Not A Pet Lover? You'll Still Love Downward Dog

Recently, I had the pleasure attending the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 World Premiere as well as the ABC TV Event and got to learn more about each, meet cast members, and more!
This event was hosted by Disney (all expenses were paid in exchange for press coverage).

I have to be honest. I’m not a dog person. I’m not an animal person in general, so when we had the chance to sit down to talk to Allison Tolman and Samm Hodges about the new ABC sitcom, Downward Dog, I wasn’t all that optimistic about how this was going to go.

Then we got to see the first two episodes, and while I’m still not a pet person in real life, I’m totally a TV pet person! The show is realistic, funny, and has a superb cast — all narrated by a dog!

About Downward Dog

This is a different kind of comedy that shows real life situations that many millennials are facing every day, but we get to hear the story from both Nan (Tollman), and Martin the dog’s (voice of Hodges) points of view.

Hodges explained the idea as: “We realized a dog has such an intimate view of the life of their owner… So it became much more about the character of Nan and him as an angle on her life, ’cause he sees all these moments that no one else was there for.”

Whether you are a pet lover or not, you are sure to find Downward Dog funny, relatable, and an all around enjoyable show. Be sure to catch the first episode Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

About Martin The Dog

We all know how dogs can have a mind of their own, but we never really know what they are thinking in those moments. Downward Dog uses those awkward dog/owner moments and puts a voice and explanation to them so as to give us an idea of what a dog is probably thinking in those moments.

It is totally hilarious because it fits so well within the scenario for each scene! You know what happens when you leave your dog at home alone for too long – now you get to hear the reason why your dog may have torn into all that garbage!

Martin (Ned in real life) is actually a rescue dog. They also have to do quite a bit of work to make the dog look like he’s actually talking. They have to record both the Ned and Hodges’ muzzle/face and marry their faces together.

Tolman tells us, “They would have [Ned] sit there and the trainer would be behind the camera and they’d try to make him look over here and try to make his ears move, just so he stays animated — like when you talk your face moves. It’s like Samm’s like facial movements speaking on top of Ned’s face.”

Based On A Web Series

Synopsis of Downward Dog

Based on a web series, “Downward Dog” follows the day-to-day life of Nan (Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Allison Tolman, “Fargo”), as told by her increasingly lonely and philosophical dog, Martin (voiced by Samm Hodges). Nan attempts to juggle her tumultuous personal life with a stressful career, unjustly supervised by her self-obsessed boss.

Having her story told from the canine perspective provides a uniquely unfiltered point of view that helps us laugh and cry about what it means to be a human being in the twenty-first century. It’s a show about a dog and the girl he adores, and even at their worst, Nan and Martin just might be best for one another.

Balancing It All

Careers, relationships, and responsibilities at home. Sounds like normal life for just about everyone, but in Downward Dog, you get to see how trying to juggle careers, relationships, and home life can all have an impact on — your dog!

In Downward Dog, Nan has recently broken up with her boyfriend and tries to focus more on her career, leaving out her dog in the process. Despite keeping an awkward relationship with the ex-boyfriend, she juggles a few different things in her life, drops the ball a few times, and realizes that she really needs her dog Martin, her best friend.

Downward Dog on ABC

All-new comedy “Downward Dog” will premiere in a special sneak peek on WEDNESDAY, MAY 17 (9:31–10:00 p.m. EDT), following the season finale of “Modern Family.”

The series, the first network comedy to have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, will move to its regular time period, Tuesday nights at 8:00–8:30 p.m. EDT, with its second episode, beginning May 23, on The ABC Television Network.