TUGS

Show name	TUGS
Genre	Children's television
Format	Animated series
Creator	Robert D. Cardona, David Mitton
Writer	Chris Tulloch, Tarquin Cardona, Gloria Tors, Roy Russel
Director	David Mitton, Chris Tulloch
Voices	Patrick Allen, Simon Nash, Chris Tulloch, Timothy Bateson, Shaun Prendergast, Mike Mulloy, Sean Barrett, Lee Cornes, John Baddeley and Nigel Anthony
Narrated	Patrick Allen
Theme music composer	Junior Campbell, Mike O'Donnell
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Num series	1
Num episodes	13
List episodes	List of TUGS episodes
Executive producer	J. Nigel Pickard
Producer	Robert D. Cardona, David Mitton
Editor	Pete Best, Phil Sanderson
Location	Shepperton Studios, Surrey, United Kingdom
Cinematography	Clearwater periscope lens system
Camera	multi-camera
Runtime	approx. 15-20 minutes
Company	Tugs Limited
Distributor	Clearwater Features
Channel	ITV
Picture format	PAL (576i)
Audio format	Stereophonic
First aired
Last aired
Status	ended
Related	Thomas and Friends, Salty's Lighthouse, Theodore Tugboat

TUGS is a British children's television series, first broadcast in 1988. It was created by the producers of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Robert D. Cardona and David Mitton. The series dealt with the adventures of two anthropomorphized tugboat fleets, the Star Fleet and the Z-Stacks, who compete against each other in the fictional Bigg City Port. It is set in the 1920s, during the booming business era of the Roaring Twenties. It was produced by Tugs Ltd., for TVS and Clearwater Features Ltd. Music was composed by Junior Campbell and Mike O'Donnell,

Following the initial airing of the series throughout 1988, television rights were sold to an unknown party, with all models and sets from the series being sold to Britt Allcroft. Modified set props and tugboat models were used in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends from 1991 onwards, with footage from the original program being heavily dubbed and edited for use in American children's series Salty's Lighthouse. Mitton returned to working with Thomas and Friends in 1991, while Cardona would go on to direct Theodore Tugboat, a similarly natured animated series set in Canada. All thirteen episodes of the show were released on VHS between 1988 and 1993.

Synopsis

The series begins with the introduction of the Star Fleet, a small group of tugboats working the Roaring Twenties era of the early twentieth century. The Star Fleet compete for work in Bigg City Port, alongside the fleet's biggest rivals, the Z-Stacks.

Throughout the series, the two fleets primarily contest contracts to dock and tow larger sailing vessels and objects, including ocean liners, and schooners. Various other contractual obligations were also completed by the two fleets, including transportation of stone, and logging fell. The series was considerably darker in tone than many other children's television programmes, with further plots involving crime, violence, and sabotagery. The characters' dialogue, too, was somewhat mature for a children's series, featuring slang and terminology not normally directed at children. Characters would often insult each other, as well as use historical and maritime terms.

Cast and characters

Star Fleet

The Star Fleet are considered the show's protagonists, who aim to work together to achieve contracts in the port. The models were styled upon the Crowley Maritime Corporation, founded in San Francisco in 1892. They are led by Captain Star, who narrates the series. The fleet consists of Ten Cents, Big Mac, O.J., Top Hat, Warrior, Hercules and Sunshine.

Another tugboat, Boomer, is briefly a member of the Star Fleet after being found floating at sea. Boomer believes himself to be jinxed, and he certainly seems to bring trouble with him wherever he went. After numerous nasty accidents, Captain Star sells Boomer, who is later made into a houseboat. It is unknown whether he remains part of the fleet after this. The adventures of Boomer are centric to the episode "Jinxed". Grampus, a naval submarine who appears throughout the series, is purchased from the navy by Captain Star to work for the Star Fleet. It is also unknown whether this remains after the conclusion of the series.

Z-Stacks

The Z-Stacks are the show's antagonists, who can be seen frequently trying to sabotage the good work of the Star Fleet. They take on the more risky contracts in the port, at the attraction of a higher pay. The models' design was taken from the Moran Tugs of New York.

In the Japanese version of the show, dubbed voices were used. Those credited were:

Format and production

The series consists of thirteen fifteen-minute episodes (though four exist as twenty-minute episodes on the TUGS Videos), each told by the show's narrator, Captain Star (voiced by Patrick Allen). Filming and production of the series took place throughout 1987-1988, in west London's Shepperton Studios. The series was animated using live-action models, which were seen as the most realistic method of portraying real tugboats. The set featured the Clearwater Periscope lens system, a type of professional video camera used to film at the models' eye level. Each model was mounted on a wheeled chassis, which were then pulled through the water using transparent string. Remote control devices were initially tested in operating the machines, but the tugboats became too heavy and unable to move through the water. Remote controls were instead used to power other devices, such as the moving eye features of the models and some cranes.

Airing

TUGS first aired on CITV in the United Kingdom, and then on Australia's ABC Network The series also aired in Japan with Japanese voice-overs. by toy company Ertl. The full Star Fleet cast were originally to be produced, but only the above two were made. In addition, none of the Z-Stacks were produced.

Photo Books

2 hardback annuals

1 hardback dot-to-dot book

A jigsaw set

A bed cover

A TUGS-themed board game

Collectors edition thimbles

Card Game

Publicity Pack

In line with the series being released in Japan, a range of Japanese merchandise was also released, such as models of the set and characters, videos, books and an LCD game.

VHS release

A number of VHS versions of the series were released between 1988 and 1993 in the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan. Three of these videos contained three fifteen minute episodes, while two contained two twenty minute episodes (these episodes were edited to fifteen minutes for television broadcasts, most likely due to time slot issues). In addition, a number of original scenes were extended/deleted for the videos, including an alternate opening title sequence. Those released included:

"Sunshine"/"Pirate"

"Trapped"/"Ghosts"/"High Winds"

"Jinxed"/"Quarantine"/"Up River"

"Bigg Freeze"/"Warrior"/"High Tide"

"Munitions"/"4th of July"

A four episode, 65 minute version was released in 1993: "Trapped"/"Ghosts"/"High Winds"/"4th of July"

See also

Notes

References

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External links

Interviews with crew on Sodor Island fansite

Category:1988 in British television Category:Tugboats in fiction Category:Fictional vehicles Category:British children's television programmes Category:Children's ITV television programmes Category:English-language television series Category:Television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters Category:1988 British television programme debuts Category:1990 British television programme endings Category:1980s British television series Category:1988 introductions