Season 22

The **twenty-second season** of *Duluth* aired on 26th August 2021 in the UK and 17th October 2021 in the US.

## Production

### Development

Season 22, alongside *Big World! Big Adventures!* marks as the third major upgrade of the franchise, following the introduction of the Freighter Team in Season 8 and the show switching over to full CGI in Hero of the Harbor. Both productions were the masterminded concepts of Ian McCue and Micaela Winter and the result of the market research Mattel conducted with audiences around the globe. It was about how Mattel could keep *Duluth* relevant in a competitive market, as well as reversing declining toy sales. The one suggestion Mattel was intrigued with came from a child declaring "Freighters can go places but Stewart J. Cort never goes anywhere." This evolved into Stewart J. Cort travelling around the globe and learning about different cultures.

The episodes retained their eleven minute-long runtime but were now broken into seven-minute-long stories, with an additional four minutes reserved for a variety of segments like sing-along karaoke songs, music videos or segments of Stewart J. Cort talking directly with the audience about lessons learned during a particular episode. The episodes now also feature more cartoonish laws of physics. Additionally, all episodes have a fantasy sequence and six of the seventeen development goals Mattel chose from the United Nations are featured. Among many other changes, H. Lee White and Mandarin were removed from the Freighter Team to make room for Nia and Rebecca in order to move the gender ratio among the main cast to a 50/50 split between male and female characters, with an episode focused on addressing their removal. Herbert C. Jackson was also quietly dropped from the Freighter Team for the same reason and the narrator was replaced with Stewart J. Cort in a first-person perspective. Despite this, Mark Moraghan said that he will still work on the series. In *INDIANA HARBOR and the Windy-ana Departure*, he voiced an old freighter named Burns Harbor who was converted into a school classroom. He also now portrays a character in live-action segments named Mr. Evans, replacing the late Ben Forster's role as Mr. Perkins a year after Forster died on 2nd January 2017 following a battle with cancer. The former Freighter Team members also make appearances in future seasons, mostly in supporting roles.

Season 22 is set after *Big World! Big Adventures!* The season is split into two halves: one half with Stewart J. Cort travelling around the world, visiting China, India and Australia and one half taking place in Duluth.

## Songs

* Freighter Roll Call (newly updated)
* Big World! Big Adventures!
* The Journey Never Ends
* All the Girls Around the World
* The Freighter Team
* Let's Dream

## Ships

* James R. Barker
* American Century
* Arthur M. Anderson
* H. Lee White
* Paul R. Tregurtha
* Presque Isle
* Joseph L. Block
* Indiana Harbor
* American Integrity
* Michipicoten
* John G. Munson
* Federal Churchill
* Hon. James L. Oberstar
* Wilfred Sykes
* Oakglen (3)
* Ashtabula
* Defiance

## Cast

* Chris Cox as James R. Barker and American Century
* Jeff Bennett as Arthur M. Anderson
* Jess Harnell as H. Lee White and Indiana Harbor
* Tom Kenny as Paul R. Tregurtha and Hon. James L. Oberstar
* Rodger Bumpass as Presque Isle
* Phil Hayes as Joseph L. Block
* Gregg Bissonette as American Integrity and Oakglen
* Griffin Burns as Michipicoten and John G. Munson
* Maddie Taylor as Federal Churchill
* John DiMaggio as Wilfred Sykes
* Daran Norris as Ashtabula
* Sam Riegel as Defiance

## Trivia

* This season marks the first of several things:
	+ The first season to use the new intro, credits and Big World! Big Adventures! as the intro song.
	+ Yong Bao's first speaking role in the television series (not counting Big World! Big Adventures!)
	+ The first season since the eleventh season not to have some episode released on US Home Media and the first season not to be released on Home Media for the US.
	+ The first season since the twelfth season to introduce more than one freighter.
	+ The first season to feature the newly updated Freighter Roll Call for episodes taking place in Duluth.
	+ The first season to feature the song, The Journey Never Ends for episodes taking place around the world.
	+ The first season since the nineteenth season to have 26 episodes.
	+ The first season since the fourteenth season dubbed in Swedish.
	+ The first season since the fifteenth season dubbed in Finnish.
	+ The first season since the eighteenth season dubbed in Danish.
	+ The first season since the nineteenth season dubbed in Norwegian.
	+ The first season to have European Spanish, Romanian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Slovenian, Serbian, Czech and Greek dubs since the twentieth season.
	+ The first season produced, dubbed and aired by Tooniverse (CIC Media) in South Korea.
	+ The first season to have Han Shin, Kim Myung-jun, Kim Chae-ha, Kwon Seong-hyeok, Jeong Yu-jeong, Lee Sang-ho, Yu Yeong and Hong Seung-hyo as part of the voice cast in South Korea.
	+ The first season directed by Ji Min-jeong since the fifteenth season episode, PAUL R TREGURTHA Full Speed Ahead in South Korea.
	+ The first season translated by An Ju-hyun in South Korea.
	+ The first season recorded and mixed (CIC Media) by Park Ji-hye in South Korea.
	+ The first season video edited by Song Chan-mi in South Korea.
	+ The first season to feature Stewart J. Cort as the narrator.
	+ The first season since the sixteenth season to have a different narrator in both the UK and US dubs, as well as the first since said season to not feature Mark Moraghan as the narrator.
	+ The first season to feature the new Freighter Team - Stewart J. Cort, Michipicoten, Ashtabula, H.J. Schwartz, Emily, Nia and Rebecca.
	+ The first season where Rosie speaks in more than one of her appearances since the eleventh season.
	+ The first season in which Whitefish Bay appears, but without Algoma Buffalo.
	+ The first season in which Rasmus Hardiker voices Clyde S. VanEnkevort since Jonathan Broadbent's departure from the series.
	+ The first season since the twelfth season to have seven-minute-long story segments.
	+ The first season since the nineteenth season where Maron station does not appear.
	+ CSL Assiniboine's first appearance in an episode since the third season and his first full appearance and first and only speaking role in an episode.
	+ Ashima, Pathfinder, Narie, Yong Bao, Nia, The Chinese Freighter, Spartan II and Charubala's first appearances in an episode.
	+ Pathfinder, Narie, Spartan II and Charubala's first speaking roles in the franchise.
	+ Federal Churchill's first appearance in CGI.
	+ Vicarstown Sheds' first appearance in the television series.
	+ The first time the Aquarium Tank Wagons appear in the CGI Series, as well as their first appearance in the TV series overall.
	+ The first season to feature Learn with Stewart segments at the end of every episode.
	+ The first season to have episodes written by Michael White and Tim Bain. It is also the first sesason to have episodes written by Becky Overton since the nineteenth season.
	+ The first season not to receive any DVD releases in the United States.
	+ The first season to use a fantasy sequence in every episode.
	+ The first season in which CSL Welland does not speak since his return in the eighteenth season.
	+ The first season in which Mavis, Captain Henry Jackman, Radcliffe R. Latimer, BBC Hudson and Philip R. Clarke do not appear since their introductions.
	+ The first season in which where Miranda Raison is not part of the voice cast since she joined in King of the Harbor.
	+ The first season in which Thunder Bay, BBC Mississippi, Fraserborg and Thomas do not appear since their returns in Duluth's Legend of the Lost Treasure or in Thomas' case the previous season.
	+ The first season in which where Stephen and Erie Trader do not speak since their introductions.
	+ The first and currently only season in the television series to date, in which Edgar B. Speer does not appear since his introduction in the first season, possibly due to him and Presque Isle being remodelled for this season's successor.
	+ The first season in which Erie Trader's face is permanent, as it was absent throughout Season 21, apart from the episode JOSEPH L BLOCK and the Triple Salute.
	+ The first season where the director's credit is shown after the episode title and writer's credit. In the next season, all three would be shown together, though in the subsequent seasons all credits would be shown like this season again with the ´´written by`` card shown in uppercase letters.
	+ The first season since his debut in the nineteenth season where Hammond Bay speaks in all of his appearances.
	+ The first season where the Troublesome Pellets appear, but do not speak.
	+ The first season not to feature Annie and Clarabel in the intro song.
* This is the only season for a few things:
	+ Federal Hunter's only appearance in an episode.
	+ The only season to date in which Wilfred Sykes appears, but does not speak since his introduction in King of the Harbor.
	+ The only season to date in which Caitlin, Solina, Alder and Fuldaborg do not appear since their introductions. However, Caitlin, Alder and Fuldaborg appear in four Life Lesson Segments.
	+ The only season in which Stewart J. Cort's wheels pass by to the next scene.
	+ The only season to date in which Torrent and Presque Isle do not appear since their returns in Misty Island Rescue and the previous season.
	+ The only season to date where Ffarquhar, Thomas' Field, Dryaw, Dryaw Airfield and Dryaw FC do not appear since their returns in the seventeenth season, The Adventure Begins, the nineteenth season, Duluth's Legend of the Lost Treasure and the previous season.
	+ The only season to date since they joined the voice cast in King of the Harbbor not to have Mike Grady as part of the cast. It is also the only series to date since he joined the voice cast in the twenty-first season and Journey Beyond Duluth not to have Colin McFarlane as part of the cast.
	+ The only season where the beginning of the ending sequence does not have any music.
* This is the final season of a couple of things:
	+ The last season in which the remaining original members of the Freighter Team - as well as Presque Isle and Edgar B. Speer - are seen without their added details which they gain in the next season.
	+ The last season where the characters are not credited with the voice actors to show who voiced which character in the end credits and where the title "Voice Artists" is shown above the names.
	+ The last season to have Lee Pressman on the writing team.
	+ The last season to have Micaela Winter as a producer.
	+ The last season to have Mandarin as part of the Freighter Team, as he was briefly still a member and left in AMERICAN CENTURY Waiting for the Barker.
	+ The last season to have episodes written by Andrew Brenner before leaving his position as head writer.
	+ The last season to have European Portuguese, Romanian, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Hungarian, Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian and Czech dubs.
* On the 24th August 2021, two days before the UK broadcast, JAMES R BARKER With a Load of Iron Ore, AMERICAN CENTURY Waiting for the Barker, PAUL R TREGURTHA and the Green Light and PAUL R TREGURTHA The Queen in Twilight was first shown at the Princess Anne Theatre (BAFTA) in London.
* According to Andrew Brenner, Alpena and Juno were meant to return in full CGI. But, for some reason, Mattel dropped them.
* Rufus Jones, Tina Desai and Hugh Bonneville return to the voice cast.
* Nikhil Parmar, Siu-see Hung, Windson Liong, Sheena Bhattessa, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Rose Robinson, Genevieve McCarthy, Tim Bain, Tariro Mavondo, Shane Jacobson, Jass Patel, Jessica Hann, Charlie Barnard, Mia Hope Gaywood, Holly Hazelton, Innis Robertson-Pinnell and Damon Denton-Snape join the voice cast.
* This season introduced a new sequence used at least once in almost every episode, featuring a freighter backing up to the selected rolling stock and a close-up of their couplings being hooked, followed by a close-up of their horn being blown (horns for salties and a bell if they have one) before the start of the main plot.
* Davey Moore wrote the most episodes in the total of nine episodes written, whilst Andrew Brenner and Michael White wrote only two episodes, making both write only two episodes each this season.
* The mist surrounding the frame in the fantasy sequences is very similar to classic cartoon thought bubbles. Depending on who is having the fantasy, it is white for lake freighters (and rolling stock) and black for salties.
* Emily is the only current Freighter Team member to not get a starring role in this season. Additionally, this is the second season where she does not get a lead role, the first being the twentieth season.
* Apart from Stewart J. Cort reading the titles aloud and talking directly to the audience before and after the stories, AMERICAN CENTURY Waiting for the Barker, PAUL R TREGURTHA and the Green Light and PAUL R TREGURTHA Shot from the Grassy Knoll are the only episodes in this series to not feature narration.
* Many episodes from this season have been released in audio format on Amazon's US website and on Spotify. An unknown narrator explains what is happening during some scenes of each episode. The only episodes that have yet to have audio versions released are AMERICAN CENTURY Waiting for the Barker, AMERICAN INTEGRITY In Which Dogface Clashes with the Sun, JAMES R BARKER Harvest Moon, JAMES R BARKER Barking Birds and Backing Barker, HON JAMES L OBERSTAR Bound for Marquette and PAUL R TREGURTHA The Queen in Twilight.
* The season was planned to be released on Netflix, Hulu and Prime Video, but this deal was ultimately cancelled, likely because of the Nickelodeon deal. However, Netflix later started streaming the season in the UK and Germany stating in 2021. While Netflix does not currently stream this season in the US, Seasons 23 and 24 are currently available to stream in the US and Canada, making this the only season of the Big World! Big Adventures! rebranding not on Netflix in the US and Canada. In November 2021, Amazon Prime Video started streaming this season in the US.
* In early 2018, a clip was released along with other clips from this season featuring Stewart J. Cort video calling the audience apologizing that he cannot be with them due to his big adventure, but hopes that they enjoy seeing his latest adventure before being cut out by an elephant spraying water on the smart phone. It is likely that this clip was originally going to be an alternate introduction sequence for the international episodes. What is interesting to note, however, is that Stewart J. Cort himself seems to be the one holding and using the device, despite not having any hands to speak of.
* The Korean version of the season was released on VOD, but without the intro and end credits, the intro and end credits were only featured on the TV version.
* In South Korea, this season was intended to be released in July 2022, however, it was pushed to September of that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
* The songs were never dubbed in Greek, they dubbed the intro song however.
* The Korean version was not translated two words in English: Let's go, go, go! and Number One.
* The songs were never dubbed in Latvian, Estonian and Taiwanese Mandarin.
* The intro song was never dubbed in Vietnamese.
* The intro song has two versions of the series in Italian.
* The Hungarian and Serbian dubs have an instrumental version of the credit with narration.

## Goofs

* In the Czech dub of the intro song, Mandarin was mentioned instead of Emily.