List of Theodore Tugboat episodes

This is a list of episodes of the Canadian children's television series Theodore Tugboat. There are 130 episodes in the series. They premiered in Canada and the US on PBS and Discovery Kids in 65 pairs. Note: episodes may not appear in perfect chronological order.

Season 1 (1993)

The first season contained 20 episodes.

  • "Theodore and the Oil Rig"/ "Theodore and the Big Oil Rig":[1] In the series pilot, 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 harbor by himself, almost running into Theodore. Later, Tex is still being rude to George and Theodore when a storm begins to brew, and the tugs decide 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 is nearing a very scared Benjamin Bridge, 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.
    • The five tugboats, the Dispatcher, Benjamin Bridge, and Bobby Barge's first appearance.
    • Tex the Oil Rig's first and last appearance. He is however, mentioned in "Theodore the Vegetable".
    • Cameos by Hank, Emily, and Bobby Barge.
  • "Theodore and the Homesick Rowboat":[1] Theodore wants to try doing a job all by himself, and he finds this opportunity with R. Boat, a sad little rowboat whose dock was destroyed in a nighttime storm. Hank tags along to help but Theodore resents his presence. After much 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 and Petra the Pilot Boat's first appearances.
    • Error: Theodore talks to Bluenose, but doesn't meet her until "Theodore and the Bluenose".
    • Error: Petra wasn't introduced until "Is Anybody Listening?"
  • "The Dark and Scary Cove":[1] One day after finishing work, Theodore and Hank visit Cobequid Cove, an old cove outside the harbor. 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 Harbor clean up contest.
    • A Matchbox toy helicopter is seen on Margaree Pride's deck.
    • First appearance of Bonavista, Kamel, Pearl the Pilot Boat and Margaree Pride.
    • This is the first episode not to feature Emily and Foduck.
  • "Foduck the Vigilant":[1] 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's 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 apologizes for the incident and Foduck is seen with a cloth over his back. The tugs think he was injured in the fire but it's revealed to be Foduck's V-word, the Vigilant. The tugs whistle and cheer as Foduck finally comes to the conclusion that he's happy and special.
    • Foduck's fire fighting equipment is used for the first time.
    • First accident of the series: George's lifeboat catches fire from the sparks of his stack.
    • Cameo by Margaree Pride.
    • This is the first and only episode where we see one of the main tugs officially get his V-Word.
  • "Different Strokes – Different Boats":[1] 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's mistaken for Bedford.
    • The episode title is a take on the phrase "Different Strokes for Different Folks".
    • The scene of Theodore going under Benjamin Bridge is used in the opening of the show.
  • "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's looking for another piece called the "figurehead". 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. This is her official debut after a cameo in "The Dark and Scary Cove", also making her the only speaking barge in Season 1.
    • First time we see humans (besides the Harbormaster)
  • "True Blue Friends":[1] George is told that he needs a hull check-up at the drydock. 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 that George is hiding behind the barge and saves him. George decides to face his fears and goes to his hull check-up. After work, the tugs hear laughing from the drydock and they see that it's George. He's ticklish from the workers and he thanks the tugs for helping him realize that check-ups are meant to help, not hurt.
    • Second accident of the series: George's hull is damaged from a big junk barge that he was hiding behind.
    • The old wreck is the same one from "The Dark and Scary Cove".
      • Also, its name "Kamel" can be clearly seen.
    • This is the first episode not to feature Hank.
  • "Bumper Buddies":[1] 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 harbor. 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 apologizes 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.
    • Even though this is Owan's first appearance he does not get his loud nature until "Night Shift".
    • This is the first episode to feature Bedford Buoy with eyebrows, meaning that this episode has been filmed after all the ones where he didn't have eyebrows.
  • "Theodore and the Welcome":[1] 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 Harbor. 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's good at what he puts his mind to.
    • Northumberland Submarine is introduced.
  • "Theodore the Vegetable":[1] 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 that Julia off is seen for the first time. It will appear throughout the series in random cameos and situations.
    • The Dispatcher mentions Tex the Oil Rig.
  • "The Day Ice Came to the Harbor":[1] A big freeze slows down the productivity of the harbor. The pilot boats are restricted to their docks so Theodore and his other tugboat friends are left in charge to make sure that the harbor 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.
    • This is one of few episodes where the Harbor Master mentions himself: he relates that he was the one who made the decision to keep the Big Harbour open.
  • "Theodore's Bad Dreams": One night Theodore has a nightmare about a sea monster, and when he wakes up, he's 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.
    • Kulu Canoe is referenced by the narrator.
    • This is the first time the narrator mentions that the Big Harbor is in Canada.
    • This is the only episode in season 1 where the tugs have closed eyes face masks to show them sleeping since most of the episodes mostly have the eyes open but alternate with the hats down in front of their eyes
    • This is one of few episodes where the Harbor Master mentions himself.
    • This is Rebecca's first speaking role.
  • "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 to do so. Theodore soon grows overconfident.
    • First and only appearance of Kirby.
  • "Theodore and the Queen":[1] A grand ocean liner named the Queen Stephanie visits the harbor. 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":[1] Bluenose, an old sailing ship, saves Foduck when his propeller becomes clogged with seaweed.
    • First appearance of Shipwreck Rock.
    • Bluenose is introduced.
  • "Is Anybody Listening?":[1] Theodore thinks that the pilot boats who patrol the harbor never seem to listen to anybody, and they don't. But 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.
    • First and only appearance of Elo Echo.
    • A cargo truck is seen moving on a dock when Hank is pretending to be a pilot boat.
  • "George Buzzes the Dock":[1] The tugs notice that Sandy Beach is terribly polluted and have an argument over which one of them is causing all the pollution. Theodore reminds them that all the tugs make pollution. Later, all the tugs agree on a great idea of holding a 'Big Harbor Cleanup Contest', but that's another story.
    • This episode forms the first 2-part episode.
    • The junk barge is seen again.
  • "The Big Harbor Cleanup Contest":[1] All the tugs seem to have very big plans in terms of what part of the harbor they will each clean up in the contest. After listening to each of the tug's 'big plans', Theodore can't think of one himself, and has to settle for a 'little plan' instead. He's later very surprised when HE wins!
    • Cameos by Rebecca and the old wreck.
    • At the end of the episode, children are seen playing on the sandy beach.
    • The old wreck was moved to the junk dock in "True Blue Friends", but in this episode it was out by Willy's Island and under the water.
  • "Best Friends":[1] Theodore tells each of the tugs that they are his best friend. They 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".
  • "Theodore and the Big Harbor":[1] It's Theodore's first day in the Big Harbor and he's 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.
    • Originally the first episode, it was changed to become an original episode.
    • Benjamin Bridge is seen as a bully in this episode.
    • Theodore meets the tugs for the first time (timeline wise).
    • Phillip and Philmore the Ferry Twins are introduced.
    • This is probably the first episode to be filmed in the series.

Notes:

  • This is the only season with model human characters in a couple of episodes.
  • Several episodes are out of production order (i.e. Best Friends was slated to appear after The Cold Snap) Also, Theodore and the Pirate should have been produced in Season 1, but instead it was aired in season 3.
  • This season was notable for having the early models of the tugboats: They had masked faces, the space over the mouths would often have a line on the side if you looked in the right angle, some of the faces had crescent eyes, their names were painted in a yellowish color, and Foduck has his hat covering his eyebrows.

Season 2 (1995)

The second season also contained 20 episodes.

  • "Theodore's Whistle":[1] 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 harbor, Theodore is unable to work because of his broken whistle. He's 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":[1] 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.
  • "Theodore Changes Sides":[1] 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 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 first appearance.
    • Cameo by Owan the Oil Rig.
  • "Night Shift":[1] 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 harbor, 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 tugs working the night shift.
    • Cameos by Owan, Northumberland, and Rebecca.
    • First time we see Rebecca's second model.
  • "A Whale of a Tug":[1] Theodore finds a whale (a pilot 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.
  • "The Tugboat Pledge":[1] The Dispatcher has assigned Emily to lead the others in the tugboat parade. Hank suggests to her that she should recite "The Tugboat Pledge" as well, except there is really no such thing. The tugs decide that create one and Emily is nominated to do so since she always does a good job at everything. Emily has a hard time with this until her friends help her out.
    • 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, Bluenose, and various faceless boats.
    • Some clips of the parade are seen when the theme song is played before the episodes start.
  • "Emergency":[1] 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. 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.
    • The flags Foduck raises in his signal flag class are Papa, Yankee, Victor, and Uniform.
    • The flags used at the end of the episode are Kilo and Charlie.
  • "The Cold Snap":[1] The Dispatcher can't hear properly due to a bad cold. This unfortunately leads to some confusion because he's not entirely sure what everyone is saying. Theodore gets restricted to his dock for a misunderstanding, but later he leaves to help the other tugs. He fears what the Dispatcher will say to him, but, in the end, he learns 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.
  • "Hank and the Hug":[1] 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":[1] 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.
  • "Foduck Stays Home":[1] It's decided that Foduck is the Big Harbor's official safety tug. He's 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 harbor in a thick fog.
    • Cameos by Bedford, Benjamin, Phillip and Philmore, Margaret, and Northumberland.
  • "Theodore, the Tug in Charge":[1] Theodore is chosen to be the tug in charge for the day. When he runs into a spot of bother with Northumberland, 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 notable for the Theodore and Northumberland incident.
    • Cameos by Lilly, Bedford, Freda, Margaret, and Benjamin.
  • "Theodore in the Middle":[1] 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":[1] Emily's new friend Carla encourages her to do dangerous things in the Big Harbor. When Emily refuses, Carla says that she's 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":[1] An unusual ship named Snorri arrives in the Big Harbor. He seems to be rather rude at first, but Theodore soon finds out that he's just different.
    • First and only appearance of Snorri the Viking Ship.
    • Katherine, Rebecca, Barrington, and several faceless boats make cameos.
  • "Tug of the Year":[1] George is sad that he didn't win the 'Tugboat of the Year' contest, even though he practiced so hard for it. His friends decide to give him his own award for being such a good friend.
    • The only time "Molly the Vehement" is mentioned.
    • The first time Freda speaks.
  • "Theodore the Jokester":[1] At first everyone laughs when Theodore accidentally makes a mistake about Rebecca. He should have told her that her bell doesn't work, but he's distracted by the stinky seaweed on Rebecca's deck, and says that her smell doesn't work. This makes Benjamin and the Ferry Twins laugh. Theodore likes this, so he purposely tries to tell a joke. He can't figure out why nobody laughs, until he's the butt of everyone's jokes. He feels bad until he apologizes to Rebecca.
    • Cameos by the Pilot Boats.
    • Guysborugh is Introduced
  • "Emily the Vigorous":[1] Emily has a full day of work to do, but really wants to meet a fishing trawler named Gregor who has come from Russia. She attempts to rush all her jobs but is unfortunately a bit too hasty for her own good. Later, she finds a way so she can meet Gregor, and work at the same time.
    • Katherine is introduced.
    • Gregor's first and only appearance.
  • "Theodore's Day Off":[1] Theodore asks the Dispatcher for some time off, which is agreed upon, but he soon becomes very, very bored. The Dispatcher won't even let him talk to Donald Dock! He misses pulling Barrington Barge with his big pipes. The next day, Theodore tells the Dispatcher that he wants to work and has a great day.
    • Cameos by Northumberland and the Ferry Twins.
  • "Foduck and the Rainbow":[1] 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

Season 3 (1997)

The third season contained 25 episodes.

  • "All Quiet in the Big Harbor":[1] 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 Lilly's foghorn. After Hank stops the horn, Theodore and George arrive in the harbor 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's proud of Hank for knowing what to do.
    • Cameos by Owan, Lilly, and Petra.
    • Near Incident: Owan's collision near Willy's Island.
  • "Theodore to the Rescue":[1] 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 harbor. 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.
  • "A Joke Too Far":[1] 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 in the harbor to become worried about them. When they're found, Theodore learns that jokes are funny, but not when they cause everyone to worry.
    • Cameos by Constance, Petra, and Owan.
  • "Theodore and the Ice Ship":[1] 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.
    • Cameos by Jennifer and Pearl.
  • "Big Harbor Fools' Day":[1] It's Big Harbor 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.
  • "Grumpy Garbage Barge":[1] Guysborough the Garbage Barge turns Theodore's normally bright and cheerful mood into a grumpy and sour one. This spreads across the whole harbor until everyone is grumpy. But when Theodore tries to be happy again, everyone is happy. Even Guysborough!
    • Jasper is seen, but not introduced.
    • Cameos by Catherine, Julia, Bluenose, and Benjamin
  • "Theodore Hugs the Coast":[1] The Dispatcher sends Theodore out on a job where it's 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.
  • "Hank's Hiccups":[1] Hank has a severe case of the hiccups that interfere with his work, and spends the whole day trying different methods to get rid of them. What eventually cures Hank's hiccups is when he forgets about them long enough to help a ship in danger.
    • Cameos by Bobby, Fundy, Jennifer, and Colchester.
  • "Hank's New Name":[1] A large ocean barge named Shelburne is brought in to live in the Big Harbor, 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 many 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 only Theodore to move Shelburne, which results in a runaway barge. 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.
  • "Theodore and the Northern Lights":[1] 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 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 a 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 Kulu head home, and Foduck becomes fond of Kulu's stories.
    • First and only appearance of Kulu the Canoe.
    • Cameos by Kingston and Jennifer.
  • "Theodore's Birthday Surprise"/Big Harbor Birthday": It's Theodore's birthday, but he thinks that everyone 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.
  • "Theodore's Backwards Day":[1] Theodore's engine breaks down in such a way that he can only move backwards. The 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.
  • "Scally's Stuff":[1] A ship named Scally comes to the harbor full of different treasures that he gives to the tugs. Theodore gets a wind-spinner, Hank a really big, bumper, Emily a smokestack extension, and Foduck a siren. After causing confusion in the harbor, they finally restore order when they return their treasures to Scally.
    • First and only appearance of Scally.
    • Cameo by Shamus.
  • "Theodore's Big New Friend":[1] When Theodore is in charge of the arrival of Cumberland the Container Ship, things go awry. Cumberland's special engines do not require tugs for steering so he ignores Theodore and docks right in the middle of the harbor. As Theodore spends the night preventing collisions, 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.
    • Conrade Explorer is mentioned, but only seen from the distance.
    • Cameo by Northumberland.
  • Theodore and the Missing Barge":[1] It's New Bumper Day in the Big Harbor. 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 harbor, from oil barrels, to bumpers, and 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.
    • Cameo by Shamus.
  • "Theodore and the Borrowed Bell":[1][2] Northumberland reluctantly lends Theodore his bell, but despite Theodore's promise to look after it, the bell is accidentally knocked overboard by Hank. Theodore tries to recover it before Northumberland finds out, but when George is blamed for the loss, Theodore tells the truth. Northumberland easily retrieves the bell and Theodore learns he should have told the truth from the start.
  • "Emily's Close Call": Hank and Theodore find fun things washed up on shore after a storm. Emily wants to find something fun too. She comes across a strange looking container, but she can't figure out what it is or what to do with it, so she takes it to Guysborough. She regrets this when the others show off their finds, and goes to get it back. Foduck finds out that the container had fallen off Cumberland during the storm and that it's dangerous. He intercepts Emily, who has accidentally dropped the leaking container into the water. Luckily, Northumberland Submarine is able to safely remove it. Emily learns to be more careful about what she picks up.
  • "Emily's New Hat":[1] 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 favorite thing to hold on to, so the Dispatcher lets Emily get her old hat back. Emily is finally happy when she gets her good old hat back.
    • Cameos by Digby, Petra, Cumberland, Shelburne, and Owan.
  • "Emily and the Tug of War":[1] 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.
  • "Theodore and the Lost Bell Buoy": Foduck tells Theodore that he shouldn't spin Bedford. Theodore doesn't listen, and all of the spinning breaks Bedford's anchor cable, causing him to float away. Later, Theodore finds Bedford trapped behind a pile of driftwood and learns that he shouldn't play with things that need to be taken seriously.
  • "Theodore and the Boat Bully":[1] A new tug comes to the harbor 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 appears for the first and last time.
    • Oliver's model was later used for Sigrid, who debuts in the next season.
    • First time Owan talks in a hushed voice.
    • Cameo by Shelburne
  • "George and the Underwater Mystery":[1] Foduck's sonar detects that there's something at the bottom of the harbor. 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 to use Shelburne and Northumberland to help, but then 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.
  • "R. Boat and the Queen": The harbor is being dredged to make it deep enough for a visit from Queen Stephanie. Theodore is assigned to move R. Boat out of the way. As Theodore spends time with the cranky old rowboat, he finds out that R. Boat is grumpy because no one who is bigger than him ever wants to be his friend and everyone is bigger than him. R. Boat begins to change his opinion when the Queen wants to meet the boat that gave up his dock for her. And he's really impressed when the Queen shares her dislike for clams. R. Boat is surprised, but he has to admit that he's made a new friend and it's the biggest ship in the harbor!
    • This marks R. Boat's final appearance.
  • "Hank and the Night Light":[1] When Theodore goes to the repair dock for a few days to get his regular tune-up, Hank misses his dock-mate very much 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. At the end, Hank overcomes his fear of the dark and realizes that sometimes you just have to grow out of your fears as he fell fast asleep, right next to Theodore.
    • This episode is similar to season one's "Theodore's Nightmares".
  • "Theodore and the Pirate": During one busy day in the harbor, the tugboats are pulling ships and Pearl (the only pilot boat) is very busy and can't keep track of everything. But then there's news of a new pilot boat arriving. Theodore tells Benjamin Bridge that a new pilot boat is arriving, but the bridge misunderstands. He thinks Theodore said that a pirate ship was hiding. By the time Theodore brings the new pilot boat (Petra) to meet his friends, everyone is out hunting for Benjamin's pirate. When Theodore finally clears things up and introduces Petra, everyone realizes how easy it is for rumors to get out of hand.

Season 4 (1999)

Season four included 30 episodes.

  • "Foduck's Hurt Feelings":[3] Foduck accidentally sprays the Dispatcher with his fire hose while playing with Theodore. For the first time, the Dispatcher yells at Foduck. He's greatly saddened and fears he has lost the respect of the Dispatcher. Later, Foduck yells at Theodore when he asks him to spray him with his fire hose again. Surprisingly, Theodore is not upset and explains he knew Foduck was having a bad day and perhaps the Dispatcher was having a bad day too. When Foduck returns to the dock, the Dispatcher reassures him that they will always be friends.
  • "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 harbor, Theodore realizes that the only way to get Caraquet out of the harbor safely, is to ask George to slow down.
    • Caraquet is introduced.
    • Cameos by Owan and Northumberland.
  • "Theodore's Ocean Adventure": Theodore isn't sure he's ready to go out on the ocean, but when his friend Rebecca, the Research Vessel doesn't return to the Harbor on time, he knows he has to venture out. He uses a recent lesson on currents to find her and then cleverly saves her from an iceberg by using chunks of ice to make himself heavier. As they head home, Theodore realizes that he knows more than he thought he did. He smiles as he uses the stars to navigate, just the way Rebecca had showed him before.
  • "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.
    • Hank and Foduck are absent in this episode.
  • "Digby's Disaster":[1] 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 harbor 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 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.
    • Foduck and Emily were absent in this episode.
  • "Rebecca's Treasure": Theodore is sure that his assignment to work with Rebecca, The Research Vessel will be boring. He isn't sure exactly what Rebecca does, but he does know that he'd rather be with the other tugs bringing in a big ship. But when Rebecca locates something at the bottom of the Harbor, Theodore begins to get excited. When it turns out to be an old pirate ship anchor, Theodore realizes that Rebecca was right when she said that sometimes 'you just have to look a little deeper.' And he knows she means more than just looking underwater.
    • This is the first time Theodore goes exploring with Rebecca.
    • From this episode onward, Rebecca has a white face, moving eyes and a sonar dish.
  • "Guysborough's Garbage": Canso Colossus, the king of all supertankers is visiting the harbor. While the tugs are paying all of their attention to him, they forget how important Guysborough is. When Guysborough refuses to work, the harbor literally becomes a mess. When Canso sees the garbage floating in the water, he demands to be taken out of the harbor. The tugs finally learn how much the harbor needs Guysborough.
    • Cameos by Fundy and Jasper.
    • Canso Colossus is introduced.
  • "Theodore Visits Ceilidh's Cove":[1] 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.
    • Truro the Fishing Trawler and Dorothy the Dory are introduced.
  • "George's Turn":[1] The tugs meet Sigrid, the new supply ship. While working with Sigrid, George becomes jealous and doesn't want to make friends with her. When George sees that he and Sigrid have a lot in common, he changes his opinion, and they all become best friends.
    • Sigrid the Supply Ship is introduced.
    • First appearance of Annapolis.
  • "Theodore Lands on Earth": Most of the tugs are enjoying how the storm's waves make them bounce, but not Theodore. The waves are making him woozy and he can't sleep. He wonders what it would be like to live on the nice, stable land. He gets his chance when he has to go into dry dock for a repair. At first he's excited. He even gets to chat with a building named Shediac! But when he realizes he can't move, the prospect of living on land is much less appealing. In fact, it's downright boring. Theodore can't wait to get back home to his wavy, wet dock.
    • First appearance of Shediac.
    • The first time Foduck's hat is turned sideways in a storm.
    • The first time a storm is seen striking the Great Ocean Dock.
    • The first time Theodore is out of the water.
  • "Hank Makes a Friend": Hank wants to be like Theodore and make friends with everyone in the harbor, but he can't quite figure out how to do it. He tries to show Rebecca, the Research Vessel how smart he is, but he just ends up looking silly. Then he tries to be funny, but Rebecca just gets annoyed because he's interrupting her work. Theodore helps Hank see that the best way to make a friend is just to be himself.
  • Foduck Blows his Stack": Foduck is assigned to supervise Theodore's ocean-going tug test, but he really wants to be doing something else. He gets frustrated when Theodore slowly and carefully takes Shelburne, the Sea Barge to Ceilidh's Cove. When Theodore doesn't follow his requests to speed up, Foduck finally loses his temper and even shoves Shelburne into a dock. Everyone is shocked, including Foduck. The safety tug quickly apologizes and tells Theodore to take his time. Able to work at his own speed, Theodore passes his test
    • From this episode and onward, Dorothy's eyes are flat.
    • This is one of few episodes where the Harbour Master mentions himself.
  • "Sigrid and the Bumpers":[1] 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. The next day, she gets a nice green bumper from Shediac. Sigrid puts the bumper on the back of her wheelhouse to remember the time she was a tugboat.
    • Cameos by Owan, Digby, Bedford, Shediac, and Canso.
    • Ironically, Sigrid is modified from the model of Oliver, who was a tugboat.
  • "Hank's Wheezy Whistle":[1] Hank's whistle starts wheezing right before the Big Harbor 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.
  • "Theodore and the Haunted Houseboat": While taking a new shortcut home, Theodore passes a kind of boat he's never seen before. It looks like a haunted house. The others, laughing, tell him he must have seen Haliburton Houseboat and no one is afraid of Haliburton. But Theodore isn't convinced. To allay the small tug's fear, Foduck helps Theodore meet the houseboat. And Theodore finds out that Haliburton is not so scary after all. In fact, Haliburton is afraid of something Theodore takes for granted: Bobby Barge. Haliburton explains that the barge looks like a headless ship. Theodore follows Foduck's example and introduces the houseboat to the barge. By the end of the day, no one is afraid anymore.
    • First appearance of Haliburton.
    • In this episode the Harbor Master had a Jack Dempsey fish named Fanilla which is a tropical fresh water aquarium fish from Mexico.
  • "Northumberland is Missing":[1] 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.
  • "Emily Goes Overboard":[1] Emily is known for doing great turns in the Big Harbor, 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, Blandford, and Inverness.
    • First time we see Emily get stuck instead of Digby.
  • Emily and the Splash": Sigrid shows Emily a new way to look for things on Sandy Beach. When Theodore comes along using the old way, Emily gets annoyed and yells at him. Theodore thinks that Emily doesn't like him anymore. Sigrid understands that Theodore just doesn't know the new way. She reminds Emily that Theodore was just doing what they usually did. Emily realizes she has hurt her friend's feelings. They all decide that the best thing to do is to continue hunting for things together, but using a different method each day.
  • "Rebecca and the Big Snore":[1] 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. When Rebecca upsets everyone, both she and Theodore learn that nobody's perfect.
    • Cameos by Shelburne and Benjamin.
    • Theodore is the only tugboat to appear in this episode.
  • "Theodore Tell a Lie":[1] Theodore lies about nearly hitting one of the ferries to avoid getting in 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 and confess to the Dispatcher, who welcomes his honesty as Theodore cleans up the damaged dock.
    • Cameos by Phillip, Philmore, Baddeck, and Constance.
  • Theodore's Bright Idea": Theodore is moving Guysborough when the fog rolls in so thick that he can't even see the garbage barge. To find his way home, he listens for Lilly, the Lighthouse's foghorn, but all he hears is a cough and a scratchy voice. When Theodore finds Lilly, she has lost her voice from using her foghorn so much. Theodore realizes that without Lilly, Canso Colossus, who is arriving, is in danger, so he improvises. He knows that Guysborough loves to complain and that every complaint starts off with a loud, groaning 'Theodore.' Usually it's annoying when the grumpy barge's incessant laments sound like a foghorn, but today the tug welcomes his companion's complaints. He's glad that Guysborough is so grumpy.
  • "George and the Navy Ship":[1] 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. But this "garbage" turns out to be Truro's fishing net. After realizing his mistake, George escorts Truro out of the harbor, and goes back to being himself, George the Valiant.
    • Nautilus is introduced.
    • Cameos by Bonavista, Blandford, Barrington, and Northumberland.
    • This is the last appearance of Bobby.
  • "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.
  • "The Dispatcher's Best Birthday": The tugs want to get ready for The Dispatcher's birthday party, but rough seas are making their normal work take longer. Emily and George are supposed to get the balloons, but they end up freeing Clementine, who is stuck, instead. And Foduck, who is supposed to sing 'Happy Birthday,' uses up his whistle dealing with emergencies during the storm. Hank and Theodore are supposed to get a present, bring the tug-of-war rope, and bring the party lights; but they use the rope and lights to save Bayswater Barge's cargo, and the emergency leaves them no time to get a present. Sadly, the tugs return to the dock. They are sure The Dispatcher will be disappointed that they can't throw him a party. Instead, The Dispatcher tells them that the wonderful job they did during the storm made him proud, and that is present enough.
    • First appearance of Bayswater.
  • Emily's Easy Job": Theodore thinks that Emily makes moving ships look so easy that when he's assigned to help her, he feels useless. In fact, Theodore thinks that he'll never be as good as Emily, so why bother trying. But when Emily runs into rough water while towing Inverness the cargo ship, Theodore helps prevent the ship from crashing into Owan, the Oil Rig. Theodore realizes that while he can't do everything Emily can, the things he can do are still important.
  • "Nautilus and the Sinking Ship":[4] Canso Colossus the Super Tanker hits a rock and is sinking. George, Foduck, and Theodore are sure they can save him by themselves. When their first attempt fails, they blame each other. When this makes things worse, they learn the importance of asking for help. With help from Nautilus the Navy Ship, the three save the tanker.
    • This is Canso Colossus' final speaking role.
  • "Owan on the Loose":[1] Sigrid goes into the harbor 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.
    • Cameo by Northumberland.
    • This is the only episode where Owan moves on his own.
  • "Emily's Bruised Bumper":[1] Emily bruises her bumper while docking a big ship with Theodore and George so she has to float around with a big red bandage on her side. Emily fears that everyone will laugh when they see how pathetic she thinks she looks. Theodore soon convinces her that she would always be Emily no matter how she looked.
    • Cameos by Pearl and Clementine.

Season 5 (2001)

The fifth and final season contained 35 episodes.

  • "Theodore Shares His Story": Theodore thinks that his friends will be excited to hear about his adventures, so he's confused when Hank and Truro don't welcome his interruptions. That night however, when George interrupts Theodore's tale of his trip to Ceilidh's Cove, Theodore realizes how he must have made Truro and Hank feel. He goes back to his friends and instead of reporting his own adventures, he asks to hear their stories. He quickly discovers that it can be just as fun to listen as to talk.
  • "Hank Hurts a Ship":[1] 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 harbor. Hank quickly learns his mistake after Theodore convinces Inverness to stay.
    • Bayswater and Inverness are introduced.
    • Cameos by Constance, Bluenose, Rebecca, and Pearl.
  • "Theodore and the Harbor Crane":[1] Theodore meets Clayton the Harbor Crane, and decides that he wants to lift heavy things just like Clayton. When he and Emily take Clementine the Container Ship out of the harbor 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 harbor crane.
    • Clayton the Harbor Crane and Clementine are introduced.
    • Cameos by Bedford, Shelburne, and Northumberland.
  • "Theodore on Time": Theodore is very excited that it is his week to welcome arriving ships to the harbor, but he has forgotten to check his oil, so everyone has to wait while he goes to the oil dock. They are annoyed that the delay makes them miss their chance to swap stories with the new ship named Clementine. The same thing happens the next morning, but this time the other tugs don't wait. Theodore feels especially bad when his friends return to the dock with stories of the things he missed. By the third day, Theodore has learned his lesson. This time when The Dispatcher asks Theodore if he has checked his oil, Theodore answers with a smile, 'yes.'
  • "George's Big Hurry": George is in such a hurry, he forgets to pay attention to safety. His carelessness puts a ship named Clare and his friends in danger when the tugs get caught in an ice flow. Still, he continues to try to rush everybody. Finally, Theodore refuses to work. George is taken by surprise, but when Theodore explains his resistance, George realizes that sometimes the best way to speed things up is to slow down and be careful.
    • This is the 100th episode of the series.
    • This marks Igloo's last appearance.
  • "Theodore and the Buoy Boat": A new buoy boat named Baddeck is visiting the harbor. When Theodore first sees him lifting Bedford and Blandford out of the water, he thinks that the buoys prefer Baddeck over him. He soon changes his mind about Baddeck and learns that the buoys like him just as much as Baddeck, and he and the bell buoys, along with Baddeck, become friends.
    • Baddeck is introduced.
    • Theodore is the only tugboat seen in this episode.
  • "Theodore Gets Lost":[1] Theodore is excited because he's assigned to bring in Emma Sophia all by himself, but he loses his way in the fog and no one can hear him call for help over Lunenburg Lighthouse's foghorn. Luckily he runs into Digby whose cable gives him an idea. Digby can always tell where he's been simply by following the cable he has laid. Theodore decides that he, too, can retrace his steps. The strategy works and he ends up back where he started, and with help from Pearl, he starts over again.
    • Lunenburg Lighthouse and Emma Sophia are introduced.
    • Cameos by Digby, Blandford, and Clare.
    • Theodore is the only tugboat seen in this episode.
  • "Hank's Funny Feeling": Theodore has never met anyone who tells more outlandish tales than Malarkey. He's surprised that Hank believes the stories, but they seem harmless, and maybe even a little entertaining, so he doesn't really worry about it. But he should have. Hank is flattered by Malarkey's attention, especially when the ship compliments him and offers to teach him how to tow just like the big tugs. The only catch is that they will have to practice in secret at Sandy Beach and that Hank can't tell anyone. That gives Hank a funny feeling. He knows that he should always tell The Dispatcher where he's going. With Theodore's encouragement, Hank trusts his instinct. He tells The Dispatcher, who turns Hank's funny feelings into good feelings when he praises the tug for doing the right thing.
    • This is the first and only appearance of S.S. Malarkey.
    • This was nominated for a Gemini for excellence in children's television.
  • "Theodore and the Runaway Ferry": Philmore, one of the ferry twins, is bored and jealous. He's stuck going back and forth in the same lane every day, but other ships leave the Harbor and come back with great stories. So Philmore decides to leave the Harbor, too. Phillip offers to look for his missing twin hoping that he, too, will see interesting things, but Foduck makes him stay put. Theodore helps Phillip cope with the tedium by teaching the ferry how to play 'I Spy.' During the game, Benjamin Bridge spies Philmore. Theodore quickly catches up with the runaway ferry and lets him know how worried everyone is and what fun he had playing with Phillip. Philmore, who hadn't meant to make anyone worry, agrees to return and try Theodore's game.
  • "Theodore and the Scared Ship": Seabright, a new container ship, has stopped right in the middle of the harbor, blocking nearly everything trying to get in or out. Unknown to the tugs, the visitor has never been under the bridge and is afraid that he will get stuck if he goes under Benjamin. To the tugs, Seabright is just in the way. They quickly lose their patience, whistling and shouting at the frightened ship, all to no avail. But Theodore takes a different approach. He gently encourages Seabright, empathizing and telling him to take his time. Theodore's soft talk works better than everyone else's threats and Seabright eventually goes under the bridge all by himself. In fact, Seabright decides that going under the bridge is fun. But now he's afraid of Clayton and Theodore starts the encouragement all over again.
    • A reference to Season 1's "Theodore and the Queen" is made.
    • The first appearances of Brunswick and Seabright.
  • "Foduck in Reverse": Foduck hasn't gone backwards in a long time, but when he has to tow in reverse to dock Nautilus the Navy Ship, he finds that it's a lot of fun. In fact, it's so much fun that he floats in reverse everywhere he goes. The change puts a smile on the face of the normally serious and responsible safety tug, but it also makes him careless. Because he can't see very well going backwards he almost runs over Dorothy Dory, who is saved by Theodore. The brush with danger makes Foduck realize that it's okay to go backwards, but not all the time.
    • Bedford breaks the 4th wall in this episode. He turns to the audience, wondering why Foduck is going backwards.
  • "Hank and the Sunken Ship":[1] Northumberland discovers a sunken ship, and tells the tugs all about it. Hank decides to try raising the ship so that he has 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's 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.
  • "Theodore and the Bickering Barges": Theodore usually loves towing barges, but when he's put between Bayswater and Brunswick he begins to change his mind. The two barges bicker over everything. They argue about who has more cargo and who's pulling on the ropes. Theodore tries to distract them by pointing to fish jumping out of water but that only leads to a dispute over whether it was a whale or a dolphin. When Theodore complains, the Dispatcher suggests that he take only one barge at a time, but that just leads to a fight over who should go first. Theodore gets fed up and leaves. Finally the barges have something they can agree on. They need Theodore to come back so they can finish their work. That first agreement leads to others and before they know it, the two barges are getting along, at least most of the time.
  • "Theodore the All-Powerful": Hank is convinced that Theodore has super powers. After all, Theodore had wished that the fog would go away and it did. Then he got the assignment he wished for. In fact, Hank is so sure of Theodore's powers that when a ship named Emma Sophia gets stuck, he refuses George's help because he thinks that Theodore can just wish her free. Theodore then wishes that Emma Sophia would move and that George would go away. And sure enough, the smaller tugs manage to move Emma Sophia without the big tug's help. Theodore thinks he's just lucky, but he's not sure. When George disappears, Theodore wonders if he was at fault because he had wished the big tug would go away. But it turns out that George had just been helping Truro the Fishing Trawler in Ceilidh's Cove. And even though Theodore kind of liked the idea of having super powers, he's relieved to know that not all his wishes come true.
    • Last appearance of Bonavista.
  • "George and the Flags": A container ship named Chester arrives when the Big Harbor is having "Flag Day", where the boats wear flags. Chester however, is upset that he doesn't have flags and that George is completely ignoring him. Later, when Chester gets some flags, he decides that the Big Harbor is very friendly.
    • First appearance of Chester.
    • Last appearance of Fundy and Bluenose.
  • "Hank Stays Up Late": Hank joins Theodore on the night shift where he has the best time of his life. The next few nights don't turn out to be as good as the first so he goes back to taking old bumpers to Shediac, the shipyard shed.
    • Cameos by Owan, Northumberland, Constance, and Shediac.
  • "Theodore the Tattletug": Theodore comes across one of Emily's lifeboats adrift. Afraid that Emily might be hurt, he rushes to tell the Dispatcher. Being helpful makes Theodore feel proud and important. He even imagines receiving awards. Suddenly, everything in the Big Harbor seems like an incident worthy of the Dispatcher's immediate attention. Instead of waking up Northumberland he's in the way, Theodore tells the Dispatcher. Then he reports that Digby's cable spools are loose, and that Carla is speeding. In the time it takes Theodore to report that George's tow rope is too long however, Brunswick gets hurt. Theodore realizes that he could have prevented the accident if he had just told George instead of going to the Dispatcher. He learns that tattling isn't usually the best way to solve a problem.
    • Foduck is absent in this episode.
    • Cameos by Constance, Northumberland, Digby, and Carla
  • "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.
    • Cameos by Constance and Chester.
  • "Hank and the Silly Faces": When Hank first meets Millie the Fishing Trawler, he thinks she's making silly faces. He doesn't realize that Millie is squinting because she can't see very well, but Millie isn't about to tell him. She thinks that people won't like her if they know that she can't see, but when she joins in a game and almost causes an accident, her secret is revealed. Instead of rejecting her, the tugs take Millie to the repair dock. She worries that no one will be able to fix her, but just as her new friends predicted, the repair is simple. She tells the tugs that seeing with her new glasses is 'just like making friends with the world all over again.'
    • First and only appearance of Millie.
    • Cameos by Bedford, Pearl, and Barrington
    • Theodore and Hank are the only tugboats to appear in this episode.
  • "Emily Finds a Friend": Carla the Cabin Cruiser manages to ruin a perfectly good game of 'search and rescue' (hide and seek) by being too bossy. Theodore gets fed up and goes home. Emily just gets mad and hides. In the process of looking for her, Carla gets lost, and then gets stuck. The tugs realize that if they had confronted Carla about being bossy in the first place, she probably wouldn't have gotten lost. They know that they should speak up next time. Carla, on the other hand, hadn't learned anything about being bossy. When the tugs find her, she still insists on giving orders, but when her instructions undermine their efforts to free her, she finally realizes that sometimes it's better for people to do things their own way.
  • "Hank's Cozy Cove": The tugs must bunk in a strange cove while their dock is being dredged, and everyone is having trouble falling asleep. Everyone but Hank, that is. Hank had brought along his dock bumper. Theodore thinks that they all could use a reminder of home, so he and Hank build a breaker from the rocks they are moving out of their dock. That calms the water and soon everyone is cuddled up and fast asleep, just like at home.
    • Cameos by Brunswick, Bayswater, and Shelburne
  • "Theodore and the Hunt for Northumberland": When Stewiacke the Salvage Ship arrives in the harbor 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 some things can change.
    • Pugwash and Stewiacke are introduced.
    • Pugwash does not have her underwater lights yet in this episode.
    • Northumberland says a variety of naval terms which alludes to the fact that he's a naval submarine.
      • Naval terms Northumberland says: Countermeasures. Tactical maneuvers. Evasive action.
    • Whenever Northumberland dives, he even shouts dive, dive, dive which is exactly what real navy submarine captains say whenever they dive.
    • Cameo by Owan
  • "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 harbor. Only with the love of his friends, does he decide to change his mind.
    • Cameos by Constance, Barrington, Rebecca, Pearl, and Petra.
    • The buoy that watches Bedford's spot appears to be Blandford's model without his eyes.
    • An event from "Rebecca and the Big Snore" is mentioned.
    • The Harbor Master's tugboat cookies were shaped like Sunshine, a tugboat character from TUGS.
  • "Emily Drifts Off":Theodore has been playing practical jokes, so when Emily wakes up at the fuel dock instead of in her own dock, she blames the smiling tug. The truth is, Emily has been floating in her sleep. But because she's sure that Theodore is trying to trick her, she refuses his help, even when she needs it. As a result, she falls asleep while docking Emma Sophia. As if that isn't bad enough, the next night Emily drifts all the way out into the ocean. A worried Theodore follows her and saves her from an accident. Realizing what happened, she's finally convinced that Theodore was telling the truth. Knowing that she has to get some sleep, she happily accepts Theodore's offer to keep her from floating away by ringing a bell if she starts to drift. That night Emily sleeps very well.
    • Cameos by Bedford and Emma Sophia.
  • "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 and Bayswater.
    • This marks Jasper's final speaking role.
  • "Theodore and the Missing Siren": Theodore is so excited by the bright red siren he's found, he can't wait to play with it. But by the time he finishes work, he has lost it. He looks everywhere, even places he hadn't visited that day. It finally occurs to him to ask his friends if anyone has seen the siren. Sure enough, Emma Sophia, who he had helped dock earlier, had found it. Theodore is happy to have the siren back, and is tempted to sound it, but that might make others think he is in trouble, and he isn't in trouble at all because he's found his siren.
  • "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 Truro and Dorothy, 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, Clayton, and Emma Sophia.
    • Throughout the episode, Foduck is wearing a Uniform signal flag.
    • The signal flags that Foduck shows to Dorothy are Uniform, X-Ray, and Tango.
    • Shelburne's crane hook is the same as the hauling rope hook Hank had in "Hank and the Sunken Ship".
  • "Theodore and the Unsafe Ship":[1] 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 harbor 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.
    • First and only appearance of Cabot.
    • First time cargo speaks.
    • This episode is similar to the TUGS episode "Warrior".
    • Cameos by Emma Sophia, Hank, and Emily.
  • "Emily and the Sleepover":[1] Carla convinces Emily and a few friends to have a sleepover at Ceilidh's Cove. Dorothy has trouble keeping up with the bigger boats even though they work hard to include her. But when she falls asleep, they tie her safely to her dock and go to Shipwreck Rock to tell scary stories. The boats, who are feeling very grown-up, insist that they aren't frightened by Emily's ghost story about a sunken ship that pulls passing vessels under the water. But Sigrid conveniently offers to check on Dorothy, and Carla hurries away when she sees the water bubbling up right where the ghost is supposed to be. When it turns out to be Northumberland, they are all very relieved.
    • Cameos by Truro, Cocomagh, and Theodore.
    • Theodore appears in this episode, but does not have a major role, making this the only episode where Theodore does not have a major role.
    • This is Truro, Dorothy, Carla, and Sigrid's last speaking roles and appearances
  • "Foduck and the Shy Ship": Foduck has his regular night safety patrol, but no one seems to enjoy his loud job. He's then told of a ship that's too shy to come into the harbor, and goes to convince the ship that the Big Harbor is very friendly.
    • First and only speaking role of Cocomagh.
    • Cameos by Digby, Northumberland, Emma Sophia, Bayswater, and Brunswick.
    • Foduck wakes Theodore, who wakes with a start. With a jump he thinks there's a fire, runaway oil rig, and a rocket ship. These are references to George's life boat fire, the dock fire, Owan running away, and Emily and the crashing rocket.
    • Guysborough screaming "I'm Melting!" is a reference to the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz".
    • This is the last appearance of Barrington, Bayswater, and Emma Sophia.
  • "Theodore Takes Charge": Theodore is not sure how to be in charge of the harbor clean-up without losing his friends. He's afraid they'll be mad if he gives orders, so he just keeps quiet. When nothing gets done, Theodore concludes that he just isn't good at being in charge, but the Dispatcher explains that people expect a tug in charge to be clear about what needs to be done. When Theodore takes the Dispatcher's advice, he discovers that true friends follow a true leader.
    • This is Guysborough and Shelburne's last appearances.
  • "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 gets to meet the queen for the first time and everybody has a good time.
    • This is the Queen Stephanie's last appearance.
  • "George Waits His Turn": George never wants to wait his turn. Most of the time it's just annoying, but when Emily, Theodore, and George are sent to turn an iceberg away from the harbor, George's impatience nearly results in disaster. His first reaction is to blame Emily, but he knows it's really his own fault. That night at story time, George struggles to wait his turn to tell about the iceberg adventure. Emily smiles and lets him go first. She knows that George has learned his lesson.
    • This is George and Blandford's final speaking role.
  • "Hank Floats Forward": Hank is so excited that he's finally allowed to move ships by himself, that he doesn't pay attention when he helps Digby off of Willy's Island. He gives the old cable ship a good scrape on the sharp rocks. Digby is upset and tells everyone that Hank isn't good at moving big ships. To help Hank restore his reputation, Theodore brings him along on his next job and puts the little tug in charge. With Theodore's encouragement, Hank does a good job with everyone watching, and even Digby has to admit that Hank might be a good tugboat after all.
    • This is the last appearance and speaking role for Hank, Foduck, Petra, Digby.
    • This is the last appearance of George, Clayton, Rebecca, and Brunswick.
    • The first and only appearance and speaking role of Kingston.
    • The only time Hank was the tug in charge with a ship or a boat.
  • "Theodore's Big Decision":[1] 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's fear of foghorns and lighthouse lights.
    • Last time we see the sunken ship from "Hank and the Sunken Ship".
    • All of the characters make their very last appearances and speaking roles in this episode.
    • This episode is recognizably similar to "Pugwash is Gone".
    • This is the first and only appearance of The Ecum Secum Rhyming Rocks.
    • Lunenburg appears to have been relocated to a different part of Shipwreck Rock.
    • This is the very last episode of Theodore Tugboat.

See also

References
  1. "Theodore Tugboat on TV.com – Episode Guide". TV.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  2. "Episode Descriptions", A Teacher's Guide to Using Theodore Tugboat, PBS & Cochrane Entertainment (1998), Program No. 118B, p. 57.
  3. "Episode Descriptions", A Teacher's Guide to Using Theodore Tugboat, PBS & Cochrane Entertainment (1998), Program No. 124B, p. 63.
  4. "Episode Descriptions", A Teacher's Guide to Using Theodore Tugboat, PBS & Cochrane Entertainment (1998), Program No. 124A, p. 63.
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