How A Dog-Themed Game Show May Have Changed TV History

14th February 2023

People love dogs and love seeing them on TV, with the pampered pets seen on the screen often inspiring cockapoo grooming styles at home.

Every year at the start of March we see the strongest evidence of this, as Crufts regularly captures a considerable audience, as do other similar events around the world.

However, whilst the connection between dogs and television is typically rather positive, there is one strange exception to this, where a 1980s dog-themed show was once accused of destroying an entire broadcaster, although the truth is a little more complex than this.

In 1982, Television South West took over from Westward as the provider of ITV television in the region, and whilst they stuck for the most part to the ITV schedule outside of birthday dedications read by rabbit mascot Gus Honeybun, they did make one notable exception.

In 1984, the first episode of That’s My Dog, co-created and starring host and “general dogsbody” Derek Hobson and starred two dogs alongside their families who would take part in a series of challenges.

Alongside an equestrian-style assault course, there were also quizzes about the pet’s medical history and a final jackpot challenge where the owner of the winning pet would handle an object that the dog would have to choose.

As well as this, there was a game where the “Kennel Maid” would bring in a famous celebrity’s dog that the couples would have to guess from clues as a furrier version of Through The Keyhole.

Interestingly, whilst the two families sat behind Family Fortunes-style podium platforms, their pet’s name was emblazoned on the side rather than the family name.

It lasted until 1988, but what made it historic was that it allegedly changed television history forever, as the show’s relatively low production values caused TSW to lose their South West ITV franchise to Westcountry Television.

The truth is more complex; TSW overbid in a blind auction and was rejected on the grounds that the money they were being charged was too much to pay back each year, although the low-budget productions of shows like That’s My Dog may have helped that perception.

The show led to a team-based follow-up called Superdogs and an American version ran from 1991 until 1995.