Bigg Freeze

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""Goodnight, Vienna."/"Goodnight, Vienna.""

Bigg Freeze is the thirteenth (twelfth in Japan) and final episode of TUGS.

Plot[]

Winter has arrived, freezing up operations in Bigg City Port. Since they are no longer able to operate from the port, the tugs have been moved up river. They are expecting the S.S. Vienna to arrive, so Hercules is given the task to bring the cruise liner in as far as Lillie Lightship. Lillie is low on fuel, and asks Hercules if he had seen Ten Cents. After she explains that she is waiting for Ten Cents to refuel her, Hercules warns Lillie that if she is unable to guide S.S. Vienna in with her light, the big cruise liner would sail on to the next available port.

Meanwhile, Ten Cents and Sunshine are trying their best to find a fuel barge for Lillie Lightship. Captain Star has told them that if Lillie's light is not working when S.S Vienna arrives, the cruise liner will not risk running-aground and will sail on to the next port without a stop, meaning it is vital that they find a fuel barge quickly. The two switchers know that the whole operation depends on them. Unfortunately, the only fuel barge they find is in the tow of Zorran. As Zorran brings the fuel barge to the fuel depot, the Star switchers catch up and try to convince Zorran to give them his fuel barge so they can supply Lillie Lightship. However, Zorran refuses, believing that Ten Cents and Sunshine are intending on taking his job of supplying Vienna’s heating plant.

Ten Cents and Sunshine tell O.J. about Zorran and the fuel barge, and O.J. agrees that Zorran is making a big mistake; without Lillie's light, there will be no visit from Vienna for either fleet. Just then, Sunshine remembers an emergency light barge stored up at the creek, so the Star switchers head off to collect it.

Meanwhile, at the garbage dump, Warrior is struggling to find an empty garbage barge. Lord Stinker is full, and no full barge can be unloaded because Jack is out of action due to the freeze up. He eventually settles on one that is only half-full which he describes as "half-empty".

At the creek, Ten Cents and Sunshine find the emergency light barge, but Zip and Zug, still believing that they are trying to subvert Zorran, jam a fire barge across the creek, trapping the Star switchers inside, and sail off to meet up with Zorran. Although Ten Cents and Sunshine cannot move the fire barge, Sunshine explains that they will be able to cross the gulley in the other direction when the tide rises at night.

Night falls, and Zebedee, Zak, Big Mac, O.J. and Top Hat are waiting for Vienna. When Warrior arrives, O.J. is concerned as Ten Cents and Sunshine have not arrived yet. So, they all suggest how to make Hercules and Vienna know where they are. Soon, the night tide is high, and Ten Cents and Sunshine hurry off with the light barge. No one has an idea until Warrior suggests to burn the garbage in his half full/empty barge, which will make a beacon light. Warrior's plan works until the fire burns out, but luckily, Ten Cents and Sunshine arrive with the emergency light barge, and with a bit of accidental help from Warrior, the light barge is turned on. Now, Hercules and Vienna are able to continue on course for the bay under bright guidance.

Zorran arrives with the fuel barge and still manages to insult the Stars for not finding any fuel. Lillie thanked Zorran for the fuel, thinking that it was for her, until Zorran told her that it was for Vienna, much to her disappointment. Zip and Zug turn up and are surprised to see Ten Cents and Sunshine there. Zip explains what they did with the fire barge and Zorran scolds Zip and Zug for being so foolish and orders them to leave to clear away the fire barge before the Fire Chief gets there.

Soon, Hercules arrives with Vienna and both the Z-Stacks and the Star Tugs set to work to load and unload their barges. Vienna, already having enough fuel to get to the next port, turns away Zorran. He decides to give it to Lillie, but due to Zip and Zug's antics, Zorran only receives "half price", much to his chagrin.

In the end, Zip and Zug find themselves in deep trouble with the Fire Chief, and Lillie, happy to have her light on again, praises Warrior for helping out. The S.S. Vienna continues onwards with her voyage as the tugs bid her: "Goodnight, Vienna!"

Characters[]

Ten Cents
Big Mac
O.J.
Top Hat
Warrior
Hercules
Sunshine
Zorran
Zug
Zip
Fire Tug
Lillie Lightship
S.S. Vienna
Lord Stinker
The Fuel Depot Manager
Zebedee (cameo)
Zak (cameo)
Jack the Grappler (cameo)
Little Owl (cameo)
Captain Star (narration only)
Captain Zero (mentioned)
Sea Rogue (deleted scene)
Izzy Gomez (faceless cameo in deleted scene)
Kraka-Toa (cameo in deleted scene)

Cast[]

Patrick Allen as Captain Star
Simon Nash as Ten Cents
Shaun Prendergast as Sunshine
Chris Tulloch as Zorran
John Baddeley as Top Hat and Zip
Timothy Bateson as O.J. and Lord Stinker
Nigel Anthony as Zug
Sean Barrett as Big Mac, Hercules and Fire Tug
Mike O'Malley as Warrior
Lee Cornes as Fuel Depot Manager
JoAnne Good as Lillie Lightship
Sue Glover as S.S. Vienna

Deleted Scenes[]

See: Deleted Scenes

Trivia[]

The plot was originally meant to take place in Bigg City Port, but David Mitton was already frustrated with filming in the awkward alleys of the port set, and doing it with 'frozen' water would've put him over the edge. So the original plot was scrapped, and rewritten to incorporate the sets built for Up River.
- However, at least two shots were filmed before the original plot was scrapped: one was reused as the opening shot for both the final version of Bigg Freeze, and Ghosts; the other was reused as the opening shot of Up River. Both shots also appear in the opening credits for the 20-minute episodes.
- This episode may have originally been titled Bigg City Freeze, as this is the title of the picture book adaption.
- Allegedly, Sea Rogue was to be included in a deleted scene where he found Zip and Zug fiddling with the lodged fire barge, and going off to tell the Fire Chief. Hence the "That's not what I heard" remark from the Chief.
The song in this episode is sung by Sue Glover of Sue and Sunny fame as S.S. Vienna.
This episode marks the only appearance of the Fuel Depot Manager.
Stock footage from Regatta is used.
After TUGS' production ended, two of the cranes from the inlet were used in the Thomas & Friends television series as set dressing.

Goofs[]

When Ten Cents and Sunshine search for a fuel barge, O.J. constantly changes his position on the river.
Because stock footage from Regatta is used, Lillie's light is not covered in ice in a closeup.
When Ten Cents asks "What's going on?!", steam suddenly appears beside him, indicating a film cut.
In one of the picture book adaptation's pictures, Sunshine's fender is loose.

EPISODES