Woof!

WOOF!
Made by: ?
Shown on: ITV
Years shown: 1989-95

This long-running children’s comedy-drama was based on a book by Allan Ahlberg, and concerned an ordinary schoolboy called Eric Banks, who had an extraordinary gift and encumbrance. Without warning, Eric (played by the aptly-named Edward Fidoe) would start itching and would shortly after turn into a dog, abandoning his clothes wherever it happened. There was no apparent reason for this. His parents (John Bowler and Elizabeth Mickery) had no idea about their son’s double life, and the only person who was in the know was his best friend, Roy Ackerman (Thomas Aldwinckle.) Together, they had to keep the secret from everyone, becoming increasingly inventive in their lying; although they often raised the suspicions of their teacher Mrs Jessop (Liza Goddard.) Otherwise, they were normal kids, and had their own garden hide-out, where they communicated by Morse code and could tell when there were any adults approaching.

The dog who played Eric in his canine form was actually female, and had already found fame as the dog who could apparently say ‘sausages’. When Roy and his family moved away, Eric was only alone briefly, before making friends with the new girl at school, Rachel Hobbs (Sarah Smart), with whom he shared his secret. And just as suddenly as his ‘ability’ came on, it disappeared when he was about 15, and began to have more than just a friendship with Rachel. Puppy love - it’ll never last, of course. Woof! was, like all of Ahlberg’s works, charming and very in tune with children’s interests and thinking; Edward Fidoe was a sympathetic and cheeky lead, and even Liza Give Us a Clue Goddard was quite realistic as the kindly teacher.

SQUARE EYES RATING: 8/10

(Thanks to www.andrewnorriss.co.uk for the borrowed pic)