Puppy Bowl
Encyclopedia
The Puppy Bowl is an annual television program on Animal Planet
that mimics an American football
bowl game
similar to the Super Bowl
, using puppies
. Shown the same afternoon of the Super Bowl, the show consists of footage of a batch of puppies at play inside a model stadium, with commentary on their actions. The first Puppy Bowl was shown on February 6, 2005. The puppies featured in the Puppy Bowl are from shelters, and the show contains information on how viewers can adopt rescued puppies and help their local shelter.
came from the popular Yule Log
Christmas
program.
A veterinarian
is on site during the production of Puppy Bowl to ensure animal safety and well-being, and to administer any veterinary medical care which might be needed. Representatives from American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
, as well as the shelters which lend their animals to the production, are also on site as observers to ensure animal welfare standards are maintained.
According to its associate producer, the production takes about 12 hours each day. In 2007, shooting occurred over three days. In 2010, the veterinarian on site said this was spread over three days. Puppies are given a rest period every 30 minutes, due to the heat from the lights. Forty-six puppies were used in 2008, and about 60 puppies in 2010. The 2011 production occurred in the New York City area in the fall of 2010, using 47 puppies.
Puppy Bowl is filmed inside a miniature "stadium" that is 19 feet (5.8 m) long by 10 feet (3 m) wide. The show focuses on young puppies, and there is a height and weight limit due to the size limitations of the play area. The various cameras used to tape the show generate about 50 hours of footage. Roughly 30 staff are needed to produce the show.
The first five Puppy Bowls were narrated by Harry Kalas
, a narrator for NFL Films
and longtime play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Phillies
. After Kalas's death, Jeff Bordner provided the commentary.
Puppy Bowl VI was dedicated to Harry Kalas, who died on April 13, 2009.
playing in a model stadium ("Animal Planet Stadium") with no audience (but with canned audience cheering), minimal commentary, and instant replay
shots. A "bowl cam" provides shots upwards through the transparent bottom of a special water bowl built into the stadium floor, with a wide-angle lens that allows viewers to watch the puppies drink water (and walk through it) up close. The first Puppy Bowl featured a "ball cam," a camera mounted on an radio-controlled car
chassis with a football skin covering the camera that drove among the puppies on the field near the one-hour mark. Some puppies seemed scared of it, while others appeared curious and investigated it. The puppies are given a wide variety of chew-toys and bones to play with, and they are free to tackle, bite, and do as they wish. Jazz
music is added to the clips in post-production.
A human "referee" watches over the "action on the field." In the first few years of Puppy Bowl, this was a crew member randomly selected each year. Beginning in 2008, it was Animal Planet associate producer Andrew Schecter. Football terminology
is often used by the announcer and referee to illustrate the puppies' behavior and actions. When a puppy drags one of the football-shaped toys into the end zone, a "puppy touchdown" is declared. "Penalties" are issued for puppies relieving themselves on the field. Timeouts are called if the water bowl needs to be refilled, or if the puppies begin to fight (a behavior called "unnecessary rrruff-ness"). In Puppy Bowl VI, substitutions were made whenever a puppy fell asleep on the field. Puppy Bowl III, V, and VI also featured a tailgate party
outside the stadium with several other dogs watching the event on televisions with cuts to their reactions throughout.
The running time of Puppy Bowls I through IV was 180 minutes (including commercials). The running time of Puppy Bowl V was decreased to 120 minutes (including commercials). Jessie Dinh, producer at Discovery Studios, explained the reason for the decrease: "We only did two hours this year so that we had the opportunity to include some other fun elements."
s, laser pen
s, balls of yarn
, a scratching post
, flint sweepers, and a wide variety of other toys. The grand finale of the Puppy Bowl II Half-Time Show was a confetti
blast that sent most of the cats running away scared. Puppy Bowl III did not show the cats' departure from the field. The halftime show of Puppy Bowl IV in 2008 was only 15 minutes in length.
over many outdoor football events. Shots of the puppies at play were green-screened
into the windows to make it appear as if the "blimp" was actually hovering over the field. Inside the model of the blimp's control room, hamsters are allowed to play (as if they were the crew of the blimp).
Beginning in 2010, "bunny cheerleaders" (rabbits) were shown, as if these animals were on the sidelines. In 2011, the "bunny cheerleaders" were replaced by "chicken cheerleaders" (hens and roosters).
Also beginning in 2010, the American Animal Hospital Association
(AAHA) began sponsoring the Puppy Bowl. A veterinarian was shown giving each puppy a physical prior to participation, provided care to any animal which might appear injured, and provided tips to viewers about proper animal care. Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro, Director of Emergency Services at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Denver, Colorado, provided the official on-camera care for the puppies and other animals. AAHA renewed its sponsorship for 2011 and provided veterinary services on-site.
A new element for 2011 was a parody of the popular "Kiss Cam" used at sporting events. 2011 also marked the first year "celebrity guests" were shown as audience members, which were the chihuahuas from Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2
.
's primetime broadcast of the opening ceremonies
of the 2008 Summer Olympics
on August 8, 2008. The Puppy Games included swimming, gymnastics, boxing, and soccer, and kittens were used for the "opening ceremony." John Ramey and Mary Beth Smith, respectively, served as the play-by-play announcer and color commentator for the event.
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
that mimics an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
similar to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, using puppies
Puppy
A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies may weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier...
. Shown the same afternoon of the Super Bowl, the show consists of footage of a batch of puppies at play inside a model stadium, with commentary on their actions. The first Puppy Bowl was shown on February 6, 2005. The puppies featured in the Puppy Bowl are from shelters, and the show contains information on how viewers can adopt rescued puppies and help their local shelter.
Production
According to the show's producers, the inspiration for Puppy Bowl as Super Bowl counterprogrammingSuper Bowl counterprogramming
Although it is consistently one of the most watched sports television events in the United States, television networks and television stations channels have often attempted to counterprogram against the Super Bowl with original television programming...
came from the popular Yule Log
Yule Log (TV program)
The Yule Log is a television program which is broadcast traditionally on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning , originally by New York City television station WPIX but now by many other Tribune Company-owned television stations, including WGN America, and by Antenna TV starting in 2011...
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
program.
A veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
is on site during the production of Puppy Bowl to ensure animal safety and well-being, and to administer any veterinary medical care which might be needed. Representatives from American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing cruelty towards animals...
, as well as the shelters which lend their animals to the production, are also on site as observers to ensure animal welfare standards are maintained.
According to its associate producer, the production takes about 12 hours each day. In 2007, shooting occurred over three days. In 2010, the veterinarian on site said this was spread over three days. Puppies are given a rest period every 30 minutes, due to the heat from the lights. Forty-six puppies were used in 2008, and about 60 puppies in 2010. The 2011 production occurred in the New York City area in the fall of 2010, using 47 puppies.
Puppy Bowl is filmed inside a miniature "stadium" that is 19 feet (5.8 m) long by 10 feet (3 m) wide. The show focuses on young puppies, and there is a height and weight limit due to the size limitations of the play area. The various cameras used to tape the show generate about 50 hours of footage. Roughly 30 staff are needed to produce the show.
The first five Puppy Bowls were narrated by Harry Kalas
Harry Kalas
Harry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
, a narrator for NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
and longtime play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. After Kalas's death, Jeff Bordner provided the commentary.
Puppy Bowl VI was dedicated to Harry Kalas, who died on April 13, 2009.
Format
The Puppy Bowl consists of a number of puppiesPuppy
A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies may weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier...
playing in a model stadium ("Animal Planet Stadium") with no audience (but with canned audience cheering), minimal commentary, and instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
shots. A "bowl cam" provides shots upwards through the transparent bottom of a special water bowl built into the stadium floor, with a wide-angle lens that allows viewers to watch the puppies drink water (and walk through it) up close. The first Puppy Bowl featured a "ball cam," a camera mounted on an radio-controlled car
Radio-controlled car
Radio-controlled cars are self-powered model cars or trucks that can be controlled from a distance using a specialized transmitter...
chassis with a football skin covering the camera that drove among the puppies on the field near the one-hour mark. Some puppies seemed scared of it, while others appeared curious and investigated it. The puppies are given a wide variety of chew-toys and bones to play with, and they are free to tackle, bite, and do as they wish. Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music is added to the clips in post-production.
A human "referee" watches over the "action on the field." In the first few years of Puppy Bowl, this was a crew member randomly selected each year. Beginning in 2008, it was Animal Planet associate producer Andrew Schecter. Football terminology
Glossary of American football
The following terms are used in American football and Canadian football, but see also the glossary of Canadian football.-0-9: A formation of the 4-3 defense featuring several dramatic shifts of personnel...
is often used by the announcer and referee to illustrate the puppies' behavior and actions. When a puppy drags one of the football-shaped toys into the end zone, a "puppy touchdown" is declared. "Penalties" are issued for puppies relieving themselves on the field. Timeouts are called if the water bowl needs to be refilled, or if the puppies begin to fight (a behavior called "unnecessary rrruff-ness"). In Puppy Bowl VI, substitutions were made whenever a puppy fell asleep on the field. Puppy Bowl III, V, and VI also featured a tailgate party
Tailgate party
In the United States, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and...
outside the stadium with several other dogs watching the event on televisions with cuts to their reactions throughout.
The running time of Puppy Bowls I through IV was 180 minutes (including commercials). The running time of Puppy Bowl V was decreased to 120 minutes (including commercials). Jessie Dinh, producer at Discovery Studios, explained the reason for the decrease: "We only did two hours this year so that we had the opportunity to include some other fun elements."
Kitty Half-Time Show
Starting with Puppy Bowl II, at the 1 hour, 15 minute mark, the puppies leave the field and a large scratching post is brought out with a wide variety of kittens for the Kitty Half-Time Show. This features kittens playing for 30 minutes with lightLight
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
s, laser pen
Laser pointer
A laser pointer or laser pen is a small portable device with a power source and a laser emitting a very narrow coherent low-powered beam of visible light, intended to be used to highlight something of interest by illuminating it with a small bright spot of colored light...
s, balls of yarn
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
, a scratching post
Scratching post
A scratching post is a wooden post covered in rough material that cat owners provide so their pets have an acceptable place to scratch. Cats have a natural urge to scratch: the action helps them remove old material from their claws, and they mark territory with scent glands in their paws...
, flint sweepers, and a wide variety of other toys. The grand finale of the Puppy Bowl II Half-Time Show was a confetti
Confetti
Confetti is a multitude of pieces of paper, mylar or metallic material which is usually thrown at parades and celebrations, especially weddings . Confetti is made in a variety of colors, and commercially available confetti is available in imaginative shapes...
blast that sent most of the cats running away scared. Puppy Bowl III did not show the cats' departure from the field. The halftime show of Puppy Bowl IV in 2008 was only 15 minutes in length.
Other features
In 2010, a model blimp (supposedly floating over the Puppy Bowl) was added. The "blimp" mimics the appearance of the Goodyear BlimpGoodyear Blimp
The Goodyear Blimp is the collective name for a fleet of blimps operated by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for advertising purposes and for use as a television camera platform for aerial views of sporting events...
over many outdoor football events. Shots of the puppies at play were green-screened
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
into the windows to make it appear as if the "blimp" was actually hovering over the field. Inside the model of the blimp's control room, hamsters are allowed to play (as if they were the crew of the blimp).
Beginning in 2010, "bunny cheerleaders" (rabbits) were shown, as if these animals were on the sidelines. In 2011, the "bunny cheerleaders" were replaced by "chicken cheerleaders" (hens and roosters).
Also beginning in 2010, the American Animal Hospital Association
American Animal Hospital Association
The American Animal Hospital Association is a non-profit organization for companion animal veterinarians. It was established in 1933. The association develops benchmarks of excellence, business practice standards, publications and educational programs...
(AAHA) began sponsoring the Puppy Bowl. A veterinarian was shown giving each puppy a physical prior to participation, provided care to any animal which might appear injured, and provided tips to viewers about proper animal care. Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro, Director of Emergency Services at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Denver, Colorado, provided the official on-camera care for the puppies and other animals. AAHA renewed its sponsorship for 2011 and provided veterinary services on-site.
A new element for 2011 was a parody of the popular "Kiss Cam" used at sporting events. 2011 also marked the first year "celebrity guests" were shown as audience members, which were the chihuahuas from Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 is a 2011 Disney direct-to-DVD sequel to the family comedy film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Directed by Alex Zamm, and starring George Lopez, Odette Yustman and Zachary Gordon, the film focuses on Papi and Chloe, now married, and their five puppies...
.
Reception
Puppy Bowl aired on February 6, 2005. Puppy Bowl II averaged 690,000 viewers for its broadcast on February 5, 2006 (a 230 percent increase over Puppy Bowl I). Five million people in total watched Puppy Bowl II over its three airings. Puppy Bowl III, which aired on February 4, 2007, increased that number by 120 percent to 7.5 million viewers, for a total increase of 360 percent from its first airing in 2005. Puppy Bowl IV, which aired on Animal Planet on February 3, 2008, had more than 8 million viewers for all its broadcasts. It was also the first Puppy Bowl broadcast in high definition. Puppy Bowl V aired on February 1, 2009. Puppy Bowl VI aired on February 7, 2010, and a record 1.1 million viewers watched the first broadcast alone. Puppy Bowl VII aired on February 6, 2011 with a total of 9.2 million viewers over the twelve hours it was aired. The actual premiere drew 1.7 million viewers, up 60 percent from last year.Puppy Games
A spinoff of the Puppy Bowl, known as Puppy Games, aired opposite NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's primetime broadcast of the opening ceremonies
2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time on August 8, 2008, as 8 is considered to be a lucky number. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture...
of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
on August 8, 2008. The Puppy Games included swimming, gymnastics, boxing, and soccer, and kittens were used for the "opening ceremony." John Ramey and Mary Beth Smith, respectively, served as the play-by-play announcer and color commentator for the event.
See also
- The Puppy ChannelThe Puppy ChannelThe Puppy Channel was a short-lived American cable television channel whose programming consisted entirely of video footage of puppies.The network was created in 1997 by retired advertising executive Dan FitzSimons. FitzSimons and his daughter Molly stated in a featured segment on This American...
, a defunct cable network which broadcast only footage of puppies.