Season 9

The **ninth season** of Duluth was first broadcast in March 2020. The season was narrated by Michael Angelis in the UK and Michael Brandon in the US. It consisted of twenty-six episodes.

## Production

Season 9 was filmed around the time HiT Entertainment had put themselves for sale because of straining toy firms. Private equity investment group Apax Partners decided to purchase HiT to save them from any possible downfall. 2020 was also the same year that included the hiring of Sharon Miller as she was enlisted to be Script Editor.

## Ships

* Hon. James L. Oberstar
* Paul R. Tregurtha
* Saginaw
* CSL Laurentien
* Manitoulin (5)
* James R. Barker
* Alpena (3)
* Algoma Enterprise
* Michipicoten
* Arthur M. Anderson
* Stewart J. Cort
* Mesabi Miner
* Erie Trader
* Clyde S. VanEnkevort
* American Mariner

### Ships Introduced

* Frontenac
* CSL St-Laurent
* Lady Doris
* American Courage

## Half Hour Format

When Season 9 aired on PBS Kids, Nick Jr. and Treehouse, the airings were paired with not just Season 7 episodes, but even some Season 6 episodes which were originally narrated by Tim Whitnall and re-dubbed by Michael Brandon in the US, with Michael Angelis re-dubbing his narrations in the UK. In the Season 6 episodes, music was also re-dubbed with music from episodes produced by HiT Entertainment as well. In the beginning of the Nick Jr. airings in the UK, an opening when Stewart J. Cort's crew gets him ready for another day's work and an ending when Stewart J. Cort's crew cleans him after a day's work was added.

### Colour (UK)/Color (US)

* HON JAMES L OBERSTAR First Boat Out of Duluth
* Learning Segment: Who's Under the Coal Dust? - James R. Barker
* **MARIA G Passing Barker's Island**
* Learning Segment: Same Colour
* PAUL R TREGURTHA First Trip

### Caring/Taking Care

* SAGINAW Blows into Duluth
* Song: Buffer Up and Share
* **JAMES R BARKER A Sea of Bedlam**
* Learning Segment: Stewart J. Cort and the Shape Bridge
* CSL LAURENTIEN With a Load of Salt

### Respect

* MANITOULIN Coming in Hot
* Learning Segment: Getting to the Washdown
* **H LEE WHITE Weighted With Wheat**
* Learning Segment: Alpena Respects
* JAMES R BARKER Master Blaster

### Celebration

* PAUL R TREGURTHA and the Eventual Salute
* Song: Party Time
* Learning Segment: Which Load for Which Party?
* **CASON J CALLAWAY Visiting the Home Port**
* Learning Segment: Guess the Freighter - Michipicoten
* MANITOULIN With the Queen in Her Wake

### Achievement

* ALPENA and the Jumpy Cameraman
* Learning Segment: Which Load to Which Harbor?
* **PAUL R TREGURTHA The Fastest Master Salute in the West**
* Learning Segment: What Route Should Stewart J. Cort Take?
* ALGOMA ENTERPRISE Departs to Anchor

### Change

* MICHIPICOTEN Easter Sunday Arrival
* Learning Segment: Changing Sounds
* Learning Segment: What's New at the Station?
* **MICHIPICOTEN and the Double Salute**
* Learning Segment: Getting to Bluff's Cove
* ARTHUR M ANDERSON and the Hatch Clamp Symphony

### Night and Day

* STEWART J CORT and the Fractured Flag
* Song: Day and Night
* Learning Segment: Seeing in the Dark
* **JOHN G MUNSON and the SEA BEAR**
* Learning Segment: Percy in the Dark
* PAUL R TREGURTHA Superior Arrival

### Shapes

* FRONTENAC Featuring Stewie J and the Smelters
* Learning Segment: What is Stewart J. Cort Thinking of?
* **GREAT LAKES TRADER Tumultuous Departure**
* Learning Segment: Which Load for Which Route?
* CSL ST LAURENT The Sea Keeper Departs

### Pride

* SAGINAW and the Brief Anchorage
* Song: Pride
* Learning Segment: What Makes Stewart J. Cort Happy?
* **AMERICAN CENTURY Coming in for Coal**
* Learning Segment: Which Freighter for Which Job?
* MESABI MINER Against the Wind

### Lost and Found

* SAGINAW Loaded with Iron Ore
* Learning Segment: Job Destinations
* **ALGOMA CONVEYOR Beyond Grassy Point**
* Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - Stewart J. Cort
* Learning Segment: Where can Michipicoten find Saginaw?
* MICHIPICOTEN and the Superior Sunrise

### Bravery

* STEWART J CORT Deck Driving
* Song: Brave
* Learning Segment: Dot to Dot - James R. Barker
* **HON JAMES L OBERSTAR Arrives for Winter Layup**
* Learning Segment: Knowing What to do
* LADY DORIS Delivering Clay

### Loyalty

* ERIE TRADER and the Icicles of Spring
* Learning Segment: Fixing the Freighters
* **MANDARIN Arrives from Anchor**
* Learning Segment: Being Kind
* AMERICAN COURAGE Heavy with Limestone

### Seasons

* AMERICAN MARINER Buffalo Bound
* Song: Every Day's a Special Day in Duluth
* Learning Segment: What can Cool Down Stewart J. Cort?
* **AMERICAN CENTURY and the Sunrise Salute**
* Learning Segment: Cool Down Delivery
* ARTHUR M ANDERSON Misty Morning

## Trivia

* This is the last season of a few things:
	+ The last season in which the half hour formats feature episodes directed by David Mitton.
	+ The last season to have any of its episodes released on VHS in the US.
	+ The last season to be narrated by Daniel Vulcu in Romania and Ian MacAmhlaigh in Scotland.
* Manitoulin was referred to as a female in early American narrations of Tuneful Toots and Happy Rover and the Old Mine that broadcast on PBS Kids. This was corrected in later airings and on the DVD releases.
* This was Sharon Miller's first season as part of the writing team and as script editor. She later became the first head writer in the twelfth season.
* A large-scale model of Stewart J. Cort was built for when he interacted with the Narrow Gauge Freighters.
* This marks the only season Simon A. Brown was apart of the writing team.
* This series marks the first for several things:
	+ The first season where Stewart J. Cort appears in every episode, albeit not speaking in all of them.
	+ The first season to air on Milkshake in 2020.
	+ The first season since the sixth where Manitoulin speaks in more than one episode.
	+ The first season where the title cards are read aloud by the narrator including some of Seasons 6 and 7. However, a few US episodes did not have their titles read aloud in the Stewart and the Toy Workshop US DVD.
	+ The first season in which Alpena, Michipicoten, James R. Barker, Federal Churchill and Jem Cole do not appear since their introductions. However, Federal Churchill and Jem Cole make appearances in music videos, as does Alpena in a DVD game.
	+ The first season in which Maron station does not appear since its return in the sixth season.
	+ The first season produced by HiT Entertainment under ownership of Apax Partners.
	+ Marc Seal's first season as Additional Material Written.