McDuff, the Talking Dog
| McDuff, the Talking Dog | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Walter Willison |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 13 (2 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22? minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 11, 1976 – November 20, 1976 |
McDuff, The Talking Dog was a Saturday morning live action television program that aired on NBC in 1976. The show centered on the ghost of a 100-year-old sheepdog who used to live in the home now owned by a veterinarian, Dr. Calvin Campbell (played by Walter Willison). McDuff (voice provided by Jack Lester) could talk not only to the other animals, but also to Dr. Campbell. However, Dr. Campbell was the only person who could hear or see McDuff, which often led to wacky situations.
Dr. Campbell’s neighbor, Amos Ferguson, was played by Gordon Jump, who would later go on to WKRP in Cincinnati fame.
Broadcast history
At the beginning of the 1976-77 television season, McDuff, the Talking Dog was part of a three-hour block of six live action shows aired on Saturday mornings on NBC, alongside Land of the Lost, which was entering its third season, and four other new shows: Monster Squad, Big John, Little John, The Kids from C.A.P.E.R. and Muggsy. None of the six shows returned for the beginning of 1977-78 season, with McDuff being the first casualty. It was cancelled after only two months—after airing only 11 of the 13 episodes that had been produced. The original films were lost in a fire making a release of this material impossible.