For Your Batty Consideration: The Littlest Hobo (Season 11, Episode 3)

We returned to Canada to consider memorable CTV series The Littlest Hobo, a half-hour adventure/drama fronted by a mysterious canine. "Small Change" features 1980s arcade action, cranky old dudes, bumbling hoods...and MIME! Oh, yes, plenty of mime. Throw in a beloved theme song, and you get a series that may linger in the mind more than you expect.

Our podcast episode

Show notes and YT playlist

Anonymous Batty insider says: "Maybe not the biggest show in the lineup, but one that has a big pull for a lot of people. Ultimately, though, we are talking about two guys deciding the awards, though maybe the nominating committee will be generous. One thing we know is that Rick's wife Laurie has lobbied for the Hobo to be Outstanding Non-Human. That seems like a shoo-in nomination, at least. Canadian shows haven't exactly dominated the Battys, but there haven't been a lot of them, either."

YouTube Spotlight: The Littlest Hobo

In this week's spotlight, we focus on a clip from our Littlest Hobo playlist that promotes another Canadian show: The Alan Hamel Show.

I am more familiar with Hamel as Suzanne Somers' husband since the late Seventies and, somewhat notoriously, her apparent negotiator for Three's Company. However, he hosted multiple successful programs before transitioning to producer, including this daytime talk show. According to this promo, the program has something for everyone, though in the end it is "just for you!"

This website says that the show's Vancouver location was designed to make it easier to draw celebrities from Los Angeles as guests. CTV started the talk show as an alternative to the daytime soaps that were dominating the schedule. 

When The Alan Hamel Show left CTV, guess what replaced it in September 1980? That's right: The Alan Thicke Show! Thicke found success in the daytime slot before heading to the States to do Thicke of the Night.

Power Rankings: Canadians who should have been on "The Littlest Hobo"

Power Rankings Friday means we use our scientific, proven methods to rank something related to the show of the week. In this case, it's Canada's The Littlest Hobo, which featured many Canadian actors of renown, many in their early years, but by no means all of them!

Remember, this is based on who would win on a neutral field in Rouleau, Saskatchewan.

1) William Shatner: It's simple: He's gonna be number one or close to it for pretty much any conceivable list like this.

2) Leslie Nielsen: Imagine the off-camera hilarity as the noted prankster tried to blame certain odd sounds and smells on his co-star. And Nielsen would do the same to London, too!

3) Michael J. Fox: "That dog..." [Swigs some orange juice from the bottle] "That dog is special."

4) Kim Cattrall: London and "Lassie" together at last!

5) Eugene Levy: I'm sitting here picturing Levy and the Hobo in the same shot, and for some reason, I am already laughing.

6) Paul Shaffer: "That dog is one kooky cat, I tell ya!"

7) Rowdy Roddy Piper: Piper would have been willing to play the heel and lose out to the Hobo--just as long as he didn't have to take a pinfall, that is. Imagine how much he would have elevated the energy level on the show!

8) Dan Aykroyd: I could see him matching wits with the Hobo as a fast-talking con artist, a fast-talking shady salesman, a fast-talking--Well, you get the idea. Hobo doesn't need dialogue to command the screen, so the two would be a good pair.

9) Bonar Bain: One of our absolute favorite Conrads is of course Mr. Bain, but what a coup it would have been to get his twin brother, also a BOTNS star!

10) Anne Murray: No explanation needed...nor available. Just think of the seismic clamor this would have caused in, say, 1979.

Also receiving votes: Catherine O'Hara, John Candy, Bruce Greenwood, Rick Moranis, Martin Short

Show Notes and Video Playlist: Episode 11-3: The Littlest Hobo

*Thanks again to Friend of the Show Dann for suggesting this program! And we extend another sincere thanks to our friends and listeners in Canadia and ask that you please excuse our ignorance of Canadian television!

*This week's video playlist contains the actual episode of The Littlest Hobo we discuss, plus promos, commercials, and more, all with a bit of extra Canadian flavor! Just click below to check it out.

And remember, you can always check out our official YouTube page for past podcasts and epsidoe-specific playlists for each one!

*You can check out our Run, Joe, Run episode right here.

*The Littlest Hobo ran 6 seasons and 114 episodes on CTV from 1979 to 1985. 

*The series' theme song, "Maybe Tomorrow," is written by John Crossen performed by Terry Bush, a Toronto musician who recorded some other notable jingles. You can see some more of his work in the video playlist this week.

*"Small Change" premiered Thursday, February 7, 1985. The series ended its long run in March.

*Just the week before, CTV saw Check It Out! and Night Heat premiere.

*Chuck Eisenmann trained the Hobo dogs. He was also a big star in and organizer of military baseball teams and leagues in World War II, as you can see in this article.

*Multiple dogs played the title role, and this website gets into the German Shepherd business.

*World Mime Day is March 22 each year!

Episode 11-3: The Littlest Hobo

This week, we venture north to Canada, where resourceful, wise, and perhaps supernatural German Shepherd The Littlest Hobo wanders Ontario in search of humans in need of help. This time, the action centers around an arcade, where he finds a deaf guy, a mime, and a grumpy old man and helps stop a couple of nogoodniks bent on robbing the place.

#podcast #tv #retrotv #seventies #eighties #littlesthobo #dogs #arcades #videogames #canada

 

Check out this episode!

Tomorrow on Battle of the Network Shows...