3 Hour Puppy Bowl

February 7, 2005 12:29 PM

It's All About the Puppy Bowl. To compete with yesterday's SuperBowl, the Animal Planet Channel aired three hours of puppies wrestling on a football field mat. There was no commentary and very little sound. 'Brilliant' does not begin to describe the result.
posted by schambers (50 comments total)

A good friend of mine pointed it out to me, even as a non pet owner I thought it was pretty cute.
posted by riffola at 12:37 PM on February 7, 2005

I watched bits of it. And loved it. And am not ashamed.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:43 PM on February 7, 2005

Hmm, sounds to me like someone has been watching the South Park episode Quest for Ratings in which "The school is in favor of Craig's show "Animals Close-Up With a Wide-Angle Lens" because it is cheaper to produce and is getting a 57 share in the ratings."

If you have seen it, you'll understand. If you haven't seen it, I'm sorry

tvtome
posted by darkness at 12:44 PM on February 7, 2005

Damn- missed it! That'll teach me to stay off TV on SuperBowl Sunday.
posted by mireille at 12:48 PM on February 7, 2005

We turned this on for a bit before going to be last night. Our dog was absolutely enthralled. He has a new favorite TV show.

Has anybody heard this episode of This American Life, featuring an entrepreneur who's trying to sell the idea for a "Puppy Channel"? I really hope that this guy was involved in the Puppy Bowl, and that his great idea finally made him some money.
posted by mr_roboto at 12:52 PM on February 7, 2005

Sounds a lot like the the puppy channel... as described on This American Life awhile ago...
posted by ph00dz at 12:53 PM on February 7, 2005

Loved it, though I only watched for a few minutes. The waterbowl cam was pretty funny.
posted by malaprohibita at 12:54 PM on February 7, 2005

That jack russell puppy was the Rudy of the game.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:00 PM on February 7, 2005

I probably would have watched that, but I'm a Pats fan...yea !! Besides, we have 3 dogs, so "Doggie Bowl" is a nightly occurrence, and sometimes I wish I could change the channel.
posted by lobstah at 1:08 PM on February 7, 2005

I tuned in after the Super Bowl, just in time to see a ref call a penalty for "poop on the field".
posted by dirigibleman at 1:17 PM on February 7, 2005

I listened to the This American Life episode about the puppy channel too. It seemed like a brilliant idea, and I don't know why the guy didn't get funding. It certainly wasn't for lack of trying. I hope he is a well-paid consultant for Animal Planet now.
posted by Triplanetary at 1:21 PM on February 7, 2005

Addictive!! Loved the goldens stomping in the water bowl.
posted by OhPuhLeez at 1:21 PM on February 7, 2005

The camera in the water bowl was hilarious. It was interesting to watch which puppies figured out there was something under there...
posted by Dr. Zira at 1:21 PM on February 7, 2005

I find it difficult to even comment on. Personally I think TV hit a new low, but my wife and I couldn't stop watching it. We first thought it was on a short look like the Yule Log, but we were wrong, yes, three full hours of frolicking puppies. For those of you who missed it (or want to watch it again and again) you can pick up the DVD for about $10.
posted by f5seth at 1:26 PM on February 7, 2005

I watched bits of it. And loved it. And am not ashamed.

Nah. We've had the shame bleached out of us by twisted shows like "The bachelor" etc.

Puppies rule.
posted by tkchrist at 1:51 PM on February 7, 2005

Heard about it and thought it was a great idea. Far better than the lame Lingerie Bowl but I do miss the Bud Bowl (or did I miss it this year?).

tkchrist, has my shame been bleached out too since there's no way in hell I'd ever watch something as tawdry as The Bachelor?
posted by fenriq at 1:53 PM on February 7, 2005

Besides, we have 3 dogs, so "Doggie Bowl" is a nightly occurrence, and sometimes I wish I could change the channel.

I hear ya. I do admit that the highlight of every day is what I like to call, "The Nightly Showing of the Teeth, Complete with Wookie Sounds." That kicks mega ass.

Personally I think TV hit a new low,...

No, that moment was achieved with "Strange Love". Foofie-foofie!
posted by NoMich at 1:55 PM on February 7, 2005

betty watching animal planet "puppy bowl"
posted by plemeljr at 1:56 PM on February 7, 2005

We've had the shame bleached out of us by twisted shows like "The bachelor" etc.

Puppy Bowl is far better than any reality series we've ever seen, even the ones that aren't half bad (IMO). Puppy Bowl is a lot more honest about appealing to us on a baldly emotional level, and it's appealing to some of our more admirable emotions.
posted by hifiparasol at 2:14 PM on February 7, 2005

plemeljr - Beautiful. Just beautiful.
posted by OhPuhLeez at 2:30 PM on February 7, 2005

I miss the lingerie bowl, and the bud bowl. Where were they last night? God knows we needed an alternative to Paul McCartney. I wish he would die like the rest of the Beatles.
posted by b_thinky at 3:13 PM on February 7, 2005

I watched this during half-time. Man, I thought New Orleans played bad defense...
posted by Gilbert at 3:15 PM on February 7, 2005

The Bud Bowl hasn't been on for years. The Lingerie Bowl is probably another victim of the FCC.
posted by dirigibleman at 3:32 PM on February 7, 2005

Dang, wish I'd known this was on. I was actually kinda burned out on football & so not enjoying the Super Bowl (gasp! Heresy!!).
posted by alumshubby at 3:33 PM on February 7, 2005

A friend of mine (also a This American Life listener) called me from his super bowl party (waking me from a nap) to tell me about the Puppy Bowl, which he had found channel surfing during halftime. We both agreed they totally ripped off the idea from the guy featured on TAL. I thought it was utterly brilliant and couldn't take my eyes off of it for at least 20 minutes.
posted by matildaben at 3:36 PM on February 7, 2005

anybody got a torrent for the puppy bowl? this sounds cute.
posted by taumeson at 4:12 PM on February 7, 2005

Watched this too. So saccharine it's got to cause kidney failure, but strangely compelling. My dog was mesmerized.

But I'm surprised no one has mentioned the stated purpose of it yet: to promote pet adoption. On that basis, it's something I wouldn't mind seeing repeated.
posted by iJames at 4:16 PM on February 7, 2005

I absolutely loved this. It's as if they said, "Like we can compete for viewers? Fuck it, here's some puppies."

Here's hoping for a Puppy Final Four, Puppy World Series, Puppy Cup, etc.
posted by snarkywench at 4:16 PM on February 7, 2005

I thought it was great, just great.

FOR ME TO POOP ON!
posted by mr_crash_davis at 4:27 PM on February 7, 2005

Metafilter: Fuck it, here's some puppies.
posted by sugarfish at 4:33 PM on February 7, 2005

What can I say? I left my bedroom TV tuned for the entire program. I didn't watch all of it--that much cuteness is hard to handle in large doses.
posted by PuppyCat at 4:33 PM on February 7, 2005

They're selling the dvd at the discovery channel website for 10 dollars. I was facinated by the sheer Phoning-It-In response to the Super Bowl that this represents, but yet it drew me in. I did some research on it, and all those puppies were taken from a couple of area rescue shelters.

Also, I'm totally buying that DVD.
posted by absalom at 4:53 PM on February 7, 2005

I watched parts of the Puppy Bowl after the Super Bowl. It was way too adorable. My dog sat up and paid attention too.

I'm totally buying the DVD as well.
posted by SisterHavana at 4:58 PM on February 7, 2005

I bought the DVD today. I wonder what my dogs will make of it....
posted by subgenius at 5:13 PM on February 7, 2005

They do have a very short preview on the site, but couldn't find clips anywhere else.
posted by OhPuhLeez at 5:25 PM on February 7, 2005

I ordered it.

What can I say?

Love dogs. Have no dog. Must watch other peoples' dogs.

Puppies! It's frolicking puppies!
posted by Savannah at 8:57 PM on February 7, 2005

It's Earl's "Box of Puppies" from Brian Henson's
Dinosaurs (1991-1994)! Earl was put in charge of
a TV station, in a desperate attempt to boost ratings.
Ratings were indeed boosted, but IQs dropped
precipitiously, and the show had to be cancelled for the good
of all.

"Some days you can't stand the sight of a puppy" - Bono
posted by the Real Dan at 10:48 PM on February 7, 2005

You think they'll have a cat day?
posted by Coltrane at 11:41 PM on February 7, 2005

This absolutely rocks. I so wish I had cable to have seen it.
posted by Bugbread at 12:35 AM on February 8, 2005

I sent email to the puppy channel asking if they're involved in this. I'm sincerely hoping they are. It'd be awful to think that the long ignored idea of puppy television finally came to be without the originator being involved.
posted by mosch at 12:55 AM on February 8, 2005

My neighbor says dogs can't see the 2D tv image. But then plemeljr's doggie was looking at the HDTV. What gives?
posted by GlitterBum at 3:09 AM on February 8, 2005

My neighbor says dogs can't see the 2D tv image.

Does that mean if a dog loses an eye, it can't see anything?
posted by Bugbread at 4:09 AM on February 8, 2005

My neighbor says dogs can't see the 2D tv image.

I wonder if they are reacting to the sound of the puppies playing, sort of, "Why are there other dog's barking coming from that shiny box on the table?"
posted by plemeljr at 6:31 AM on February 8, 2005

I came across the show while looking for anything to watch that wasn't the Super Bowl (I'm just not a fan, even being from Philadelphia) I couldn't believe they were actually showing puppies playing for that long, but after watching about 10 minutes of it I had to change the channel, because I knew otherwise I'd be sucked in for the rest of the night. I'm glad to see that so many people responded well to the program, but I still can't believe you can buy it on DVD, haha! I couldn't watch it over and over again myself, but if even one puppy got adopted solely from someone watching that program they should air things like it every day!
posted by meg6212 at 6:34 AM on February 8, 2005

My neighbor says dogs can't see the 2D tv image.

I have a neighbor who thinks the Rapture is scheduled on alternate Thursdays. So what? Your neighbor is wrong.
posted by iJames at 7:02 AM on February 8, 2005

I too instantly thought of the puppy channel, and will be checking back here to see if mosch comes up with anything. If the long-suffering puppy-channel guy isn't getting mondo bucks from this application of his widely known idea - I smell lawsuit...!
posted by soyjoy at 8:04 AM on February 8, 2005

Second your neighbour is wrong. I had a dog that could recognise at least a doen words on flash cards out of a deck of 50.
posted by Mitheral at 11:38 AM on February 8, 2005

Okay my neighbor is wrong, but she's the one with three dogs . I on the other hand, have never lived with anything cute and cuddly except for boyfriends.
posted by GlitterBum at 4:44 PM on February 8, 2005

Oh, yes indeed, me three that this was the best thing I've seen on the tube since the Glutton Bowl and that all i could think of was the TAL "Puppies" episode. I sat and sang the "puppies puppies puppies" song until my wife came over and hit me on the nose with a rolled up newspaper.
posted by mwhybark at 5:13 PM on February 8, 2005

I watched it twice in a row. It was better than "Cats."

I'm definitely getting the DVD.
posted by lnicole at 9:30 PM on February 8, 2005