Theodore Tugboat (1993–2000) User Reviews

A good clean kids show.

[tonykproductions · 8/10 · 17 August 2006]

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

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

Decent Kids Show

[bdabagia · 8/10 · 19 January 2007]

My three sons weren't allowed to watch much TV, outside of PBS shows, when they were toddlers. When they discovered reruns of Theodore on the local PBS outlet they absolutely loved it. The stories were sweet and simple, teachy without being preachy, and they watched every episode. They also collected all the "action" figures (such as they were) and played with them for hours, and they even had a few easy-to-read books with stories about Theodore and his little tugboat friends.

By the time they turned four, my kids had outgrown the show, and stopped reading the books, just like they did with Thomas the Tank Engine and Jay-Jay the Jet Plane, and like we all did with Captain Kangaroo and Bozo, etc.

The host, a.k.a. the Harbour Master, was played with gentle grace by Denny Doherty of the Mamas and the Papas, who died today (1/19/07). He was wonderful on the show. May he rest in peace.

Good, clean fun for kids (and adults) with boats

[NovaBrunswick · 8/10 · 30 March 2016]

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

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

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

We salute "Theodore Tugboat " series

[cootmick · 9/10 · 29 August 2006]

I had spent 4 yrs. as a tug boat specialist in the Navy when my family stumbled upon this show back in it's day. We watched when we could and were very unhappy when it was taken off the air. The stories have friendly characters and non-computer generated scenes and back drops. My children enjoy shows, especially on PBS, that make them and the characters solve problems. We really enjoyed this show due to the fact that it does, in a child-like fashion, teach problem solving skills. In a video/T.V. world w/ trains, veggies, planes, and monkeys it's nice to see them find an original story line. For those who didn't like it, there's always purple-Dino's, tel-tubs's, and bu-boo's. For those who have 2-5yr. old kids, my family recommends you look into this series, your kids will enjoy it.

Well worth seeing

[deecee322 · 9/10 · 20 January 2007]

Contrary to the opinion of some reviewers, Theodore Tugboat was a well done, well executed children's show that was spell binding in its own way. Dennis Doherty, the late member of the rock band the Mamas and the Papas, did quite well as the voice of all the characters on the show, particularly the Harbormaster, who introduced each show.

Done on a relatively small budget, the show provided children with opportunities to confront their own inner demons (such as dealing with feelings of loneliness) by watching how the on-screen characters interacted in "the Big Harbor" - based the real life Halifax Harbor in Nova Scotia. A non-violent alternative to the space wars genre of Saturday morning children's television, the show eventually appeared in some 80 countries and was still in syndication in 2006.

Having worked on children's programs in the industry for some years - and having my interest in television piqued by appearing on children's programs as a child myself - I found Theodore Tugboat to be a worthy addition to the family of such luminaries as Captain Kangaroo and Shari Lewis. It's a plus for families and a don't miss bet for your kids!

Excellent show for young kids.

[bigbluetruck · 10/10 · 8 September 2006]

This was a good show for young children. I appreciated the lack of violence and/or bad attitudes that might be found on shows like Thomas the Tank Engine. The characters presented situations that children WILL encounter and taught such feelings and values as being considerate/respectful of others' feelings, empathy when something bad or sad happens, and learning to enjoy the world and people around you for who and what they are (diversity). The show is probably good for children up to 8 or 9 years old and then would probably loose interest after that. I strongly recommend this show for young children and would love to buy full DVD sets of all of the episodes. CBC did a great job with this series.

Theodore Tugboat is Wonderful.I am looking for the episode Emily's New Hat

[climbingivy · 10/10 · 20 January 2015]

First off if anyone reads this review I am looking for the episode "Emily's New Hat".I wished that I had recorded it on my VCR back when it was still being shown during the day on PBS way back in the 1990s.I would be willing to pay for a copy of the episode on VHS tape or on DVD that someone made.I have a lot of episodes so if you are looking for an episode please contact me.I love this series.I am 56 years old and I still love the show and so do my grandchildren.The best shows for children on television was Theodore Tugboat,Captain Kangaroo,The Friendly Giant,The Bozo Show from Chicago and Nickelodean's Pinwheel.Theodore Tugboat is perfect for little ones who need to see innocence and sweetness on a television program.Theodore Tugboat was gentle and precious for little ones and maybe grownups like me who have not totally grown up.I was 45 years old the first time that I watched Theodore Tugboat on PBS because my husband Jim woke me up and said I know you will love this program,I want you to watch it.Theodore and his funny friends,the dispatcher, and of course the Harbor Master played so beautifully by Denny Doherty are just wonderful to watch.Denny Doherty did all of the voices for the characters and what a talent he was.If you can find episodes of Theodore Tugboat on www.youtube.com and introduce the episodes to your children,grandkids and to yourself I do believe you will be glad that you did.

I Find It Cute

[zsofikam · 10/10 · 15 May 2016]

If I were to describe Theodore Tugboat in one word, it would be cute. It's essentially Thomas the Tank Engine (which I have also always loved) on water with the same type of appeal. Through the Harbour Master's (Denny Doherty) storytelling, Theodore and his companions have fun adventures and learn lessons. One thing that I really like is that the problems the Harbour Master faces before he begins to narrate the episode are the same problems faced by Theodore and friends and both problems are later resolved. For example, in one episode the Harbour Master is a little nervous about sleeping in his office and Hank is afraid to sleep without any lights on. A bit of trivia: the show had its beginnings when a certain Andrew Cochrane was trying to figure out how to explain the goings-on at Halifax Harbour to his son and came to the realization that children tend to anthropomorphize practically everything in sight. Overall, I admit that while I'm 20 now, I am still quite fond of Theodore Tugboat. The shots are truly outstanding, the episodes themselves are well written, all the characters engaging, although George comes across as a little vain I can name several worse examples (I'm looking at you, Bella Swan), the setting look realistic and well-designed, and the score is really catchy. Another thing I have to admire is how the narrator does "the voices", such as a commanding tone for Foduck and the Dispatcher, a cheeky-sounding voice for Hank, and a big booming voice for Owen.

If your child is in love with Thomas, then Theodore is a great bet!

[nadine-785-394024 · 9/10 · 8 July 2010]

Theodore Tugboat is very similar to how Thomas the Tank Engine is set up and in the mid to late 90's, these two even crossed and toys came out that were for use with the Thomas wooden engine set. I purchased some of my toys in 1997, but sadly, these are very hard to find now or if you do find them, they are rather pricey. This series is non-animated, just as Thomas is and has the same type of messages. I have family that are into the Christian-only type movies with a meaning and this is on their list of approved and loved as well, so it seems to appeal to many genres. I personally like it as the Thomas format is loved by my kids (ranging 24 to 2) and this follows it to a T. It expands on the land only theme of Thomas and moves to the harbour that is by the Isle of Sodor, where my kids put their Theodore toys on their Thomas train table system. All in all, this is a great series if you can find it. The producer used to work for Britt Allcroft and this is his spin off, ergo the similarity (from what I understand). This series was also shown in part on the kids show, "Salty's Lighthouse", which is no longer aired as far as I know.