The Littlest Hobo : Our German Shepherd Guardian Angel T V star
credit’s title card reads, “Starring
LONDON.” (Yell it!)
A rainbow-bright hot-air
balloon sits in the air. Is Hobo
aboard? Wait, Hobo is swimming
across a stream now; he emerges
onto a rocky outcrop and shakes
the water from his coat. Droplets
of water arc out in all directions.
It is a dramatic visual. It is the
most dramatic visual you will see
for the duration of the program.
A dog shaking water off himself.
Hold on to that. Hold dearly to
that sense of wonder, that action.
Hobo’s origins, motivation,
and ultimate destination are
never explained over the course
of the series. In this capacity, he is
the perfect metaphor for Canada.
In the opening scene of the
pilot episode of The Littlest Hobo,
our altruistic A lsatian befriends
forest ranger Ray Caldwell and
rescues a pair of wildcat cubs from
a forest fire. But the scene is soft,
slow, halting. There are no subtle
nuances. There are broad actions
and sharp transitions. There is no
budget for suspense.
As the episode continues, a
local storekeeper aims to keep the
forest’s fire-ravaged animals at bay
by setting a trap of raw hamburger
laced with rat poison outside his
shop, but it’s eaten by a toddler.
First of all, I hope viewers made
note that CTV was the destination
on Thursday evenings for watch-
ing wee ones eat raw meat, but
secondly, and most importantly,
Where were you on that one, Hobo?
In an attempt to save the
child, Ranger Caldwell and Hobo
set off by plane to fetch a doctor
and the antidote, but a thunder-
storm prevents Caldwell from
landing the plane back home,
leading to this tense exchange:
Caldwell: Of all the rough luck.
I can’t even see the airstrip.
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