Wishbone's Dog Days of the West
Wishbone's Dog Days of the West is a PBS feature-length telefilm that aired on March 13, 1998. It was shot in Galisteo and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The film was aired on PBS stations on March 13, 1998 and released to video on June 9, 1998. It is the first and only TV movie in the Wishbone franchise.
| Wishbone's Dog Days of the West | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Rick Duffield |
| Produced by | Betty A. Buckley |
| Written by | Susan B. Chick Rick Duffield |
| Starring | Larry Brantley Christie Abbott Mary Chris Wall Jordan Wall Soccer (dog) |
| Music by | Tim Cissell |
| Cinematography | Bert Guthrie |
| Edited by | Michael Coleman |
Production company | Big Feats Entertainment Lyrick Studios |
| Distributed by | PBS |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
It starts out with Joe and Wishbone going to the Summer Carnival. Melina and the Oakdale Glee Club are singing on stage; the wiring breaks, causing the stage lights to collapse, but not before Wishbone and Wanda save the children. The reporter "congratulates" her. Then, in the Wild West, Long Bill Longley and his best friend, Tom Merwin (Brent Anderson), team up to stop a villain named Calliope Catesby. Meanwhile, the same sneaky TV reporter tries to make Wanda Gilmore (Angee Hughes) seem as if she is the town tyrant. It is up to Wishbone and his friends to come to Wanda's rescue.
Cast
Main cast
- Soccer (dog) as Wishbone (Larry Brantley as the voice of Wishbone)
- Jordan Wall as Joseph "Joe" Talbot
- Mary Chris Wall as Ellen MacWilliam Talbot
- Christie Abbott as Samantha "Sam" Kepler
- Bob Reed as Walter Kepler
- Angee Hughes as Wanda Gilmore
- Paul English, Jr. as Marcus Finch
- Mikaila Enriquez as Melina Finch
- Steve Kavner as Mitchell "Mitch" McCain
- Sean McGraw as Mr. Leon King
- Lewis Barnett Finnagan III as Hank Dutton
- Jim Ponds as Ethan Johnstone
- Julio Cedillo as Travis Del Rio
- Constance Jones as Helen Davidson
- Adam Sanchez as Dan Bloodgood
- Adair Ahrens as Ginny
- Raphael Parry as Giles Gilmore
- Todd Terry as Abel Skeleton
- Dell Johnson as Lee Johnstone
Wild West Story Cast
- Wishbone as Long Bill Longley
- Brent Anderson as Tom Merwin
- Sally Nystuen Vahle as Mame Dugan
- Mark Walters as Calliope Catesby
- Matthew Tompkins as Marshall Buck
- Akin Babatunde as Coop
- Molly McClure as Mrs. Catesby, Calliope's Mother
- Marc Mouchet as George
- Ray Reinhardt as The Magistrate
- Brennan Leverenz as Ed Merwin
- William Lawrence Allen as William Porter (O'Henry)
Reception
The movie won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design in 1998. It was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Costume Design/Styling, Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special, and Outstanding Main Title Design in 1999. A Common Sense Media review says, "The pleasing visuals and fast-moving, double-trouble plots make Dog Days of the West one of the best in the Wishbone series. The value of friendship is emphasized in this episode; the show exposes children to O. Henry's short stories and infuses the traditional western with an updated perspective. As unlikely as it seems, Wishbone's wild west fable blends nicely with the contemporary story of a TV reporter running roughshod over one of Oakdale's finest citizens. With two fast moving plots, finely drawn characters and exciting historical visuals, Dog Days of the West will keep kids, and many adults, glued to the screen".[1]
References
- Warren, Nancy. "Review: Wishbone video series". DisneyFamily.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2017.