Friday 19 October 2007

Catwalk dogs

A romantic comedy starring a Wire Fox Terrier is showing here on UK TV on Sunday 21st October at 9.00pm on ITV1. I know that many of my overseas readers won’t be able to watch it, but here are the details just in case:


Photo: © Neil Genower

Catwalk Dogs

Kris Marshall , Georgia MacKenzie and Diana Quick star along side canine principals Archie the Fox Terrier and Klaus the Rottweiler in this feature length romcom which shows the lengths to which dog lovers, and lovers, will go. Catwalk Dogs is the story of Sally and Michael a couple who are 'coping' with the trauma of miscarriage. The day Michael brings home pedigree puppy Archie it changes their lives forever. When Georgia Mackenzie realised she would have to work closely with a Rottweiler she had visions of a slobbering, growling beast. She was sorely mistaken.“I didn’t realise how docile they could be. Klaus was like a teddy bear. He was one of those dogs who leans on you – he’d fall over if I walked away.”Georgia laughs as she recalls: “No one actually asked me if I liked dogs when they offered me the role. The dog trainer told me she had once worked on a film about a little girl and her dog but she was allergic to dogs and no one had checked. “Luckily I love dogs or it would have been a nightmare. Especially the times I had to smear cream cheese on my face so Archie would lick me. It was gross but if it meant we got the shot I was happy. We got most things down with the aid of sausages – the trainer Gill would be standing behind me with a piece of sausage and that was the only way Archie could gaze at me lovingly.” “I’ve never actually owned a pet in my life – apart from a goldfish I got from a fair. I’ve never experienced an animal in the home but I did enjoy coming to work and hanging out with all these different breeds. “I can’t say it made me want to start dog showing though. I watched a DVD of Crufts and it was quite scary. All the trimming, clipping and hair drying that goes on. These people are utterly focused.”Sally’s biological clock is ticking as she approaches her thirties. She is devastated when she suffers her second miscarriage and this places further strains on her relationship with workaholic barrister, Michael. In an attempt to cheer her up Michael buys her a puppy, a very cute Fox Terrier. Enter into their life a bundle of fluff called Archie. The new arrival cannot paint over the cracks in the relationship and in fact widens them when Sally enters him in a local dog show. Archie wins. Michael scoffs. Sally leaves him. But she has nowhere to go until dog breeder, Guy, offers to let her stay at a cottage on his farm. The triangle is established as Guy and Sally become romantically linked despite his monster of a mother, Rottweiler breeder Mrs Jessop. Newly unemployed and drinking too much, a jealous Michael tries to win back Sally’s affection by taking a hitherto non apparent interest in Archie. He decides to show the dog himself with the help of dog walker Gill and a band of supporters from the local dog club. Guy presents Sally with a well bred Rottweiler called Klaus and the rivalry is set as Sally and Michael go head to head with their dogs, right the way through to the Best in Show at the National Dog Championships. Mrs Jessop will go to any lengths to achieve her dream of winning the championship but will Michael and Sally let the competition ruin their chances of happiness? Writer Simon Nye (Beast, Open Wide, Tunnel of Love, Men behaving Badly) says: "I knew very little about dog shows so I went to Crufts and was blown away by the madness of it all. Breeds I'd never heard of, bizarre accessories and the sheer number of competitors. To be honest I still struggle to know why the judges pick one dog over another." No stranger to working with animals Simon penned the sitcom Beast set in a vet's surgery."The first thing you realise as a writer working on a show like this is that it takes a minute to write a line of action for a dog, then several days for the trainer to provide the dog with the training to shoot that scene. But this film is really about people anyway – why we love dogs, what we get form them and are we completely bonkers to get so excited about grooming them to within an inch of their lives in order to win a rosette?" It helps that dogs are inherently funny, whereas cats, for example aren't. You'll notice also that there are no children whatsoever in the film. You can overdo the challenges…" Explaining the mix of humour and poignancy in Catwalk Dogs, Simon adds: "One of the best rules of comedy is pick a terribly sad subject and some desperate characters then the jokes will take care of themselves."

I don’t really care about the romance bit, being a dog and all, but I want to see Archie the WFT in action. Although this is a one-off drama, there is a possibility of it being made into a series! Whooohooo!

17 comments:

Simba and Jazzi said...

Mummy is looking forward to that. It looks like it is going to be funny.

Simba x

Molly the Airedale said...

We sure wish we could see that movie here! It sounds like a winner to us! Are you having popcorn to go with the movie, Jackson?

Love ya lots,
Maggie and Mitch

Amber-Mae said...

Wow! This show sounds great... I like watching dog championship shows altho I would not like being on one of those small tables being groomed & beautified for the show like those poor other show dogs. Ugh! I'm looking forward to it too!

Love licks,
Solid Gold Dancer

COL. Sam ASTA-fari Joe H. Pinkerton Peabody, Esq said...

Hello Jackson. We wish we could see that movie, and hope it will travel over the pond soon. We would love to see a brilliant WFT go up against a Rottie. Of course, WE know who would win!

Asta said...

Jackson
As you know my pawents and i awe suckews fow anything with a wiwe in it..I suwe wish they would show it hewe..maybe BBC amewica will get awound to it..i hope! Archie looks like a cutie!
We could watch fox tewwiews all da long!
have a tewwific weekend!
smoochie kisses
Asta

Headgirl said...

Golly gosh! I'm in your comments!

Yep, have seen the programme advertised - will be watching..

Read that JI & J2 went to see Tintin show - without you! Shocking!!!
When I heard that Snowy was to portrayed by a human for 99% of the show, I decided not to go to my local production, but the Playhouse is not so atmospheric as the theatre Royal.

Its a big blog day for me...
1000 posts!
And you've been commenting on most of them, TY

Love, pats & pets to my fav WFT
Blue

Juno said...

Jackson! I'd love to watch this TV. Just like Asta we also have BBC Canada but I guess they won't show this program. :(

Thank you for congratulating my anniversary and also barkday wishes to my mom!

Have a happy weekend!
Momo xoxo

Noah the Airedale said...

We get loads of British shows down here, hopefully we'll get to see this one too. We'll keep a look out for it. Thanks for letting us know.

Noah, Willow, Tess & Lucy

Scruffy, Lacie and Stanley's Place said...

Hey Jax...wish we could get it here...sniff. Scruffy's in jail still...he's heard from all the other wheeled dogs and they are headed over the pond. Dunstan will be thrilled; I think he missed them!!

Lacie

PreciOus said...

Hi Jackson,

this show sounds wonderful. I hope it makes its way around the globe to my lil' island! Can't put in too much hope though. Maybe it will come around many years later. *Giggle*

Snuggle,
Precious

Agatha and Archie said...

WE CAN NOT BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Archie has his own TV show!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!! I hope this doesn't go to his head!!!!Love Agatha

Accepting pawtographs now, Love Archie

Urban Smoothie Read said...

thx 4 sharing d story wit us...

Luna "The Scruffy Yacht Dog" said...

Hi Jax...We wires are SOOOO cute, how can they NOT put us on TV!! Keep us inform on how it all works out for Us that can't see it.My monies is on Archie!!
luna tic

Loui (and his mum!) said...

Mum has SKY+'d the programme Jackson! I thought I would settle down to watch it when the house was empty and I could sprawl out on the sofa with my mum and watch it!

Loui xx

Lenny said...

That show looks great - thanks for telling us about it! My dad is going to try to find it somewhere on the internet after it comes out.

Your friend, Lenny

William Tell said...

We would love to see this movie, so we'll keep an eye out for it over here. Sounds like a good one to sit back with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy.

William Tell

Stanley said...

Jackson,

You've got to do a follow up post on how it was. Sounds kind of cool.

Goob love,
Stanley