Non-Televised Stories

For those stories that could have made Series 2

Annual 1- 1989 Reviews Comming Soon!

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Mistaken Identity

The Race

The Missing Barge

During a long hot summer Warrior is doing work with the Lord Stinker the Garbage Barge as usual. Captain Star calls him over to the Pier for a rush job with Scuttle Butt Pete, ordered to leave Stinker somewhere out the way he puts him behind the Zero Pier. Upset by the smell Zug unties the poor barge which drifts out to sea. At the end of his job with Scuttle Butt the barge is gone, what will Captain Star Say? In late at night he returns to Grampus reporting it floating away to sea.

With more depth and another storyline to go with it, this could easily have made series two. It again shows Warriors eagerness to work being overshadowed by an aspect of someone elses ignorence along side a minor mistake of his.

Ship In Distress

This story is set during the lowest tide of the year, with Big Mac, OJ and Sunshine bringing cargo down before the low tide would make it impossible. Ten Cents and Top Hat are the only two Stars avaliable to bring in a Tramper until Warrior is avaliable to help them.

Ten Cents and Top Hat start to bring the Tramper into port with Zorran ready to ponce and take over the job. As the current races out of the port the two stars are being pushed towards the dockside with certain disaster looming Warrior arrives just in time to help.

This story could be made into a double barrel story with the following spring high tide story although part of this was covered in the episode High Tide. It shows the devious side to Zorran in the way that Tugs has done all through and showed that through working together "The Star Tugs are still the best team around!"

Naval Manoeuvres

With the other Tugs on other jobs, Big Mac and OJ are sent out to bring the Kraka Toa into the Naval Dock with Sunshine around to provide some assistance and learn about manoeuvering large ships. When they arrive at the Harbour mouth they meet Bluenose who insists on watching their every move. As the Stars are bringing the tramper in everything goes well apart from one minor slip up that Bluenose tried to make a big deal of but Sunshine manages avert them being found out and throws the argument back in Bluenose's face.

Obviously based before the dockfire in Munitions sunk the Kraka-Toa, it is a little brief and seems to be just a space filler as it lacks in quality in comparision with the other stories. Although it is a little adventure that shows a different aspect to the stars work.

Basically this is the same story as the episode and photo story book without a mention of OJ's engine and the sinking of the Fulton Ferry. It's nice to see the story in print epsecially as the other half of the Story is covered in OJ's Bad Day. It would be a shame to see Quarantine now making it into print form.

As with all of the stories above I am actually longing for a story that ends with the Z-Stacks winning (yes you did read that correct), as they need the money to survive and keep going. They have had the opportunity on one or more occasion and would provide a little more entertainment to see the other team winning for once, but they are only stories and help children learn right from wrong.

Some of the artworks have re drawn from other Tugs picture books, which cuts time and costs, but work well although the picture of Big Mac in Heat Wave looks out of place.

Stories By Fiona Hardwick

Kidnapped

Sunshine longs for an adventure and listens with envy to the other Stars adventures with great eagerness for one of his own. Later that day whilst taking the Garbage to the Garbage Yard he over heard by Zip and Zug, who decide to give him an adventure of his own in order to get more work. They sneak up behind him and give him orders, Sunshine who is scared by the two then obeys them and is lead to an abandoned warehouse where he is tied up. He eventually escapes and makes his way back to the Star Pier. When he arrives he finds that everyone has been looking for him and Zorran sends Zip and Zug on dredger detail as a punishment (without the Stars knowing it was them).

This story was the first Tugs book that I didn’t want to finish, it not only gets Sunshine’s character wrong but also makes a mockery of him. It also makes the Z-Stacks look like hardened criminals when Zip and Zug are the typical dumb and dumber pairing of any children’s series who couldn’t carry off a Kidnapping.

Run Aground

Zorran and Zug as well as the rest of the Z Stacks are sent out by Captain Zero to find work as they are not winning any new contracts, so in order to help them get ahead Zorran tells Zug to send Big Mac to the Old Docks.

During the night there is a huge storm and a tramper gets stuck on Dender rocks due to Lillie’s Light going out. When Zug reports this to Zorran he instantly dismisses it and says that he won’t listen to any more of his lies. Zug then goes to Warrior and together they bring in the Tramper, with Warrior getting 100% of the salvage. Zorran then has a go at Zug for not telling him.

This story not only gets Zorran’s character wrong but also gets the repetitive liar storyline wrong too as Zorran instructed Zug to tell Big Mac the lie. The situation with Lillie’s light looks like a copy of the 4^th of July/ Regatta story especially with the picture. Another very disappointing story.

Nothing to Declare

In this story we see the return of Johnny Cuba, whilst there is a secret Navy operation to search the Harbour for spies. This time the Coast Guard Searches Johnny freely he has “nothing to declare” and so he is allowed to be taken into port. Through out the day many tugs refuse to toe him in which annoys him until he sees a submarine coming into the harbour. “A Spy” Johnny thinks and jams the sub against the rocks by the side of the channel. Eventually the Coast Guard and Bluenose return to find that Johnny has caught the spy.

A very wishy washy story that shows that baddies can be goodies some times, it is an improvement on the previous stories, but it would have been good to see Johnny Cuba as a double agent.

Treasure Hunt

Captain Zero informs the Z-Stacks that there is a ship with “Treasure” coming in but wont tell them what this treasure is. Zorran then brings a Tramper ready to be taken to the scrap yard, during the evening the treasure ship arrives and unloads.

Next day the treasure ship is gone to the horror of Zorran. Who enlists the help of the Star Fleet to help them find it unable to tell them what this treasure is it makes finding it more difficult. Eventually the mix up is sorted and some of the treasure is lost. Zero then gives Zorran another job to do, but he is instructed to ask the stars for help, because he can’t do anything right.

This story was very readable, but by the end of it you were wondering what on earth was happening. I’ve read it a couple of times and it’s still confusing and even more difficult to review, I would defiantly say that it is the best of the Buzz Books although she still doesn’t quite get Zorran’s character right!

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