Theodore Tugboat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Theodore Tugboat |
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| Genre | Children's television |
| Created by | Andrew Cochran |
| Written by | Jeff Rosen Bob Stutt Kathy MacLellan Maureen Wheller Cheryl Wagner Silver Donald Cameron Vicki Grant Lynn M. Turner |
| Directed by | Robert D. Cardona David Coole Charles Bishop Peter Sutherland Shandi Mitchell |
| Starring | Denny Doherty |
| Narrated by | Denny Doherty |
| Music by | Graham Shaw |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 130 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Andrew Cochran |
| Editor(s) | William Jardine |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Cochran Entertainment |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC Television |
| Original release | July 5, 1993 – October 12, 2001 |
Theodore Tugboat is a fun Canadian TV show for kids. It's all about a friendly tugboat named Theodore and his adventures. He lives in the "Big Harbour" with his tugboat friends. The show was made and is set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The show used cool radio-controlled models of tugboats, ships, and other harbour machines. Production of Theodore Tugboat stopped in 2001. The show teaches important life lessons. The tugs often face problems or disagreements. But they always help each other solve things. Their main goal is to make the Big Harbour the friendliest place in the world. They also always try to do their jobs well.
Contents
How the Show Started
The idea for Theodore Tugboat came from Andrew Cochran. He was from Halifax. He wanted to explain how the boats in Halifax Harbour worked to his three-year-old son. He noticed that when you're with kids, you often imagine buildings and boats have human feelings.
Cochran and his company, Cochran Entertainment, started developing the show in 1989. Filming began in 1992, and the first episodes aired in 1993. Andrew Cochran was the main producer. The characters' designs and faces were created by art director Fred Allen. The set, which looked like Halifax Harbour, was designed by Tom Anthes. Many episodes were directed by Robert D. Cardona. He also worked on other famous shows like Tugs and Thomas & Friends. These shows also had vehicles that acted like humans and taught life lessons.
Meet the Characters
Theodore Tugboat has one human character, the Harbourmaster. There are also six main tugboat characters, including Theodore himself. Many other ships and even some talking buildings appear in the show.
The Harbourmaster
The Harbourmaster is like the boss of the harbour. He also tells all the stories in the show. He even does the voices for all the boat characters! He is the only human actor you see on screen. In Canada and the US, he was played by Denny Doherty. He used to be in a famous music group called The Mamas & The Papas.
The Harbourmaster often starts each episode by talking about something that reminds him of the tugboats. He loves playing the tuba and is good friends with someone named "Rodney," who you never see. He's a bit like Mr. Conductor from Shining Time Station, who told the Thomas & Friends stories.
The Tugboats
- Theodore Tugboat: Theodore is the main character. He's one of the smaller tugs and wears a red baseball cap. He doesn't like being called "cute" or "small." Theodore and his best friend Hank are "harbour tugs." This means they only work inside the harbour. Theodore is very kind and friendly. He wants to be friends with everyone. His big dream is to become an "ocean tug" and travel the world. But first, he works hard to make the Big Harbour the friendliest place ever. He's always there to help!
- Hank: Hank is the smallest, funniest, and fastest tugboat. He wears a blue toque. He loves to make funny faces and noises to get attention. Hank can be sensitive and sometimes feels ignored because he's small. When he's sad, he goes to Theodore for help. Hank used to be afraid of the dark, but he got over it when Theodore told him he was too. Sometimes Hank has great ideas without even knowing it! He often uses the word "fresh" to describe things. Hank is special because he's funny and learns from his mistakes.
- Emily "the Vigorous": Emily is the only girl tugboat in the group. She wears a special old turquoise fishing hat. Emily loves to travel and learn about new places and languages. She likes to be admired but hates looking silly. She thinks her friends expect a lot from her. But she always finds that her friends are there to help, even if she doesn't ask. She sometimes argues with George, but they always make up. Emily is always kind and strong, no matter what.
- George "the Valiant": George is the biggest and strongest tugboat. He wears a purple baseball cap backward. George loves to show off and can sometimes be a bit rude without meaning to. He's stubborn and finds it hard to admit when he's wrong. He loves telling stories, especially about himself. When he gets annoyed, he blows a lot of smoke and makes loud noises. George is a very hard worker. He always finishes his jobs and stands up for his friends.
- Foduck "the Vigilant": Foduck is the harbour's safety tug. He wears a dark red fireman's hat. He has super bright spotlights, a sonar, and a fire hose. Foduck is very serious and makes sure everyone works safely. Foduck is a "V tug" like George and Emily. This means he can travel on the ocean, but he prefers to stay in the harbour to keep it safe. He doesn't show his feelings much, but he cares deeply about everyone in the harbour.
- The Dispatcher: The Dispatcher is a rotating building on the "Great Ocean Tug and Salvage Company" dock. He gives the tugs their jobs each day. He has a black moustache and a flag on his head. He is usually serious and strict, but the tugs respect him. He shows he cares by guiding them when they make mistakes. He's like a father figure, always there to help the tugboats when they need it most.
Other Harbour Friends
Many other ships live in the Big Harbour and appear often. These include Phillip and Philmore the Ferry Twins and Pearl and Petra, the Pilot Boats. There are also Northumberland Submarine, Rebecca the Research Vessel, and Bluenose the Sailing Ship. Some barges appear frequently, like the grumpy Guysborough the Garbage Barge. Even some buildings talk, like Benjamin Bridge and Donald Dock.
Visiting Ships
Many ships visit the harbour, like Kingston the Cargo Ship and Queen Stephanie the cruise ship. There's also Canso Colossus the supertanker. Sometimes special visitors arrive, like Snorri the Viking Ship and Kulu the Canoe.
Episodes
There are 130 episodes of Theodore Tugboat. They were made over five seasons:
- Season One (1993–1994)
- Season Two (1994–1995)
- Season Three (1995–1996)
- Season Four (1996–1997)
- Season Five (1997–2001)
How Each Episode Works
Every episode of Theodore Tugboat follows a similar pattern.
Starting the Story
The show always begins with its catchy theme song. Then, the scene changes to the Harbourmaster's office. The Harbourmaster is usually doing something or thinking. This makes him remember a story about one of the tugboats.
The Main Adventure
As the Harbourmaster starts his story, the camera shows the tugs working or getting their orders. Early in the episode, the tugs face a problem. They use their minds to solve it. Sometimes, the problem gets bigger before they fix it. Other times, the tugs have to deal with feelings, like not feeling good enough or saying goodbye to a friend. By the end of the episode, the tugs solve their problems, and everything goes back to normal in the Big Harbour.
Ending the Show
The scene then returns to the Harbourmaster's office. He thinks about the lesson the tugs learned. Sometimes, he talks to the tugs through his window. They reply with their whistles! He might also play his tuba or listen to his friend Rodney playing bagpipes. Finally, the Harbourmaster says, "Thanks for visiting us here in the Big Harbour, and we'll see you all again next time." Then, the credits roll.
How the Show Was Made
Theodore Tugboat was filmed in an old school building in Halifax. At its busiest, the show had forty people working on it. The characters, including Theodore, were designed by Fred Allen. He was a Halifax artist who made the models look like real boats but with expressive human faces.
Fred Allen and his team built the models in a workshop next to the large set. The set was a gymnasium filled with water! The radio-controlled models moved with propellers. They also had wheels underwater to help them stay on track. Blue food coloring was added to the water to make it look like the ocean. The background set, with its buildings, was made by the CBC Halifax art department. Many of the original models from the show are now at Halifax's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
Real Places and Names
Many characters and places in Theodore Tugboat are named after real locations in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, and Atlantic Canada.
- The Big Harbour itself looks like Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia.
- The fishing village, Ceilidh's Cove, is based on Peggys Cove, a real fishing community.
- Some tugboat names, like Point Vigour and Point Valiant, come from actual tugboats in Halifax Harbour.
- Bluenose (a sailing ship) is named after the famous racing schooner, the Bluenose. A replica, the "Bluenose II", still sails today.
- Dartmouth (a cable ship) is named after the former city of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, across the harbour from Halifax.
- Lunenburg (the lighthouse) is named after the port town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. This is where the original Bluenose was built.
- Stewiacke (the salvage ship) is named after the town of Stewiacke, Nova Scotia. This town is halfway between the equator and the North Pole. It was also the hometown of Fred Allen, who designed the characters.
Merchandise
There were many toys and other items made for Theodore Tugboat. BRIO, a European toy company, made wooden toy versions of the characters. Ertl made die-cast models and bathtub toys. These toys are no longer made, but you can still find them online.
A real-life, full-sized replica of Theodore Tugboat was built. It's called Theodore Too. It went on a big tour to many harbours across North America. It still lives in Halifax Harbour today! A touring company bought it, and you can take sightseeing tours on it. In 2020, the company planned to sell Theodore Too. Many people who grew up with the show and the boat felt sad and nostalgic.
You can still buy Theodore Tugboat items online. There's also a gift shop on the waterfront in downtown Halifax, near Theodore Too and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
Theodore Tugboat Toys
Ertl
Ertl made different Theodore Tugboat toys. These included die-cast boats, rubber boats for the bathtub, and "Press'n Roll" plastic boats.
Characters
- Theodore
- Emily
- Foduck
- Hank
- George
- Carla
- Brunswick
- Constance
- Rebecca
- Northumberland
- Pugwash
- Digby
BRIO
BRIO made many Theodore Tugboat toys that could work with their toy train sets. Besides the tugboats, they made Benjamin Bridge, Clayton the Crane, Chester the Container Ship, and Barrington. The tugs and the Dispatcher toys had moving eyes.
Characters Made
- Theodore
- Hank
- Emily
- George
- Foduck
- The Dispatcher
- Barrington
- Benjamin Bridge
- Clayton
- Chester
Where the Show Aired
| Country | Channel |
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 Australia |
ABC Seven Network |
 United Kingdom |
CBBC CITV |
 Canada |
CBC |
 United States of America |
PBS PBS Kids |
