The dogs’ days are over

So, my Terriers didn’t make it.

Twitter is abuzz with all the reasons it didn’t work—the title was confusing, the time slot was terrible, etc. But though I already miss the show and think its cancelation was a big mistake, I’m also willing to accept this decision. As much as it hurts to give up such a deftly written and acted program in this, the age of Bridalplasty and Skating With the Stars, I have to agree with Corey Barker to an extent and simply appreciate the gift of its one pitch-perfect and high quality season.

As my husband and I wax nostalgic concerning what we love about Terriers, we find that it reminds us of a tightly written book or novella. A modern day breezy noir (could it be a beach noir? daytime noir?), the dialogue is complex and playful, the characters quietly heroic, the adventures satisfying—all in a tight little package. Do I think the show had the gas to fuel another season with the same level of success? Sure. However, I’ve already constructed a little space in my heart that houses Terriers just as it is—a perfectly quirky and lovable space for a perfectly quirky and lovable story.

Pushing a show to epic proportions, stretching it across season after season, squeezing every penny out of its very existence is so cliché, so LOST. If anything, didn’t Terriers teach us that quality people and stories need not be behemoth or brobdingnagian? As a woman who is currently cuddling her fuzzy and beautiful rescue pup as she types, I can tell you that a scruffy little terrier, though obviously small in size, can easily be just enough.

Watch Terriers on amazon.com or itunes.com. Recent episodes can be found on hulu.com.

Good dogs, or, Why you should be watching Terriers

Hi, it’s me, Ana Holguin. You might remember me from such Idler posts as “Why you should watch Buffy” and “Why I love My So-Called Life” and “Musings about the children in Mad Men.” And yes, here I am once again bringing you good tidings of a televisual persuasion. I know, I know, you’re thinking, … Continue reading