Rick Duffield on “Wishbone”
This is just wonderful. One of my best friends and colleagues Rick Duffield does a Q&A with New Yorker magazine about the Peabody Award winning TV series Rick created called “Wishbone”:
October 22, 2009
The Exchange: Rick Duffield
The Book Bench’s Critterati contest (submit your photos by October 25th; see all entries) has signed on two new judges: Jessamyn West, the librarian and moderator of Metafilter, and Rick Duffield, the executive producer of “Wishbone,” the children’s TV series that inspired our celebration of pets in literature. When we tracked down Duffield, we also asked him to answer a few questions about the show, what he reads, and what he’s up to now.
Where did you get the idea for “Wishbone,” and how did you manage to convince anyone else it was a good idea?
I had been kicking around various ideas with my staff for making a show for kids that was told from a dog’s point of view. Like many dog owners, I had gotten into the habit of giving voice to my own dog’s expressions and exploits around the house. One afternoon, as I struggled to convert that impulse into a show, I gazed at the row of books on my credenza. The one that caught my eye that day was Frank Magill’s “Masterpieces of World Literature.” Well, what if a little dog with a big imagination could take us into some of the greatest stories ever told? And, why not make him the hero?
I answered those questions by cooking up what would become a seven-minute teaser for the show. To make it, we would need to find our star, of course. So, after a three-day casting session at a motel courtyard in Valencia, California, an extraordinary little Jack Russell named Soccer walked up and dazzled us all. I filmed the teaser, which captured Wishbone’s character and suggested the format of the show, and brought it to Alice Cahn at PBS. I suppose convincing someone that it was a good idea came down to executing a pretty fetching dog trick!
I fell in the demographic valley between childhood and parenthood during the heyday of “Wishbone.” One of our commenters testified to its profound influence on his son. What’s your sense of the show’s impact?
We received letters from young children, parents, teachers, librarians, dog lovers, and, yes, college students. Wishbone the dog managed to charm so many people into believing that books mattered. Through his characterizations, kids discovered all sorts of books and story worlds that they may never have known. I had hoped it would make such an impact, but I wasn’t prepared for the scope of that little dog’s reach. Librarians seemed to be our most rabid fans. Of course, we were tickled that so many college students liked the show. Some would write us thank you notes for helping them pass freshman lit classes. Most of the kids who watched the show during its heyday are now somewhere between the ages of 18 and 25. I hope they bring at least some appreciation for literature into their adult lives. I think I can speak for everyone who worked on the show, when I say that it was one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives to do something that could make a positive impact on young people. To the extent that any young person’s life was enriched by what we did is both awesome and humbling at the same time.
I’ve known Rick and his wonderful wife Maryellen since my last year at Yale Divinity School. We still remember the exact night we met, sharing a couple of beers at the weekly Thursday mixer we had on campus, what we referred to as “The Budweiser Ontological Society” or “The Fatted Cafe,” depending upon the mood. Amazing that we have been friends now for over 30 years.
“Wishbone” was a remarkable TV series for many reasons, but here’s one you may not know: Rick and his crew produced 40 episodes in 1-year. That’s forty scripted episodes. Here’s a video the crew put together midway through that grueling first year:
http://www.youtube.com/v/fDGxHKzX4P8&hl=en&fs=1&
http://www.youtube.com/v/SZLEvrkbFcQ&hl=en&fs=1&