TV Preview - It’s Me Or The Dog, Tues 7th March

Channel Four is a wonderful thing ain’t it? It’s taken nigh on 20 years for it to work out that ‘watching through fingers’ TV pulls the eyeballs in.

The had Minipops, a Glitterfest for kiddiewinks to schlink around singing Iko Iko or whatever. Now, with the dubious successes of You Are What You Eat and You! Your Boyfriend Didn’t Tell You He Was Working For The Taliban (possibly) they’ve got a new breed of wrongramme.

Welcome stage right, It’s Me Or The Dog.

Tuesday’s edition of It’s Me Or The Dog (Books) sees Chris and Claire Foster and their petulant
pooch or three. The couple were told that they couldn’t have kids, so
they did what any sane person would do, and got some more dogs. They
already had one. Oscar. A bull terrier. They’re a notoriously docile breed
aren’t they? So, when a lady’s womb is faulty, you buy some Labradors
and name them Jasper and Red. Good-o!

Then, just like the miracle of baby Jesus, Claire got preggers and had a child called Ellie.

Naturally, the explosive Molotov cocktail of a bawling baby and three
mentalist dogs drives all concerned crackers. So, the blindingly
fabulous Victoria Stilwell and the It’s Me Or The Dog team come along to punish all.

Really, if you haven’t seen It’s Me Or The Dog, tune in just to see Victoria.
She dresses like Marianne Faithful in Girl On A Motorcycle. That
said, she doesn’t randomly take her clothes off. She is however, part
fascist, part dominatrix, part Barbara Woodhouse and part plummy thesp.
She really is a joy to behold.

Over the course of It’s Me Or The Dog, we’ve seen bizarre little petite rat-dogs dressed in
leg warmers and shell suits, of which Stilwell instantly dismisses,
shoots down, and tells the owners - basically - that they are mistreating
their dogs, and they should be humiliated like their poor hounds. We’ve
also seen a foam-mouthed dog with autism who chewed its own reflection. Stilwell spotted and sorted that one.

Throughout the viewing of It’s Me Or The Dog, we are given a dog’s eye view through cameramen (presumably) lying on the floor, and shooting upward at the stern
presenter. Her methods are effective and sometimes bizarre. Sudden
yelps to control both dog and owner. Walking back and forth and leaving
rooms. Awkward and shy dog lovers forced into realising that they have,
for too long, been quite frankly, rubbish at being responsible. There
is enough to keep the scoffing viewer amused, but also enough
interesting soundbites and tidbits to quote at the water cooler the
next day.

Miss It’s Me Or The Dog at your peril.

Read more:

It’s Me Or The Dog - Channel Four

[story by Mof Gimmers]