The Littlest Hobo

Sweater Weather

Naomi and Aaron discuss the TV show The Littlest Hobo (1979-1985). [This episode was originally paywalled, but here it is in its entirety!]

This week on Sweater Weather, we ride the rails of nostalgia with The Littlest Hobo, the classic Canadian TV show about a lone German Shepherd who runs and swims and flies in hot air balloons across the land, bringing joy to everyone he meets (except the bad guys). In 114 episodes from 1979 to 1985, Hobo can’t resist solving problems for all the hapless humans he meets along the way.

We reminisce about our own memories of watching (or avoiding) these canine adventures on Saturday afternoons, and the mixed emotions the show evoked—part comfort, part melancholy, part confusion, and yes, part cringe. We uncover fascinating tidbits about the making of the show. Did you know that multiple dogs portrayed the Littlest Hobo, all trained by the exuberant Chuck Eisenmann? We talk about London, the German-Shepherd actor who was actually several German Shepherds, from their unique reverse-masking colouring, to their roles as star and studs and stunt performers.

From helping a lonely grandfather reconnect with his granddaughter, to saving kids from trash compactors, speeding trains, and poor parenting, Hobo’s adventures were always full of excitement and dare we say weirdness. Is Hobo just a dog, or could he be something more—a guardian angel in disguise? Is it really a good idea to tell your life story to a stray dog, like all the humans on this show do? Should you give a German Shepherd your undelivered mail and hope for the best? Find out in this episode!