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Man. Dog. Sheep. This was an unlikely formula for Kiwi TV gold; A Dog's Show was familiar as a homespun in its long-running Sunday night slot. The show featured sheepdog trials from around the country, with commentary provided by a sagacious, bearded John Gordon. In the final from a 1981 series, three farmers wield sticks and whistles and put their dogs through their paces to wrangle the "sticky sheep". It's 1981, but the only riots here are ovine. Trivia: the opening tune is a version of the song 'Flowers on the Wall', also used in the film Pulp Fiction.
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I used to have one of those dog whistles as a kid, despite not having a dog. Loved this program and the theme music took me straight back to Sunday nights as a kid (same happens with the theme to Country Calendar!)
even though im 14 i love new zeraland and once i found this on this nzonscreen i felt like i was really at home
is there any more? i remember watching this on telly, i was quite little. never forgot the theme tune!
hi very good but, i am trying find the whistles made in NZ for sheepdogs for those of us whom do not have a loud whistle... :) .. they are shaped like a bottom of a tin can, folded in half, with a sml hole on one side .EXTREMELY hrd to use at first, till you get the nack of it. Any help Emenssly appreciated,,
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Television, 2008 (Full Length)
Features champion wrangler Lionel Winstanley
Television, 1981 (Full Length Episode)
Another rural favourite
Television, 1999 (Full Length)
Featuring more remotely controlled dogs
Television, 1998 (Full Length Episode)
More dogs in competition
Short Film, 1945 (Full Length)
Sheep dogs in action at the Dannevirke A&P Show
NZ ON SCREEN 2013
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Mark
Posted at 04.55PM - 19.05.2013
Just watched "A Dog's Show" rerun while having Sunday Dinner. This is the 70's-80's TV New Zealand agrarian equivalent of American Idle. A fascinating expose of the communication between 3 mammalian species Man, Dog and Sheep.
I'm surprised though that TV critics have never picked up the sociological analogy here. That is the interaction between governments- the human, the public sector - the dog and the sheep - society. In this light, the Human orders the Dog to maneuver, manipulate and regulate the Sheep most of who obey but you always get one or two sheep running off out of control.
But I would be fascinated to learn if other countries have such TV shows or is this a Kiwi aberration? I would also like to say, bring it back. With all the dumbed down talent shows we have to wallow through in the second decade of of the 21st century, we need to bring back something that speaks of Humanity as A Dog's Show does. (posted on Facebook)