Question: Downward Dog is the brilliant, funny, fresh show I have been waiting for. Allison Tolman and Martin the dog shine in this mellow comedy. I would be thrilled if it was renewed for a second season, but I don’t think ABC has a lot of confidence in the show, considering they held it until the end of the broadcast TV season. How can someone start a successful renewal campaign for a show? —Michelle
Matt Roush: Social media is a good place to start. I’ll keep beating the drum for this one as long as it’s on, and the good news is that it has been getting decent sampling in these waning days of the season. I imagine its ratings will suffer when it’s up against America’s Got Talent, but the positive reviews and any viewer buzz may help ABC see this as something other than a burn-off. Naturally, a show this offbeat will also have its detractors. So I’m sharing these observations from Michael: “I thought the first episode was lousy and cliche?d. It’s like two shows forced together, with the dog half having only a tenuous connection to the human half.”
We can agree to disagree on the dog’s charms or lack thereof, but one of the reasons I enjoy Downward Dog is the contrast it sets up between the way Martin sees the world and the world Nan actually inhabits. It’s a very clever approach to the girl-and-her-dog story.
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com

