How Yappy Hour TV Started

Posted by Liza - Executive Producer 

Always hard to write about “how it all started” from the beginning, mmm…where to begin….

I guess actually I had a plan a long time ago to do a TV show, but my original concept was conceived when I was living in the US with my three pooches, and like many other TV viewers was becoming so dis-interested in the content being shown on TV.  

I returned to Sydney for a while and was managing a pub in in trendy Balmain.  Across the road was a dog park, and I would sit there in the morning sun, talking to the Sydney pooch owners, missing the three I left behind in LA.  So the idea to make the Sunday Happy Hour at the pub into a Yappy Hour seemed like a logical idea - have the dog owners come into the pub for a get together around 2pm after a play in the park, have a glass of wine, cheese and biscuits, and of course some doggie treats for our furry friends.  It was an instant success!

Yappy Hour TV is fuelled by our love for DOGS….how much they bring to people’s lives, how much JOY they bring to everyone, especially at this time on the planet, we need this in fact MORE than ever.

In May we received an email from Channel 31 to say they liked our concept in writing and would like to see a pilot, so it was all systems go.  Having very few industry contacts in Melbourne, I resorted to good ole trusty Gumtree and BINGO I found the right guy straight away, it’s just amazing how the universe works.  Roger Quraitem (cameraman) had a lot of experience, was freelance and LOVED the idea.

Liza Robinson (Executive Producer), Roger Quraitem (Camera) and Libby Petrella (Rover Reporter).  Also pictured is Liza's chihuahua, Taco.

In June we launched our Facebook page and this was even before we had received confirmation from Channel 31 that our pilot was accepted, in fact before we had even produced the pilot.  I knew I was taking a risk but I had a gut instinct and I have very rarely been wrong!!

The response from Facebook was amazing - people started to contact us, what a great idea, how can we be involved, we want to be on the show etc etc….and so it evolved.  Through Facebook I met a lovely lady by the name of Libby Petrella, as soon as we met we connected.  I thought perhaps she could assist as a Rover Reporter, as she has her own three adopted furbabies.

Channel 31 in Melbourne confirmed they loved the show concept and advised a launch date of Friday November 7th at 6pm, so it was all systems go, assembling sponsors, a production team etc etc.

We needed social media assistance and a photographer, and again the universe answered and found us Belinda Chong and Andy Dyson, again both big dog lovers, and who were very excited about being part of the team.  The team continued to grow even more with Pup Reporter Alexia, daughter of cameraman Roger, our animation person Kathy Constantin. Santiago Castano our sound engineer, as well as Lorinska Anderson and Tony Bolton, as Rover Reporters.  Not to mention Vas Patel and Peter Spowart as Yappy the mascot!

Enough for now...

Gotta run…time to go smooch my pooch…or should I say pooches!

Yappy Hour TV on location at Brighton Dog Beach, with Claude the Cavoodle in foreground.  Credit: Emily Butler

LIZA ROBINSON