Despite its name, Downward Dog is not about yoga. Instead, it is a new comedy on ABC centered around a dog named Martin who is not capable of communicating with his owner but more than capable of sending his messages to the viewers, thus making it something new that may very well be worth a recording on your DVR. Dog lovers are sure to at least give this show a try and we’re here to tell you why.
Here are five things to know about Downward Dog:
It’s a Mid-Season Replacement
Downward Dog is a mid-season replacement, which is what it sounds like, being a TV show that starts in the second half of the traditional TV season in Canada and the United States. Most of the time, mid-season replacements are needed because some other show has been either cancelled, delayed, or put on hiatus, so it should come as no surprise to learn that most tend to be low-profile shows with low chances of renewal. However, Downward Dog shows signs that it could beat the odds stacked against it.
Not the Standard Talking Dog Show
Talking dogs tend to be rather non-serious in nature. After all, it is difficult for people to take the basic premise seriously, particularly when dogs are ingrained in the popular imagination as lovable but ultimately, more than a little bit goofy. Martin can be more than a little bit goofy, as shown by the fact that he eats Nan’s assignment in the first episode, but at the same time, it is interesting to note that Downward Dog is a serious exploration of fear and loneliness.
Martin Has Relatable Problems
For an example of the show’s seriousness, look at the relatable nature of Martin’s problems. In brief, he loves his owner, but at the same time, he resents it when she leaves him to go to work. This is because Martin has little understanding of what Nan actually does as well as why she does it, which is a mistake that all of us have made at some point in our lives, if perhaps not to the same extent. Furthermore, it is worth noting that existential angst is a core theme in the show, which should also be familiar for a lot of people out there to some extent.
Martin Is a Mutt
His own self-introduction points out that Martin is a mutt, meaning a dog that is not a product of intentional breeding. This was a deliberate choice to emphasize the fact that Martin is just a normal dog in spite of the fact that he can monologue to the viewers. Something that is further supported by how he is not as smart as he believes himself to be, though to his credit, he is capable of recognizing this fact.
The Dog Does Improv
Hilariously, the dog that plays Martin actually does a lot of improv because the show-makers are content to let him do what dogs do as a part of their policy to avoid stressing him. As a result, whenever the dog does something unexpected, the show-makers just roll with it instead of attempting to make him do what they want, which speaks volumes about their ability to adapt to unexpected outcomes. Something that bodes well for the show’s future.
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