Downward Dog is a new ABC comedy starring my current avatar, Martin, a dog who talks to the camera and has complicated issues but also finds bags of trash irresistible. Allison Tolman is the owner and is probably most remembered here for Fargo Season 2. I think this show is just brilliant. It is so smartly written: it can be hilarious, it can be very adult with drug references and the bleep sound heard every episode, and it can be very dark as in the cat song Martin dreamed about at the end of last night's Episode 6. I wonder if anyone else has noticed it?
It seems to have good ratings so far. I doubt it will ever be more than a summer series. I imagine it is rather time consuming to make.
It's completely charming and Mrs. Lemur and I have become big fans. We dig the low-key, good-natured vibe and it's a nice twenty-some minutes of Zen. And, as we have a cadre of furry creatures as roommates, I'm often wondering what's on their minds.
One of one of the best new shows this year, which means it will probably be cancelled. It is right up there with my favorite comedy on TV "Life In Pieces"
I just discovered Life in Pieces this summer. Absolutely hilarious and such an original format. My mom and I love Downward Dog. Martin is hilarious. I think the most impressive thing about the show is all the allegorical references to human problems or ideas. The trash eating was a double for addiction. The episode where Nan was like Martin's god... There's more that I'm forgetting. Sadly, I see no way it's coming back next year, unless ABC has lowered its standards in the last year. Uncle Buck was getting better ratings in the same timeslot last year and to everyone's surprise, it was cancelled. I also imagine this show is probably more expensive to make--it looks like it, anyway (maybe I'm letting a muted coloring fool me into thinking it's more cinematic).
Next week is already the season finale with two episodes at 10 p.m. A decision on renewal must be made in the next few days: ‘The Carmichael Show’ & ‘Downward Dog’ In Renewal Limbo As Cast Options Are Set To Expire
My wife and daughter love the show and had been trying to talk me into watching it. I finally did this week... it was ok. Seemingly original for network TV, but it wasn't anything that made me want to be sure to see more episodes.
There's still a possibility of another network picking it up. Keep your fingers crossed. Meantime, there's Season 11 of The Big Bang Theory to look forward to. *cough*
Possibility. It had steady ratings. It's being shopped to other networks. I have to root for it as it is a Pittsburgh show. Don't remind me. It's the Seinfeld conundrum on movies applied to television: do you walk out and stop watching this abomination? Or do you watch until the end after watching all of the previous seasons?
This is probably just wishful thinking on my part but I did notice ABC said multiple times last night "Season Finale" rather than "Series Finale". At least it might keep open the possibility that some other network is actually negotiating for it.
Ah I came across it last night and thought it sounded familiar. I didn't watch it though. I'll give it a go next time.
Thanks for the heads-up on this show. We've watched 3 or 4 episodes and have found it pretty funny so far. I hope it gets renewed or picked up somewhere else for next season.
I watched the two episodes separately. They were both great but the second was rather touching and appropriate for some kind of end. I laughed when Martin said in the forest after it got dark: "There is no one here to turn on the lights". Nice article from a reviewer assuming the show would be stupid but thought it was good: 'Downward Dog': Can this sweet canine comedy be saved?
I thought it was right-sized for the original web shorts, but scaled up to network length? Not surprised it didn't last, as it seemed a concept that would soon wear thin in a longer version. John K.