The Littlest Hobo
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Maybe tomorrow, I'll wanna settle down... |
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The Littlest Hobo (1963-65, 1979-1985) is a Canadian television series that chronicled the journeys of an unnamed heroic German Shepherd who travelled from town to town, helping people in need.
In every episode, the dog (simply referred to by most fans as "the Hobo") befriends a person or family who is in need of help (due to various circumstances). The Hobo often performs dangerous feats to save the supporting characters from danger, and helps them solve their current problem. When his job is done at the end of every episode, the Hobo declines to be the pet of the people he has helped, and departs to continue his cross-country drifting.
There have been two separate series made that bear the name The Littlest Hobo: the original (which ran in the 60's) and the more widely-known sequel series that aired on CTV in the 80's.
The Littlest Hobo is considered to be a cultural landmark for Canadian television, and is still remembered fondly by many Canadians who watched the sequel series when it originally aired. To this day, it runs in syndication on Canadian television.
- Adventure Towns
- Amplified Animal Aptitude: Among other feats, the dog has helped rescue a Russian ballerina from mobsters and delivered a shipment of vital medicine to children in need by parachuting from an airplane with the medicine on his back.
- But Now I Must Go
- Canada, Eh?
- Fan Nickname: Most fans simply refer to him as "The Hobo".
- Hey, It's That Guy!: Many recognizable Canadian actors got their big break on this show, including Michael Hogan and Mike Myers.
- Left Hanging
- No Name Given: The dog is never named on-screen, and is often given a nickname by the individuals he meets in any given episode.
- The Parody: The Littlest Hobo has been skewered by several major Canadian comedy programs, including This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Corner Gas had an entire episode that centered around a dog that acted just like the Hobo.
- The Littlest Godmonster, brought to you by Dr. Ashens, courtesy of some footage from a terrible 70s monster movie.
- Status Quo Is God: Despite the fact that almost every person the dog meets offers to give him a home, food and comfort, the dog either runs off or disappears at the end of every episode.
- Time Compression Montage: The end credits, and the beginning of most episodes.
- Timmy in a Well: sometimes turned Up To Eleven, as mentioned under "Amplified Animal Aptitude" above.
- Walking the Earth