TUGS (1989): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1989, TUGS is a kids, family and drama series.

What it’s about. TUGS is a British children's television series first broadcast in 1988. It was created by the producers of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, Robert D. Cardona and David Mitton. The series dealt with the adventures of two anthropomorphized tugboat fleets, the Star Fleet and the Z-Stacks, who compete against each other in the fictional Bigg City Port. The series was set in the Roaring Twenties, and was produced by TUGS Ltd., for TVS and Clearwater Features Ltd. Music was composed by Junior Campbell and Mike O'Donnell, who also wrote the music for Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Due to the bankruptcy of production company TVS, the series did not continue production past 13 episodes. Following the initial airing of the series throughout 1988, television rights were sold to an unknown party, while all models and sets from the series sold to Britt Allcroft. Modified set props and tugboat models were used in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends from 1991 onwards.

Who’s in it. TUGS stars Patrick Allen, Timothy Bateson, Shaun Prendergast and John Baddeley, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.3/10, TUGS sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch TUGS page.

If you liked it. Fans of TUGS tend to enjoy Big Time Rush, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.