Allison Tolman On Playing Opposite a Chatty Canine in ABC’s “Downward Dog”

Unlike ABCamp8217s unsuccessful Jenna Elfman project Imaginary Mary Tolman isnamp8217t deep in twoway conversations with her canine costaramp160 Instead Martin breaks the fourth wall directing his monologues at viewers amp160No one was more surprised than Tolman that she wound up on a talkingdog show amp160amp8220I got an email from my team saying amp8216Here are the things we are looking at and think you should read This one has a talking dogamp8221 Tolman told me amp8220I was like what amp8230amp8221Fresh off the first season of the critically acclaimed FX series Fargo Tolman wasnamp8217t overly enthusiastic about sharing the screen with a talking dog and emailed her team with real concerns amp160amp8220I did say amp8216Iamp8217m slightly concerned because one of these shows says the star is a talking dogamp8217amp8221 she recalled amp160amp8220But sure send the script over I read it and was super confused because the jokes were funny it was clearly smart but I was so confusedamp8221A viewing of the digital shorts the series is based upon provided clarification amp8220After watching those I got itamp8221 she said amp160amp8220Then I met with the guys doing the show and I was all in amp160Itamp8217s funny how quickly the fact that the dog talks becomes the least important thing about the showamp8221According to Tolman having the series on ABC a network celebrated for traditional sitcoms also offered her pause amp160amp8220I was really surprised when they said ABC had won a bidding war for itamp8221 she said amp160amp8220I was like is that where we feel we should go Is this the right place for usamp8220But they wanted an edgy comedy and had been looking for this type of showamp8221 she continued amp160amp8220They do what they do so well but they wanted to mix it up a bit so the talk was amp8216Letamp8217s try this other thingamp8217 amp160They didnamp8217t bid on us hoping to take the show and make it into a sitcom they bid on it hoping to take the show and let it be what wasamp160 I came from this golden experience with Fargo where we never did a pilot and went straight to order It was just a very different experience so it was a little scary for me taking on a very different network show and saying yesquotThe fact Downward Dog was a shortorder eightepisode series did make the decision easier amp160amp8220That was a major thingamp8221 she admitted amp160amp8220I felt very strongly about a short season because first of all I was nervous about spending six months of my life on location in Pittsburgh but also the show was so strong and I didnamp8217t want it to become a case of this is the episode where Martin chases a squirrel amp160This is one where he catches itamp160 It was such a unsitcom sitcom and I didnamp8217t want to lose that amp160I was worried what weamp8217d do with a 22episode order Everyone involved felt very strongly that it should be a short seasonamp8221Thankfully for the selfconfessed amp8220cat personamp8221 there was immediate chemistry with costar Ned the rescue dog who plays Martin otherwise it could have been a disaster amp160amp8220The producers fell in love with his big brown eyesamp8221 she said amp8220Heamp8217s nice to me but not as nice as I am to himamp8220It is hard thoughamp8221 she added amp160amp8220With an actor you can act like youamp8217ve known them and kinda fake it till you make it but a dog is not in on that amp160I grew up with cats and dogs so thereamp8217s no divisive lineamp8221Announcement of a second season of Downward Dog awaits but should it happen Tolman reveals there will be some changes amp160amp8220It would be us coming back with a different storyamp8221 she shared amp160amp8220The question of the first season was work or love amp160The second season if were lucky enough to get one would be about the repercussions of the choice Nan ultimately makesamp8221Downward Dog is telecast Tuesday at 8 pm on ABCClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Allison Tolman On Playing Opposite a Chatty Canine in ABC’s “Downward Dog”

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Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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Allison Tolman On Playing Opposite a Chatty Canine in ABC’s “Downward Dog”

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