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Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. The show was produced (and is set) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada by the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), and the now defunct Cochran Entertainment, and was filmed on a model set using radio controlled tugboats, ships, and machinery. Production of the show ended in 2002, but is still televised in some countries. The show's distribution rights were later sold to Classic Media. The show premiered in Canada on CBC Television, then went to PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), and is now on qubo in the US, and at one time, had appeared in eighty different countries.
The show deals with life learning issues portrayed by the tugs or other ships in the harbour. Most often, the tugs have a problem, or get involved in a struggle with each other or another ship, but they always manage to help one another resolve these problems and see them through. Their main focus however, is to always make the Big Harbour the friendliest harbour in the world, and to always do a good job with their work related tasks.
The show has one human character, The Harbourmaster, and six central tugboat characters, led by the show's namesake, Theodore Tugboat. Other ships, of all sizes, provide a large number of regular and occasional characters along with a few talking structures.
The Harbourmaster
Along with all the duties of a real-life harbourmaster, The Harbourmaster is the narrator of the series, and provides voices for the entire cast of characters. He is the only human on the show, and is portrayed in the Canadian and US versions by the late Denny Doherty, formerly of The Mamas & the Papas, and by other performers internationally. The Harbourmaster introduces the theme at the beginning of every episode by addressing an issue that he has in common with the tugs. He also loves to play the tuba and is good friends with a man named "Rodney" (who is never seen).
Tugboats
Theodore Tugboat: Theodore is the title character who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. He's one of the smaller tugs that wears a red baseball cap, and is sometimes offended if someone calls him "cute" or "small". He and his closest friend Hank are the only two harbour tugs (tugs that are not yet eligible to work outside of the harbour). They both share the harbour tug side of the dock and love working together. This life-size version of Theodore Tugboat, Theodore Too plies the waters of Halifax Harbour He's a kind little tugboat that is always friendly to the other ships in the harbour, with the goal of becoming friends with everyone he meets. His biggest dream is to become an ocean tug and to travel across the sea to different harbours, but before he does, he works as hard as he can to make the Big Harbour the friendliest harbour in the world. That's why he is always there whenever someone needs him.
Hank: Hank (the Volcano, as he sometimes calls himself) is the smallest, funniest, fastest tugboat in the Big Harbour. He wears a blue tuque and loves to make funny faces and noises as a way of getting attention. He can be very sensitive too, and usually gets ignored for being the smallest. Whenever he feels down, he always turns to Theodore for help or guidance. Hank was afraid of the dark once, but overcomes his fear when Theodore tells him that he was once afraid of the dark too. Sometimes Hank is the one to give a good idea without even knowing it. He also loves to use the word "fresh" to describe something. Out of all the other tugboats, Hank is special because of his good humour and nature to learn and grow from his mistakes.
Emily "the Vigorous": Emily is the only female tug in the fleet. She wears an old turquoise fishing hat that is very special to her. She loves to travel to different countries and discover new cultures and languages. Emily loves to be admired, but hates to look silly in front of her friends because they always have high expectations for her, and look up to her as a leader. Still, she always comes to find that her friends are there to help her, even if she doesn't ask for their help. She usually gets into arguments with George, but they always resolve their differences in the end. No matter how upset Emily gets, she always shows her kind spirits and female strength.
George "the Valiant": George is the largest and strongest tugboat in the Big Harbour. He wears a purple baseball cap on his head backwards. George loves to show off and can sometimes be a little rude without knowing it. He's somewhat stubborn and always struggles to admit that he is sometimes wrong. He especially loves to tell stories to the other tugs, mostly about himself. Whenever he gets irritated, he blows up a lot of smoke from his smokestack and makes loud noises with his powerful engines. Most of all, George is a hard worker, never finishes a job until it's done, and always stands up for his friends.
Foduck "the Vigilant": Foduck is the harbour's safety tug. He wears a red fireman's hat and is equipped with extra bright spotlights, sonar transceiver and a fire hose. Foduck is always very serious and makes sure all jobs are being performed safely. Foduck is a V tug like George and Emily, meaning he is fully qualified to make ocean voyages, but is content with staying in the harbour to keep it safe. Because of his strong work ethic, Foduck usually doesn't express his feelings, but deep inside, he has a soft spot in his heart for everything and everyone in the harbour.
The Dispatcher: The tugboat Dispatcher is a rotating building on the "Great Ocean Tug and Salvage Company" wharf, who gives the tugs their jobs for the day. He has a black moustache and a flag on his head. He is usually very serious and stern with the tugs, but they are always respectful to him because of his father-like figure. He shows that he cares for the tugs by disciplining them for their faults, and by counselling them for their mistakes. And like a father, he always has a gentle side to him, and is always there when the tugboats need his help the most.
A number of ships based in the Big Harbour appear as recurring characters. They include Phillip and Philmore the Ferry Twins, Pearl and Petra, the Pilot Boats, as well as Northumberland Submarine, Rebecca the Research Vessel, and Bluenose the Sailing Ship. A number of barges appear frequently, most notably the grumpy Guysborough the Garbage Barge as well as a few regular talking structures such as Benjamin Bridge and Donald Dock.
Many visiting ships such as Digby the Cable Ship, Fundy the Fishing Boat, Kingston the Cargo Ship, Queen Stephanie, the cruise ship, and Canso Colossus the supertanker appear in several episodes along with a large number of named visiting cargo ships and some rare special visitors such as Snorri the Viking Ship.
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.
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 say goodbye to a friend. As each episode continues, the tugs resolve their problems, and life returns to normal in the Big Harbour.
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.", and the credits roll.
On the half-hour PBS series, following the first story, the Harbourmaster's goodbye is instead followed by a voice-over, reminding viewers to stay tuned for the next story, and prompting them to visit the website.
View of the Theodore Tugboat studio models used for filming the children's television series. They were photographed on permanent display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Virtually all of the buildings are based on actual buildings on the Halifax waterfront.
Production
The series was filmed in an old converted elementary school in Halifax's North End, which Doherty (the Harbourmaster) had attended as a child. At the peak of production, the show employed forty people. The sets and characters, including Theodore, were designed and built by Fred Allen, a Halifax artist and set designer who strove to balance expressive human faces with realistic and weathered industrial details. Allen and three model assistants built the models in a workshop adjacent to the large set located in a water-filled gymnasium. The radio controlled models were driven by propellers and 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.
Real names and locations
The characters are loaded with references to Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, the Maritimes, and Atlantic Canada in general. Many of the references are obvious (such as Brunswick the Barge, named after New Brunswick) while others are more obscure. The following is a list of other references:
The tugs occasionally visit a fishing village called Ceilidh's Cove, which is loosely modelled from 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.
Annapolis (a cargo ship) is named after Annapolis Royal in northwestern Nova Scotia.
Barrington (the smallest barge) is likely named after the municipality of Barrington, Nova Scotia, which is located in the southwestern region of the province near Shelburne. He may have also gotten his name 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 located 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.
Bonavista (one of the barges) is named after the fishing town of Bonavista, located in the province of Newfoundland.
Cabot (the cargo ship) is named after the Cabot Trail, a highway that takes sight-seeres through the scenic 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.
Caraquet (the container ship) shares her name with the town of Caraquet, New Brunswick, located on the shores of Chaleur Bay, in the Acadian Peninsula. "Caraquet" is a native Mi'kmaq word, meaning "junction (or meeting) of two rivers".
Chester (the container ship) gets his name from the seaside village of Chester, Nova Scotia.
Cobequid Cove (visited in the episode "The Dark and Scary Cove") shares its name with the both the Cobequid Bay and the Cobequid Hills mountain range of mainland Nova Scotia. Cobequid is a proud, historic, and distinctly Nova Scotian name, derived from the native Mi'kmaq word "Wakobetgitk", meaning "end of the rushing or flowing water" (in reference to the Bay of Fundy).
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 the Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996, but the area still 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.
Ecum Secum Circle (visited in the episode "Theodore's Big Decision") shares its name with the rural community of Ecum Secum, Nova Scotia, which is located along the shores of Ecum Secum Harbour. Named in the language of the Mi'kmaq, First Nations people, "Ecum Secum" translates to English as "a red house".
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 eastern Maine, and is the body of water with the world's largest tides, that can exceed 16 metres or 52.5 feet.
Guysborough (the garbage barge) is named after Guysborough County on the south shore of Nova Scotia.
Northumberland (the submarine) is named after the Northumberland Strait, a body of water that lies between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia mainland, and Prince Edward Island.
Pictou Peaks (a cluster of giant rocks poking up out of the water near the shallow shore). Seen in the episode "Emily Goes Overboard", The 'Pictou Peaks' share their name with the historic port Town of Pictou, located in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. It is believed the name is derived from the word "Piktook", which means "an explosion of gas" in the language of the local Mi'kmaq, First Nations people.
Pugwash (the little yellow mini-sub) shares her name with the fishing and salt mining village of Pugwash, Nova Scotia, located on the Northumberland Strait at the mouth of the Pugwash River. The village takes its name from the word "pagwe’ak", a native Mi'kmaq word meaning "deep water".
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) shares his name with 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.
Stewiacke (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 was also the hometown of the late Fred Allen, the artist who designed and built the characters and set of Theodore Tugboat.
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.
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.
Air dates
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2008)
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 favourite 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 aired on CBC in 1993. Cochran Entertainment produced all one hundred-thirty original episodes with Cochran as the executive producer.
In the episode "Bedford's Big Move", the Harbourmaster receives cookies from his mother that are shaped like Sunshine from TUGS.
The Harbourmaster in the Canadian/US 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 was narrated by) an entertainment figure associated with the 1960s. Ringo Starr (of The Beatles), and later, comedian George Carlin, both played the role of "Mr. Conductor".
Some of the character names coincide with the characters in Thomas and Friends and TUGS, the other two shows of which Robert Cardona was involved. 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 Vehement with Molly the Yellow Engine.
Merchandise
Theodore Too
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 toy replicas 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 life-sized replica of Theodore Tugboat (called Theodore Too) was constructed by the series producers in the late 1990s, that went on a fifty-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 nineteen 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 US, and by Children's Group in Canada.
Theodore Tugboat VHS tapes
Canadian VHS tapes:
The Canadian Theodore VHS tapes were made by Children's Group. They contained stickers and two episodes. These tapes have become extremely rare and usually sell for $20.00–$75.00 on eBay and Amazon.com.
US tapes:
The US Theodore Tugboat tapes were made by PBS/Warner Brothers. They are a lot more common than the Canadian tapes. Most of these tapes contain three episodes (Theodore's big ADV has two and Theodore's Exceptional Friends has five). Theodore's Exceptional Friends is a rather unique tape because it has five episodes and a handbook signed by Andrew Cochran.
Theodore Tugboat DVDs
DVDs: Theodore's store in Canada has copies of some US releases on DVD. These include; Big Harbour Bedtime, Nighttime Adventures, and Theodore's Friendly Adventures.
Theodore Tugboat books
Random House: Random House has released paperback Theodore Tugboat books.
Jellybean Books: Jellybean Books has released hardcover Theodore Tugboat books.
Theodore Tugboat toys
Ertl toys: Ertl released a number of Theodore Tugboat toys, including die-cast boats, a set of rubber boats that float, a "Press'n Roll" series of plastic boats (where pressing the smokestack then releasing it makes the boat move), and sets of glow in the dark wall decorations.
BRIO toys: BRIO released many Theodore Tugboat toys for interaction with its toy trains. Other than the tugboats, Brio released Benjamin Bridge, Clayton the Crane, Chester the Container Ship, Barrington, Bonavista, and the Dispatcher. The tugs and the Dispatcher have moving eyes.
International Playthings: International Playthings released the Theodore Tugboat Cargo Game.
