The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name. The series revolved around a stray German Shepherd, the titular Hobo, who wanders from town to town, like a canine Incredible Hulk, helping people in need. Although the concept (of a dog saving the day) was perhaps also similar to that of Lassie. Despite the attempts of the many people whom he helped to adopt him, he appeared to prefer to be on his own, and would head off by himself at the end of each episode. His origins, motivation and ultimate destination never explained.
On his adventures ‘The Littlest Hobo’ came across a mixture of well-known Canadian guest stars such as DeForest Kelley, Michael Ironside, Patrick Macnee, Leslie Nielsen and Mike Myers . Considering the vastness of Canada and the average walking speed of a German Shepherd this was quite the achievement. During the course of its run, plots developed from the simple “dog-helps-person” stories to secret agent-type adventures, the highlight of which has to be Season 5’s two-part episode “The Genesis Tapes”.
In this episode a scientist and a reporter theorize that Hobo is some type of superior canine. They try to capture Hobo to study him, with the reporter wanting a story and the scientist wanting to claim to be the first to discover the ‘meta-canine’ as he puts it. Hobo succeeds in destroying VHS tapes of himself that the scientist and reporter had intended to use to prove their theories. Both episodes feature flashback footage from the first five seasons of the series but does not confirm or deny whether or not Hobo was a ‘Canis lupus familiaris superior.’
One of the most memorable elements to ‘The Littlest Hobo’ its fantastic theme song, “Maybe Tomorrow”, sung by Terry Bush. Even now, I find myself occasionally singing the theme song when I least expect to. When I do, (usually in public) I am greeted not with derision, but by heart-warming smiles of nostalgia. The song was later used in a 2011 advert for Dulux paint, a hate crime so cataclysmic as to bring me out in hives whenever I see so much as a tester pot. Does anyone else resent their precious childhood memories being hawked by advertising companies, trying to attach a sense of fond familiarity to their products? Just me then…
Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger was Toei Company's 37th entry in its long-running Super Sentai Series. It aired from February 17th 2013 to February 9th 2014 for 49 episodes. Long ago in the Read more
Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters. It features Reed Hadley as Zorro. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against Read more
Zone Fighter was a tokusatsu science fiction/superhero television series produced by Toho Company Ltd. It aired from April 2nd 1973 to September 24th 1973, with a total of 26 episodes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdhcjsVLDQY The series follows Read more
Zapped is a British sci-fi/fantasy sitcom that takes place in both in the real world and in a town called Munty which exists in a medieval fantasy world. The series Read more
Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan was a Philippine fantasy-drama television that span off from Space Sheriff Shaider. Originally it was conceived as a Filipino remake of Shaider but the Toei Company rejected the Read more
Mackenzie Crook returns in a new episode of his interpretation of Barbara Euphan Todd's Worzel Gummidge. Crook already has two episodes under his belt which debuted last Christmas- The Scarecrow Read more
In Mackenzie Crook's second episode of Worzel Gummidge a mysterious man arrival to Scatterbrook known as The Green Man (Michael Palin). Through the episode it is revealed that The Green Man Read more
Anticipation was high for Mackenzie Crook's interpretation of Barbara Euphan Todd's scarecrow adventures and with many seemingly already making their mind up based on the trailer it was an uphill Read more
Children's TV is no stranger to weird psychedelic visions but none have ever matched the trippy shizzle that legendary magician Paul Daniels (and wife Debbie McGee) came up with for Read more
Debuting in 1983 and running for eight episodes (of which three episodes were directed by Bill Bixby), Wizards and Warriors, was a fantasy show which focused on two neighbouring kingdoms Read more
Created by Tom Greene, Wildside debuted on March 21st 1985 and ran for six episodes. The show starred William Smith, J. Eddie Peck, Howard Rollins, Sandy McPeak, Terry Funk, John D'Aquino, Read more
Whiz Kids was created by Philip DeGuere and Bob Shayne and originally aired from October 5, 1983 to June 2, 1984, lasting one season and consisting of 18 episodes. Richie Read more
Debuting in 1998 and running for thirteen episodes, Welcome to Paradox was an anthology show where all the stories took place in the fictional future city of Betaville although the Read more
Warrior of Love Rainbowman was a tokusatsu series created by Kōhan Kawauchi. It was the first superhero TV series produced by Toho Company Ltd., and ran from October 6th 1972 to September 18th 1973 Read more
In 1953, Earth experienced a War of the Worlds. Common bacteria stopped the aliens, but it didn't kill them. Instead, the aliens lapsed into a state of deep hibernation. Now Read more
Voyagers! was a science fiction time travel-based television series that ran between 1982 and 1983. It starred Jon-Erik Hexum and Meeno Peluce and lasted for one season of twenty episodes. Read more
One of my favorite science fiction shows when I was a child was Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, starring Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson and David Hedison Read more
Viper was an American action-adventure TV series about a special task force set up by the federal government to fight crime in the fictional city of Metro City, California that is Read more
Running for eight episodes between February 3rd 1989 to April 14, 1989, Unsub came from the minds of David J. Burke, Stephen J. Cannell, and Stephen Kronish. It followed a special Read more
Ah Under the Dome how I love thee. You started so promisingly but after the fourth or fifth episode, you steadily deteriorated, like a cake left in the rain. First, there was your Read more
Stephen Pryde-Jarman
Stephen Pryde-Jarman is a Cult TV and Film journalist, award winning short story writer, playwright and screenwriter. A natural hoarder, second hand shopping fulfils his basic human need for hunter-gathering; but rummaging through a charity shop’s bric-a-brac shelf also brought him the inspiration for his novel Rubble Girl having seen a picture of a Blitz survivor sat amongst the rubble of her house with a cup and saucer. Rubble Girl has been described as " thought-provoking" and "fast paced ... with plenty of twists and turns." Amazon.
More Stories
Land of the Giants
The Immortal
Salvage 1