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Western Animation / Little Golden Book Land

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Also known as The Great Harbor Rescue, this was an animated special by DiC Entertainment from 1989, based off the original works of the Little Golden Books franchise. It was possibly a pilot episode for a series that never materialized. It was also released onto VHS by Golden Book Video.

The story starts out with Harbortown being threatened by an incoming storm. If a hole in the breakwater isn't fixed, Harbortown will be flooded. Little Scuffy the Tugboat takes it upon himself to find something to plug the hole.

He is aided by his friends Tootle the Train, Katy Caboose, Poky Little Puppy, and Shy Little Kitten. After a bit of discussion, they come to the conclusion that a rock would be their best bet to plug the hole. The five friends head off to Cavetown to find such a rock.

Along the way, they meet Saggy Baggy Elephant, Tawny Scrawny Lion, and Baby Brown Bear. Baby Brown Bear, who collects rocks as a hobby, offers to give up his enormous rock perched on a mountain.

After a series of near disasters, the rock plugs the hole, saving Harbortown.


This cartoon has examples of:

  • Art Shift: Tootle is shown to have a 2-4-2-wheel configuration instead of a 4-4-2-wheel configuration.
  • Artistic License – Physics: The boulder was making part of the bridge go down, but yet, the bridge is shown to be unbreakable.
  • Beary Friendly: Baby Brown Bear.
  • Big Dam Plot: The plot of this special revolves around Scuffy and his friends trying to find something big and strong enough to plug the hole in the breakwater, to prevent Harbortown from being flooded by an incoming storm.
  • Coconut Meets Cranium: After Saggy Baggy Elephant pulls Poky Little Puppy out of a bush, he backs into a coconut tree, causing coconuts to land on them and Scuffy.
  • Cool Old Guy: Beamer the Old Lighthouse.
  • Earn Your Happy Ending: Thanks to Scuffy and his friends, Harbortown was safe from the nasty storm which allowed everyone to celebrate and propose a toast.
  • Elmuh Fudd Syndwome: Scuffy the Tugboat.
  • Everything's Cuter with Kittens: Shy Little Kitten.
  • Everything's Precious with Puppies: Poky Little Puppy.
  • Female Feline, Male Mutt: Shy Little Kitten and Poky Little Puppy, respectively.
  • Indy Escape: Towards the end of the special, Tootle and his friends get chased by the enormous rock they intended to use to plug up the hole in the breakwater. The rock eventually lands in Scuffy's bathtub car.
  • Massive Multiplayer Crossover: Characters from the original works of the Little Golden Books franchise come together to form the special.
  • Never Smile at a Crocodile: When Tootle tries to get him and his friends across the rope bridge over the river of crocodiles, Scuffy falls out of his bathtub car and has to avoid getting eaten by the crocodiles.
  • The Power of Friendship: The special runs on it. There's even a song about it.
  • "Setting Off" Song: "Get Up and Go".
  • Storybook Opening: Not that surprising, given that it's based off the classic Little Golden Books.

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