National Dog Show Presented by Purina airs Thanksgiving Day from noon-2p.m. in all time zones.
November 17, 2011 • Most Popular
John O’Hurley and David Frei launched The National Dog Show Presented by Purina for NBC’s Thanksgiving Day audience 10 years ago (that's 70 in dog years, right?) and their faces and voices are now a holiday tradition for a total of some 20 million total viewers each year following the famous Macy’s Parade.
O’Hurley, best known for his role as J. Peterman on “Seinfeld” and his turn as Ultimate Champion of the inaugural “Dancing with the Stars,” hosts the annual celebration of dogdom. Frei, host of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on USA Network and one of America’s foremost authorities on all things canine, is the expert analyst.
With their unique perspective and love for man’s best friend, the show delivers the excitement of competition as 2000 dogs and handlers vie for Best In Show plus the amusing and instructive commentary that has become a trademark of the two-hour TV special. It airs on Thanksgiving Day following the Macy’s Parade from noon-2 p.m. in all time zones.
Here they are talking about a decade together as the show reaches its landmark 10th anniversary.
Q: John and Dave, The National Dog Show Presented by Purina brought the two of you together ten years ago and you’ve become great friends. How would your lives be different today if you hadn’t been called to work together on the Thanksgiving Day broadcast?
John: We would both be watching reruns of “It’s A Wonderful Life” on Thanksgiving Day from our separate homes and in separate lives. I’d be referring to dogs by their color and size, and have a working knowledge of maybe two breeds. But ten years of the NDS has given my wife and I a treasured friendship with the Freis, a wealth of knowledge about God’s great creatures, and the extraordinary experience of spending Thanksgiving week in New York City. We are so grateful for all.
David: My father was a football coach, so Thanksgiving Day was football time and I suppose I would still be doing a lot of that. But the biggest difference is that I would never have had John in my life. We and our wives have become great personal friends, and we have been there for his marriage to Lisa, the birth and the baptism of his son, William, the passing of his beloved dogs and to help them bring new dogs into the family, and for the writing of his two great books. Mostly we have had the wonderful experience of hearing up close and personal John’s wonderful philosophy of life.
Q: As you know, the movie Best in Show poked fun at the dog show world. What kind of input have you received from people over the years about the movie, which inspired the creation of The National Dog Show?
John: Most people who have seen the movie are grateful that we present a show that is as fun to watch as it is educational.
David: The movie was hilarious, a wonderful satire and being the object of that satire, with our roles being played by tremendously talented people, I think we should take it as a compliment. They did not make fun of the dogs, they did not make fun of the sport, and they only made fun of the people. And I think we can readily admit that we indeed provide a character-rich environment that helped to make this movie a great comedic success. I am amazed at how often still, almost every day it seems, that I am asked about the movie, which was released eleven years ago. This movie truly does continue to stimulate interest in the sport and in the big events like Westminster and the National Dog Show.
Q: How exaggerated are some of those portrayals of the people involved in the shows?
John: People always ask – are the owners really as crazy as they were parodied in the movie? I always answer that real shows are often family events. Real owners learn how to get out of the way of their dogs and let them take the spotlight.
David: Like any endeavor, whether it’s dog shows, football, NASCAR, or a chess club, there are unique people in our world. As I said previously, we are certainly a character-rich environment, too, and while some of the portrayals in the movie are a bit over-the-top, my dog show friends and I have admitted to seeing a bit of ourselves or our friends or people that we know in the characters in the movie. I have had similar adventures to the “Mr. Bumble Bee” incident. I find myself quoting characters in the movie fairly regularly, too.
Q: How exaggerated are the portrayals of those TV announcers?
John: The movie was a wonderful send-up of the rich history of the Dog Show world. I am a poor replacement for the talent of Fred Willard, but I strive to live in his shadow.
David: Well, of course they are exaggerated (I hope!), and that’s what helps to make the movie so funny. I am sure that some things have fallen out of my mouth from time to time that I wish I had said differently, or not at all, in the nine years of doing the National Dog Show and 22 years of doing the live Westminster telecast. But it’s a dog show. Dogs are supposed to make us smile, that’s their job. So to take it to the next step, the movie about dogs and dog shows should make us smile, too.
Q: People are always asking you what your one or two favorite breeds are. Can you choose just a couple?
John: For the purposes of the show, I love the Irish Setter, and every year I make no apologies for my prejudice. Their color, gait and grooming make wonderful television.
David: I love my Brittanys and my Cavalier for what they do for me every day and for what they do for the people that they visit with me doing their Angel On A Leash therapy dog work. My dogs do something to make me smile every single day. And I also had a wonderful 30 years of involvement with Afghan Hounds, the king of dogs. There are a lot of other breeds that I like, however, I haven’t gotten them into my family just yet.
Q: What is your favorite memory, on or off camera?
John: My first year, when the judge was picking through the hair on the face of the English Sheep Dog, and David was remarking that she was looking for the eyes to gauge the dog’s attentiveness. I remarked, “If she picks through all that hair and finds only one eye, she’s got the wrong end of the dog.”
David: Anything having to do with Rufus, the indomitable Bull Terrier that won Best In Show at the National Dog Show in 2005 and then at Westminster in 2006. He is great in the ring and out of the ring, as a show dog and as a therapy dog. I have seen him generate a lot of smiles everywhere he goes. His owners, Tom and Barbara Bishop, have done so much with him. The three of them together have really impacted a lot of lives.
Q: What is the reason why viewers are attracted to this two hour special?
John: It is a family show, about the family dog, on the greatest family day of the year. It is a brilliant piece of television programming. There is something for everyone of all ages.
David: Three reasons. First, is the competition, wanting to see who will win the National Dog Show, one of America’s best and most visible dog shows. Second is for the entertainment, getting to see something like 185 breeds and varieties of dogs. And third is what I call the alma mater factor: if you have a Brittany, you want to see the Brittany and root for the Brittany. Maybe you can even fantasize a bit as you do: “You know, Biff, you and I could be out there too if I fed you a few less cookies and gave you a bath a little more often.” After all, the real Best In Show dog is the one sitting on the couch at home next to you.
Q: Who are the most memorable people that you’ve met during these past ten years?
John: All of my great memories are about the dogs. A dog worthy of Best In Show looks different and carries itself differently, but whether they win or lose, they happy with themselves. They love being dogs, and they love being the dogs that they are, which is a wonderful lesson for all of us.
David: Well, from the television standpoint, John, of course. There are times where he will say something and get me laughing, and I’ll look around expecting to see Elaine and Jerry Seinfeld sitting with us. But the beauty of the sport is that it is about real dogs and real people, and I am truly blessed to have gotten to know some very special dogs and very special people through the years.
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