Theodore Tugboat

Theodore Tugboat is essentially Thomas the Tank Engine on water, replacing the trains with boats. Nowadays it seems kids are watching stronger stuff than they used to in the past, and I feel kind of sad because of that - they're ruining their innocent minds and imaginations.

Theodore Tugboat is not like most modern kids' shows, however. Through storytelling by the late, great Denny Doherty (of The Mamas & The Papas fame), the titular tugboat and his friends in the Big Harbour learn some important life lessons and valuable skills such as teamwork, making friends and being good to each other. Kids will love to watch Theodore's wonderful adventures in the water, as will some adults who may remember listening to The Mamas & The Papas back in the day.

The show may now just be classic Canadian children's TV (it stopped at season 5, and there was never a sixth season), but Theodore lives on in his home of Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada (where the show was filmed), where people of all ages ride him across the harbour every day - a tribute to his lasting legacy on the last two or so generations.

I loved this show when I was a kid. The story lines were really simple, warm, and friendly. What I admire most about this show is that it encouraged good morals and taught great lessons to kids such as the importance of keeping your word and maintaining friendships. I will admit that the concept of the show is a bit weak; a fellow telling a story while remote control boats act it out, but the show was well produced and keeping in mind the age targeted, it held the attention of the youngster.

In a world of violent, evil filled kid shows, Theodore was a breath of fresh air! I certainly wish that there would be more shows like this one on the air for my kids to watch.

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.

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.

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!