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"We've been speaking to the wrong end!"
— Foduck
TheodoreandtheWelcome58
Theodore and the Welcome
Producer(s)

Andrew Cochran

Narrator

The Harbour Master
(Denny Doherty)
Jan Nonhof
(Dutch Dub)

Air date

July 15th, 1993

Previous episode

Bumper Buddies

Next episode

Theodore the
Vegetable

Theodore and the Welcome is the ninth episode of the first season.

Plot

Dawn is beginning to break, and the tugs are gathering around the Great Ocean Tug and Salvage Company dock for the morning work meeting. Theodore is impatient for the meeting to begin as it's Monday. Every Monday, the Dispatcher gives the tugboats a special job for the rest of the week. George is to be in charge of getting new bumpers as they have been losing lots of them lately. Foduck is to do his safety patrol. Emily is on clean up patrol. And Hank is to be in charge of oil, much to Theodore's disappointment. He was hoping to be put in charge of oil. But instead, the Dispatcher puts him in charge of welcomes. That means he would be in charge of showing visitors around the harbour. Theodore is surprised. He never done it before. So, he decides to practice with Bedford buoy. But he's not happy about what he says about the Big Harbour as he says it's nice. Then George sees Theodore practicing and tells him to say that the harbour is the second biggest ice-free harbour in the whole world. Then he sets off to work with Hank and blasts his horn and intentionally spins Bedford. Theodore starts to wonder if George's suggestion is the best way to welcome a visitor.

Theodore has a job to do with Emily, moving William B. out of the harbour. As they do, Theodore asks Emily on how to welcome a visitor. She tells him visitors like to see interesting things, as she tells them about family of whales that visit the rocky cove. Now Theodore starts to wonder which way is really the right way to welcome. Foduck is seen pushing Bedford back on to his spot as he spun off thanks to George. So as Theodore and Emily finished taking William B. out of the harbour, Theodore asks him the same question he asked George and Emily. And he simply tells him that the Big Harbour is the safest harbour. And the most fire extinguishers. Then he sprays his firefighting hose. Now Theodore is even more mixed up.

Next foggy morning, the Dispatcher tells Theodore that a special guest has come to stay in the harbour and sends him off to welcome him. The tugboats haven't seen or heard any ships arrive. The Dispatcher tells them he came under the water for three months and is in the navy yard probably sleeping. And his name is Northumberland. Foduck knows that he's a submarine. So as the tugboats leave to work, Theodore goes to the navy yard. When he arrives, he looks for Northumberland. But the fog is making it hard for him to look. Then he sees a shape that freaks him out. But he sees that it's Northumberland, as his name is painted on him. Theodore nervously tries to say hello to him, then he honks his horn like George. Not as loud as George's however. As he tries to welcome Northumberland, Theodore gets jumbled up on what his friends told him to say. Then he thinks of spraying his fire hose, but there's no point seeing as how Theodore isn't equipped with one. So, Theodore waits to see what Northumberland will do next. But the big submarine doesn't do anything. Theodore is certain he messed up.

When Theodore returns, the other tugs are eager to know how his welcome went. He tells them it didn't go well. They then ask if Theodore told him how big the harbour is, or if he saw any whales, or about safety. Theodore denies everything they ask. They then ask which welcome he would choose as they think their own welcome is the right one. But Theodore feels like it doesn't matter, because it already went all wrong. But he goes to try again anyway.

As he returns, the sun is setting, and Theodore isn't sure how to get Northumberland's attention. Emily and Hank follow him to help. But Theodore doesn't know which welcome to use this time. Emily tells him that tugboats never give up and should keep on trying. Theodore is happy with her answer, so he goes up to Northumberland. Then Foduck comes up and thinks the reason he isn't talking to Theodore is because he only speaks in secret underwater code. So, he uses his own radar to get Northumberland's attention. But that doesn't do the trick. George rumbles up and ask if Theodore told him how big things are. Theodore sadly tells him no. George is angry and goes to confront the submarine saying he's being rude to his friend and blasts his horn really loud. But that doesn't do the trick either. Theodore sadly thanks his friends for trying to help, and they all prepare to leave for home. But then, they hear a groaning sound. It turns out, George's loud horn did get Northumberland's attention. His engines start up and he opens a sleepy eye. On the other side. The tugboats realize they were speaking to the back end of Northumberland. Nobody knows what to say to him. But Theodore does. He moves forward a bit and welcomes him and he hopes he likes it. The other tugs watch and wait for what Theodore will say next. And Theodore tells Northumberland because it's.... nice. It may not have been the way the other tugboats thought was the right way to welcome, but it's his way. Hank then adds that it's really nice as he had just thought of it. Northumberland thanks the tugboat for that kind welcome. Theodore glances at his friends as they had come to help him and has one more thing to say to Northumberland. Most of all that the Big Harbour is the friendliest harbour in the whole world. The others smile at Theodore for saying that. And Theodore smiles the biggest smile of all.

Characters

Trivia

  • This episode and Theodore the Vegetable are the only two episodes on Qubo to have closed captioning.
  • First appearance of Northumberland.
  • The scene when Theodore and Emily are moving William B. is used in the opening theme, but in reverse.
  • Stock footage from Theodore and the Homesick Rowboat is used.
  • This is the final episode to be dubbed into Dutch until Theodore's Whistle.

Video Release

In Other Languages

Language Name Meaning
Dutch De Verwelkoming Welcoming

Goofs

  • When Theodore goes back to the Navy Yard to try and welcome Northumberland, Emily could be seen on the right hand side parked before she and Hank go up to help.
  • In the second scene of the episode, Hank looks shocked and there are gaps between his eyes and face.
  • The tugboats don't whistle at the end of the story when the Harbour Master says they smile and blew their whistles.

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