3. The puppies were always, always going to be pugs. Creator Harland Williams was the devoted owner to his own puppy dog pals, Captain Chili Dog (a Chihuahua) and Fisherman Bob (a rare Korean Jindo), and Coyle has owned a number of rescue dogs, as well. According to Coyle, “It was Harland who decided the dogs needed to be pugs because they’re so weird looking that they’re cute. They’re unconventionally adorable.”
2. Bingo and Rolly are actually based on human puppies… Or, as they’re more widely known, kids! Coyle explains, “When we started to define the characters of Bingo and Rolly, we wanted to treat them as if they were 4-year-old kids, and it was important that we presented their detective work through the eyes of a 3- or 4-year-old. For example, we have an episode coming up later in the season where the Mona Lisa goes missing, and Bingo and Rolly deduce that the greatest painting in the world must be hanging on the greatest wall in the world—so the puppies figure out that they need to go to the Great Wall of China to look for the Mona Lisa.
5. There’s a lot of humor in Puppy Dog Pals. The guest cast is packed with comedic and improvisational actors such as Patrick Warburton (Family Guy) as Captain Dog, star of the puppies’ favorite TV show; Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) as Hedgie the Hedgehog; and Cheri Oteri (Saturday Night Live) as Esther Exposition, the dogs’ neighbor. “Disney told me they really wanted to tap the comedy vibe of the show,” Williams says, and he’s brought some of the elements fans love hearing in his standup comedy to the new series. “One of the things that I always try to bring to the table is wordplay, or made-up words that people haven’t heard before—or haven’t heard in a certain order,” he says. “I feel like goofy, silly words resonate with people and stick in their heads.”
4. Kids will travel the world with the puppies. Sometimes Bingo and Rolly’s adventures take them around their neighborhood, but sometimes they travel across the globe. Episodes are set in Italy, England, Paris, and China, to name just a few of the locales the globetrotting dogs will visit.
7. Families can enjoy Puppy Dog Pals together. The stories contain messages about friendship, creativity, problem-solving, togetherness, and adventure, designed for younger kids, but Coyle—a father of two young children himself—thinks that the rest of the family will watch right alongside them. “We’re hoping it appeals to viewers from age 2 to 85, and that older siblings, parents, and grandparents will have fun watching this as well. We’re having a ton of fun making it.”
He has a free, bi-weekly podcast called The Harland Highway. The Harland Highway can be downloaded on iTunes or streamed live from your mobile device on Stitcher Radio. His podcast is unique in that instead of focusing on interviews and similar content, it is made up of unique pop culture commentary, as well as improvisation by Williams, featuring a diverse lineup of recurring characters.
Williams is known for his movie roles, which include Dumb and Dumber, Freddy Got Fingered, Theres Something About Mary, Half Baked, RocketMan, Sorority Boys, Down Periscope and Employee of The Month. Williams was featured as a security guard in the music video for Barenaked Ladies “Falling for the First Time”. He has performed his stand-up comedy routines on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan OBrien, HBO, Comedy Central and at comedy clubs throughout the country.
I’m Lara, a writer and mama with a passion for good stories. I’ve had two careers — journalist and psychotherapist — which have inspired me to write about our fascinating world. This site is a collection of stories about what makes life interesting: the beauty (and beastly) of parenthood; interviews with amazing people; lifestyle articles about everything from entertainment to travel. Take a look around — there’s a story here for everyone that’s sure to uplift, inform, and inspire.
Puppy Dog Pals is one of my personal favorites, as it includes just as much content for parents as it does for kids. From awesome music to familiar voiceovers from the likes of Spartan Cheri Oteri and The Office grouch Leslie David Baker, there is so much in this cartoon that truly delights adults.
As the mom of a 6 year old, I’ve spent more time exposed to children’s cartoons than I care to admit. And after a year and a half into a pandemic, I could easily win Kids’ Media Jeopardy with my Google hand tied behind my back. I have a secret list of cringeworthy shows that I steer my son away from, as well as a list of personal favorites that I believe are made by empathetic fellow parents who aim to entertain kids while keeping the non-Gen-Z crowd in mind.
If you’re a parent, there’s a good chance that your family TV is set to cartoons more often than it’s set to crime dramas or reality shows. There’s no question that having kids results in a swift transfer of television power, in which parents surrender to their mini me’s monopoly of household entertainment.
Children’s media is a powerful force in today’s entertainment. Ideally kids’ television time can involve parents, which is why shows like Puppy Dog Pals that are enjoyable for the whole family are so special. The grownup appeal on this show is strong, and there’s no doubt we’ll be more invested as the series continues and features Bob and Ana’s wedding. So nobody tell me they’re “just cartoon characters.” If I can find their registry, I’m sending a gift.
How I Got Cast As Keia on Disney Channel’s Puppy Dog Pals
If you’re a parent, there’s a good chance that your family TV is set to cartoons more often than it’s set to crime dramas or reality shows. There’s no question that having kids results in a swift transfer of television power, in which parents surrender to their mini me’s monopoly of household entertainment.
So when your kid finds a show you can actually both enjoy, it’s a win-win. In 2017, Disney Junior introduced a new animated series called Puppy Dog Pals, created by comedian and dog lover Harland Williams. The show focuses on a loveable, lanky bachelor named Bob (voiced by Williams) and his puppy dog pals Bingo and Rolly, two talking pug brothers who set out on daily missions to help their owner. Bob and his pet family live in an adorable, wish-it-existed neighborhood in an unnamed city that seems to be San Francisco, evident by the trolley track-lined hills and painted-ladies style house which the main characters call home.
The show’s continuous success has resulted in tons of merchandise, popular theme music, and multiple season renewals, with Disney already ordering a fifth season before Season 4 had even begun. (In fact, the show has gone on so long that it recently changed the puppies’ young voice actors after the original boys were noticeably sounding like nearly grown men.) The pups’ popularity is likely due to its perfect balance of kid and grown-up appeal, making it one of those rare kids’ shows parents actually find entertaining.
As the mom of a 6 year old, I’ve spent more time exposed to children’s cartoons than I care to admit. And after a year and a half into a pandemic, I could easily win Kids’ Media Jeopardy with my Google hand tied behind my back. I have a secret list of cringeworthy shows that I steer my son away from, as well as a list of personal favorites that I believe are made by empathetic fellow parents who aim to entertain kids while keeping the non-Gen-Z crowd in mind.
Puppy Dog Pals is one of my personal favorites, as it includes just as much content for parents as it does for kids. From awesome music to familiar voiceovers from the likes of Spartan Cheri Oteri and The Office grouch Leslie David Baker, there is so much in this cartoon that truly delights adults.
Among the many aspects of this show that are over kids’ heads are the sublime pop culture Easter eggs. There are clever episode titles like “Hawaii Pug-Oh” and “Raiders of the Lost Bark.” There’s an entire Gilligan-spoofed episode entitled “Pupigans’ Island” and one called “Won’t You Be My Puppy” about the beloved cardigan-wearing host of “Mister Kimball’s Community.” There’s an episode where Bob oversleeps on a cruise and the pups prop him up total Weekend at Bernie’s style. They’ve given us Steve Urkel imitations, pets dramatically riding on a sail to Titanic music, and a game show called Double Doggie Dare hosted by Hal Summers. There’s even the three golden-girl horses who just happen to be named Bea, Betty, and Rue. All of these Easter eggs stop snack-bearing parents in their tracks and give us quite the chuckle as we feel the show’s nod to our generation.
But perhaps most importantly, the humanness and continuity of the show’s characters and plots appeal to adults. Gone are the days of anti-climactic, slapstick cartoons from our childhood; Puppy Dog Pals has created ongoing storylines led by characters viewers are invested in — as crazy as it makes us feel when we really think about it.
In season 2, the series introduced a new character named Ana (played by voiceover legend Cree Summer) who became fast friends with bachelor Bob. While kids were enjoying Ana’s new puppy Lollie, we grownups were speculating a budding romance between sweet Ana and our boy Bob as the pair shared their first date seated several appropriate feet away from each other on the couch. Parents like me even took to Twitter to weigh in on the romantic rumors.
In an exciting story development, Puppy Dog Pals delighted all of us grownups by making Bob and Ana get engaged in a recent episode! (Not to brag, but the above tweet clearly shows I called this back in ’19.) Disney Junior was abuzz on social media, filled with reactions from parents like me who were excited about the character development that’s actually interesting to adults. The episode features a blissfully happy couple who — in a nod to modern-day gender equality — propose to each other, share a G-rated hug, and embrace their blended pup family who are excited to start their new life together. I grinned ear to ear watching this long-awaited, happy scene…refusing to acknowledge that these are fictional animated characters.
Children’s media is a powerful force in today’s entertainment. Ideally kids’ television time can involve parents, which is why shows like Puppy Dog Pals that are enjoyable for the whole family are so special. The grownup appeal on this show is strong, and there’s no doubt we’ll be more invested as the series continues and features Bob and Ana’s wedding. So nobody tell me they’re “just cartoon characters.” If I can find their registry, I’m sending a gift.