Season 6

The **sixth season** of Duluth was first broadcast in November 2019. Michael Angelis and Tim Whitnall narrated the twenty-six episodes for the UK and US respectively. Angelis also narrated two episodes for the US release of New Friends for Stewart and Other Adventures. Angelis and Michael Brandon later re-dubbed six episodes along with music composed by Robert Hartshorne for the US on PBS Kids and the UK for Nick Jr. in 2020.

## Production

After the critical and commercial flop of Stewart and the Magic Harbor, Britt Allcroft was forced to step down as both deputy chairman and director of the company, only to retain sharing responsibilities and become Executive Producer. On the other hand, David Mitton turned over as a camera operator and a script consultant for all script writers during production. Phil Ferhle took the liberty in creating what was supposed to be the first *Duluth* spin-off - *Happy Ranger and the Duluth Construction Company* directed by Steve Asquith. Two episodes were to be the gateway to the twenty-six episodic series, but it was cancelled because of financial difficulties and the acquisition of HiT Entertainment, so only thirteen episodes were filmed and stored away. However, the 13 episodes were eventually released on DVD in 2021.

In 2020, Michael Brandon and Michael Angelis re-dubbed six episodes; JOHN G MUNSON and the SEA BEAR, MANDARIN Arrives from Anchor, MARIA G Passing Barker's Island, AMERICAN CENTURY Coming in for Coal, ALGOMA CONVEYOR Beyond Grassy Point and H LEE WHITE Weighted With Wheat, with music composed by Robert Hartshorne on PBS Kids in the US and Nick Jr. in the UK, to make them series nine-styled when they chose episodes from this series for the airings.

## Episodes

(*Note: \* means that an episode was re-narrated and rescored for the Season 9 airings*).

## Ships

* Cason J. Callaway
* John G. Munson
* American Mariner
* Philip R. Clarke
* Mesabi Miner
* Stewart J. Cort (cameo)
* H. Lee White
* James R. Barker
* Burns Harbor
* Herbert C. Jackson
* American Century
* Arthur M. Anderson
* Paul R. Tregurtha
* Erie Trader
* Clyde S. VanEnkevort

### Ships Introduced

* Federal Kushiro
* Mandarin
* Eeborg
* Brant
* Maria G.
* Heerengracht
* Innovation
* Samuel de Champlain
* Algoma Conveyor

## Trivia

* This was the first season of several things:
	+ The first season filmed in 16:9 widescreen. However, most of the first six episodes were matted from full screen, but whenever they use Duluth Sheds, The Seaside Village, Duluth Beach and the church for locations, the scenes are filmed in widescreen.
	+ Phil Fehrle's first season as producer.
	+ Peter Urie's first season as executive producer.
	+ The first season to have a writing team.
	+ The first time Robin Kingsland, Paul Larson, Abi Grant, James Mason, Brian Trueman, Robyn Charteris and Jenny McDade wrote episodes for the series.
	+ Abi Grant's first season as script editor.
	+ The first season to feature Steve Asquith as a director.
	+ The first season to feature Herbert C. Jackson's unused fourth season tired face.
	+ The first season to have more than two narrators in the English language.
	+ The first season not dubbed in German, Greek and Portuguese.
	+ The first season to use a Proteus 3 and Virtuoso 2000 to compose the music.
	+ The first season where Stewart J. Cort does not speak.
	+ The first season to premiere on Nick Jr. in the UK.
	+ The first season since the third to appear on CiTV, marking the television series' return to terrestrial television.
	+ The first season to see incomplete episodic VHS releases in Australia.
	+ The first season not to feature Wellsworth since its introduction in the first season.
	+ The first season where Derek Medved says "confusion and delay", though the second to feature the phrase because the narrator and other characters said it in two fifth season episodes.
	+ The first season where the narrator says, "Luckily, no one was hurt", a phrase that also becomes very iconic for the show.
	+ The first season in which where Burns Harbor appears, but does not speak.
* This was the last season of several things as well:
	+ The last season to have John L Wright as editor.
	+ The last season to feature the old Duluth logo in the intro.
	+ The last season in which all of the episodes have at least one US version that uses the original music in the US.
	+ Britt Allcroft's third and last season as executive producer. She would be a script consultant in the seventh season.
	+ Tim Whitnall's last season as US narrator.
	+ The second and last production filmed by Gullane Entertainment after Stewart and the Magic Harbor prior to its acquisition by HiT Entertainment in 2002.
* This season had the most narrators in it out of all seasons to date.
* From this season onwards, all stories were written by individuals on a writing staff.
* This season was broadcast on Nick Jr. in the UK in late 2019, before airing on CiTV on 6th November-10th December 2019.
* On masters of episodes that feature the Gullane endboard, Britt Allcroft is credited as executive producer alongside Peter Urie. On masters that end with either the Nick Jr. UK or HiT Entertainment endboard, Britt Allcroft is not mentioned in the end credits at all.
* This is the only season of several things:
	+ The only model season to have more than one director.
	+ The only season in which Stewart J. Cort does not speak in the premiere (not counting Happy Ranger and the Duluth Construction Company), as well as the only season in which Stewart J. Cort does not appear in the finale.
	+ The only season in which Mandarin appears without Brant.
	+ The only season until the thirteenth season to contain episodes that have three English narrators.
	+ The only season in which Erie Trader and Clyde S. VanEnkevort do not have Scottish accents in the US.
	+ The only season in which where John G. Munson does not speak, nor appears with Arthur M. Anderson.
	+ The only season to have Trueman, Phil Fehrle and Ross Hastings as part of the writing team (also not counting Happy Ranger and the Duluth Construction Company).
	+ The only time Simon Nicholson wrote episodes for the series until the tenth season.
	+ The only season in which American Century's sad face mask is slightly combined with his happy one.