After watching the entire series, I can safely say that _Tugs_ is indeed the most underrated show of the 80's, maybe even of all time. The amount of effort and investment put into this show is unreal, and I'm so glad that the old props are being properly preserved now and that the deleted scenes from the 20 minute cut of "Warrior" have been released.
A past comment: Imagine an alternate universe where Tugs continued on to become a success, while Thomas ended at season 2 and someone made a video called Thomas The Greatest Show You’ve Never Seen - An In Depth Analysis Of Tugs’ Sister series
Even then though, Thomas would have been a relative longrunner for UK cartoons of the time with 52 episodes and still have the legacy of the books to fall back on. Reminder that even some popular cartoons like Bagpuss only lasted 13 episodes, just like TUGS. Some like Postman Pat only got more because they were renewed post-cable.
1:47:53 imagine walking past a dumpster only to have a 1/2-1/6 scale tug boat with a face say to you: “OH I SAY HELLO”. I would save Top Hat immediately.
Sad to say many good UK cartoons of that time only got the same amount of episodes. Thomas was an anomoly for getting FOUR times that amount beforehand.
I’m not so sure. We might have ended up with ‘All Tugs Go’. Better to go out on a high note than run your franchise into the ground. That’s what I believe.
Actually I really miss Richard Browning as Captain Star and Zero, Wademan as Sunshine, Christopher Marsh as Ten Cents and Zip, Benjamin Kroger as Big Mac, Kyle Dennison as Top Hat and Hercules, Gary Hubbard as Warrior, and Frank Gerard as O.J. The American Voice Dubs of Tugs 😢😢😢
@itsconnorstime I spoke to Britt on Facebook, she said she never did sue TUGS and was very deeply upset and appalled at the rumor. She also confirmed the same for the Bluebell. People never bother just asking it seems.
@@Darthtankenginesomething I found out very early on while going down the Thomas/tugs fandom rabbit hole is that some of the high profile fans have a very strange relationship with the truth.
1:47:44 Well, it turns out Top Hat was saved as he along with Sally Seaplane were brought by likely someone from the production before the cleanout at Shepperton Studios.
@@ZanderGrant2007 What do you mean "only on the American Version"?.... Tugs never properly made it to the US so there never was one. 🤣 I think you better show some respect boy, without the brits you wouldn't even have Tugs to enjoy in the first place. Like it or not they're dub is the only one the show has ever had, and pretty much everyone long since for the past 3 DECADES have grown to accept that... so it looks like you stuck with it. A proper US Dub will never be a thing. Should Tugs see the light of day again and be officially released on DVD.... your getting the good old original British version. Deal with it.
@@emersoninfinitystone5785 I understand, but Tugs hasn’t sell the show to America ever since Salty’s Lighthouse came out in 1997 because the footage of Tugs from Salty’s Lighthouse is just same as Thomas and Original Footage of Tugs is on VHS. In Fact, Sunshine, Pirate, Regatta, and Munitions are the only 20 Minutes Episodes in two VHS in two episodes, EXCEPT WARRIOR!!! But the rest of the 20 minutes cuts hasn’t been shown forever like: Warrior Pulls Sally Seaplane in High Winds, The Zee/Zed Stacks are shown in pictures in Up River, and Sea Rogue is Shown in BIGG FREEZE?!?! How ridiculous was that?! But the only fact I like the American Version of Tugs is that they always say Zee Stacks instead of Zed Stacks in British, Zip and Zak kinda voiced by Tom Kenny (The Voice actor of SpongeBob), and Sunshine hasn’t whistle out of his tooth.
real shame this show didn’t take off. the production quality truly was on a whole different level, and i feel like it really could have been an amazing show.
1:33:51 The whole "it looks like it's for little kids but it has gangsters and munitions like a big kid show" thing wasn't such a problem in the UK. I was raised there in the 80s & 90s and saw Tugs and loved it; darker episodes like High Tide, High Winds and Ghosts were always my favourite. I think Mitton & Cardona underestimated just how much more sensitive American audiences are than British ones even though by this point they'd have likely noticed the difference in how The Sad Story Of Henry was narrated in the US dub (with it always being clear Henry would come out the tunnel while in the UK one that was left ambiguous until the moment Henry was allowed out again.) Guess it's only a big enough hint in hindsight. But I like that they went for this darker feel akin to British culture and left American sentimentalities as an afterthought. Sure it meant we only got 1 season but what a season! It just wouldn't be as good if it was softened for the Americans.
@@nostaldec4705 oh they're sensitive AF about TV, computer games and media in general. Everything from the Satanic panic that started in the 1970s through to the 1990s and still continuing fairly strong now to the evangelical pants-shitting about everything from Pride month to the Olympics in modern times. Ashamed of nothing but offended by everything. No wonder they as a society love Israel so much, both have karen culture.
@1:31:32 : This playlist may be gone, but we still have the Lighthouse Compilation: ua-cam.com/video/k27KPH0Aj8M/v-deo.htmlsi=7EyJ1n1GVHh_otMG Yes, it's not the exact same order, and a few parts are skipped. But this a good point of reference. I think we should be grateful that the copyright limbo this series is in has saved it from being gated off by some-one like Sony - who acquired Sunbow in 2009; If any-one currently has a stake in the rights, it would be them.
1:09:46 fun fact: in an interview with a crewmember, it was revealed that more of the face of Neptune and Hercules would play out. This obviously never happened because the show got canceled
It's clear there was genuine love and passion behind this series. The set and prop design, pyrotechnics, and score are amazing examples of that. They really went all out for a silly little show about talking tug boats. It's a shame that there were only ever 13 episodes produced, but I'd say the small amount of episodes we do have are outstanding. Quality over quantity.
23:01 using the Rainbow Road theme tune for the Star Fleet segment - and switching between more energetic or mellow arrangements to fit the statements' tones - was genius sound design and music editing. I just want Tug to know that audience members notice that he does stuff like this all the time and we appreciate it even if we dont point out each time it's done. No doubt it's inspired by O'Donnel and Campbell and I'm sure they like it too when they watch.
I'm glad you uploaded this one again; it's one of my all-time favourites. I wanted to say something about the point you made at 50:25 - I think the narrator is speaking to the audience here. A child (or even an adult) who is watching the episode for the first time ever will see Sea Rogue at the beginning and will automatically come to the conclusion that he is a pirate. After all, he is painted black, has a funny accent, and wears an eye patch. But yeah, I wholeheartedly agree that the 20-minute version is a lot better.
I’m really glad tugs is getting more recognition, and is getting more of a cult following, as it rightfully deserves. It’s a shame that this series never really went anywhere, as you can tell David Mitton, and Robert Cardona put a lot hard work and love into this series. This was there passion project!
Thomas is the type of show that gives the baby lessons of life tugs is the type of show to teach you what it’s like to be in the big city and learn what death and explosions are just not to fare
I swear UA-cam is a goldmine! I came across this channel by a recommendation to watch the remarkable story of the steam tug “Eppe Hall”…. Which dropped me right into the Rabbit hole! Just wonderful!!!! I’m a tugboat (commercial Towboat more specifically) captain by profession and love seeing work boats culturally recognized. There are so few examples in movies, tv, art, or otherwise, yet there are thousands of commercial towing vessels and tug boats working every day in American waterways and ports, with hundreds of thousands employed by our industry. Yet, we are a bit of a secret in terms of our presence in media. I think it is particularly fine to see a children’s show like this. It gives children aspirations. Really great video!
Seeing the Tugs props being left in such a state right after David Mitton passing away actually left me feeling really sad. It's not hard to tell that a lot of care, time, money and heart was put into building them, but no one was around to show them any love, leaving them to be thrown out like trash when Mitton couldn't protect them any longer.
It’s back… I really enjoyed this video when it originally come out. Now… to see it back… it is so relieving! Tugs, despite it’s failure seeming written on the wall when it was produced, was a beautiful product of David Mitton and Robert Cardona! It had wonderful visuals, great dialogue, brilliantly designed and decorated props, and a charm that Thomas can only dream of (especially now). This video is a wonderful summary of Tugs’ history and I’m glad you brought this video back! Keep up the great work!
Creepy bit of trivia for you. The narrator Patrick Allen also narrated the unreleased British civil defense films 'protect and survive', which told householders how to protect themselves against nuclear attack. All on UA-cam. Cannot hear his voice the same way again....
1:27:19 I'm really late to say this but on rewatch, it is said that the Princess Alice was "damaged at sea". Her second arrival wasn't planned which is why Warrior has to tell Big Mac about it and it also gives reason as to why there weren't enough tugs to dock her.
Tugs was exactly what David Mitton needed, in order to make Thomas better than ever before. I really do wish I’ve heard about this show back in my childhood.
Glad to see this video about Tugs back. I remember coming across the Tugs episodes on UA-cam and thinking this is so familiar and remembering seeing Tugs on Salty's Lighthouse as a kid. Now I'll leave you with this from a phenomenal show that deserved many more episodes. The tugboat, for its size, is the most powerful craft afloat. And the Star tugs are the power behind the docks and waterways that make up the Bigg City Port. This... is Tugs.🎷🎶🎵🎶🎵 This is the Bigg City Port in the 1920s. It was an era of rapid change. The steam engine tugs were in their heyday, and were gradually replacing the old sailing scows which were not as powerful nor dependable. Even so, steam in its turn would shortly have to give way to diesel. But it was in this period, when the steam tug was in its glory, that is regarded with the most affection.
I once said to a friend that I wanted to include a harbour with real water in a model train layout just so I could remake Top Hat's hero scene in High Tide. I still plan on having that.
24:40 I think that the funniest result of this choice to never show humans in Tugs is at the 18:30 mark in Regatta. Even though the Bridge Cafe Band's barge is playing music, there are no musicians, it's just a bunch of instruments lying around! Also, even though humans don’t appear in Tugs, we do actually see multiple seagulls and other birds around the set.
Wanted to come back and say this: I just found out my aunt’s grandfather actually founded the Moran Towing Company, which the Z-Stacks are inspired by and Zorran is named after! She's even named after someone a person a tug was after: the Doris Moran, which is still afloat to this day! I can’t believe my family has a connection to just a wonderful series!
This channel introduced me to Tugs, and I finally watched the first two episodes last night. I watched this video once a few months ago, but I’m not going to watch it again until I finish all of the episodes. All I’ll say is that it’s a crime we didn’t get more Tugs, and this is coming from a person who originally felt that Tugs was a Thomas ripoff when I first heard about it (Edit) I’m back! Damn that was good! 43:22
Such a big part of my childhood. My grandparents had a big stash of VHS tapes at their house for whenever my brother or I were over and the joke was always that there was only one I ever wanted to watch 😄 my grandad was an navy Veteran who actively encouraged my interest thankfully 😊 I must have been about 6-7 when I first saw the VHS releases and, yeah, a lot of it went over my head 😅 but it never stopped me from enjoying it and I only enjoyed it more as I matured enough to appreciate the more mature tone and the sheer sophistication of what they were making! One of those ones which is well beloved but, yes, I can't imagine it succeeding in any sense had it been longer, it's another of those which is special because it was so short-lived and different. Thanks so much for compiling all of this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch Regatta 😆
the one way I can see Tugs continuing without much issue would be making books with stories that take place after the first season, done in the stile of the original railway series.
This video came out when I was sick with COVID, and man, did I watch this over and over along with the UT episode order playlist. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better introduction to TUGS, and I’m so happy the video is back. I’d give the 200K subscribers if I could.
After watching this video and watching Tugs, it is such a shame that Tugs ended as it really did look very, very promising and looked like it could be something that would match Thomas's popularity. Even though David Mitton is gone, I hope he knows that he did an incredible service to not only provide such incredible pieces of work such as Tugs but for his work on Thomas. R.I.P David Mitton and to others who worked with him that'd passed and those that knew him.
Tugs kinda reminds me of the Cartoon Network show Sym-Bionic Titan for these five reasons.... 1. Both were made by a veteran content creator. e.g. (David Mitton for Tugs and Genndy Tartakovsky for Sym-Bionic Titan) 2. Both looked like something made for a certain age demographic group but are actually made for an older audience. e.g. (Tugs looked like a preschool show, but it was actually targeted for older kids, and Sym-Bionic Titan looked like an action-adventure cartoon for kids, but it felt more like a cartoon for adults) 3. Both lasted only one season. 4. Both were canceled for unethical reasons, e.g., (Tugs got canceled because the producers did not market the show right for the proper age group, while Sym-Bionic Titan was canceled because Cartoon Network did not secure the toy license for the show) 5. Both shows are hard to find today became cult classics.
Thinking about it; TUGS is basically Thomas and Friends X (before the world went to shit in X4), the darker and more action tone compared to Thomas/Megaman Classic, the fact that the prominent female character is a little more involved in action than the ones in Thomas’s classic days and falls in love with not the main character but one of his seniors, more sinister threats lurking in the shadows, etc.
It is so good to see this uploaded again :) What I love about Tugs is all of the detail that went into it, the deeper storylines and approach to them, and memorable characters with a unique voice cast :)
i literally just discovered this show yesterday and now i’m absolutely hooked. really sad we never got to see more of these characters because i love them all in their own little ways.
A very beautiful essay of a shortlived, but very important model series, that also helped Thomas returning to full speed in the following years 👍👍You're right Nic, TUGS is INDEED the greatest show, that not everyone has ever seen! It's a beautiful show with strong characters, a snappy soundtrack, explosions of models that would make Michael Bay jealous, and just model craftmanship no one has ever seen before or since! I've made a remake of the 1st episode Sunshine on my channel with wooden cube models I've made myself, as only Ten Cents and Sunshine were ever made in Ertl. I'm very proud of the result. It's available in English dub on my channel, and also in a Danish version narrated by myself
The research put into this video regarding TUGS after those two years has impressed me with learning stuff about TUGS I never knew before until I was 20 from when this video came out. Thanks, Unlucky Tug! Your best regards, Brice.
Great job on this video! The best part of the show is that it gave us your name for your awesome channel. It certainly seems that this is a show that Thomas fans will appreciate, can’t wait to see if I can find it somewhere. Great job with this video as always, can’t wait for more!
If you told me as a kid that Thomas and Theodore were related properties through another show called “Tugs”, I would’ve been so elated! I’d love it if you also did a video like this on Theodore! But, that’s a story for another time lol
Among the star tugs you can easily spot which Thomas character they most match. Thomas and Ten Cents Sunshine and Percy Hercules and Toby OJ and Edward Top Hat and James Grampus and Whiff And the list goes on.
I'm so happy this video is back up again! Rewatching it after viewing the entire series makes me appreciate the passion that went into this show even more. I really hope Top Hat is somewhere safe and maybe we'll even see him again someday
If you think about it Tugs and BIONICLE are very similar Both had a lot of effort put into them. Both tried to be more then just ''Kid's media'' (Kid's show and Toys respectivley). And both told Amazing Stories through beuatiful visuals, Intresting characters and dramatic storytelling. The thing that sets them apart was Tugs stayed in the past while BIONICLE rebooted a few years after it ended (Though given how the BIONICLE reboot didn't entirely work out mabye Tugs staying behind was for the best).
I'm not gonna lie seeing the thank you at the beginning hurt me, especially as you sit at a mere tenth of that now, even more lost since. Thanks for not giving up TUT, keep up the great work!
1:31:35 you literally had a pun begging to be used. “Give my TEN CENTS”…ok it’s dumb I know but I’m a child at heart. Love this comprehensive TUGS primer. The episode order is wonderful.
Anyone else notice how the first 6 episodes of tugs (Tv order) reflect the first six seasons of Thomas? Like allow me to explain: Sunshine - Introduction to the characters of Bigg City Port Thomas S1: Introduction to the characters of Sodor Pirate: Darker themes, Ten Cents is grumpy the whole time, Sunshine jokes around with him, other characters take a back seat Thomas season 2: Darker/more complex themes (Scrap, Diesels, etc), Thomas is impatient the whole time, Percy jokes around with him in multiple episodes, other main characters take a back seat Trapped: Much more light hearted, Some new characters are introduced, World building with Up River Thomas S3: Still had some dark stories, but more light hearted than S2, especially Thomas himself. Some new characters introduced, world building with West Coast of Sodor and Duck’s branch line Regatta: Plethora of events and characters, new and old, dark themes present themselves again, and there’s a special parade at the end Thomas S4: Loads of new characters, old characters still present, dark themes occur more than the last season, special event with the engines meeting the queen Munitions: Crew just said “F*ck it” and went all out action packed exciting adventure mode, a character DIES, banter between characters is the rudest/funniest it’s ever been. Best episode of the series (IMO) Thomas S5: Crew just said “F*ck it” and went all out action packed exciting adventure mode, a character DIES, banter between characters is the rudest/funniest it’s ever been. Best season of the series (IMO) Warrior: Not a bad episode, but isn’t as eventful as the last 5. It’s still has good things in it though (the rescue, Warrior sinking Big Mac’s barge was funny, still world builds a bit with the new foundation Thomas S6: Not a bad season, but not as good as the first 5. It still has good things in it though (Salty, Cranky, the music still slaps, and Michael Angelis’ narration is fantastic), and it still world builds (for better or (in some cases) for worse) Though I’m sure this wasn’t intentional, I still find it interesting
Wait what character died in S5 of Thomas? The Truck was face less so not alive, the ghost may or may not have been real, stupid bird, trucks falling into the ravine survived. Did I miss anyth.... Oh crap I did Put Upon Percy S.C.Ruffy!
Been waiting for this one! Easily the most rewatchable video on your channel, it was this one I took a notion for when I realised your original channel was gone. Always stick this one on when I need some monotonous chores to fly by. Thanks again for your hard work, Tug!
Gosh, these really brought back some happy memories and some sad ones too. I had almost forgotten this existed. I watched this well over 20 years ago as a little boy. Someone mentioned this the other day and I just had to see if it was on UA-cam. The story of it all is very interesting. I remember watching this with my grandma on both TV and VHS tapes. She sadly left us 20 years ago now (very young in her mid 50s 50s) and I don’t have much to remember her by other than this and Thomas the tank engine. The theme music now brings a tear to my eye.
Head canon is there are 2 big Mickeys . A man nicknamed big Mickey who operated the crane died in munitions however the crane itself survived and named itself big Mickey in honour of him. After him being psychologically damaged on top of physically damaged big Mickey was moved to Brendan docks on sodor to get as far away from big city bay he could but still wanted to be useful
Really enjoying this video. Been watching it on my breaks a work and you make my breaks go too quick. I absolutely love Thomas and Tugs. I wish Tugs was a true partner of Thomas. The crossover potential. My god. ❤❤❤❤
"Any bright ideas?"
"None that I can think of."
"Any stupid ideas, then?"
That joke feels 20 years before it's time.
Are you on about magic railroad?
@@Harbour_master
If I can remember what I was thinking 7 months ago, I think I was saying the joke sounded like something out of a Marvel movie.
I've got 50 stupid ideas running through my mind everyday!!!!!!
“You took everything from me!” Ten Cents yelled.
“I don’t believe I know who you are,” Thomas confusedly responded.
“You will,” sneered Ten Cents, as he rammed Thomas off the rails and into the water. (Don’t ask how it works)
@@DFSEntertainment "Oh help" yelled Thomas as he started to sink
@@fanofeverything30465 and now Gordon runs Thomas's branch line for something
@@randomtransportguyx4397 Did they get him out
@@fanofeverything30465 He was never seen again
naming a boat “krakatoa” is basically asking for it to be blown up
Especially in the time period where Tugs is set, only forty-something years after krakatoa erupted
Here's my new aeroplane, Hurricane Tracy!
kaboom?
@@TrenchKid700 Yes Rico, Kaboom
@stop_motion_smokebox638 lol
After watching the entire series, I can safely say that _Tugs_ is indeed the most underrated show of the 80's, maybe even of all time. The amount of effort and investment put into this show is unreal, and I'm so glad that the old props are being properly preserved now and that the deleted scenes from the 20 minute cut of "Warrior" have been released.
"Munitions" has to be the best episode for a show in kids' media. What a trip.
Lol, you are the dude from MikeyVenture premieres. I didn't know you are a Tugs fan
@Dan Yep, I've been a fan since late December. I discovered _Tugs_ from Steve Reviews and it led me here.
Tugs needs more love.
There is no apostrophe needed in ‘80s’ in that context.
A past comment:
Imagine an alternate universe where Tugs continued on to become a success, while Thomas ended at season 2 and someone made a video called Thomas The Greatest Show You’ve Never Seen - An In Depth Analysis Of Tugs’ Sister series
Even then though, Thomas would have been a relative longrunner for UK cartoons of the time with 52 episodes and still have the legacy of the books to fall back on. Reminder that even some popular cartoons like Bagpuss only lasted 13 episodes, just like TUGS. Some like Postman Pat only got more because they were renewed post-cable.
I remember this comment in the original video
Dude I remember seeing this comment no way
@@PeterSam427 same
Then the Unlucky Tug would be the Unlucky Engine
Sunshine's face at 1:43:13 was pretty much my reaction to seeing one of the boats do a rap
I find it interesting that like Thomas, TUGS had gotten a huge fan cult despite being a now-forgotten show but thankfully not left in the dust.
8:45
I love how when you mention Britt Allcroft tried to sue David Mitton, you showed Top Hat shaking his head
Despite the incredibly small fandom, this video proves how big of a heart the fans have.
1:47:53 imagine walking past a dumpster only to have a 1/2-1/6 scale tug boat with a face say to you: “OH I SAY HELLO”. I would save Top Hat immediately.
If i ever seen grampus from show or not im stealing it from the show
This is basically the pilot for The Thomas Retrospective
So it’s not just me who noticed the parallels
I like how you hit '20,000' subs on this channel JUST as your old '200,000' subs special came out.
TUGS was definitely ahead of its time.
Technically, so was the Salty's Lighthouse version. It was a UA-cam Poop before UA-cam even existed. XD
It's an absolute tragedy that this show ended with only one season. There should've been more.
Sad to say many good UK cartoons of that time only got the same amount of episodes. Thomas was an anomoly for getting FOUR times that amount beforehand.
I’m not so sure. We might have ended up with ‘All Tugs Go’. Better to go out on a high note than run your franchise into the ground. That’s what I believe.
@@harryeasterbrook4593 4 seasons of it would do.
100% agree
@@harryeasterbrook4593Well said.
I still miss Stoner-shine, Carl Cents, Trump Hat, Mac Swanson, OJ Krabs, and Plankton-Zorran
Don’t forget Warrior Goof
And Patrick Zug
Not to mention lively Hercules
Stoner-shine?
*STONAH..... SAN....SHAIN!!!!!!!!!!*
(Yes, that was kinda right there)
Actually I really miss Richard Browning as Captain Star and Zero, Wademan as Sunshine, Christopher Marsh as Ten Cents and Zip, Benjamin Kroger as Big Mac, Kyle Dennison as Top Hat and Hercules, Gary Hubbard as Warrior, and Frank Gerard as O.J. The American Voice Dubs of Tugs 😢😢😢
Recently found out, there was no lawsuit, Britt actually was enthusiastic as she felt it would only help the Thomas brand get out to more people.
Evidence?
@@michaelstrank2521 Ok I was possibly wrong on Tugs, but she never tried to sue the Bluebell.
I never bought the Britt suing Tugs story, there’s no real evidence.
@itsconnorstime I spoke to Britt on Facebook, she said she never did sue TUGS and was very deeply upset and appalled at the rumor. She also confirmed the same for the Bluebell. People never bother just asking it seems.
@@Darthtankenginesomething I found out very early on while going down the Thomas/tugs fandom rabbit hole is that some of the high profile fans have a very strange relationship with the truth.
1:47:44 Well, it turns out Top Hat was saved as he along with Sally Seaplane were brought by likely someone from the production before the cleanout at Shepperton Studios.
I mean if you're gonna buy any of the cast......I'd buy Top Hat too
Oh thank goodness. I’m so happy Top Hat is ok.
Tugs deserves a DVD release.
@@ZanderGrant2007 What do you mean "only on the American Version"?.... Tugs never properly made it to the US so there never was one. 🤣
I think you better show some respect boy, without the brits you wouldn't even have Tugs to enjoy in the first place. Like it or not they're dub is the only one the show has ever had, and pretty much everyone long since for the past 3 DECADES have grown to accept that... so it looks like you stuck with it. A proper US Dub will never be a thing.
Should Tugs see the light of day again and be officially released on DVD.... your getting the good old original British version. Deal with it.
@@emersoninfinitystone5785 Sorry about the American and British version of Tugs. I meant to say, Salty’s Lighthouse SUCKS!!!!!
@@emersoninfinitystone5785 I understand, but Tugs hasn’t sell the show to America ever since Salty’s Lighthouse came out in 1997 because the footage of Tugs from Salty’s Lighthouse is just same as Thomas and Original Footage of Tugs is on VHS.
In Fact, Sunshine, Pirate, Regatta, and Munitions are the only 20 Minutes Episodes in two VHS in two episodes, EXCEPT WARRIOR!!! But the rest of the 20 minutes cuts hasn’t been shown forever like: Warrior Pulls Sally Seaplane in High Winds, The Zee/Zed Stacks are shown in pictures in Up River, and Sea Rogue is Shown in BIGG FREEZE?!?! How ridiculous was that?!
But the only fact I like the American Version of Tugs is that they always say Zee Stacks instead of Zed Stacks in British, Zip and Zak kinda voiced by Tom Kenny (The Voice actor of SpongeBob), and Sunshine hasn’t whistle out of his tooth.
real shame this show didn’t take off. the production quality truly was on a whole different level, and i feel like it really could have been an amazing show.
1:33:51 The whole "it looks like it's for little kids but it has gangsters and munitions like a big kid show" thing wasn't such a problem in the UK. I was raised there in the 80s & 90s and saw Tugs and loved it; darker episodes like High Tide, High Winds and Ghosts were always my favourite.
I think Mitton & Cardona underestimated just how much more sensitive American audiences are than British ones even though by this point they'd have likely noticed the difference in how The Sad Story Of Henry was narrated in the US dub (with it always being clear Henry would come out the tunnel while in the UK one that was left ambiguous until the moment Henry was allowed out again.) Guess it's only a big enough hint in hindsight.
But I like that they went for this darker feel akin to British culture and left American sentimentalities as an afterthought. Sure it meant we only got 1 season but what a season! It just wouldn't be as good if it was softened for the Americans.
I don't exactly think of Americans as sensitive, though - guns are literally legal in that reckless country.
@@nostaldec4705 oh they're sensitive AF about TV, computer games and media in general. Everything from the Satanic panic that started in the 1970s through to the 1990s and still continuing fairly strong now to the evangelical pants-shitting about everything from Pride month to the Olympics in modern times. Ashamed of nothing but offended by everything. No wonder they as a society love Israel so much, both have karen culture.
I was so worried this wasn’t going to be re-uploaded because of possible copyright issues! Never have, I been so happy to be proven wrong!
I feel like tugs is public domain
@1:31:32 : This playlist may be gone, but we still have the Lighthouse Compilation: ua-cam.com/video/k27KPH0Aj8M/v-deo.htmlsi=7EyJ1n1GVHh_otMG
Yes, it's not the exact same order, and a few parts are skipped. But this a good point of reference.
I think we should be grateful that the copyright limbo this series is in has saved it from being gated off by some-one like Sony - who acquired Sunbow in 2009; If any-one currently has a stake in the rights, it would be them.
1:09:46 fun fact: in an interview with a crewmember, it was revealed that more of the face of Neptune and Hercules would play out. This obviously never happened because the show got canceled
The original upload of this video was what introduced me to Tugs, and I've grown to love this show quite a lot and I WISH this show got a season 2.
29:43 I’m watching this at the time of reading “Of Mice and Men” in my English class and I’m delighted to find this reference
I think TUGS is one of Britain's underrated children television shows.
There is a lot more than you think
My sister said you watch baby shows I showed her munitions she shut the fuck up
It's clear there was genuine love and passion behind this series. The set and prop design, pyrotechnics, and score are amazing examples of that. They really went all out for a silly little show about talking tug boats. It's a shame that there were only ever 13 episodes produced, but I'd say the small amount of episodes we do have are outstanding. Quality over quantity.
23:01 using the Rainbow Road theme tune for the Star Fleet segment - and switching between more energetic or mellow arrangements to fit the statements' tones - was genius sound design and music editing.
I just want Tug to know that audience members notice that he does stuff like this all the time and we appreciate it even if we dont point out each time it's done. No doubt it's inspired by O'Donnel and Campbell and I'm sure they like it too when they watch.
It’s a real shame the original video got taken down with so many views, in time it would have reached a million.
I'm glad you uploaded this one again; it's one of my all-time favourites. I wanted to say something about the point you made at 50:25 - I think the narrator is speaking to the audience here. A child (or even an adult) who is watching the episode for the first time ever will see Sea Rogue at the beginning and will automatically come to the conclusion that he is a pirate. After all, he is painted black, has a funny accent, and wears an eye patch.
But yeah, I wholeheartedly agree that the 20-minute version is a lot better.
I’m really glad tugs is getting more recognition, and is getting more of a cult following, as it rightfully deserves. It’s a shame that this series never really went anywhere, as you can tell David Mitton, and Robert Cardona put a lot hard work and love into this series. This was there passion project!
Thomas is the type of show that gives the baby lessons of life tugs is the type of show to teach you what it’s like to be in the big city and learn what death and explosions are just not to fare
Season 1-5 has some serious mature and dark moments for Thomas.
Billy Shoepack is just David Mitton self-inserting himself in TUGS. I mean, they both like to make stuff go up in big fireballs.
Brilliant.
I swear UA-cam is a goldmine! I came across this channel by a recommendation to watch the remarkable story of the steam tug “Eppe Hall”…. Which dropped me right into the Rabbit hole! Just wonderful!!!!
I’m a tugboat (commercial Towboat more specifically) captain by profession and love seeing work boats culturally
recognized. There are so few examples in movies, tv, art, or otherwise, yet there are thousands of commercial towing vessels and tug boats working every day in American waterways and ports, with hundreds of thousands employed by our industry. Yet, we are a bit of a secret in terms of our presence in media. I think it is particularly fine to see a children’s show like this. It gives children aspirations.
Really great video!
Seeing the Tugs props being left in such a state right after David Mitton passing away actually left me feeling really sad. It's not hard to tell that a lot of care, time, money and heart was put into building them, but no one was around to show them any love, leaving them to be thrown out like trash when Mitton couldn't protect them any longer.
It’s back… I really enjoyed this video when it originally come out. Now… to see it back… it is so relieving! Tugs, despite it’s failure seeming written on the wall when it was produced, was a beautiful product of David Mitton and Robert Cardona! It had wonderful visuals, great dialogue, brilliantly designed and decorated props, and a charm that Thomas can only dream of (especially now). This video is a wonderful summary of Tugs’ history and I’m glad you brought this video back! Keep up the great work!
Creepy bit of trivia for you. The narrator Patrick Allen also narrated the unreleased British civil defense films 'protect and survive', which told householders how to protect themselves against nuclear attack. All on UA-cam. Cannot hear his voice the same way again....
His voice was everywhere on British TV, he did a lot of voice overs for film trailers.
Tugs has the Same vibe as Thomas, except it doesn’t at the same time, it’s just so different and yet so similar
1:27:19
I'm really late to say this but on rewatch, it is said that the Princess Alice was "damaged at sea". Her second arrival wasn't planned which is why Warrior has to tell Big Mac about it and it also gives reason as to why there weren't enough tugs to dock her.
Tugs was exactly what David Mitton needed, in order to make Thomas better than ever before. I really do wish I’ve heard about this show back in my childhood.
Glad to see this video about Tugs back. I remember coming across the Tugs episodes on UA-cam and thinking this is so familiar and remembering seeing Tugs on Salty's Lighthouse as a kid. Now I'll leave you with this from a phenomenal show that deserved many more episodes.
The tugboat, for its size, is the most powerful craft afloat. And the Star tugs are the power behind the docks and waterways that make up the Bigg City Port. This... is Tugs.🎷🎶🎵🎶🎵
This is the Bigg City Port in the 1920s. It was an era of rapid change. The steam engine tugs were in their heyday, and were gradually replacing the old sailing scows which were not as powerful nor dependable. Even so, steam in its turn would shortly have to give way to diesel. But it was in this period, when the steam tug was in its glory, that is regarded with the most affection.
Why only a 1/9 of peolpe watching dropped a like man.... This effort deserves more......
I once said to a friend that I wanted to include a harbour with real water in a model train layout just so I could remake Top Hat's hero scene in High Tide. I still plan on having that.
24:40 I think that the funniest result of this choice to never show humans in Tugs is at the 18:30 mark in Regatta. Even though the Bridge Cafe Band's barge is playing music, there are no musicians, it's just a bunch of instruments lying around! Also, even though humans don’t appear in Tugs, we do actually see multiple seagulls and other birds around the set.
Wanted to come back and say this: I just found out my aunt’s grandfather actually founded the Moran Towing Company, which the Z-Stacks are inspired by and Zorran is named after! She's even named after someone a person a tug was after: the Doris Moran, which is still afloat to this day!
I can’t believe my family has a connection to just a wonderful series!
10:55 hearing Top Hat being a snob just makes me think of James every time.
The Tugs theme had no power being so bloody good 😍
Very well said
I'll gladly rewatch this, Tugs is up there with Thomas and Friends.
Glad this is back up, glad I got to be part of the original Premiere for The Tugs Retrospective!
"The into is just pure porn"
-The Unlucky tug october 16, 2021
1:43:52 Sunshine in the corner: Help me
This channel introduced me to Tugs, and I finally watched the first two episodes last night. I watched this video once a few months ago, but I’m not going to watch it again until I finish all of the episodes. All I’ll say is that it’s a crime we didn’t get more Tugs, and this is coming from a person who originally felt that Tugs was a Thomas ripoff when I first heard about it
(Edit) I’m back! Damn that was good!
43:22
Because of this video, I am now a tugs fan
Such a big part of my childhood. My grandparents had a big stash of VHS tapes at their house for whenever my brother or I were over and the joke was always that there was only one I ever wanted to watch 😄 my grandad was an navy Veteran who actively encouraged my interest thankfully 😊 I must have been about 6-7 when I first saw the VHS releases and, yeah, a lot of it went over my head 😅 but it never stopped me from enjoying it and I only enjoyed it more as I matured enough to appreciate the more mature tone and the sheer sophistication of what they were making! One of those ones which is well beloved but, yes, I can't imagine it succeeding in any sense had it been longer, it's another of those which is special because it was so short-lived and different. Thanks so much for compiling all of this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch Regatta 😆
the one way I can see Tugs continuing without much issue would be making books with stories that take place after the first season, done in the stile of the original railway series.
Satly's Lighthouse feels like a 4Kids dub of TUGS
I get what u mean.
Cough Cough ….. Sonic X Cough Cough Cough
@@dngr_4209 Also, cough cough One Piece cough cough
4Kids never went as extreme as Salty’s Lighthouse.
NARROZ
It's a UA-cam Poop before UA-cam even existed.
This video came out when I was sick with COVID, and man, did I watch this over and over along with the UT episode order playlist.
I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better introduction to TUGS, and I’m so happy the video is back. I’d give the 200K subscribers if I could.
The Greatest Show EVERYONE should see
After watching this video and watching Tugs, it is such a shame that Tugs ended as it really did look very, very promising and looked like it could be something that would match Thomas's popularity. Even though David Mitton is gone, I hope he knows that he did an incredible service to not only provide such incredible pieces of work such as Tugs but for his work on Thomas.
R.I.P David Mitton and to others who worked with him that'd passed and those that knew him.
Tugs kinda reminds me of the Cartoon Network show Sym-Bionic Titan for these five reasons....
1. Both were made by a veteran content creator. e.g. (David Mitton for Tugs and Genndy Tartakovsky for Sym-Bionic Titan)
2. Both looked like something made for a certain age demographic group but are actually made for an older audience. e.g. (Tugs looked like a preschool show, but it was actually targeted for older kids, and Sym-Bionic Titan looked like an action-adventure cartoon for kids, but it felt more like a cartoon for adults)
3. Both lasted only one season.
4. Both were canceled for unethical reasons, e.g., (Tugs got canceled because the producers did not market the show right for the proper age group, while Sym-Bionic Titan was canceled because Cartoon Network did not secure the toy license for the show)
5. Both shows are hard to find today became cult classics.
Thinking about it; TUGS is basically Thomas and Friends X (before the world went to shit in X4), the darker and more action tone compared to Thomas/Megaman Classic, the fact that the prominent female character is a little more involved in action than the ones in Thomas’s classic days and falls in love with not the main character but one of his seniors, more sinister threats lurking in the shadows, etc.
What’s X4?
It is so good to see this uploaded again :) What I love about Tugs is all of the detail that went into it, the deeper storylines and approach to them, and memorable characters with a unique voice cast :)
Wait a minute, hold up if Cardona was really invested into TUGS then why does it say Theodore that the copyright is 1989!
Because of this video, I went to watch munitions, and it was one of the best videos I’ve ever seen
i literally just discovered this show yesterday and now i’m absolutely hooked. really sad we never got to see more of these characters because i love them all in their own little ways.
A very beautiful essay of a shortlived, but very important model series, that also helped Thomas returning to full speed in the following years 👍👍You're right Nic, TUGS is INDEED the greatest show, that not everyone has ever seen! It's a beautiful show with strong characters, a snappy soundtrack, explosions of models that would make Michael Bay jealous, and just model craftmanship no one has ever seen before or since!
I've made a remake of the 1st episode Sunshine on my channel with wooden cube models I've made myself, as only Ten Cents and Sunshine were ever made in Ertl. I'm very proud of the result. It's available in English dub on my channel, and also in a Danish version narrated by myself
The research put into this video regarding TUGS after those two years has impressed me with learning stuff about TUGS I never knew before until I was 20 from when this video came out.
Thanks, Unlucky Tug! Your best regards, Brice.
Great job on this video! The best part of the show is that it gave us your name for your awesome channel. It certainly seems that this is a show that Thomas fans will appreciate, can’t wait to see if I can find it somewhere. Great job with this video as always, can’t wait for more!
If you told me as a kid that Thomas and Theodore were related properties through another show called “Tugs”, I would’ve been so elated! I’d love it if you also did a video like this on Theodore! But, that’s a story for another time lol
Among the star tugs you can easily spot which Thomas character they most match.
Thomas and Ten Cents
Sunshine and Percy
Hercules and Toby
OJ and Edward
Top Hat and James
Grampus and Whiff
And the list goes on.
I'm so happy this video is back up again! Rewatching it after viewing the entire series makes me appreciate the passion that went into this show even more. I really hope Top Hat is somewhere safe and maybe we'll even see him again someday
Fun fact: In trapped captain star refers to Billy shoepack in present tense while the tugs are reffered to past tense
Tug's best video imo. TUGS really deserves all the love it can get.
If you think about it Tugs and BIONICLE are very similar
Both had a lot of effort put into them.
Both tried to be more then just ''Kid's media'' (Kid's show and Toys respectivley).
And both told Amazing Stories through beuatiful visuals, Intresting characters and dramatic storytelling.
The thing that sets them apart was Tugs stayed in the past while BIONICLE rebooted a few years after it ended (Though given how the BIONICLE reboot didn't entirely work out mabye Tugs staying behind was for the best).
“Narroz” is the Tugs equivalent of that one rat from Ratatoing saying “precisely”
I'm not gonna lie seeing the thank you at the beginning hurt me, especially as you sit at a mere tenth of that now, even more lost since. Thanks for not giving up TUT, keep up the great work!
The video that introduced me to Tugs and your channel. I’m so glad it’s back up!!
Coming back almost 2 years later, to the news of top-hat
1:31:35 you literally had a pun begging to be used. “Give my TEN CENTS”…ok it’s dumb I know but I’m a child at heart. Love this comprehensive TUGS primer. The episode order is wonderful.
Well some more news, they found Tophat. He’s been found after all these years 😊
Tugs is easily the best show ever hands down
Agreed!
Anyone else notice how the first 6 episodes of tugs (Tv order) reflect the first six seasons of Thomas? Like allow me to explain:
Sunshine - Introduction to the characters of Bigg City Port
Thomas S1: Introduction to the characters of Sodor
Pirate: Darker themes, Ten Cents is grumpy the whole time, Sunshine jokes around with him, other characters take a back seat
Thomas season 2: Darker/more complex themes (Scrap, Diesels, etc), Thomas is impatient the whole time, Percy jokes around with him in multiple episodes, other main characters take a back seat
Trapped: Much more light hearted, Some new characters are introduced, World building with Up River
Thomas S3: Still had some dark stories, but more light hearted than S2, especially Thomas himself. Some new characters introduced, world building with West Coast of Sodor and Duck’s branch line
Regatta: Plethora of events and characters, new and old, dark themes present themselves again, and there’s a special parade at the end
Thomas S4: Loads of new characters, old characters still present, dark themes occur more than the last season, special event with the engines meeting the queen
Munitions: Crew just said “F*ck it” and went all out action packed exciting adventure mode, a character DIES, banter between characters is the rudest/funniest it’s ever been. Best episode of the series (IMO)
Thomas S5:
Crew just said “F*ck it” and went all out action packed exciting adventure mode, a character DIES, banter between characters is the rudest/funniest it’s ever been. Best season of the series (IMO)
Warrior: Not a bad episode, but isn’t as eventful as the last 5. It’s still has good things in it though (the rescue, Warrior sinking Big Mac’s barge was funny, still world builds a bit with the new foundation
Thomas S6: Not a bad season, but not as good as the first 5. It still has good things in it though (Salty, Cranky, the music still slaps, and Michael Angelis’ narration is fantastic), and it still world builds (for better or (in some cases) for worse)
Though I’m sure this wasn’t intentional, I still find it interesting
Wait what character died in S5 of Thomas? The Truck was face less so not alive, the ghost may or may not have been real, stupid bird, trucks falling into the ravine survived. Did I miss anyth.... Oh crap I did Put Upon Percy S.C.Ruffy!
Wow this show has so much to say about itself, even though I never knew of Tugs growing up it is still a show that wholeheartedly respect.
TUGS is super underrated, no joke.
I used to rent Tugs SOOO many times when i was a kid from the Video Shop. Was a fantastic show and i was obsessed.
1:40:25 ah yes, makes perfect sense. Perfect casting in my opinion
Been waiting for this one! Easily the most rewatchable video on your channel, it was this one I took a notion for when I realised your original channel was gone. Always stick this one on when I need some monotonous chores to fly by. Thanks again for your hard work, Tug!
Gosh, these really brought back some happy memories and some sad ones too. I had almost forgotten this existed. I watched this well over 20 years ago as a little boy. Someone mentioned this the other day and I just had to see if it was on UA-cam. The story of it all is very interesting. I remember watching this with my grandma on both TV and VHS tapes. She sadly left us 20 years ago now (very young in her mid 50s 50s) and I don’t have much to remember her by other than this and Thomas the tank engine. The theme music now brings a tear to my eye.
I’m so glad this got re-uploaded, this was one of my favorite videos. And the day before the 34th anniversary of Tugs 🎉
im happy to see this back up, i love listening to this video as background noise as i do schoolwork
Head canon is there are 2 big Mickeys . A man nicknamed big Mickey who operated the crane died in munitions however the crane itself survived and named itself big Mickey in honour of him. After him being psychologically damaged on top of physically damaged big Mickey was moved to Brendan docks on sodor to get as far away from big city bay he could but still wanted to be useful
Thomas and Tugs don’t exist in the same universe.
@@Woodenrailwayoliver20There are two Big Mickeys in both shows
And some props from TUGS end up in some Thomas episodes
That makes a lot of sense
@@Woodenrailwayoliver20technically we don’t know that bc tugs is in america and thomas is in the uk so they might and we wouldn’t know
Now days, this would fly off the shelves. it was only before its time really.
This may legitimately be my favorite video Tug has ever made.
Tugs did more in thirteen episodes than Thomas and Friends could do in twenty four seasons.
they need to bring this series back, it's so underrated
This was such a treat. I feel ashamed to have called myself a Tugs fan with all the things I never knew
Really enjoying this video. Been watching it on my breaks a work and you make my breaks go too quick.
I absolutely love Thomas and Tugs. I wish Tugs was a true partner of Thomas. The crossover potential. My god. ❤❤❤❤
At 43:25, I see Muammar Gaddaffi.
10 cents in my house using my treadmill, please help
This is clearly one of the best things Tug has ever done hands down!
I love this video, glad to see its returned!!! Keep up the great work Tug!!