TUGS (TV series) - mini-review

 



BASIC INFO

year - 1989

country - the UK

language - English

company - Clearwater Productions 

directed by -   Robert D. Cordona,
                        David Mitton

music by - Junior Campbell, 
                  Mike O'Donell

n⁰ of seasons - 1 (2nd season planned, but never made)

n⁰ of episodes -  13

runtime - 15-20 minutes 

suitable for ages - 5+


REVIEWER'S NOTE 


story - 9/10

modelwork - 9/10

sound design - 10/10

characters - 10/10

OVERALL - 9/10


Before we start...

Hello all!

Hello, kids!


I'd like to quickly say sorry for not posting any content last month. I wasn't feeling all that well and, really, I didn't have an idea what I'd want to post. Without further ado, let's get started!

Final thoughts 


Tugs is a rather obscure sister series to the famous Thomas & Friends. It was created by Robert D. Cordona and David Mitton, who have both previously worked on our beloved blue engine's TV adventures. Moreover, Mike O'Donell and Junior Campbell, who also were previously involved with Thomas, composed the soundtrack to this show as well. 


The series centres on the various misadventures of the Star Fleet tugboats, led by Captain Star, a do their rivalry with the Z-Stacks, who are led by Captain Zero.  Our honourable & eager heroes, who work in Bigg City Port during the Roaring Twenties, compete against the devious, underhanded Z-Stacks. Numerous other vessels and non-water vehicles are also present within the show. While the premise is simple, the story is highly engaging, not shying away from getting intense or even dark in certain places! However, just like Thomas and Friends , there are also many comfortable, charming scenes and bits of well-executed humour to balance out the more sombre moments. 

Another strong point of the show is its voice acting, with authentic, easy on the ears performances, and the atmospheric, well-composed musical score. Each character, from the protagonists - Ten Cents, Sunshine, Big Mac, Warrior, Top Hat, OJ and Hercules - to the bad guys - Zorran, Zebedee, Zak, Zip and Zug - ooze personality and charisma. Even minor characters are far from being boring! Even if Bluenose can be extremely dislikable.  


The set design and the modelwork are, frankly, impressive as well! It could be argued that the environments in Bigg City Port feel even more alive than on Sodor. From the water movement to the stunning visual effects, it all looks amazing. 

All in all, while not flawless, TUGS is a great show! I recommend giving it a watch and forming your own opinion about it. 


Random fun fact!

 The footage from TUGS was later used for a hand-drawn educational programme called Salty's Lighthouse. 


Before we say 'goodbye'...


Thank you for attention, swabbies, and see you all in November!

Love,
your Diva ⚓



























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