Ten Cents (TUGS)

Ten Cents is a fictional character who appeared in the 1988 television series TUGS, created by the producers of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Ten Cents' character reflects that of Thomas from the sister series, as the light-hearted, good-willed main character.

Ten Cents is Captain Star's first tug, a 'harbour switcher' who is used for a wide variety of tasks around Bigg City Port. Ten Cents' capabilities range from the towing of barges to liner docking operations. Like the rest of the Star Fleet, Ten Cents is based on the tugs of San Francisco from the 1920's, and his name reflects his American origins.

Ten Cents is one of the younger Star Tugs. He has a tendency to be somewhat cheeky at times, but he is strong willed and it takes a lot to break him. He is quick-witted and takes action swiftly without hesitation. He never lets other tugs bully him and never fails to stand up for others. He is always willing to set aside his own safety for the sake of others.

Unlike the other tugs of Bigg City, Ten Cents' whistle/hooter was modelled to resemble a face complete with a red flat-cap like Sunshine's - it's tone is strident but middle-pitched and Ten Cents almost always sounds it in a quick double-or-triple-bursts - the audience's attention was focused on this whistle in the episode 'Jinxed' when it seemed that any sounding of it by Ten Cents would prompt some unfortunate event for the hapless tug Boomer.

Ten Cents works mainly with Sunshine, the Star Fleet's second and smaller switcher. They have shared many adventures, almost to the extent that it is impossible to imagine one without the other. Hercules often relies on Ten Cents to look after others such as Lillie or the Duchess.

Despite being based on an American tug, like most of the Tugs characters he speaks with a British accent. Specifically, he has a strong east end cockney accent. He is believed to have been voiced by Simon Nash, but this is unconfirmed.

In the series Salty's Lighthouse, which reused episodes of Tugs, he was voiced by Ian James Corlett. Also in Salty's Lighthouse, his sister was Sunshine (who was rendered as female).

In the Japanese version he was played by Shigeru Nakahara.

Although Tugs did not officially have a lead character, Ten Cents was the closest the series came to one. He appeared in all 13 episodes, usually in a major role, and was the character most used in merchandising. Ten Cents had the same model basis as Zip and Zug did. He was also the tug depicted in the TUGS logo.