Marin: A Giant Cruiser who visited the harbour when Guysbrough was trying to make friends.
[edit] Buildings
- Chimey the Clock Tower: Chimey is the harbour's clock tower. He is seen in many episode but only speaks once. In the episode "Big Harbour Fools Day", Chimey is mentioned by name, and we discover he is the Tugboats' personal "wake up call".
- The Buildings: There are some buildings in the harbour with faces, but have never been spoken of, had the chance to speak, etc. These include the Red Warehouses, and the long blue house.
- Lilly the Lighthouse: A lighthouse on "Willy's Island", found in the middle of the harbour. Warns visiting ships away from the sharp dangerous rocks on the island. Although she doesn't appear as often as some of the characters, it is possible that Lilly's character is a nod to Lillie Lightship of TUGS, as both characters use large beacons to warn ships of the fog, and their names are both Lillie/Lilly.
- Clayton the Harbour Crane: A crane who lives near the Oceananic Institute (Rebecca and Northumberland's dock). Clayton is usually very nice, and is a good friends of the Tugboats. There once was a time where Theodore wanted to be just like Clayton.
- Shediac the Shipyard Shed: A supply shed Theodore met while he was at the repair dock. Supplies the Tugboats their bumpers.
- Lunenburg the Lighthouse: A lighthouse that lives near Shipwreck Rock. Pugwash was once scared of Lunenburg's bright light and loud foghorn. Lunenburg was also seen the time that Theodore was separated from Pearl in the thick fog near Shipwreck Rock. Lunenberg the Lighthouse is likely named after the port town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
[edit] The program's formula
[edit] Opening sequence
The show always opens with the theme song, and the opening title dissolves into the harbourmaster's office. The harbourmaster is normally doing something or thinking about something, which prompts him to remember when one of the tugboats was involved in a similar scenario.
[edit] Main sequence
As the harbourmaster starts telling the story, the camera shot dissolves into a shot of the tugs working somewhere, or getting their orders from the Dispatcher. In the first few minutes of the episode, the tugs encounter a problem, and they use their heads to solve it. Other times, the tugs have to conquer an emotional problem, such as not feeling good enough, or having to saying goodbye to a friend. As each episode continues, the tugs resolve their problems, and life returns to normal in the Big Harbour.
[edit] Closing sequence
The scene again dissolves into a shot of the harbourmaster's office, with the harbourmaster deciding to pay attention to the lesson learned by the tugs. During this time, he sometimes communicates with the tugs through his office window (they reply with the sound of their whistles), plays his tuba, or listens to his friend Rodney playing bagpipes. The harbourmaster finally says "Thanks for visiting us here in the Big Harbour, and we'll see you all again next time. So long", and the credits roll.
On the half-hour PBS series, following the first story, Denny's goodbye is instead followed by a voice-over, reminding viewers to stay tuned for the next story, and reminding viewers to visit the website.
[edit] Production
The series was filmed in a converted elementary school in Halifax's North End. A team of model builders constructed the characters in a workshop adjacent to the large set located in a water-filled former gymnasium. The radio controlled models were driven by propellers but used underwater wheels to provide guidance and avoid drifting out of shots. The original models used to film the series can now be seen at Halifax's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
[edit] Real names and locations
The characters are loaded with references to Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia and Maritime Canada in general. Many of the references are obvious (such as Brunswick the Barge, named after New Brunswick) while others are more obscure. Following is a list of other references:
- The Big Harbour itself is modeled after Halifax Harbour, in Nova Scotia, Canada.
- The tugs occasionally visit a fishing village called Ceilidh's Cove, which is modelled loosely off of Peggys Cove, a real-life fishing community in Nova Scotia.
- Some of the tugboat characters' V-names are derived from actual tugboats that operate in Halifax Harbour, including Point Vigour and Point Valiant.
- Barrington (one of the smaller barges) is likely named after the municipality of Barrington, Nova Scotia, which is located in the southwestern region of the province near Shelburne. Others have argued that the character's name comes from one of Halifax's best-known streets, Barrington Street, which runs straight through the downtown core parallel to the harbour.
- Bedford (the buoy by Willy's Island) is based on both the name (Bedford Basin), part of Halifax Harbour, and the former town of Bedford at the head of the basin.
- Blandford (the buoy at the harbour entrance) is named after the fishing community of Blandford, Nova Scotia, which later gained international fame as a base from which the rescue efforts of Swissair Flight 111 were carried out.
- Bluenose (a sailing ship) is named after the famous racing schooner of the 1920s, the Bluenose. A replica of the 'Bluenose', the 'Bluenose II', calls Halifax Harbour home and sails as a promotional vessel for Nova Scotia. Bluenose is also the name of boat on TUGS
- Bonnavista (one of the barges) is named after a fishing town in the province of Newfoundland.
- Cabot (the cargo ship) is named after the Cabot Trail, a highway that takes sight-seeres through the mountainous regions of northern Cape Breton Island.
- Canso Colossus (the super tanker) is named after the small fishing town of Canso, Nova Scotia on the southeast coast.
- Chester (the container ship) gets his name from the seaside village of Chester, Nova Scotia.
- Cumberland Gets his name from Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, which is located in the province's northwest region.
- Dartmouth (a visiting cable ship) is named after the former city of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, which lies on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour. Dartmouth's municipal government was amalgamated into Halifax's in 1996, but the area retains its original name.
- Digby (the cable ship) is named after Digby, Nova Scotia, a seaside community on the northwest shore of Nova Scotia famous for its scallop fishing.
- Fundy (the fishing boat) gets his name from the Bay of Fundy, the body of water that separates northern Nova Scotia from southern New Brunswick and is the body of water with the world's largest tides which is approximately 16 meters (52 feet).
- Guysborough (the garbage barge) is named after Guysborough County on the south shore of Nova Scotia.
- Inverness (the cargo ship) gets her name from the community of Inverness, Nova Scotia, which is located on the west coast of Cape Breton Island.
- Northumberland (the submarine) is named after the Northumberland Strait that lies between the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia mainland and Prince Edward Island.
- Seabright (the cargo ship) is named after the tiny community of Seabright, Nova Scotia, which is located southwest of Halifax.
- Shediac (a supply shed at the shipyard dock) is named after the town of Shediac, New Brunswick, which holds the nickname Lobster Capital of the World.
- Shelburne (the giant sea-going barge) is named after the town of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, which lies on the southwest shore of the province.
- Truro (the fishing trawler) gets his name from the town of Truro, Nova Scotia, which is known as the Hub of Nova Scotia for its central location and historical importance to the province's railroad network.
- Stewiake (the salvage ship) gets his name from the town of Stewiacke, Nova Scotia,which is located halfway between the equator and the north pole. It is also the hometown of Fred Allen, the artist who designed and built the characters and set of Theodore Tugboat.
It was also revealed in the episode Hank's New Name that Emily's middle name is Annapolis, after Annapolis County in northwest Nova Scotia.
[edit] Original airdates
CBC aired Theodore Tugboat from 1993 until 2001.
[edit] Trivia
- The original idea for the series came to Halifax native Andrew Cochran while he was walking along the waterfront. He named two of the tugboats in the series, Hank and George, after his son's favorite teddy bears. His son was four years old at the time and made up the name "Foduck" one day some months later while looking at the real tugboats in the harbour with his father.
- Cochran and his production company, Cochran Entertainment, went on to lead the development of the series with the CBC in Canada, starting in 1989. Production commenced in 1992 and the first broadcasts were on CBC in 1993. Cochran Entertainment produced all 120 original episodes with Cochran as the Executive Producer.
- The show was funded in part by Robert Cardona of Britain, the maker of the television shows TUGS and Thomas and Friends.
- George, Emily, Foduck's horn sounds in order will result a broken C6 chord with no E.
- PBS telecasts of the show were supported by the Primestar satellite service, which was later absorbed by DirecTV.
- Replaced Shining Time Station on PBS
- In the episode "Bedford's Big Move" The Harbour Master receives cookies from his mother. If you look closely the Cookies are shaped like Sunshine from TUGS.
- The Harbour Master in the Canadian/USA version was played by The Mamas & the Papas front man, Denny Doherty. The role, and the person playing the role, is similar to that of Shining Time Station, the American series that featured Thomas the Tank Engine; like Theodore Tugboat, that series initially starred (and narrated by) an entertainment figure associated with the 1960s, Ringo Starr (of The Beatles), and, later, comedian George Carlin, both playing the role of "Mr. Conductor".
- Some of the character names coincide with the characters in the other two shows of which Robert Cardona was involved in the making, Thomas and Friends and TUGS. Examples of those in TUGS include Lillie Lightship (whose name Lilly Lighthouse almost shared) and Bluenose the Naval Tug (whose name went to the sailing ship), while those in Thomas and Friends include Oliver the Vast with Oliver the Western Engine, Emily the Vigorous with Emily the Stirling Engine and Molly the Veament with Molly the Yellow Engine.
[edit] Episodes
There are 120 episodes in the series, 52 of which premiered in the USA while the rest were broadcast in Canada. They were aired on CBC and PBS. The list includes both Canadian and American episodes. [Note] episodes may not be in perfect order.
[edit] Season One
- Theodore and the Big Oil Rig: A new oil rig named Tex is very rude to Theodore and George, and doesn’t want their help. But when a storm puts Tex in a dangerous situation, he is rescued by the tugs and becomes friends with them.
- The 5 Tugboats, The Dispatcher, Benjamin Bridge, Bobby Barge and Donald Dock's first appearance.
- Tex the oil rig is introduced.
- Tex's first and last appearance, though he is mentioned in several other episodes.
- Theodore and the Homesick Rowboat: Theodore meets a stranded rowboat named R. Boat who had been taken away from his old dock by a storm. Theodore insists on finding R. Boat a new home all by himself, but Hank tries to help too. The two tugs find R. Boat a new dock by the Sandy Beach, and Theodore learns the importance of teamwork.
- R.Boat is introduced.
- Olympia's first appearance.
- The Dark and Scary Cove: Theodore and Hank race to Cobiquith Cove one night, where they encounter some of the scariest sights and sounds. To make things worse, Hank loses his lifeboat inside the cove. Theodore goes to get it back the next morning when he discovers that the cove isn't so scary after all. He returns Hanks lifeboat and even meets a tiny bullfrog on the way out.
- The Wreck seen at the entrance to the cove is seen again as the old wreck George attempts to haul up in the big harbour clean up contest.
- Pearl the Pilot Boat's first appearance.
- Margaree Pride's first appearance.
- Foduck the Vigilant: Foduck is soon to earn his 'v-word'. This means he will be allowed to travel in the open ocean. However, he is having a spot of bother picking a name, so he turns to his other tug friends for help.
- Foduck's fire fighting equipment is used for the first time.
- First accident of the series (George's lifeboat catches fire).
- Margaree Pride is introduced.
- Bumper Buddies: Foduck celebrates by continuously bumping into Theodore. Theodore doesn't like getting bumped but instead of telling Foduck that, he makes the mistake of avoiding Foduck all together.
- Owan the Oil Rig's and Bedford Buoy's first appearance.
- Gloria Cornwallis' first appearance.
- Different Strokes - Different Boats: The Dispatcher chooses Theodore to teach Hank how to tow barges. When Hank tries to tow a barge from the side during his towing test, Theodore explains to him that you're supposed to tow a barge from the front. The result at first is a disaster, but at the end of the day, luck is on Hank's side.
- Barrington Barge and Bedford Buoy are introduced.
- Hank and the Mermaid: Hank sees a mermaid in the ocean, but no one believes him at first.
- The Mermaid is actually the bow to an old ship.
- True Blue Friends: George is scared that his hull check-up will hurt. So he tries to hide behind a barge to avoid his check-up, but gets stuck. Theodore later rescues George and convinces him to get his check-up.
- Second Accident(George is nearly crushed by a large Junk Barge while he's hiding).
- Theodore and the Welcome: Theodore gets his first try at welcoming ships into the harbour, but isn't sure what to say to them.
- Northumberland Submarine's first appearance.
- Theodore the Vegetable: The Dispatcher assigns Theodore to be the tug in charge of an incoming cargo ship called Julia. However, when Theodore actually meets up with her, Julia questions his ability to handle her and Theodore is not so sure himself either.
- The Mysterious Grain Ship is first seen. He is the ship who cuts off Theodore and Hank while they were pulling Julia.
- Julia is introduced.
- The Day Ice Came to the Harbour: A big freeze slows the productivity of the harbour right down. The pilot boats are restricted to their docks so Theodore and his other tugboat friends are left in charge to make sure that the harbour is kept safe.
- The Ice Breaker Inverness in only mentioned and never seen. Ironically, Inverness is the name of another container ship later on.
- Cameos by the Ferry Twins, Bobby Barge, and Bonnivista Barge.
- Olympia is introduced.
- Theodore’s Nightmares: One night, Theodore has a nightmare about a sea monster and when he wakes up he is scared that the dream will come true. But with a little help from his friends Theodore finds out that dreams are 'just pretend' and he will be alright.
- Chimey is seen up close for the first time.
- Gloria Cornwallis is introduced.
- First and only appearance of The Sea Monster.
- Theodore’s First Pull: Like Foduck, Theodore wants to earn his 'v-word' too. Emily tries to help Theodore by teaching him some skills that he'll need if his 'v-word' is to be so. Theodore soon grows over confident.
- Kirby is introduced.
- Theodore and the Queen: A grand ocean liner named the Queen Stephanie visits the harbour. When she tries to pass beneath Benjamin Bridge, she gets severely stuck. Theodore however, quickly comes up with an idea on how to free her.
- The Mysterious Grain Ship is seen when all the boats are whistling.
- The Thin eyed coast guard boat is seen up close for the first time.
- Cameo by Rebecca.
- The Queen Stephanie is introduced.
- Theodore and the Bluenose: Bluenose the old sailing ship saves Foduck when his propeller becomes clogged with seaweed.
- First appearance of Shipwreck Rock.
- Bluenose is introduced.
- Is Anybody Listening?: Theodore thinks that the pilot boats who patrol the harbour never seem to listen to anybody, and they don't. But soon, after a lot of confusion and a near crash, the pilot boats learn a valuable lesson about not listening.
- Blankton Buoy is seen for the first time, though he is named Blanford.
- Petra's and Elo Echo's first appearance.
- George Buzzes the Dock: It is found that Sandy Beach is terribly polluted and Emily and George notice this. They then have an argument about which one of them is causing the pollution. Theodore soon reminds them that all the tugs make pollution. Later on, all the tugs agree on the great idea of a 'Big Harbour Clean-up Contest' to be held, but that's another story.
- This episode forms the first two parter episode.
- The Junk Barge is seen again.
- The Big Harbour Clean Up Contest: All the tugs seem to have a very big plan in terms of what part of the harbour they are each going to clean up in the contest. But once Theodore has heard each tug's 'big plan', he can't seem to think of one himself. So he has to settle for a 'little plan'.
- Cameo by Rebecca and the Old Wreck.
- Best Friends: Theodore tells all the tugs that they are his best friend. Later, they get angry at him when they find out Theodore has said the same thing to all of them. They then demand to know which one of them truly is his best friend. Hank becomes very upset with this, and gets stuck on a sandspit. So the other tugs all pull him off and they all become best friends.
- This episode is out of production order, and was slated to appear after "The Cold Snap".
- Theodore and the Big Harbour: It's Theodore's first day in The Big Harbour and he is completely astonished at how different everything is compared to where he used to work. It takes a few lessons for him to take it all in.
- Originally the first episode, but was changed to become an original episode.
- Benjamin Bridge is seen as a bully in this episode.
- Theodore meets the Tugs for the first time (Timeline wise).
- Phillip and Philmore the ferry twins are introduced.
[edit] Season Two
- Theodore's Whistle: Theodore doesn't like his high-pitched whistle tone so he tries to change the sound of it. He only ends up badly damaging it and Theodore is then unable to do one of his favorite jobs. Later though, he gets a pleasant surprise.
- Katherine the Container ship is introduced
- This story received a book adaption due to popularity
- Owan the oil rig and Barrington Barge make cameos
- George's Ghost: Theodore says that he has seen a ghost at Shipwreck Rock. George though doesn't believe Theodore until he actually sees the ghost for himself, and what a surprise it turns out to be!
- Digby the Cable Ship is introduced.
- We learn why Shipwreck Rock is famous in this episode.
- Cameo by Bobby Barge
- A Whale of a Tug: Theodore finds a whale called Walter who is trapped in some logs. He and the other tugs take care of the whale until George can find his parents. When he does, Theodore has a hard time saying goodbye to Walter, but learns that Walter was better off in his natural habitat.
- First and only appearance of Walter.
- Cameo by Rebecca.
- Night Shift: The Dispatcher assigns Theodore and Hank to do the night shift because the other tugs don't want to stay up all night. When it comes for Theodore and Hank to actually do the shift, they find the darkness a little scary.
- First time we see the night shift
- Cameos by Owan, Northumberland, and Rebecca.
- Last time we see Rebecca's first model.
- Theodore Changes Sides: George says that Theodore can sleep with the ocean tugs on the other side of the home dock while Emily is away. Theodore agrees because sleeping on the ocean tugs' side of the dock makes him feel more important. Hank though is then left all by himself on the other side of the dock and feels very sad and lonely.
- First and only appearance of the Broken Bell Buoys.
- Margaret's fist appearance.
- The Tugboat Pledge: The Dispatcher has assigned Emily to lead the tugboat parade. Hank suggests to her that she should recite "The Tugboat Pledge" as well, except he has tricked Emily and there is no such thing!
- First Large Cameo Episode
- First appearance of Isabel.
- First time we see Foduck hose down the Tugboats
- Cameos by Phillip and Philmore, Northumberland, Katherine, Bedford, Lilly Lighthouse, Barrington, Bobby, Rebecca, Digby, Constance, Pearl, Petra, Isabel, and various faceless boats.
- Emergency: Foduck decides to teach the other tugs about Safety Flags. George doesn't find the lesson important, until he finds a ship that can't talk, but little does he know that he could be putting himself in serious danger.
- We learn about Safety Flags in this episode.
- First episode to feature a ship incident.
- Stranded ship is Freda.
- Foduck Stays Home: Foduck is chosen by The Dispatcher to be the Big Harbour's Official Safety Tug. While he is happy about this, he is also very disappointed that he won't be able to go out on the open ocean. He feels happier after helping Theodore and Hank find their way back to the harbour in a thick fog.
- Cameos by Bedford, Benjamin, The Ferry Twins, and Northumberland.
- Margaret makes a cameo.
- Theodore and the Tug in Charge: Theodore is chosen to be the Tug in Charge for the day. When he runs into a spot of bother with Northumberland Submarine he doubts his ability to bring in the real ship. His friends give him support and he does bring in the ship all by himself.
- This episode is famous for the Theodore and Northumberland incident.
- Cameos by Lilly, Bedford, Freda and Benjamin.
- The Cold Snap: The Dispatcher can't hear properly due to a bad cold, this situation unfortunately leads to some confusion because he is not entirely sure what everyone else is saying exactly. Theodore gets restricted to his dock for a misunderstanding. He later leaves to help the other tugs and fears what the dispatcher will say. He learns that everyone makes mistakes in the end, even the dispatcher.
- Freda the cargo ship makes a cameo.
- The Dispatcher wears ear muffs in this episode.
- Second appearance of Margaret.
- Tug of the Year: George is sad that he didn't win the "Tug of the Year" contest, and he had practiced so hard for it too. His other tugboat friends decide to give him his own award for being such a good friend.
- First time another Tug from a different harbour is mentioned.
- Hank and the Hug: No one wants to play with Hank or even let him help. He at first feels all angry but a little later he feels very depressed. The other tugs soon join together to formulate a plan on how to apologize to Hank and make him feel better.
- Cameo by Bonnavista.
- Emily and the Rocket: Theodore and Emily see a large light travelling across the sky one night. The next day, Emily is asked to help Constance the Coast Guard Ship with something very important, though Constance isn't the friendliest ship. Emily soon discovers that the large light was really a fallen rocket from space. She later makes friends with Constance when she stands up to her, and the two get along with each other very well.
- Constance is introduced.
- Theodore in the Middle: Theodore ends up in the middle of an argument between Emily and George, when George decides to report an official complaint on Emily for being late. They eventually make up without Emily getting a red mark in the Great Tugboat Book, and without Theodore losing a friend.
- Cameo by Gloria Cornwallis.
- Carla, The Cool Cabin Cruiser: Carla encourages Emily to cause trouble in the Big Harbour, will Emily build up the courage to say that she doesn't want to?
- Carla is introduced.
- Julia makes a cameo.
- Snorri, The Viking Ship: A weird ship named Snorri arrives in the Big Harbour. He seems to be rather rude but Theodore soon finds out that in fact, he is not.
- Snorri the Viking Ship is introduced.
- First and only appearance of Snorri.
- Katherine, Rebecca, Barrington, and several faceless boats make cameos.
- Theodore the Jokester: At first everyone laughs when Theodore accidentally makes a joke. Theodore likes this so he then tries to tell another joke, but on purpose. He can't figure out why nobody laughs at him again, so he tries to find out.
- Cameos by the Pilot Boats.
- Emily, the Vigorous: Emily has a full day of work to do but she really wants to meet a fishing trawler who has come from Russia. So she attempts to rush all her jobs but unfortunately she is just a bit too hasty for her own good.
- Gregor is introduced.
- Gregor's first and only appearance.
- Katherine is introduced.
- Theodore's Day Off: Theodore requests to the Dispatcher for some time off which is agreed upon but he soon gets very, very bored.
- Cameos by Northumberland and the Ferry Twins.
- Foduck and the Rainbow: A string of unexpected, sudden changes to Foduck's routine deeply upset him because he liked the way his original routine was.
- Cameos by Olympia and the Pilot Boats.
- An Error on this episode. Petra is working with the tugs for the second docking, but in one shot it's pearl instead.
[edit] Season Three
- Hank's New Name: A new barge named Shelburne comes to live in the harbour, the other tugs talk of nothing but his really big name. Hank decides to change his name to "Henry," so that he can have a big name too. This sudden change causes everyone else in the harbour to change their names, ending up in a lot of confusion. Hank suddenly realized how wonderful his real name really is when he prevents an accident.
- Shelburne the Sea Barge is introduced.
- All Quiet in The Big Harbour: The Dispatcher loses his temper and makes an order to the other tugs to be as quiet as possible. Theodore and George get the job of moving Owan through the thick fog at night. Hank tells Lilly to be quiet, but forgets about the tugs. He manages to save them from crashing into Willy's Island by making as much noise as he can. But when the Dispatcher hears about the near accident, he's actually very proud of Hank.
- The first near accident with Owan, crashing into Willy's Island.
- Theodore to the Rescue: Theodore has to rescue a severely stranded Digby in a huge storm. He becomes so excited, that he forgets to bring a lot of important things along, making the rescue operation even more difficult. After saving Digby, Theodore learns the lesson of being more careful.
- Cameo by Jennifer.
- Theodore and the Northern Lights: Kulu the Canoe visits the Harbour and tells the tugs the story of the Northern Lights. Foduck though doesn't believe in Kulu's story. When a storm hits the harbour, Kulu goes missing, and Theodore and Foduck go to search for him. They both experience the Northern Lights later that night, which lead them to find Kulu on a sandspit. Foduck finally discovers how real Kulu's stories are.
- Kulu the Canoe is introduced.
- First and only appearance of Kulu.
- Northumberland is Missing: Theodore and Rebecca spend the day searching for Northumberland, who gets trapped on the bottom of the ocean after an underwater rockslide bends his propellor. With the help of Shelburne, Northumberland is soon raised back to the surface.
- Cameos by Rebecca and Shelburne.
- Theodore Visits Ceilidh's Cove: Theodore is sent to deliver a new propellor to a fishing trawler in Ceilidh's Cove. He finally gets to know what being bigger feels like.
- Ceilidh's Cove is introduced and is seen for the first time in this episode.
- Truro the fishing trawler and Dorothy the Dory are introduced.
- Emily Goes Overboard: Emily is known for doing great turns in the big harbour, until she acts carelessly and gets herself stuck between two of the Piktu Peaks trying to do a turn right through them. Luckily, Digby the cable ship finds her and gets help from Theodore, who later pushes Emily out from the peaks.
- Cameos by Digby, Bedford, and Inverness.
- First time we see Emily stuck instead of Digby.
- Hank and the Night Light: Hank becomes afraid of the dark. Scary noises and dark shapes scare Hank even more and the other tugs advice doesn't help him either. Theodore explains to Hank that sometimes you just have to grow out of your fears. Hank soon forgets about night lights and being afraid of the dark.
- We see R. Boat's board making creaking noises in this episode.
- Theodore and the Harbour Crane: Theodore meets Clayton the harbour crane, and decides that he wants to lift heavy things just like Clayton does. When he and Emily take Clementine the container ship out of the harbour the next day, Theodore spots a bumper, which he mistakes as a rock. The turn they make sends one of Clementine's container's overboard. When Theodore tries to lift it back up, he hurts his engine. Clayton then convinces Theodore that he's better at being a tugboat than a harbour crane.
- Clayton the Harbour Crane and Clementine are introduced.
- Cameos by Shelburne and Northumberland.
- Hank's Wheezy Whistle: Hank whistle starts wheezing right before the Big Harbour Tugboat Races. When he doesn't get it fixed right away, it starts to get worse. In the end, Hank has his whistle cleaned and gets to start the tugboat race.
- Cameos by Bedford, Constance, Rebecca, Barrington, Bobby, and Digby.
- Emily's Bruised Bumper: Emily bruises her bumper while docking a big ship with Theodore and George. She had to float around with a big red bandage on her side, making her look and feel silly. Emily feared that everyone would laugh when they saw how pathetic she appeared to be. Theodore soon convinced her that she would always be Emily no matter what how she looked.
- Cameos by Pearl and Clementine.
- Rebecca and the Big Snore: Benjamin Bridge keeps Rebecca up all night with his loud snoring. This makes her grumpy when she goes treasure hunting with Theodore and Shelburne. Both she and Theodore learn that nobody's perfect when Rebecca upsets everyone.
- Cameos by Shelburne.
- Theodore and the Stubborn Ship: When Theodore is in charge of a ship's arrival, things go awry when the Ship decided to go in himself and dock right in the middle of the harbour.
- Cumberland is properly introduced.
- A ship called Conrade Explorer is mentioned but never seen.
- George and the Underwater Mystery: Foduck's sonar detects that there is something big at the bottom of the harbour. He asks Theodore and George to help him find out what it is. Theodore decides to use Shelburne and Northumberland to help out, but when George starts to give too many orders, nothing goes right. When they all work together, they raise what turns out to be a fallen satellite.
- Cameos by Shelburne, Northumberland, Catherine, and Colchester.
- A Joke Too Far: Theodore and Barrington Barge decide to play a joke on everyone by hiding from them, like they always do with Petra the Pilot Boat. But they stay hidden too long and this causes everyone else in the harbour to be worried about them.
- Cameos by Constance, Petra and Owan.
- Grumpy Garbage Barge: Guysborough the garbage barge turns Theodore's normal mood of being a bright and cheerful scamp into an old scrooge.
- Guysbrough is introduced.
- Jasper is seen but not introduced.
- Cameos by Catherine and Julia, who speak to one another.
- Theodore Hugs the Coast: The Dispatcher sends Theodore out on a job where it is vital that he hugs the coast. Unfortunately he becomes distracted and disobeys orders.
- First appearances of Fundy and Blanford.
- Cameo by Owan.
- First time Theodore gets to go out on the ocean.
- Theodore and the Ice Ship: Theodore, George and Hank find an enormous ice sculpture floating in the water but can't tell what the object inside it is. It turns out to be Shamus, and soon the tugs see how wonderful the ice ship was on the inside when he was good for nothing on the outside.
- First Appearance of Shamus the Fishing Trawler.
- Cameo by Jennifer.
- Emily and the Tug of War: George excludes Emily from a game of "Tug of War" because she's a girl tug. This starts a huge conflict between the two. Later, Catherine the container ship arrives with a double load that tilts her to one side while Theodore and George are towing her to her dock. They soon find themselves on a collision course with Owan the oil rig. After hearing a call for help from George, Emily rushes to the scene to help stop the ship, just in time. George then realizes that it doesn't matter whether you're a boy tug or a girl tug. And they all play Tug of War.
- Catherine is introduced.
- Cameos by Constance and Bedford.
- Hank's Hiccups: Hank has a severe case of the hiccups that interfere with his work. He spends the whole day trying to get rid of them by using different methods. But what gets rid of them, is when Hank forgets about his hiccups to save a ship from danger.
- Cameos by Bobby, Fundy, Jennifer, and Colchester.
- Theodore and the Missing Barge: It's 'New Bumper Day' in the Big Harbour. All the tugs are anxious to get their new bumpers, while Carla the cabin cruiser is anxious to go exploring. When no one will go with her, she starts taking everything in the harbour, from oil barrels, to bumpers, and even to barges. Everyone thinks though that Emily took everything. Carla soon finds the courage to tell the tugs what she did.
- Bonnivista and Carla have roles.
- Big Harbour Fools' Day: It's "Big Harbour Fools' Day" but unfortunately, George doesn't take a liking to any of the jokes being played. The tugs are soon able to change his mind.
- First proper appearance of Chimey.
- Cameos by Shelburne and Jennifer.
- The Dispatcher wears toy glasses with slinky eyes on them.
- Theodore and the Bully: A new tug comes to the harbour to work for a while. His name is Oliver the Vast. After running into him a few times, Theodore is certain that Oliver is a bully and that he doesn't want to be Theodore's friend. Theodore finally tells the dispatcher about Oliver, and the next day, Oliver gets sent back across the ocean.
- Oliver is introduced and appears for the first and last time.
- First time Owan talks in a hushed voice.
- Theodore's Birthday Surprise: It's Theodore's Birthday, but he thinks that everyone in the harbour has forgotten all about it. At the end of the day, Theodore gets a big surprise.
- Cameos by Colchester, Pearl, Petra, and Bobby.
- Error: Bobby Barge is mistaken for Bonnavista.
- Theodore's Backwards Day: Theodore's engine breaks down in such a way that he can only move backwards. The incident causes Theodore to feel so embarrassed, that he hides from the rest of the tugs until he manages to get his engine fixed.
- Cameo by Cumberland.
[edit] Season Four
- George's Turn: The tugs meet Sigrid, the new supply ship. While working with Sigrid when they move Owan together, George becomes jealous and doesn't want to make friends with Sigrid. But when he sees that he and Sigrid have a lot more in common, he changes his opinion, and they all become best friends.
- Sigrid the Supply Ship is introduced.
- First appearance of Annapolis.
- Owan on the Loose: Sigrid goes into the harbour to fetch Owan some new anchor cables, when she gets trapped under some junk. Owan gets too excited and tries to go and look for her. When he raises his cables, they snap. The tugs are able to stop him right before he runs into a cliff, and then they save Sigrid.
- Cameos by Sigrid and Northumberland.
- Scally's Stuff: A ship named Scally comes to the harbour full of different treasures that he gives to the tugs. Theodore gets a windspinner, Hank a big, huge bumper, Emily a smokestack extension, and Foduck a siren. After causing confusion in the harbour, they finally have order when they return their treasures to Scally.
- First and only appearance of Scally.
- Cameo by Shamus.
- Theodore and the Lies: Theodore starts telling lies to everyone just to get out of trouble. But when he lies about inspecting a dock, it catches fire because he didn't clean it up. Foduck puts it out and gets into trouble instead Theodore. That's when Theodore decides to tell the truth.
- Cameos by Phillip, Philmore, Baddeck, and Constance.
- Digby's Disaster: Digby and all the other tugboats get very exited when they meet Dartmouth, the Giant Cable Ship. They soon forget all about Digby when they compare him to big ship. Later Digby notices one of Dartmouth's cables slipping into the water. After saving the cable, the tugs then realize that Digby is just as important as any other ship.
- Dartmouth is introduced.
- Dartmouth Says Goodbye: Dartmouth the Giant Cable Ship is ready to leave the harbour after laying the rest of his cables. Theodore though doesn't want Dartmouth to leave, and has trouble saying goodbye to him.
- Cameos by Digby and Barrington.
- George and the Navy Ship: George and Theodore meet Nautilus the Navy Ship. George all of a sudden wants to be a navy ship, and ends up towing in Truro for dumping garbage in the ocean. George mistakes Truro's fishing net for garbage and takes him into the harbour. After realizing his mistake, George escorts Truro out of the harbour, and goes back to just himself, George the Valiant.
- Nautilus is introduced.
- Cameos by Bonnavista, Barrington, and Northumberland.
- Sigrid and the Bumpers: Sigrid the Supply Ship has always wanted to be a tugboat. She thinks that she can finally be one, if only she had bumpers. Later, when a bad storm prevents Theodore and Emily from docking a ship, Sigrid discovers that she can be a tugboat without bumpers.
- Cameos by Owan, Digby, Bedford, Shediac, and Canso.
- Hank Hurts a Ship: Hank meets Bayswater Barge for the first time and Bayswater has a passion for calling him names. Hank takes a liking to it until he calls Inverness, a cargo ship, "Needlenose". Inverness is so insulted that he tries to leave the harbour. Hank quickly learns his mistake after Theodore convinces Inverness to stay.
- Bayswater is introduced.
- Cameos by Constance, Bluenose, Rebecca, and Pearl.
- Inverness is introduced.
- Emily's New Hat: The Dispatcher sends Emily to replace her old hat with a new one. But Emily doesn't want a new hat, and the new one makes her look silly and too different. Theodore explains to the Dispatcher that everyone has a favorite thing to hold on to. So the Dispatcher lets Emily go to get her old hat back. And Emily is finally happy, with her good old hat.
- Cameos by Digby, Petra, Cumberland, Shelburne, and Owan.
- George and the Funny Noise: George makes a weird sound in front of Theodore, Hank, and a ship! He feels embarrassed, so he goes to live under Owan. Theodore shows him that it's okay to do something silly once in a while, and to laugh along with your friends.
- Cameo by Caroquette.
- Visit from the Queen: The Queen Stepanie is coming to visit the Big Harbour. The entire back end of the harbour is being cleared out for her. R. Boat though is miserable because they have to take his dock away. Theodore tries to cheer him up, but it's no good. When the Queen arrives she goes to meet R. Boat. The next day the tugs are happy to see that R. Boat has a new home, the Queen's swimming pool.
- Last appearance of R. Boat.
- Cameo by Shelburne.
- Theodore and the Tough Tugging: Theodore and George have the job of bringing in a ship called Caroquette, who's loaded with fragile cargo. While Theodore tries to keep her steady, George is making noise and going faster. When it's time to take Caroquette out of the harbour, Theodore realizes that the only way to get Caroquette out of the harbour safely, is to ask George to slow down.
- Caroquette is introduced.
- Cameos by Owan and Northumberland.
- Theodore's New Job: Theodore gets the new job of inspecting bell buoy's. Only when he does, he acts a little too bossy. When he asks the bell buoys in a nice way to do what he wants, things get much easier for him.
- Cameos by Bedford, Blanford, and Caroquette.
- Theodore's Prize: The tugboats have a contest for whoever does the best job each day. The winner gets a prized flag. Theodore gets the job of hauling Bedford, but it's harder than he thought. In the end, Theodore doesn't get a prize, but something he gave himself.
- Cameos by Pearl, Canso, Shelburne, and Bedford.
- Guysborough's Garbage: Canso Colossus, the king of all supertankers is visiting the harbour. While the tugs are paying all of their attention to the giant supertanker, they forget how important Guysborough is. When Guysborough refuses to work, the harbour becomes a mess, literally. When Canso sees the garbage floating in the water, he demands to be taken out of the harbour. The tugs finally see how much the harbour needs Guysborough.
- Cameos by Fundy, and Jasper.
- Canso Colossus is introduced.
[edit] Season Five
- Brunswick's Big Scare: Brunswick Barge always enjoys thrills and chills. But he starts to think differently when a bad storm separates him and Theodore. He learns to be more careful after being pulled off some rocks by Theodore and Constance.
- Brunswick is introduced.
- Cameos by constance, and Chester.
- Theodore Gets Lost: Theodore gets separated from Pearl in a thick fog near Shipwreck Rock. The only way he is able to find her, is when he stays put and waits for her to come to him.
- Lunenburg Lighthouse and Emma Sophia are introduced.
- Cameos by Digby, Blanford, and Clare.
- Emily Drifts Off: Emily starts to drift off every time she falls asleep. She thinks it's really Theodore playing a joke on her, until he wakes her from another drift. They soon figure out a way to keep Emily from ever drifting again.
- Cameos by Bedford and Emma Sophia.
- Emily and the Sleep Over: Emily goes to have a sleep over with Carla, Sigrid, and Dorothy at Celeigh's Cove. They decide to visit Shipwreck Rock, where things start to get a little spooky, after Emily tells them the story of the Sea Beagle.
- Cameos by Truro and Clare.
- Theodore's Bright Night: Theodore and Hank have a fun night out with Constance while they wait for the Queen Stepanie to return to the harbour.
- First time Constance meets the Queen Stepanie.
- Foduck and the Shy Ship: Foduck has his regular night safety patrol. But no one seems to enjoy his loud job. Then, Foduck is told of a ship that's too shy to come into the harbour. Foduck then goes to convince the ship that the harbour is safe and friendly.
- Cocomagh is introduced.
- Cameos by Digby, Northumberland, Emma Sophia, Bayswater, and Brunswick.
- Bedford's Big Move: Bedford Buoy feels sad that he can't go anywhere in the harbour. So later, he asks Baddeck the buoy boat to take him to another harbour. Only with the love of his friends, does he decide to change his mind.
- Baddeck is introduced.
- Cameos by Constance, Barrington, Rebecca, Pearl, and Petra.
- Hank and the Sunken Ship: Northumberland discovers a sunken ship, and tells the tugs all about it. Hank decides to try and raise the ship so that he'll have a great story to tell. A bad storm rolls in while he attempts to raise the ship, causing his rope to get stuck and runs out of oil with a chance of running into the cliffside. He is later rescued by Theodore and Northumberland, and that night, Hank has a great story to tell the others, but soon realizes that he doesn't have to be better than everyone else to be liked.
- Cameos by Northumberland and Digby.
- Guysborough Makes a Friend: Digby is told about the grumpy garbage barge, Guysborough. He instantly wants to make friends with him, but Theodore tries to prevent that from happening. He didn't want Guyborough's feelings to get hurt because he's always grumpy to everyone. But Digby surprises the both of them.
- Cameo by Jasper.
- Theodore and the Unsafe Ship: Theodore has the job of bringing in a ship named Cabot all by himself. But Cabot gives him nothing but trouble. Theodore tricks him into running aground on the Sandy Beach, where he takes control, the safe way.
- Cabot is introduced.
- First time cargo speaks.
- Hank Stays Up Late: Hank joins Theodore on the night shift where he has the best time of his life. But the next few nights don't turn out to be as good as the first night. So Hank goes back to taking old bumpers to Shediac, the shipyard shed.
- Cameos by Owan, Northumberland, Constance, and Shediac.
- Theodore and the Hunt for Northumberland: When Stewiacke the salvage ship arrives in the harbour with Pugwash, the mini-sub, Northumberland goes into hiding. He's afraid that Pugwash will bump him like she always does. But later, he sees that people change sometimes.
- Pugwash and Stewiacke are introduced.
- Theodore's Big Decision: Pugwash goes missing in action when she gets lost in the Eekum-Seekum Circle, a place underwater where ships stay lost forever. Theodore joins the search, but has trouble convincing Constance what to do. That's when Theodore makes a big decision, that brings Pugwash back up to the surface.
- The Rock Brothers are seen for the first and last time.
- Cameos by Constance, Owan, Northumberland, Stewiacke, and Lunenburg.
- First time we hear of Pugwash' fear of foghorns and Lighthouse lights.
- Pugwash is Gone: Pugwash is sent to Ceilidh's Cove with George and Foduck to search for a lost piece of cargo dropped by a ship. While George and Foduck show off, Pugwash wanders off. Theodore arrives to see chaos, and figures out a way to bring Pugwash back up to the surface.
- Cameos by Truro, Dorothy, and Shelburne.
- Last episode with Pugwash.
- Grumpy Old Guysbrough: Guysbrough is tired of only having two friends, Theodore and Digby. So he stops acting grumpy for a week. He makes friends with Bedford, Rebecca, Foduck, Sigrid and Lunenburg. His friends form a plan to get him back to his grumpy old self.
- Ryan, Marin and Jacob's first appearance.
- First time Guysbrough meets Truro.
- The dock that Guysbrough crashed into is a faceless Jasper.
[edit] Merchandise
There were several books and toys linked with the series. Notably, the producers, Cochran Entertainment, worked out a marketing deal with European toy manufacturer BRIO to produce wooden toys of some of the main characters, as well as a line of scale die-cast models and bathtub toys manufactured by Ertl. The characters were retired in 2000. A full size replica of Theodore Tugboat (called Theodore Too) was constructed by the series producers in the late 1990s and went on a 50-city tour of harbours from Tampa, Florida through the Great Lakes to Chicago, Illinois and back again to Halifax. It still resides in Halifax Harbour where it was purchased by a touring company, and is used for sight seeing tours of the harbour. There was also a series of 19 books published by Random House, a set of squeezy toys made by Alpi, and puzzles and games by International Playthings. The videos were released by Warner Brothers/PBS Kids in the USA, and by Children's Group in Canada.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Other toys
- Theodore Too
- Qubo Site
- Former link to Cochran Entertainment is now defunct.
