Theodore Tugboat

Theodore Tugboat is very similar to how Thomas the Tank Engine is set up and in the mid to late 90's, these two even crossed and toys came out that were for use with the Thomas wooden engine set. I purchased some of my toys in 1997, but sadly, these are very hard to find now or if you do find them, they are rather pricey. This series is non-animated, just as Thomas is and has the same type of messages. I have family that are into the Christian-only type movies with a meaning and this is on their list of approved and loved as well, so it seems to appeal to many genres. I personally like it as the Thomas format is loved by my kids (ranging 24 to 2) and this follows it to a T. It expands on the land only theme of Thomas and moves to the harbour that is by the Isle of Sodor, where my kids put their Theodore toys on their Thomas train table system. All in all, this is a great series if you can find it. The producer used to work for Britt Allcroft and this is his spin off, ergo the similarity (from what I understand). This series was also shown in part on the kids show, "Salty's Lighthouse", which is no longer aired as far as I know.

My three sons weren't allowed to watch much TV, outside of PBS shows, when they were toddlers. When they discovered reruns of Theodore on the local PBS outlet they absolutely loved it. The stories were sweet and simple, teachy without being preachy, and they watched every episode. They also collected all the "action" figures (such as they were) and played with them for hours, and they even had a few easy-to-read books with stories about Theodore and his little tugboat friends.

By the time they turned four, my kids had outgrown the show, and stopped reading the books, just like they did with Thomas the Tank Engine and Jay-Jay the Jet Plane, and like we all did with Captain Kangaroo and Bozo, etc.

The host, a.k.a. the Harbour Master, was played with gentle grace by Denny Doherty of the Mamas and the Papas, who died today (1/19/07). He was wonderful on the show. May he rest in peace.

This was a good show for young children. I appreciated the lack of violence and/or bad attitudes that might be found on shows like Thomas the Tank Engine. The characters presented situations that children WILL encounter and taught such feelings and values as being considerate/respectful of others' feelings, empathy when something bad or sad happens, and learning to enjoy the world and people around you for who and what they are (diversity). The show is probably good for children up to 8 or 9 years old and then would probably loose interest after that. I strongly recommend this show for young children and would love to buy full DVD sets of all of the episodes. CBC did a great job with this series.

If I were to describe Theodore Tugboat in one word, it would be cute. It's essentially Thomas the Tank Engine (which I have also always loved) on water with the same type of appeal. Through the Harbour Master's (Denny Doherty) storytelling, Theodore and his companions have fun adventures and learn lessons. One thing that I really like is that the problems the Harbour Master faces before he begins to narrate the episode are the same problems faced by Theodore and friends and both problems are later resolved. For example, in one episode the Harbour Master is a little nervous about sleeping in his office and Hank is afraid to sleep without any lights on. A bit of trivia: the show had its beginnings when a certain Andrew Cochrane was trying to figure out how to explain the goings-on at Halifax Harbour to his son and came to the realization that children tend to anthropomorphize practically everything in sight. Overall, I admit that while I'm 20 now, I am still quite fond of Theodore Tugboat. The shots are truly outstanding, the episodes themselves are well written, all the characters engaging, although George comes across as a little vain I can name several worse examples (I'm looking at you, Bella Swan), the setting look realistic and well-designed, and the score is really catchy. Another thing I have to admire is how the narrator does "the voices", such as a commanding tone for Foduck and the Dispatcher, a cheeky-sounding voice for Hank, and a big booming voice for Owen.

Contrary to the opinion of some reviewers, Theodore Tugboat was a well done, well executed children's show that was spell binding in its own way. Dennis Doherty, the late member of the rock band the Mamas and the Papas, did quite well as the voice of all the characters on the show, particularly the Harbormaster, who introduced each show.

Done on a relatively small budget, the show provided children with opportunities to confront their own inner demons (such as dealing with feelings of loneliness) by watching how the on-screen characters interacted in "the Big Harbor" - based the real life Halifax Harbor in Nova Scotia. A non-violent alternative to the space wars genre of Saturday morning children's television, the show eventually appeared in some 80 countries and was still in syndication in 2006.

Having worked on children's programs in the industry for some years - and having my interest in television piqued by appearing on children's programs as a child myself - I found Theodore Tugboat to be a worthy addition to the family of such luminaries as Captain Kangaroo and Shari Lewis. It's a plus for families and a don't miss bet for your kids!