One Man and His Dog
| One Man and His Dog | |
|---|---|
| Presented by | Various |
| Theme music composer | Alan Benson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 23 (1976–1999) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30–60 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network |
BBC Two (1976–2012) BBC One (Countryfile, 2013–) |
| Original release |
17 February 1976 – 13 March 1999 (Regular series) – 27 December 1999 – 22 September 2012 (Specials) 27 October 2013 – present (Countryfile) |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Countryfile |
One Man and His Dog is a BBC television series in the United Kingdom featuring sheepdog trials, originally presented by Phil Drabble, with commentary by Eric Halsall and, later, by Ray Ollerenshaw. It was first aired on 17 February 1976 and continues today (since 2013) as a special annual edition of Countryfile. In 1994, Robin Page replaced Drabble as the main presenter. Gus Dermody took over as commentator until 2012.
At its peak, in the early 1980s, it attracted audiences in excess of eight million.[1]
History
The last regular series aired in 1999 on BBC Two; however, the same year also saw the first of a series of Christmas specials, which continued annually until 2011 and were contested by teams of shepherds from the four nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, in the three categories of Singles, Brace and Young Handlers. The main hosts have been Clarissa Dickson Wright, followed by Ben Fogle (initially with co-host Shauna Lowry), and Kate Humble.
Matt Baker joined the programme as a co-commentator (alongside Dermody) in 2006, and additionally became the main host in 2011. In 2012, the show was broadcast in two parts (the first of which was shown live) in September, and Baker was joined as a main presenter by Michaela Strachan. Dermody remained as a commentator until 2012.
Cancellation and merger with Countryfile
In July 2013, it was announced that One Man and His Dog was to cease being a programme in its own right, but the competition would become part of the rural affairs show Countryfile[2] on BBC One.
The first broadcast within Countryfile was on 27 October 2013, presented by Baker (who also continued as co-commentator) and Julia Bradbury. The Brace round was discontinued. Dermody was credited in 2013 as a consultant to the programme, but was no longer one of the commentators (replaced by Andy Jackman). For the 2014 competition, broadcast within the 28 September edition of Countryfile,[3] Baker co-presented with Helen Skelton. The 2015 competition was broadcast on 27 September 2015 and presented by Baker and Ellie Harrison.
Presenters and commentators
- Phil Drabble (1976–1993)
- Eric Halsall (1976–1990)
- Ray Ollerenshaw (1991–93)
- Robin Page (1994–2000)
- Gus Dermody (1994–99, 2007–2012)
- Clarissa Dickson-Wright (2000–02)
- Ben Fogle (2002–07)
- Shauna Lowry (2002–06)
- Matt Baker (2006–)
- Kate Humble (2008–2011)
- Michaela Strachan (2012)
- Julia Bradbury (2013)
- Andy Jackman (2013)
- Helen Skelton (2014)
- Ellie Harrison (2015)
DVD release
Thirty Years of One Man and His Dog is available on DVD in the UK.
See also
References
- ↑ "The game's over for One Man and His Dog". BBC News. 17 February 1999. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ↑ "Countryfile gives new home to One Man and His Dog". BBC News. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ↑ "One Man and His Dog on Countryfile this Sunday". BBC Countryfile. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.