Theodore Tugboat Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Main Page

"Well, I'm Theodore T. Tugboat and I'm not a put-put!"
— Theodore's protest to Benjamin Bridge
TheodoreandtheBigHarbour18
Theodore and the Big Harbour
Director(s)

Robert D. Cardona

Producer(s)

Andrew Cochran

Writer(s)

Jeff Rosen

Narrator

The Harbour Master
(Denny Doherty)

Air date

August 1th, 1993

Previous episode

Best Friends

Next episode

Theodore and the Big Harbour is the twentieth and last episode of the first season.

Plot

Theodore Tugboat is coming into port. He is small and wears a red baseball cap. When he sees the Big Harbour, it seemed so big and very nosily, bustling with pride. Some tugboats are docking a cargo ship nearby. Theodore knows that the controller would be waiting for him, so he rushes over to the Dispatcher. Theodore talks to the Dispatcher, which the Dispatcher said he's small, but Theodore says that he's a really good-worker, and is ready for his first job, but the Dispatcher tells Theodore that there isn't any work for him at the moment, so he suggests that Theodore should explore around the Big Harbour. Theodore knows that he has to know where everything is and learn new things. Theodore is just about to explore the Big Harbour when he stumbled upon two ferries; who's names are Phillip and Filmore, the ferry twins. Theodore questions if they're lost, but the ferry twins say no, much to Theodore's questioning. After all that talk, he stumbles upon a big, humongous and immense bridge who's name is Benjamin Bridge. Benjamin Bridge talks in a very bold voice. Benjamin Bridge also calls Theodore a little put-put. Theodore protested to Benjamin, but Benjamin still told his riddle, as he always does. He always likes to tell jokes and riddles of course, but the name-calling makes Theodore cross, and he rumbles away madly.

It's getting dark, and Theodore is looking around some scary shadows around the Big Harbour. It doesn't seem like Theodore's old harbour at all. Suddenly, Theodore hears a voice which makes him jump, but then he sees that it's only a tug. The tug's name is Hank. Hank suggests that they go over to explore the sandy beach near Willy's Island, but Theodore has his mind made up, and says that he is looking for his spot. Hank wants Theodore to share the dock with him, but Theodore insists on having his own dock, as Theodore has his very own dock independently at his old home. Hank says that the rule is that everyone shares a dock. Theodore glances around at the scary shadows again. Theodore at last took the offer to share the dock with Hank.

While Theodore's in his dock, he feels like the Big Harbour is going to take a lot to getting used to. Theodore makes a happy thought that tomorrow, the Dispatcher will have a special job for him, and with that last happy thought, Theodore pulls his baseball cap down and goes silently asleep.

The next morning, the tugs wake up for their morning work meeting. The Dispatcher announces that a big oil tanker is coming into the Big Harbour. The tugs set off, but Theodore and George are left behind. Theodore blows up smoke to get the Dispatcher's attention. The Dispatcher tells Theodore that he will be working with George, a very strong tug. As they both rumble away to guide the container ship out of the harbour, Theodore sights some glorious and impressing words on the back of George's hull. It read: "The Valiant" That's the most impressive words Theodore had ever imagined, and then he sails off, along with George.

The tugs arrive at the cargo ship's dock later that day. Margaree Pride, a big cargo ship is waiting for the tugs to take him to the mouth of the harbour, along with Pearl, the pilot boat. When Pearl meets Theodore, she says that he's a little smaller than they expected. So Theodore is about to race in front, but much to his surprise and dismay, George goes in front as if he was going to pull. Theodore starts to get very concerned, and a bit dismayed and sad. He tries explaining to Pearl that he's not a pusher, he's a puller. Pearl doesn't believe it at first, but then questions Theodore a bit of his ability to pull Margaree Pride. Theodore stares up at the great cargo ship. Theodore says 'no' to Pearl, but then says that he has pulled barges multiple times before. Pearl then says that George is more experienced to pull a great cargo ship like Margaree Pride, which makes Theodore sad. It seemed like to him that all those new things in the Big Harbour are turning out all wrong for Theodore. Theodore slowly buttons on his tow rope to the ship, and once more, they head off towards the harbour mouth.

The big ship is heavy, and the two tugs puff and pull and even push their hardest to move the container ship. Benjamin Bridge eyes the two tugs and laughed. He thought Theodore said that he was a puller, but he looks like a put-put to Benjamin. Theodore gets infuriated and blows up so much smoke to Benjamin, and Benjamin Bridge lets out a huge sneeze.

At last, they get the cargo ship to the harbour mouth. Theodore at first feels a little depressed, missing his old harbour. He then spots Emily, a tug, heading out towards the ocean. Theodore thinks that maybe Emily wants to leave, too. But then Theodore assumes that Emily cannot go out on the ocean, as if she could get easily lost or get caught in a big storm. Theodore blows his whistle as hard as he can, as Emily passes Bedford buoy. Emily thinks that Theodore was honking to say goodbye, and Emily blows her horn back. Suddenly, Theodore knows what he had to do. Emily is being pulled by Theodore back to the Great Ocean Dock. The Dispatcher was concerned. Theodore quickly reports to the Dispatcher that Emily was going out on the ocean, and he thinks he saved her. George begins to laugh so hard that his cap shook down over his head and eyes and mentions that Emily is a V-Tug. The Dispatcher explains that tugs that had their V-Words like Emily, the Vigorous and George, the Valiant have the rights to go out on ocean duties. In fact, Emily is going all the way to Spain to move a barge and bring in visiting ships. The Dispatcher tells Theodore that Theodore assumed about Emily going out on the ocean. It turns out that Theodore is actually just the kind of tugboat they needed in the Big Harbour. The tugs let Emily finally get to work.

Theodore gazes out on the ocean later that day, thinking about V-Words and if he can be an ocean tug. Just then, Hank pulls up and tells Theodore about how Emily was a harbour tug like Theodore and Hank are, but they have to learn lots of things before they could be ocean tugs, like pulling ships and moving barges. Hank then suggests that they could go practice, but Theodore dismisses it and asks if it could happen a later time. Theodore really wants to see the sandy beach like Hank mentioned the day before. So the two allies head off and Theodore thinks that the Big Harbour isn't so big when he first entered in.

Characters

Trivia

  • Foduck does not have his V-Word in this episode, so the episode takes place before Foduck the Vigilant.
  • Theodore, Hank, Emily, George, Foduck, The Dispatcher, Phillip, Filmore, Benjamin, Pearl, and Margaree Pride are introduced in this episode, timeline wise.
  • Theodore is introduced in this episode, despite the fact that this was the last episode to air in the first season.
  • Pre-filmed footage in this episode was later used for Foduck Stays Home.
  • This is the last episode to feature the original models for the tugs because they would get a makeover in the next season.
  • Even though this episode was supposed to be the first episode of the series, it ended up being the last episode of Season 1.

Goofs

  • Even though Theodore and Hank are supposed to be sleeping, their caps are not covering their faces properly, so their eyes are clearly seen still open.
  • The Harbour Master claims to be going back to work, but was doodling.
  • Theodore passes Lilly twice when he said, "The Big Harbour seems so... well... big!".
  • Bedford's eyebrows are missing.
  • When Philip and Filmore say "We're not lost", they pass each other, but when they says "Because we're ferries!" they pass each other again.
  • When the tugs are honking near the end, Foduck's whistle can be heard even though he is not there.
  • When Theodore says "Going out on the ocean" Philip or Filmore is moving in the background but when Theodore says "a V", the ferry has stop moving and then begins to move again when Hank approaches.

Watch

Advertisement