TUGS

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This article is about children's television series. For the boat, see Tugboat.
TUGS
Image:TugsLogo.jpg
Genre Animated television series
Created by Robert D. Cardona
David Mitton
Voices of Patrick Allen
Simon Nash
Shaun Prendergast
Chris Tulloch
Narrated by Patrick Allen
Theme music composer Junior Campbell
Mike O'Donnell
Country of origin Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Language(s) English
No. of series 1
No. of episodes 13
Production
Producer(s) Robert D. Cardona
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time approx. 15 - 20 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel Flag of the United Kingdom ITV
Flag of Australia ABC
Picture format PAL (576i)
Audio format Monaural
Original run April 4 – June 27, 1989[1]
Chronology
Related shows Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

TUGS is a British children's television series of thirteen episodes, which first broadcast in 1989. It was created by the producers of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Robert D. Cardona and David Mitton, and only 13 episodes were made. It dealt with the adventures of two subanthromorphized tugboat fleets, the Star Tugs and the Z Stacks, who compete against each other in the fictional Bigg City Port. It is set in the 1920s, during the booming business era of the "Roaring Twenties". It was produced by Tugs Ltd, for TVS and Clearwater Features.[1] Junior Campbell and Mike O'Donnell who wrote the music for Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, composed the music.

Following the initial airing of the series throughout 1989, television rights were sold to an unknown party, with all models and sets from the series being sold to Britt Allcroft. These models - albeit heavily modified - were used for Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends from 1991 onwards. Both producers later moved on to other projects, and although a second series was discussed, there were no further episodes.

Contents

[edit] Format and Animation

Each episode consisted of a fifteen-minute (9 episodes) or twenty-minute (4 episodes) story, told by the show's narrator, Captain Star (voiced by Patrick Allen).

Filming and production of the series took place throughout 1987-1988, in West London's Shepperton Studios. The series was animated using live-action models, which were seen as the most realistic method of portraying real tugboats.[2] Each model was mounted on a wheeled chassis, which were then pulled through the water using transparent string. Remote control devices were initially tested in operating the machines, but the tugboats became too heavy and unable to move through the water. Remote controls were instead used to power other devices, such as the moving eye features of the models and some static cranes.[2]

[edit] Episodes

Tugs first aired on Children's ITV in Britain, and then on Australia's ABC network. Talks of a second series were never finalised, and eventually all plans to create a follow-up were dropped. Redubbed and heavily edited footage later resurfaced as part of another children's series, Salty's Lighthouse.

Thirteen episodes of TUGS were produced and aired. The series was considerably darker in tone than many other children's television programmes, with plots involving crime, violence, and underhanded tactics. The characters' dialogue, too, was somewhat mature for a children's series, featuring slang and terminology not normally directed at children. Characters would often insult each other, as well as use historical and maritime terms.

The series, as described on TV.com,[1] aired as follows:

Main article: List of TUGS episodes

[edit] Major characters

 This article or section describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style.
Please rewrite this article or section to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective.
Star Tugs: Big Mac and Sunshine working Up River
Star Tugs: Big Mac and Sunshine working Up River

[edit] The Star Fleet

[edit] Ten Cents

Main article: Ten Cents (TUGS)

Ten Cents is a lively and cheeky young cockney harbour switcher tug with a heart of gold. He is often considered the main character of the series, having being featured prominently in most episodes. Ten Cents almost always works with Sunshine, and the two are inseparable.

[edit] Big Mac

Main article: Big Mac (TUGS)

Big Mac is one of the fleet's strongest and roughest tugs. Despite his blunt and abrupt exterior, he is a kind and loyal tug who never likes to hurt others' feelings, and will always stand up for those in trouble. He takes his work very seriously, and doesn't take kindly to those who don't; Zorran in particular. He is a loyal friend to Warrior.

[edit] O.J.

Main article: OJ (TUGS)

The fleet's (and indeed, Bigg City Port's) only paddle steamer, the wisest and oldest tug of them all; OJ is genuinely respected by everyone in the port. He is good natured, and despite his increasing frailty, is the Star's quickest thinker. OJ is loyal to his comrades, and to Captain Star.

[edit] Top Hat

Main article: Top Hat (TUGS)

Top Hat is a stuck-up, snobbish railway tug. He wears a top hat and monocle, and loathes dirty work. His fellow Star Tugs have somewhat mixed feelings towards him - although they dislike his attitude, they acknowledge that he is a hard worker. He is the greatest wit of the fleet, but he can be quite hypocritical when it comes to acts of bravery.

[edit] Warrior

Main article: Warrior (TUGS)

Warrior is the Stars' third strongest tug. He has good points to him - he is brave, helpful and good-hearted, but tends to be very clumsy. His closest friend and greatest defender is Big Mac.

[edit] Hercules

Main article: Hercules (TUGS)

Hercules is the least seen of all the Star Tugs. He is an ocean-going tug, and so is often out of the port for long periods of time. He can always be found in the estuary with his sweetheart Lillie Lightship. Even the Z-Stacks know not to antagonise him when he is in port - he is the strongest Star by far.

[edit] Sunshine

Main article: Sunshine (TUGS)

Sunshine is the star's newest recruit. He was originally from Up River. Captain Star initially employed Sunshine on a temporary basis, but after the events of the first episode, decided to make him Star No. 7. Sunshine is shy and bashful but strong-willed despite his size. He mainly works with Ten Cents, his best friend.

[edit] Captain Star

Main article: Captain Star (TUGS)

The proud owner of the Star Tugs fleet, Captain Star is both the Star Tugs' owner and the narrator of the series. As such, he is heard in every episode. He can be gruff, but is always fair. The Stars respect their leader, and are proud to be a member of his fleet. The character never actually appears in person, but rather addresses the tugs via a huge megaphone mounted on the front of his office building. His distinctive voice is provided by Patrick Allen, a veteran voice actor.

[edit] The Z-Stacks

Devious, tricky and scheming boats. They are always finding ways to hinder and infuriate the Star Tugs, their great rivals. As such, they are the main villains of the series.

[edit] Zorran

Main article: Zorran (TUGS)

The most devious Z-Stack of them all, and therefore their leader. Zorran is cunning and malicious. He is a scheming bully who will do absolutely anything to get ahead, and doesn't care who gets hurt along the way.

[edit] Zebedee

Main article: Zebedee (TUGS)

Zebedee is something of a follower, assisting the other Z-Stacks' schemes rather than initiating them. However, beneath his tough exterior, he is one of the only Z-Stacks to have a conscience. This depth was explored in the episode High Winds, in which he repeatedly found himself divided between right and wrong at the expense of the other Z-Stacks.

[edit] Zak

Main article: Zak (TUGS)

Zak is a devious and revolting tug who was never really explored within the episodes. He is quite a violent character - for instance, in the episode Munitions, he suggested that the best way to deal with the Stars was to "blow them up". He considers himself something of a schemer, but doesn't really think his plans through, as seen in High Tide. He mainly works with Zebedee and Zorran, and appears throughout the series as a supporting character.

[edit] Zug

Main article: Zug (TUGS)

Zug is an ambitious young tug, and one of the Z-Stack switchers. He mainly works with Zip, the other switcher, and likes to think of himself as the intelligent one. Compared to Zip, he certainly is intelligent. However, compared to anyone else, he is not. He comes up with devious plans for him and Zip to use, though the plans usually fail.

[edit] Zip

Main article: Zip (TUGS)

Zip the Harbour switcher is rather dense. He often has to leave Zorran or Zug to do the thinking for him. He usually works with Zug, the other Zero switcher, and as a result often ends up in trouble with him.

[edit] Captain Zero

The devious and scheming owner of the Z-Stack fleet. He is known to have criminal connections. He only appears in a very small number of episodes, and is quite bad tempered. As with Captain Star, where he does appear, it is as a voice through a megaphone.

[edit] Other notable characters

[edit] Grampus

Main article: Grampus (TUGS)

Grampus is a naval midget submarine, who enjoys his free time spent underwater. He is a valuable asset to the Stars, as he is capable of all sorts of tasks that the tugs can't perform. He finally joined the fleet in the episode "4th of July", after the Navy decided that he was obsolete.

[edit] Izzy Gomez

Izzy is a scheming tramp steamer who is friends (of a sort) with both the Star Tugs and the Z-Stacks. He will often try to convince tugs to tow him into port for free, or at least for a cut-price rate, and is not above trying to sneak in on his own, against the law. However, he does have a good streak that was revealed in Sunshine, so he is perhaps more of a rogue than a villain. He has a strong Mexican accent and wears a sombrero. Izzy also appears to have the Mexican Flag as funnel insignia, and according to the writing seen on his stern, his home port is "Puerto Grande".

[edit] Lillie Lightship

Main article: Lillie Lightship (TUGS)

Lillie is a vivacious young ship, with a longstanding affection for Hercules. She is the only major female character in the series. All of the tugs appear smitten with her, and she knows it! The charming lightship is always to be found at Demder Rocks, guiding the way home with her bright light.

[edit] Patrick the Sailor Tug

Patrick is Big City Port's sailor tug and likes to be best friends with Ten Cents and Sunshine, but not if Zorran boasts at Patrick and calls him a little slowcoach. He, Ten Cents and Sunshine want to work together not with Zorran.

[edit] See also

[edit] Cast

Unfortunately, the cast of TUGS was never credited. Despite this, diligent research from members of the Sodor Island Forums, as well as other associated forums, have discovered (or in some cases, are quite sure about) the following:[3]

[edit] Merchandise

TUGS Merchandise was rather common in the early 1990s. Some of that merchandise includes:

  • Ertl models - Ten Cents and Sunshine are the only known models (although Ertl were supposed to release all of the Star Tugs).
  • 13 Photo Books - Different titles for the TV series such as Ghost Fleet (Ghosts), Warrior's Longest Day (Warrior) and Bigg City Freeze (Bigg Freeze)
  • 2 Annuals
  • VHS Videos
Sunshine/Pirate
Trapped/Ghosts/High Winds
Jinxed/Quarantine/Up River
Bigg Freeze/Warrior/High Tide
Munitions/4th of July

Note on the Videos: The versions of the episodes on the videos were significantly edited for unknown reasons. Many original scenes had been extended/deleted and the program now had two different alternate title sequences

  • Jigsaw
  • Bed set
  • Board Game
  • Thimbles
  • Card Game
  • 5 Buzz Books - Kidnapped, Run Aground, Nothing to Declare and Treasure Hunt"
  • Publicity Pack - Ultra Rare!
  • Activity Books
  • Bath books
  • Magazines

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • Captain Star (as the narrator), Ten Cents, Sunshine, Big Mac and Top Hat are the only characters who appeared in every episode.
  • "Up River" is the only episode not to feature the Z stacks.
  • Captain Zero only ever appeared in 3 episodes, in two of which he had speaking roles.
  • There is an American adaptation of TUGS called Salty's Lighthouse, in which several characters have different voices, names, occupations and alliances, and some male characters are considered female. Because of this, Salty's Lighthouse is not official canon of TUGS.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c TUGS airdates. BFI.org.uk. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
  2. ^ a b Behind the Scenes. Bigg City Port website. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
  3. ^ TUGS Cast and Crew. TV.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.

[edit] External links

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