Theodore Tugboat

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 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, Production of the show ended in 2001, 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 now on qubo in the US,

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 whole world, and to always do a good job with their work related tasks.

Characters
Main Article: Theodore Tugboat/Characters/Gallery

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, 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 "the Victorious": 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 stay in the harbour) that are not yet ocean tugs (tugs that are eligible to work outside of the harbour). They both share the harbour tug side of the dock and love working together. [[Image:437 - Halifax NS.JPG|thumb|200px|left|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. He loves to sway back and forward to show that he's happy. 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 Henry "the Volcano": 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. But whenever he feels down, he always turns to Theodore for help or guidance. 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. But out of all the other tugboats, Hank is special because of his good humour and nature to learn and grow from his mistakes. He is performed by the same vehicle and puppeteer of "Spud" from Bob the Builder, Rob Rackstraw.


 * Emily Annapolis "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. It is hinted that Emily has feelings for Theodore.


 * George Golieth Gargantua "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. But most of all, George is a hard worker, and never finishes a job until it's done, and always stands up for his friends.


 * Foduck Fredrick "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 for everything and everyone in the harbour.

Other characters

 * The Dispatcher: The Dispatcher is a rotating building on the "Great Ocean Tug and Salvage Company" dock, 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.


 * Donald Dock: Donald is the wooden dock across from the Dispatcher, and also happens to be his best friend. Donald is special because he only uses the words "uh-huh" and nothing else. The Dispatcher and the tugs sometimes go to him for advice and occasionally get the right answer from him. His name is a pun on Donald Duck, a popular character from Disney.


 * Benjamin Bridge: Benjamin is a green suspension bridge at the end of the harbour who loves to watch everything that goes on. His design is based on the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, the first of two bridges built to connect the former City of Halifax with the former City of Dartmouth. He also enjoys telling jokes, riddles and rumours, which can cause a lot of confusion. Besides spreading rumours, Benjamin has a bad habit of snoring very loudly. Even though he can't move, Benjamin has many exciting moments, like Tex the Oil Rig nearly crashing into him, or the time the Queen Stephanie got stuck beneath him. He's very good friends with the tugboats and loves to socialize. In the episode "Theodore and the Big Harbour" he was a bully and called Theodore a put-put, but learned a lesson after Theodore blew smoke in his face and was saved from Tex the oil rig by Theodore and George.


 * The Ferry Twins: Phillip and Philmore are two identical ferry boat twins that cross the harbour before Benjamin Bridge. The twins are modelled after the twin Metro Transit ferries Halifax III and Dartmouth III which were built in 1979 to carry passengers across the Halifax Harbour on a daily basis. No one in the Big Harbour is able to tell which twin is which, and they usually finish each others sentences. Phillip and Philmore are sometimes stubborn, and at one point Philmore left the harbour to visit Fundy the fishing boat. Their job is very well recognized, and every tug and ship is careful when they cross between them.


 * The Pilot Boats: Pearl and Petra are the harbour's only two pilot boats. They patrol the harbour and supervise the tugs with moving ships to their docks. They both used to have a problem with not listening to the tugboats, which caused a lot of confusion. Pearl was the first pilot boat to come to the harbour. She expects a little too much from the tugs and can be very strict with them. She used to be taken as mean and boring, until she played a fun game with Theodore. Petra was the second pilot boat to come to the harbour and has a closer relationship with the tugboats. She was shy at first, about coming to the Big Harbour until Theodore introduced her to everyone. She also enjoys playing "hide and surprise" with Theodore and Barrington on occasion. Both are hard working and work together with the tugs to keep the harbour running properly.


 * Bedford Buoy: Bedford is a small buoy that marks the place where the harbour ends and the ocean begins. He and Theodore are best friends and they love to tell knock-knock jokes to each other. Even though Bedford is not able to move, he sometimes has fun adventures, like when his chain broke and he drifted out of the harbour. Even so, Bedford also suffers from depression because he's unable to move, and once wanted to leave the harbour. That is why every ship in the Big Harbour stops by every day to say hello and talk with Bedford. But whenever Bedford feels useless, the tugs are always there to remind him just how important he really is.


 *  The Flat Eyed Coast Guard Ship: The coast guard ship that has flat eyes. He is seen close up in the episode "Theodore and the Queen". Later, his model was used for Constance.


 * Owan the Oil Rig: Owan is a loudmouth, boisterous, Barney Fife-type, oil rig that works outside the Big Harbour. He has eight big pillars and is hooked onto giant anchor cables. He's full of free expression and always yells instead of talking. The tugs usually have to remind him to be a little more quiet. The funny thing is, Owan never knows when he's too loud. He loves to use catchphrases such as "Yessireebob!", "Nosirreebob!" and "Oh my star fish and little oysters!" Owan is always happy and cheerful (except for when Oliver came to take him to work) and sometimes careless (like when he broke free from his cables and nearly hit a cliff).


 * Digby the Cable Ship: Digby is an old cable ship who is always getting stuck somewhere on the job. It's always a surprise to him and the tugs when someone gets stuck other than himself. He has a mild East Coast accent and uses catchphrases such as "Oh flibberty jibberty!" and "Oh my starfish and little oysters" (like Owan). His best friend is Theodore, who seems to always have to rescue Digby whenever he gets stuck. He loves to say whatever is on his mind and especially enjoys talking about cables. The tugs once thought of Digby as old and useless when the big and strong Dartmouth came to the harbour. But even though Digby is always getting stuck somewhere, he always shows that he is still a useful cable ship in the end.


 * Northumberland Submarine: Northumberland is a black submarine who sleeps during the day and works during the night. He is hardly ever awake in view of the tugs, except for when Theodore and Hank saw him on their night shift. Northumberland is a very quiet sub too, and hates loud noise and bright lights. He also helps the salvage crew (Theodore, Rebecca and Shelburne) to find great things under the water. He never likes to disappoint his friends, which can sometimes get him or his friends into danger. He once broke his propeller in an underwater rock slide and showed Hank where a sunken ship was. Northumberland is also a big brother-like figure to Pugwash the Mini-Sub, but was once scared that she would bump him. Northumberland is always a great help to the tugs and the salvage crew and whether he's awake or half-awake, he is always willing to be of some assistance to anyone in the Big Harbour.


 * Rebecca the Research Vessel: Rebecca is a research vessel who explores everything about the ocean. Rebecca had three different models from seasons one to two. She started out with a grey colour and no eyebrows in season one. In season two, her eyes were bigger and her eyebrows were thick and grey, and later had smaller eyes and grey eyebrows. She is great at giving facts and information about the ocean and once advised Theodore to let Walter the Whale return to his family. Rebecca is the leader of the salvage team and works with Theodore, Northumberland and Shelburne to find great things under the water. Rebecca has no trouble finding underwater treasures with her special sonar equipment. She and the salvage team once found and old ship's bell. Theodore looks up to Rebecca because she always does everything close to perfect. Rebecca also has a grumpy side, which she showed when Benjamin Bridge kept her up all night with his loud snoring. Even though Rebecca is not perfect, she is always fun to explore with, and is the tugs closest guide to the mysteries of the sea.


 * 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.


 * Constance the Coast Guard Ship: Constance is a coast guard ship who takes almost everything seriously. Whenever her name is mentioned, she is noted as an important ship. The tugs used to think that Constance was mean and Constance used to think that she was too busy to be nice. Emily soon showed her how easy it was to be friendly, and became Constance's best friend. Even though Constance is very serious about her work, she can also be a lot of fun (like when she played light tag with Theodore and Hank). The tugs are now more comfortable socializing with Constance, but still give her all their respect.


 * Carla the Cool Cabin Cruiser: Carla is a zany cabin cruiser who only works to please herself. She loves to give the tugs funny nicknames and usually refers to the Dispatcher as the "Dishwasher". Carla is always looked at as 'cool' because she's never afraid to do what she wants. She occasionally runs out of control and causes peer pressure on all the tugs. Carla mainly hangs out with Emily and loves to go exploring with her. Whenever Carla goes over the line, Emily is usually the one to tell her so, and Carla always knows when she makes a big mistake.


 * Sigrid "the Virgin" the Supply Ship: Sigrid is a supply ship that takes supplies to Owan the Oil Rig out on the ocean. She is orange with a helicopter on her head, and is especially good at making waves. Sigrid is very good friends with the tugboats and has always wanted to be a tugboat. She got her chance when she helped Theodore and Emily dock a ship in a storm by pushing the ship with her waves. The tugs gave Sigrid a green bumper to wear on her side, but instead, she put the bumper on her wheelhouse to remind her of the time when she was a tugboat too.


 * Bluenose the Sailing Ship: Bluenose is a schooner sailing ship that lives in the Big Harbour and holds the title of "the fastest ship in the harbour" (considering that she has no engine). Bluenose is good friends with the tugs and loves to race them. She even helped Foduck when his propeller was clogged in seaweed. Bluenose is modelled after Bluenose II, the sister schooner of the famous original schooner featured on the Canadian ten-cent piece.


 * Barrington Barthalamu Barge: Barrington is the smallest barge in the Big Harbour. He is always quiet like all the other barges and is best friends with Theodore. The two have a special game of hide and surprise, but once hid too long and got into trouble. Barrington looks up to Theodore as a leader and never goes against his plans or ideas.


 * Bobby Barge: Bobby is a green salvage barge, who like all the other barges, is good friends with the tugs, and always quiet. Bobby occasionally helps out with Rebecca's salvage operations when Shelburne is on assignment. He is very encouraging and once lifted George's spirits when he didn't win an award.


 * R. Boat: R. Boat (short for row boat) is a gloomy little row boat that Theodore found stuck on some sharp rocks. R. Boat's dock had been destroyed during a big storm, and Theodore promised him a new home. Three weeks later, R. Boat sunk to the place where ships are lost forever. R. Boat complains very often and hates loud noise. He became good friends with the cruise ship Queen Stephanie when it was discovered they both shared a fondness for a certain dock and a dislike for clams. R. Boat's model is a red Lego boat with googly eyes glued on.


 * Bonavista Barge: Bonavista is a small red barge who usually works with Hank. She is always calm and content with whatever goes on. Carla the Cabin Cruiser once towed Bonavista to a little cove as a way of getting attention.


 * Guysborough the Garbage Barge: Guysborough is a grumpy garbage barge who always describes everything as "rotten". Theodore and Digby are the only ones that can stand Guysborough's grouchiness. His way of calling Theodore's names is by saying "Theee-o-dooore!". He once used his catchphrase as a foghorn to prevent a shipwreck. Guysborough usually gets advice from his good friend Jasper and says to him "I thought so too". Even though Guysborough is a smelly old garbage barge, the tugs appreciate him for keeping the harbour so nice and clean.


 * Jasper the Junk Dock: Jasper is the garbage dock who is the exact opposite of Donald, because the only thing he can say is "nope". Jasper is a good friend of Guysborough, who always turns to Jasper for advice, even when his answer is always "nope".


 * Bayswater Barge: Bayswater is a small green and blue barge that loves to make up funny names. He once called Hank a "bumper-bum", which got Hank into trouble when he called a ship "Needlenose". Bayswater is good friends with Brunswick Barge and at one time didn't get along with him. The two are now very close, and are usually pulled by Theodore and Hank.


 * Brunswick Barge: Brunswick is a large orange/brown barge that's always looking for thrills and chills. Brunswick quickly changed his mind when he was swept away by a storm and thought that he had been swallowed by a giant snorkel clam.


 * Blandford Buoy: Blandford is a marker buoy at the outermost edge of the harbour who serves as the first entry point for incoming ships. He is friends with Bedford Buoy, even though they never see each other and rely on passing ships to pass communications to each other.


 * Bingham Buoy: A buoy-in-training who Hank bumped into one time.


 * The Broken Buoys: In the episode "Theodore Changes Sides", the Dispatcher assigns Theodore and Hank to move the broken buoys. One was black with a flag on it, the other was green, twisted, and had eyes. The green twisted buoy can be seen at the junk dock in some other episodes. The broken buoys never speak.

Characters outside the Big Harbour

 *  The Rock Brothers: When Pugwash was hiding from Lunenburg Lighthouse she discovered the rock brothers (three pairs of eyes in the underwater cave). They surprised her when they mentioned her fear of foghorns. They have only appeared in the episode "Theodore's Big Decision".


 * 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 fishing trawler who lives and cares for Dorothy Dory 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 Blandford, 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 Super Tanker, who was sinking. Theodore and the tugboats seem to look up to him a lot.


 * Halliburton Houseboat: Halliburton is a houseboat who lives in an enclosed cove near the Big Harbour. Theodore once thought Halliburton was a haunted houseboat, making him scared. Thanks to Foduck, Theodore and Halliburton became fast friends.


 * 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.

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.


 * Margaree Pride: A container ship that George and Theodore helped out of the harbour, the day after Theodore first arrived.


 * Gloria Cornwallis: A ship that Emily and Theodore were towing during a time when 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 a time when George and Emily wouldn't talk to each other.


 * Julia: First cargo ship that Theodore and Hank brought into the harbour together. She was loaded with vegetables. After the episode "Theodore the Vegetable" she made cameos in the first season.


 * The Mysterious Grain Ship: A ship that made cameos in the first season. In the episode "Theodore the Vegetable", he cuts off Julia. He is also seen in the episode "Theodore and the Queen" when all the boats are whistling. He does not speak.


 * Kirby: A grey cargo ship loaded with telephone poles from England who got nervous when Theodore approached him too quickly. He appeared in the episode "Theodore's First Pull".


 * Queen Stephanie: The greatest and grandest ocean liner in the world, also the nicest. Occasionally visits the harbour after getting stuck beneath Benjamin Bridge by accident, the first time she appeared in the series. In another, she even had R. Boat in her swimming pool after he 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 blue container ship Theodore saved when she was about to hit sharp and dangerous rocks, by flashing his light and blowing his horn. She appeared in the episode "Is Anybody Listening".


 * Katherine: A red cargo ship who, like Emily, had never met a ship from Russia until Gregor was in the harbour. She also once said that Theodore's whistle was cute.


 * Margaret: A large green 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 grey container ship who was seen in several episodes. Isabel was never 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 red 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 that Foduck and Emily had trouble with while trying to get her to her docked, until George came to help them.


 * Jennifer: A ship who Emily rescued before Theodore got an assignment to rescue Digby, who was stuck on a sandspit.


 * Snorri the Viking Ship: A Viking ship that arrived at the Big Harbour. The tugs were afraid of him because he snorted at them until they realized that Snorri is different than the other boats who live in the Big Harbour.


 * Gregor: A fishing trawler from Russia whom Emily wanted to meet. His model was later used for Truro.


 * Linda: An oil tanker that arrives the same time each week. She is towed in by Theodore and Hank, and lead into the harbour by Foduck and Pearl.


 * Colchester: A green container ship Theodore and Emily were helping bring into the harbour when Hank was suffering with the hiccoughs. He has the same model as Cumberland.


 * Catherine: A big container ship who carried a double load and gave Theodore and George a difficult time trying to move her.


 * Shamus: An Irish fishing trawler that was once covered in ice, and later, when the ice melted, struck up a friendship with George.


 * Kulu the Canoe: A story-telling canoe. Saved by Theodore and Foduck when he ran aground on a beach.


 * Icebreaker Inverness: A cargo ship that Hank accidentally offended by calling him "Needlenose".


 * 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 with special engines that allows him to dock himself. He thought he did not need tugs until he met Theodore.


 * Scally: A ship who brought a cargo of treasures 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.


 * Louise: 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. When it was time for him to leave, Theodore felt very sad until he realized that he's not losing a companion, but gaining a friend in a whole new place.


 * 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 also Annapolis).


 * Canso Colossus: A supertanker who once hit rock near the Pictou 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", and he once had the tugs take him to meet Guysborough to commend him on his work with keeping the harbour clean.


 * Caraquet: A container ship Theodore had a hard time keeping steady when George was doing tough tugging. Caraquet had many speaking roles, including a time when she, Theodore, and Hank had a good laugh when George made a funny noise.


 * Chester: A blue and red 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 red and grey ship who was loaded with kumquats, who Theodore was to bring into the harbour. She made many cameos in the fifth season.


 * Clair: A cargo ship that is loaded with special cargo such as bicycles.


 * Igloo: An oil tanker who helped the tugs when Clair began 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 friendliest harbour in the whole world.


 * Cabot: A cargo ship who illegally came into the harbour by himself, dropping cargo, he caused chaos in the harbour. He gave Theodore a hard time until he ran aground on the sandy beach.


 * Cabot's Cargo: After Cabot had let some of his cargo fall off 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. Some cargo stayed on his deck that also had faces, there was a blue container, and what appears to be a water heater.


 * 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 things that he has never done before. He feared that he would get stuck under Benjamin Bridge (since he had never went under a bridge before) until Theodore explained there was nothing to be afraid of. After Seabright overcame his fear of Benjamin, he soon became frightened of Clayton since he had never been loaded or unloaded by crane before.


 * Kingston: Kingston is a cargo ship who has visited the harbour on one or more occasions. He was once frightened of Hank.


 *  Oliver the Vast: A tug from a different harbour who mistreated everyone. Later, the Dispatcher sends him back home for bullying. After his appearance in the episode "Theodore and the Bully", his model was used for Sigrid, the supply ship in the next season.


 * Pugwash: A yellow mini-sub who scared Northumberland by bumping him, but later decided to stop. She is good friends with Theodore, Hank, and Northumberland. She doesn't like foghorns and hid from Lunenburg in the Ecum Secum Circle where she met the Rock Brothers. Owan says that she's as cute as a "catfish's kittens".


 * Stewiacke: The ship that carries Pugwash out in the ocean. He likes to explore the ocean with Pugwash as his underwater aid.

Buildings/Structures

 * Chimey the Clock Tower: Chimey is the harbour's clock tower. He is seen in many episodes 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. Chimey is modelled after the historic Halifax Town Clock on Citadel Hill.


 * The Buildings: There are some buildings in the harbour with faces, but have never been spoken of or had the chance to speak. 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 other 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 under Benjamin Bridge. Clayton is very nice, and is a good friends of the tugboats. There once was a time when Theodore wanted to be just like Clayton. In some episodes, Clayton does not have a face.


 * Shediac the Shipyard Shed: A supply shed Theodore met while he was at the repair dock. He supplies the tugboats their bumpers. Shediac is also Hank's friend.


 * 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.

Characters not seen

 * Rodney: The Harbourmaster's friend who works in the harbour. He plays the bagpipes and is in The Big Harbour Band.


 * Hillary: The mail lady. She delivered cookies to the Harbourmaster in the episode "Bedford's Big Move", and a binder in the episode "Guysborough's Garbage".


 * The Harbourmaster's mom: The Harbourmaster has talked to his mother on the phone. He thanked her for the cookies in the episode "Bedford's Big Move". In the episode "Emily and the Rocket", the Harbourmaster mistakes her for the person at the oil refinery and says she's being rude.


 * Aunt Ruby: Rodney's aunt who he was trying to call in the episode "Hank Hurts a Ship", but he kept on calling the Harbourmaster by accident.


 * Molly the Vehement: A tug from a different harbour that won the "tug of the year" award. George says that she is a hard worker. She was only mentioned in the episode "Tug of the Year".


 * Natalie Explorer: A ship who was mentioned by the Harbourmaster in the episode "George and the Underwater Mystery".


 * Conrade Explorer: A ship mentioned in the episode "Theodore's Big New Friend".

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.

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.



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. A team of model builders constructed the characters 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 Big Harbour itself is modelled after Halifax Harbour, in Nova Scotia, Canada.
 * 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.
 * Baddeck (the buoy boat) is named after the village of Baddeck, 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. 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 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).
 * 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 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.
 * 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.
 * Lunenburg (the lighthouse by Shipwreck Rock) is named after the port town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, which is where the original Bluenose was built.
 * 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.

Original air dates

 * Canada: CBC aired Theodore Tugboat from 1993 til 2001.
 * US: PBS Kids aired Theodore Tugboat from 1998 til 2001.

New air dates

 * Canada: BBC Kids (?–present) all of the episodes. PLEASE EXPAND
 * US: qubo (2007–present) fifty-two episodes (twenty-six pairs).

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 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-twenty original episodes with Cochran as the executive producer.


 * The show was funded in part, and directed by Robert Cardona, the maker of the television shows TUGS and Thomas and Friends.


 * George, Emily, and 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 Harbourmaster receives cookies from his mother. If you look closely, you'll see the cookies 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, George with George the Steamroller, Emily the Vigorous with Emily the Stirling Engine, Molly the Vehement with Molly the Yellow Engine and Owen with Owen the Incline.
 * Some people think that this show is like Skarloey to TUGS.


 * Theodore, Hank, Emily, George, Foduck, Queen Stephanie, The Dispatcher, Petra, and Rebecca's whistle and horn sounds were later reused for sea vehicles in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.

Episodes
There are one hundred-thirty episodes in the series. Fifty-two of which premiered in the US 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 appear in perfect chronological order.

Season one

 * "Theodore and the Big Harbour": In the series pilot, 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. He's never seen ferry boats, he meets a mean bridge, he has to share a dock, and has never heard of an ocean tug. It takes a few lessons for him to finally catch on.
 * The five tugboats, the Dispatcher, Benjamin Bridge, Bobby Barge and Donald Dock's first appearance.
 * Benjamin Bridge is seen as a bully in this episode.
 * Theodore meets the Tugs for the first time (time-line wise).
 * Phillip and Philmore the ferry twins are introduced.


 * "Theodore and the Oil Rig": An oil rig named Tex arrives overnight and George is boastful to Theodore saying that he knows all about oil rigs, but to their surprise, Tex is very arrogant and decides to head into the harbour by himself, almost running into Theodore. Later on, Tex is still being rude to George and Theodore when a storm begins to brew, and the tugs decided to check on Tex's anchor cables. Afterwards, Theodore tells the tugs that Tex is a bunch of rods and rails, and George starts to think Theodore and Tex are friends, which upsets Theodore. When the storm hits, Tex's cables snap and George is sent to stop him from running into Benjamin Bridge, but after some choppy tugging, George gets caught and calls for Theodore. Tex, nearing a very scared Benjamin Bridge, is about to hit, but Theodore being small but agile, manages to rope Tex and free George, preventing an incident. The next morning Tex apologizes and becomes good friends with the tugs.
 * Tex the Oil Rig is introduced but doesn't appear in any further episodes. He is however, mentioned in the episode "Theodore the Vegetable".


 * "Theodore and the Homesick Rowboat": Theodore wants to try doing a job all by himself, and he finds this opportunity with R. Boat, a sad little rowboat who's dock was destroyed in a nighttime storm. Hank tags along to help but Theodore resents his presence. After searching and searching, Theodore allows Hank to help, and the two find a nice little dock for R. Boat, knowing that together they can get the job done.
 * R. Boat is introduced.
 * Olympia's first appearance.
 * Theodore talks to Bluenose, but doesn't meet her until the episode "Theodore and the Bluenose".


 * "The Dark and Scary Cove": One day, Theodore and Hank are helping George bring in Margaree Pride when they discover Cobequid Cove, an old cove outside the harbour. The two go inside and race around but discover scary sights and sounds, along with a creepy old wreck. The two are so startled they run off, with Hank losing his lifeboat in the process. The next morning, Hank is confined to the dock until his lifeboat is discovered. A brave but scared Theodore heads to the cove and discovers the lifeboat, and Pearl the Pilot Boat shows Theodore that the cove's sights and sounds are really everyday items like animals and branches in the water. Theodore is happy and thanks Pearl for showing him that the cove isn't as scary as they thought.
 * 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 and Margaree Pride are introduced.


 * "Foduck the Vigilant": Foduck is about to receive his V-word but can't think of anything special about himself. The tugs try to cheer him up but to no avail. Later on, George collects some crates he discovered and he brags. Foduck notices sparks coming from George's stack but, George ignores Foduck's warnings. Later that night, Foduck can't sleep as he is still curious about what his V-word will be. He notices George's stack sparking again, but this time the sparks set fire to the crates George collected earlier, and then to his lifeboat. The tugs are alerted and scared, but a quick thinking Foduck uses his fire fighting equipment to put the fire out. The next morning, George apologises for the incident and Foduck is seen with a cloth over his back. The tugs think he was injured in the fire but it is revealed to be Foduck's V-word, the Vigilant. The tugs whistle and cheer as Foduck finally comes to the conclusion that he is happy and special.
 * Foduck's fire fighting equipment is used for the first time.
 * First accident of the series (George's lifeboat catches fire).
 * Julia is seen but not introduced.


 * "Bumper Buddies": Theodore and Foduck have a little game where they race to Bedford Buoy, but when they finish, Foduck bumps Theodore, and it hurts. Theodore thinks this is unfriendly and makes the mistake of avoiding Foduck all together. Trying to avoid Foduck while doing his work causes lots of mistakes. Later, Theodore decides to hide under Owan the Oil Rig who is staying in the harbour. When he hears a noise, he asks Owan if it's him, but he's asleep. Theodore is horrified and becomes even more scared when it's Foduck! Foduck apologises and the next day they're silent on the way home from work, until they see Bedford. Theodore knows all is not right so they race, and without bumping, they nudge and discover that avoiding someone is not the way to solve a problem.
 * Owan the Oil Rig, Bedford, and Gloria's first appearance.


 * "Different Strokes - Different Boats": One morning, the Dispatcher gives Theodore the task of teaching Hank how to pull barges. Theodore is delighted and hopes to make a good impression as a teacher. When they arrive at Barrington's dock, Hank pulls him from the side, which Theodore thinks is wrong because he has always pulled barges from the front so Theodore tells Hank that he has to pull HIS way. When Hank tries Theodore's way he does a very bad job. After that, Theodore learns that some tugs have different ways of doing things.
 * Barrington Barge is introduced.
 * First appearance of Blankton, though he is mistaken for Bedford.


 * "Hank and the Mermaid": Bonavista Barge is in charge of raising an old sunken ship. When Hank goes by the sandy beach, he sees something that looks like a mermaid! He tells all of the other tugs, but when they go to see for themselves, it's gone! Hank is upset that the other tugs don't believe him. Later, when he checks on Bonavista, she is looking for another piece called the "figure head". It's part of old ships that look like people. When Hank figures out this is actually what he saw, they raise it up and the tugs are very surprised to see it up on Hank's bow.
 * Bonavista Barge is introduced.
 * At the end of the episode human people are seen standing on Benjamin Bridge.


 * "True Blue Friends": George is told that he needs a hull checkup at the dry dock. George is afraid that it will hurt and decides to hide behind a big junk barge. Theodore finds George and promises that he won't tell the other tugs George's secret. The next day, Theodore, Foduck, and Emily are assigned to take the old wreck and bring it to the junk dock where George is hiding. The tugs begin to push the old wreck and squeeze it into the junk dock with the barge. Theodore realizes that George will be crushed so he secretly pulls the wreck, but Pearl catches Theodore and tells him to push. Theodore wants to keep George's secret, but doesn't want him to get hurt. Theodore shouts out that George is hiding behind the barge and saves him. George decides to face his fears and gets his hull checkup. After work, the tugs hear laughing from the dry dock and they see that it's George. He's ticklish from the workers and he thanks the tugs for helping him realize that checkups are meant to help, not hurt.
 * Second Accident: George's hull is damaged from a big junk barge that he was hiding behind.


 * "Theodore and the Welcome": Theodore is given the job of welcoming ships, a job which the four other tugs are very talented at, giving that welcoming feeling to any ship wanting to rest in the Big Harbour. Theodore tries to welcome a submarine that doesn't reply, and becomes distressed until the submarine finally speaks, stating that Theodore just woke him up. Theodore comes to realizes the submarine, named Northumberland, is really just a sleepy sub. Theodore smiles and realizes he is good at what he puts his mind to.
 * Northumberland Submarine is introduced.


 * "Theodore the Vegetable": While all of the ocean tugs are working, a container ship named Julia, who is loaded with vegetables, arrives early. Hank decides that he and Theodore can bring the ship in all by themselves. Theodore is doubtful, but the Dispatcher agrees. However, Julia doesn't think that Theodore can be in the front. Later, when the mysterious grain ship cuts off Julia, Theodore prevents a terrible accident. After this, Julia thinks that Theodore is a good tug in charge and says that if it weren't for him, all of her vegetables would be a "tossed salad". When all of the tugs return to the "Great Ocean Tug and Salvage Company Dock", Emily tells Theodore that if he got his "V word" for this job, he would be called "Theodore the Vegetable".
 * Julia is introduced.
 * The Mysterious Grain Ship cuts Julia off, then appears throughout the series in random cameos and situations.
 * The Dispatcher mentions Tex the oil rig.


 * "The Day Ice Came to the Harbour": A big freeze slows down the productivity of the harbour. 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 is mentioned but never seen. Ironically, Inverness is the name of another ship later on.
 * Cameos by the Ferry Twins, Bobby Barge, and Bonavista 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. 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 to free her.
 * The Mysterious Grain Ship is seen when all the boats are whistling.
 * The flat eyed coast guard ship 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 Blandford.
 * Petra and Elo Echo's first appearance.


 * "George Buzzes the Dock": The tugs notice that Sandy Beach is terribly polluted and have an argument over which one of them is causing all the pollution. Theodore soon reminds them that all the tugs make pollution. Later on, all the tugs agree on a great idea of holding a 'Big Harbour Cleanup Contest', but that's another story.
 * This episode forms the first two part episode.
 * The junk barge is seen again.


 * "The Big Harbour Cleanup Contest": All the tugs seem to have a very big plan in terms of what part of the harbour they will each clean up in the contest. After listening to each of the tug's 'big plan', Theodore can't think of one himself, and has to settle for a 'little plan' instead. He is later very surprised when HE wins!
 * Cameos by Rebecca and the old wreck.
 * At the end of the episode children are playing on the sandy beach.
 * The old wreck was moved to the junk dock in the episode "True Blue Friends", but in this episode it was out by Willy's Island and under the water.


 * "Best Friends": Theodore tells all the tugs that they are his best friend, who later get angry at him when they find out he has said the same thing to all of them. They then demand to know which one of them is truly his best friend. Hank becomes very upset with this, and gets stuck on a sandspit. When the other tugs pull him off, they all become best friends.
 * This episode is out of production order, and was slated to appear after "The Cold Snap".

Season two

 * "Theodore's Whistle": When Katherine calls Theodore's whistle "cute", Theodore wears it out by trying to make it sound different. Later, when the Queen Stephanie visits the harbour, Theodore is unable to work because of his broken whistle. He is later reminded by the Queen of just how special his whistle really is.
 * Katherine the Container Ship is introduced.
 * This story received a book adaption due to popularity.
 * Cameos by Bobby, Owan, Isabel, and the Queen Stephanie.


 * "George's Ghost": Theodore says he's seen a ghost at Shipwreck Rock that makes a strange "ding ding" sound and looks like it's floating in the air. George however, doesn't believe Theodore until he actually sees it for himself. At first, George is scared, but later it turns out to be Digby the cable ship stuck on some rocks. Theodore, George, and Bobby help Digby down into the water and George admits to the other tugs that he isn't always right.
 * 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 who is trapped in some logs. He names the whale "Walter" and takes care of him until George can find his parents. When he does, Theodore has a hard time saying goodbye to Walter, but learns that Walter is better off in his natural habitat.
 * First and only appearance of Walter.
 * Cameo by Rebecca.


 * "Night Shift": Theodore and Hank volunteer to do the night shift because the other tugs don't want to stay up all night. When it's time for the night shift, Theodore and Hank have a hard time finding Owan the oil rig. Once they move him across the harbour they try to figure out what is in the water that is making big waves. They soon find out that it's Northumberland submarine.
 * First time we see the tug working the night shift.
 * Cameos by Owan, Northumberland, and Rebecca.
 * First time we see Rebecca's second model.


 * "Theodore Changes Sides": George says that Theodore can sleep with the ocean tugs on the other side of the dock while Emily is away. Theodore agrees because sleeping on the ocean tugs' side of the dock makes him feel more important. Hank however, 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 Buoys.
 * Margaret's fist appearance.
 * Cameo by Owan the Oil Rig.


 * "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 because there is really no such thing. Emily has a hard time until her friends help her.
 * 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.
 * Some clips of the parade are seen when the theme song is played before the episodes start.


 * "Emergency": Foduck decides to teach the other tugs about safety flags. George doesn't find the lesson important, until he finds a ship who's radio is damaged, 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": It is decided that Foduck is the Big Harbour's official safety tug. He is 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, 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 winds up bringing the ship in by himself.
 * This episode is famous for the Theodore and Northumberland incident.
 * Cameos by Lilly, Bedford, Freda, Margaret, 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. 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 in the end that everyone makes mistakes, even the Dispatcher.
 * Freda the cargo ship makes a cameo.
 * The Dispatcher wears ear muffs in this episode.
 * Third appearance of Margaret.


 * "Tug of the Year": George is sad that he didn't win the 'Tug of the Year' contest, and he had practised so hard for it too. His other tugboat friends decide to give him his own award for being such a good friend.
 * The only time where "Molly the Vehement" is mentioned.


 * "Hank and the Hug": No one wants to play with Hank or even let him help. He feels angry at first, but a little later begins feeling 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 Bonavista.


 * "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.
 * First time Constance's face is on. In previous episodes her model had flat eyes.


 * "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 do dangerous things in the Big Harbour. When Emily refuses, Carla says that Emily is boring. Later, when Carla is frightened by a storm, Theodore and Emily save her and change her mind about tugboats.
 * Carla is introduced.
 * Cameo by Jennifer.


 * "Snorri, the Viking Ship": An unusual ship named Snorri arrives in the Big Harbour. He seems to be rather rude at first, but Theodore soon finds out that he is just different.
 * 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 about Rebecca. Theodore likes this, so he purposely tries to tell another joke. He can't figure out why nobody laughs, until he's the butt of everyone's jokes.
 * Cameos by the Pilot Boats.


 * "Emily, the Vigorous": Emily has a full day of work to do, but really wants to meet a fishing trawler who has come from Russia. She attempts to rush all her jobs but is unfortunately 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 asks the Dispatcher for some time off, which is agreed upon, but he soon becomes 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 Linda and the Pilot Boats.
 * An Error in this episode. Petra is working with the tugs for the second docking, but in one shot it's Pearl instead.

Season three

 * "Hank's New Name": A large ocean barge named Shelburne is brought in to live in the Big Harbour, and the tugboats are amazed at not just his size, but his name. This results in Hank changing his name to Henry, and from this comes a multitude of name changes, minus Theodore who likes his name. After a confused Dispatcher gives out his job orders, George, Emily and Hank go to move Barrington, leaving Theodore to move Shelburne which results in a barge runaway. In the end, Hank saves Shelburne from hitting Willy's Island. The next day, Hank realizes he likes his name and he decides to go back to using it.
 * Shelburne the Sea Barge is introduced.
 * Cameos by Barrington, Donald, and Colchester.


 * "All Quiet in the Big Harbour": After a loud morning of tug o' war, the Dispatcher demands that the tugs be quiet. The tugboats take this too seriously and begin to act silent all the time. When Theodore and George are given the job to move Owan the Oil Rig, Hank tags along. This results in the tugs listening to Owan's loud voice and Hank's laughter, which forces George to send Hank home. By this time a heavy fog has rolled in and Hank is concerned with the loud sound coming from Willy's Island, which ends up to be Lillie's foghorn. After Hank stops the horn, Theodore and George arrive in the harbour with Owan, but with no horn, they are in danger of hitting the island. After some quick thinking, Hank saves the day and prevents an incident between Owan and the island. After the tugs return, they worry about an angry Dispatcher, but they discover he is proud of Hank for knowing what to do.
 * Cameos by Owan, Lillie, and Petra.
 * Near Incident: Owan's collision near Willy's Island.


 * "Theodore to the Rescue": After Emily rescues Jennifer from an incident at sea, Theodore can't wait for the day he will finally go out on a rescue mission. The next day, a storm is brewing and Digby is in need of rescue in a cove outside the harbour. The Dispatcher assigns Theodore to bring Digby back home. Forgetting his extra strength tow rope, Theodore struggles but manages to improvise and save Digby from sinking. Back home, Theodore tells Emily he should have listened, and as he tows Digby to the repair yard, he wonders when he will get to go out farther.
 * Cameo by Jennifer.


 * "Theodore and the Northern Lights": After a puzzling riddle from Benjamin Bridge, the tugs are given a chance to see Kulu, a storytelling canoe. Kulu tells the tugs the story of the northern lights. The tugs love the story, but Foduck however, sees all of Kulu's stories as nonsense and tends to shake them off. During a large storm, Theodore asks Foduck to visit Kulu with him since he knows the way to the cove. Foduck doesn't want to, but decides to come along since he liked being the tug that knew things. They find the canoe missing, but the paddle afloat in the water. As they look around, the paddle points to Shipwreck Rock, where they see the northern lights. They find Kulu stranded on a lonely beach and help him into the water. The tugs and their old friend head home, and Foduck becomes fond of the stories Kulu tells.
 * First and only appearance of Kulu the Canoe.
 * Cameos by Kingston and Jennifer.


 * "Northumberland is Missing": Theodore and Rebecca spend the day searching for Northumberland, who gets trapped on the bottom of the ocean after an underwater rock-slide bends his propeller. With the help of Shelburne, Northumberland is soon raised back to the surface.


 * "Theodore Visits Ceilidh's Cove": Theodore is sent to deliver a new propeller to a fishing trawler in Ceilidh's Cove. After finding the cove by himself and giving Dorothy the Dory a ride out on the ocean, he finally learns how being bigger feels.
 * Ceilidh's Cove is introduced and seen for the first time.
 * 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 carelessly gets herself stuck between two big Pictou Peak rocks while trying to do a turn through them. Luckily, Digby the cable ship finds her and gets help from Theodore, who later pushes Emily out from the peaks.
 * Cameos by Bedford and Inverness.
 * First time we see Emily stuck instead of Digby.


 * "Hank and the Night Light": When Theodore goes to the repair dock for a few days to get his regular tune-up, Hank misses his dockmate each night and becomes afraid of the dark. The other tugs try everything to get rid of Hank's fear, but nothing helps - not even a night light. When Theodore returns, Hank is surprised to learn that Theodore was once afraid of the dark, too.
 * This episode is similar to the season one episode "Theodore’s Nightmares".
 * Cameo by Benjamin and Bedford.


 * "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. A quick unexpected turn sends one of Clementine's container's overboard, and Theodore hurts his engine trying to lift it. Clayton then convinces Theodore that he's much 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's whistle starts wheezing right before the Big Harbour Tugboat Races. When he neglects to 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 how she looked.
 * Cameos by Pearl and Clementine.


 * "Rebecca and the Big Snore": Benjamin Bridge keeps Rebecca up all night with his loud snoring, and 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 and Benjamin.


 * "Theodore's Big New Friend": When Theodore is in charge of a ship's arrival, things go awry when the ship decides to go in by himself and dock right in the middle of the harbour. When Theodore has to spend the night next to the ship, he learns that the big ship only misses his friend. So he and Theodore become very good friends, and the ship learns that everyone needs tugboats.
 * Cumberland is introduced.
 * A ship called Conrade Explorer is mentioned, but never seen.


 * "George and the Underwater Mystery": Foduck's sonar detects that there is something at the bottom of the harbour. He asks Theodore and George to help him find out what it is. But George is being too bossy and makes Theodore angry with all of his orders. Finally George listens to Theodore's plan. Theodore decides to use Shelburne and Northumberland to help out, but then George starts to shout at them and 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 ship called Natalie Explorer is mentioned, but never seen.


 * "A Joke Too Far": Theodore and Barrington Barge decide to play hide and surprise like they always do with Petra the Pilot Boat. But staying hidden too long, causes everyone else in the harbour to become worried about them. When they are found, Theodore learns that jokes are funny, but not when they cause everyone to worry.
 * 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. This spreads across the whole harbour until everyone is grumpy. Even the Dispatcher and Bluenose. But when Theodore tries to be happy again, everyone is happy. Even Guysborough!
 * Guysborough is introduced.
 * Jasper is seen but not introduced.
 * Cameos by Catherine and Julia, who speak to one another.
 * Error: The tugs are pulling the same ships into the harbour for three days.


 * "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. He meets lots of new friends on the way.
 * First appearances of Fundy and Blandford.
 * 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 identify the ship inside of it. When the ice melts it turns out to be Shamus, a Fishing Trawler, and the tugs soon discover 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, which starts a huge conflict between the two. Catherine the Container Ship later 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 George call for help, 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 Hiccoughs": Hank has a severe case of the hiccoughs that interfere with his work, and spends the whole day trying different methods to get rid of them. What eventually cures Hank's hiccoughs, is when he forgets about them long enough to help a ship in 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 that Emily took everything. Carla soon finds the courage to tell the tugs what she did.
 * Bonavista 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 with some bubble bath.
 * First proper appearance of Chimey.
 * Cameos by Shelburne and Jennifer.
 * The Dispatcher wears toy glasses with slinky eyes on them.


 * "Theodore and the Boat 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.
 * Oliver's model was later used for Sigrid, who debuted in the next season.
 * 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. This causes him to feel miserable, but at the end of the day, Theodore gets a surprise when everyone throws him a big birthday party.
 * Cameos by Colchester, Pearl, Petra, and Bobby.
 * Error: Bobby Barge is mistaken for Bonavista.


 * "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 Colchester.

Season four

 * "George's Turn": The tugs meet Sigrid, the new supply ship. While working with Sigrid, George becomes jealous and doesn't want to make friends with him. When George 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 looking for her, but his cables snap when he attempts to raise them. The tugs are able to stop him right before he runs into a cliff, then quickly move on to save Sigrid as well.
 * Cameos by 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 restore order when they return their treasures to Scally.
 * First and only appearance of Scally.
 * Cameo by Shamus.


 * "Theodore and the Lies": Theodore starts telling everyone lies to get out of trouble. When he lies about inspecting a dock however, it catches fire because he didn't clean it up. Foduck puts out the fire, but gets in trouble instead of 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 excited when they meet Dartmouth the Giant Cable Ship. They soon forget all about Digby when they compare him to the big ship. Digby later 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 however, 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 being himself, George the Valiant.
 * Nautilus is introduced.
 * Cameos by Bonavista, 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.
 * Ironically, Sigrid is modified from the model of Oliver, who was a tugboat.


 * "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. Theodore explains to the Dispatcher that everyone has a favourite thing to hold on to, so the Dispatcher lets Emily go to get her old hat back. 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 the presence 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 Caraquet.


 * "Theodore and the Tough Tugging": Theodore and George have the job of bringing in a ship called Caraquet, 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 Caraquet out of the harbour, Theodore realizes that the only way to get Caraquet out of the harbour safely, is to ask George to slow down.
 * Caraquet is introduced.
 * Cameos by Owan and Northumberland.


 * "Theodore's New Job": Theodore gets the new job of inspecting bell buoy's, but soon begins acting a little too bossy. When he finally asks the bell buoys in a nice way to do what he wants, things get much easier for him.
 * Cameos by Bedford, Blandford, and Caraquet.


 * "Theodore's Prize": The tugboats have a contest for whoever does the best job each day, and 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 literally becomes a mess. When Canso sees the garbage floating in the water, he demands to be taken out of the harbour. The tugs finally learn how much the harbour needs Guysborough.
 * Cameos by Fundy, and Jasper.
 * Canso Colossus is introduced.

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, Blandford, 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 Ceilidh'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 Cocomagh.


 * "Theodore's Bright Night": The tugs are upset when they find out that the Queen Stephanie is going to be late so Constance, the coast guard ship plays a game with Theodore and Hank to cheer them up. At first they want to go home until, they realize that Constance can be fun. Later, they invite her to the dock for storytelling time where they find out that the queen has arrived. Constance, for the first time, gets to meet the queen and everybody has a good time.


 * "Foduck and the Shy Ship": Foduck has his regular night safety patrol, but no one seems to enjoy his loud job. He is then told of a ship that's too shy to come into the harbour, and goes to convince the ship that the harbour is safe and friendly.
 * Cocomagh is introduced.
 * Cameos by Digby, Northumberland, Emma Sophia, Bayswater, and Brunswick.
 * In this episode, Foduck wakes Theodore, and Theodore wakes with a start. With a jump he thinks there's a fire, runaway oil rig, and a rocket ship crash was going on. Theodore references past events to George's life boat fire and the dock fire, Owan running away, and Emily and the crashing rocket.


 * "Bedford's Big Move": Bedford Buoy feels sad that he can't go anywhere, and 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 raising the ship for the purpose of having a great story to tell. A bad storm rolls in while he attempts to raise the ship, causing his rope to get stuck. He runs out of oil, and soon finds himself nearly running into a cliff-side. He is later rescued by Theodore and Northumberland. That night, Hank has a great story to tell the others, and realizes that he doesn't have to be better than everyone else to be liked.
 * Cameos by Northumberland and Digby.
 * First time we see the sunken ship.


 * "Guysborough Makes a Friend": Digby is told about Guysborough the Grumpy Garbage Barge. 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.

Note: Hank appears once in this episode.


 * "Theodore and the Unsafe Ship": Theodore is the tug in charge of bringing in a ship named Cabot, all by himself. When Theodore inspects Cabot, he notices that his cargo is messy and unsafe. Cabot, however, decides to go in by himself, because Theodore refuses to tow him. Cabot causes a lot of trouble in the harbour and even drops some of his cargo. The cargo tells Theodore that Cabot does everything you tell him not to do so Theodore tricks him into running aground on the Sandy Beach. After that, Theodore tows Cabot to his dock, backwards.
 * Cabot is introduced.
 * First time cargo speaks.
 * This episode is similar to the TUGS episode "Warrior".
 * Cameo by Emma Sophia.


 * "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. 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 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 Ecum Secum Circle, an underwater place 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 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.
 * Last time we see the sunken ship from the episode "Hank and the Sunken Ship".


 * "Pugwash is Gone": Pugwash is sent to Ceilidh's Cove with George and Foduck to search for a piece of cargo that fell off of a ship. While George and Foduck show off to the boats who live in the cove, Pugwash wanders off. Theodore arrives to see chaos, and figures out a way to bring Pugwash back to the surface.
 * Cameos by Truro, Dorothy, Shelburne, and Emma Sophia.
 * Last episode with Pugwash.
 * Sadly, this was the last episode produced.

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 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 full size replica of Theodore Tugboat (called Theodore Too) was constructed by the series producers in the late 1990s, 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
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.
 * Canadian VHS 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. Buyers of this tape are lucky to get the handbook.
 * US tapes:

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 hardback Theodore Tugboat books.

Theodore Tugboat toys

 * Ertl toys: Ertl released the main characters of Theodore Tugboat, two play sets, and some of the other characters. The boats do not float.


 * BRIO toys: BRIO released many characters of Theodore Tugboat. Other than the tugs, they released Benjamin Bridge, Clayton the Crane, Chester the Container ship, Barrington, Bonavista, and the Dispatcher. The the tugs and the Dispatcher have moving eyes. The BRIO Theodore Tugboat toys are collectible items and have become rare, getting more expensive.

Parodies

 * 1) Theodore Tugboat/Thomas
 * 2) Theodore Tugboat/TUGS
 * 3) Theodore Tugboat/Bob the Builder
 * 4) Theodore Tugboat/The Little Engine That Could
 * 5) Theodore Tugboat/Fanboy and Chum Chum
 * 6) Theodore Tugboat/Codename: Kids Next Door
 * 7) Theodore Tugboat/Noddy's Toyland Adventures
 * 8) Theodore tugboat/Superted
 * 9) Theodore Tugboat/Mario
 * 10) Theodore Tugboat/Scooby Doo
 * 11) Theodore Tugboat/Pingu
 * 12) Theodore Tugboat/Phineas and Ferb
 * 13) Theodore Tugboat/King of the Hill
 * 14) Theodore Tugboat/Family Guy
 * 15) Theodore Tugboat/South Park
 * 16) Theodore Tugboat/Fish Hooks
 * 17) Theodore Tugboat/The Flintstones
 * 18) Theodore Tugboat/The Great Discovery
 * 19) Theodore Tugboat/Disney
 * 20) Theodore Tugboat/Garfield
 * 21) Theodore Tugboat/Hero of the Rails
 * 22) Theodore Tugboat/Misty Island Rescue
 * 23) Theodore Tugboat/Rugrats
 * 24) Theodore Tugboat/Sonic
 * 25) Theodore Tugboat/Bananaman
 * 26) Theodore Tugboat/Dr Seuss
 * 27) Theodore/Ernest the Engine and Others
 * 28) Theodore Tugboat/Shining Time Station
 * 29) Theodore/Rosie & Jim
 * 30) Theodore/Ferry Boat Fred
 * 31) Thomas & Theodore Tugboat/Humongous Entertainment computer games
 * 32) Theodore Tugboat/Teletubbies
 * 33) Theodore Tugboat/Elias the Little Rescue Boat
 * 34) Theodore Tugboat/The Wiggles
 * 35) Theodore Tugboat/The railway series
 * 36) Theodore Tugboat/Day of the Diesels
 * 37) Theodore Tugboat/Groundling marsh
 * 38) Theodore Tugboat/Animaniacs
 * 39) Theodore Tugboat/Wacky Races
 * 40) Theodore Tugboat/Arlesdale Railway
 * 41) Theodore Tugboat/Mountain Engines
 * Theodore Tugboat: The Real Stories
 * 1) Theodore Tugboat/The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald
 * 2) Theodore Tugboat/The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
 * 3) Thomas, Theodore Tugboat & TUGS/Yu-Gi-Oh 3D Bonds Beyond Time
 * 4) Theodore Tugboat/Rocket Knight Adventures

Ideas

 * The Harbor Master Visits Shining Time Station
 * The Harbor Master Meets The Simpsons
 * The Harbor Master's Adventures of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
 * Thomas, Twilight Sparkle and Theodore Tugboat's Adventures of Follow That Bird!
 * Theodore Tugboat Visits Fraggle Rock
 * The Harbor Master Visits the Littlest Pet Shop (2012)