The Three Ships

The Three Ships are one of the seven Magical Events. They feature three cruise liner-style ships, which look similar to the Queen Mary cruise liner. They sail past Teletubbyland after it fills itself with water (except the place where the Teletubbies are watching the event), turning it into an ocean. The ships then disappear at the end of the event and the water goes away, with a plug hole sound at the end. The sketch was first shown in 1997 in the Original UK airing of Playing in the Rain. Some Teletubbies fans are scared of or dislike the sketch due to the strange appearance of the ships. Other Teletubbies fans enjoy the sketch and do not find it scary at all. They know the ships aren't being sailed by anyone, the ships are magic and can move all by themselves. The water is also magic though also man made by special effects, using computer animation. The ships are 3D animated and have little flags on their hulls. The ships are a beautiful sight for the Teletubbies and Queen Moonlight. Most Teletubby Fans have enjoyed the sketch and love the animation, effects, music, and feeling of it

Appearances in the US Dubbed Version

• Playing in the Rain (Both UK Version and All US PBS Versions)
• Delilah Packing (US Pledge Drive Version)
• The Beach (US Original PBS Version and Rerun Version)
• Swimming with Stephanie (US Pledge Drive Version)
• Bubbles (Both UK Version and US Rerun Version)
• Numbers 3 (1st UK Version and both US PBS Versions)
• Numbers 6 (US Pledge Drive Version)
• Music with Debbie 2 (US Sprout Version)
• Colors - Blue (All US PBS Versions)
• Washing Up (All US PBS Versions)
• Washing the Car (US Original PBS Version and Rerun Version)
• Tennis (US Pledge Drive Version)
• Becky's Flake Cake (US Sprout Version)
• Long Horns (US Pledge Drive Version) - It's Time to Hear the Horns!
• Squeezy Painting (US Pledge Drive Version)
• Land Yachting (US Pledge Drive Version and Sprout Version) - Sand Sailing
• Tropical Fish (Both UK Version and US PBS Versions)
• Pebbles (US Pledge Drive Version)
• Ball Games With Debbie (Both UK Version and US Pledge Drive Version)
• Handshapes - Turkey (US Rerun Version)
• Circles (US Sprout Version)
• Spray Paint Mural (US Pledge Drive Version)
• Hide and Seek (US Sprout Version)
• Bagels (US Sprout Version)
• Running (US Sprout Version)
• Bubbles (Korea) (US Pledge Drive Version)
• Sign Painting (US Original PBS Version and Pledge Drive Version)
• Sand Bottle (US Pledge Drive Version)
• Balancing Pots (US Sprout Version)
• Canal Trip (US Original PBS Version and Rerun Version)
• Again Again TV Airing (Part 1)
• Teletubby Days: Po

Synopsis

The magical event starts with The Magic Windmill spinning. The Teletubbies then arrive and group up quickly at a place in Teletubbyland. The Baby Sun starts to giggle and laugh, being so excited. The Teletubbies then hear a ship's horn echoing in the background. They then venture off to the destination of the Magical Event silently. A puddle appears and it magically grows bigger and bigger, filling Teletubbyland with water and turning it into a deep ocean (though some parts of land remain unflooded). The Teletubbies then sit down on an island and are very excited about what they're going to see. Jolly music starts playing in the background and the same ship's horn is heard, along with the sound of splashing water. Three black dots appear on the horizon and gradually get bigger, with the horn still heard. A tune that sounds like "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In On Christmas Day" starts playing. The black dots are revealed to be three cartoon animated ships similar to the RMS Queen Mary that blows their horns numerous times and sail very close to the screen but then turn to port (left) and the Teletubbies see the rest of the ships. The ships are then shown sailing in different positions across the ocean (behind, from the sides and in front). After a few laps of the ocean, they turn to starboard (right) and then back to port, before sailing away and blowing a farewell horn. The ships sail across the ocean and out of the background, with the jolly music coming to an end. The ocean remains for a few seconds before the water starts to shrink turning into puddles with the dry land being revealed again. The island the Teletubbies were sitting on to watch the ships turns back into a tiny hill again and once all the water has vanished a gargling plug hole sound is heard. The Magic Windmill stops spinning or the Baby Sun giggles.

Trivia

• There is a picture of a flower on the flags of the Three Ships.
• In Playing in the Rain (UK Version), The Helicopter, and the PBS Versions of Numbers 6 (Pledge Drive Version), Music with Debbie 2 (Sprout Version), Long Horns (Pledge Drive Version), Land Yachting (Sprout Version), and Canal Trip (Rerun Version), the Sun Baby isn't shown giggling when the Teletubbies go to watch the Three Ships.
• In Café Chocolate, and the PBS Pledge Drive Version of Washing Up, the Teletubbies are silent before the ships appear.
• In The Helicopter, and the PBS Pledge Drive Version of Numbers 6, a fade effect is used to transition to the Windmill stopping after the ships sail away.
• During the scene where the water drains, the animation of the water filling up is played backwards.
• In Making Bread, and the PBS Versions of Playing in the Rain (Pledge Drive Version), Swimming With Stephanie (Pledge Drive Version), and Running (Sprout Version), the Sun Baby giggles for Tubby Bye-Bye after the ships sail away.
• In Lighthouse, Collecting Stones, Going Up and Going Down (UK Version), and the PBS Versions of Delilah Packing (Pledge Drive Version), The Beach (Original PBS Version), Bubbles (Rerun Version), Circles (Sprout Version), and Bagels (Sprout Version), the Three Ships happens after the TV Event.
• In Paddling By the Sea, the Windmill stops spinning and goes to The Splashing Dance.
• In the Original UK airing of Tropical Fish, and in the PBS Versions of Numbers 3 (Version 1 of the Pledge Drive Version), and Colours - Blue (Original PBS and Pledge Drive Version), the camera cuts to Tubby Bye-Bye after the Windmill stopped spinning.
• If you look closely at the scene where the water fills up and/or drains, you can clearly see that it's just a picture, as the clouds and trees do not move at all.

RARE Windmill Clip before The Three Ships

Teletubbies- The Three Ships (VERY RARE Windmill Clip)

Taken from the Original PBS Version of Washing Up Note: When the Teletubbies wake up to watch The Three Ships, the Magic Windmill spins with the 2nd part of the Magical Event Tune. Then after they wake up, the Magic Windmill still spins and the Teletubbies run off as the Magic Windmill spins with the Magical Event Tune all over again. Also, when the Teletubbies are sitting on the island for The Three Ships, they giggle (must watch video to see it)