As I was listening to Monday’s episode of A Moment in Science on our sister station WFIU this week, I learned that stress hormones decrease while “feel-good” hormones increase when we interact with our pets. As further evidence that animals benefit our health, I am reprising this special edition of Handpicked by Heather, or should I say, ‘Pawpicked’ by Billie. Read on to find out what my pets and their humans are enjoying with PBS Passport!
Greetings, humans!
We four-legged types love watching WTIU as much as you do, so my feline pal Scooter and I are pawsitively excited to recommend some of our favorite pet-centric PBS programs today. Grab a hearty bowl of kibble and a cozy spot on the couch (if you’re allowed) and join us as we celebrate all things pets with the WTIU PBS Passport member benefit.
Until next time, happy streaming!
Billie Holiday
Special Pet Envoy to the WTIU Membership Office
Human Footprint: Man’s Best Friend
You may be surprised to find a dog and cat collaborating to create this blog. Although most members of our respective species have contentious relationships, Scooter and I get along surprisingly well; we snuggle together on the same bed, nuzzle snoots when the humans aren’t looking, and even rough house together like a couple of puppies. Nonetheless, we did have a bit of a tiff deciding which PBS show to lead this list with. We finally had to flip an ID tag to decide! As you can see, the Man’s Best Friend episode of the six-episode documentary Human Footprint won the toss—and rightly so. Host Shane Campbell-Staton really gets us dogs! He's a biologist who explains why we are much more than man's best friend, going behind the scenes to show how we dogs have shaped human evolution and left an indelible pawprint on the world. Tune in to learn stories behind Arctic sled dogs, Duke University's puppy kindergarten, street dogs of Mexico City, and much more with your WTIU PBS Passport member benefit!
NOVA: Dog Tales
Speaking of man’s best friend, here’s another program that takes a deep dive into the dog-human relationship. (I told Scooter that we could feature a cat program next, but he’s asleep in the windowsill, so, true to my bully Boxer nature, I’m barreling ahead with my own agenda. You snooze, you lose, buddy!). The Dog Tales episode of NOVA opens with the question as to whether we dogs truly love our human companions—or are we just in this relationship for the food? I can speak from personal experience that the canine food drive is strong, but scans of dogs’ brains reveal more to the story. Track down the answer to this question and many more when you watch Dog Tales with your WTIU PBS Passport benefit!
NOVA: Cat Tales
Scooter is still napping, so I was planning to insert another dog program here. (Really, how does that guy manage to sleep so much?!). However, I’ve just been informed by my human that PBS is known for presenting fair and balanced programming, so I guess it’s time to feature some feline-forward content. Like the Dog Tales episode, the Cat Tales episode of NOVA examines cats’ relationships with humans, based on brain science, behavioral science, and evolutionary history. Unlike us dogs, who wear our hearts on our muzzles, cats are an enigma. What is their story? What are they feeling? Why are they so weirdly independent? And, seriously, why DO they sleep so much? Sniff out the answers to these questions and more with your WTIU PBS Passport member benefit!
All Creatures Great and Small
We bet you didn’t see this recommendation coming, did you? BOL! (That’s “bark out loud,” in case you were wondering). Our human has touted ACGS in her Handpicked blog multiple times, and while we pets concur that it is an excellent series, we would prefur to see less focus on the human characters and more emphasis on the actual creatures. After all, it’s not called All ‘Humans’ Great and Small! And while Scooter and I might wish for more depth around the stories of our favorite characters, Jess, Dash, and Tricki Woo, we were running in circles when we learned we could meet the animal actors who portray these pets in this special feature. (You can also find out which pet you are with this fun quiz, too. Turns out I’m a lot like Jess, and Scooter is exactly like Tricki. Big surprise there…not!). Did you know that you can also watch all five seasons of All Creatures with your WTIU PBS Passport member benefit? And, in case you haven’t heard the news, MASTERPIECE has confirmed that the series has been renewed for another season. We can’t wait!
The Durrells in Corfu
Here is another heartwarming show that features loads of pets and other adorable critters. While Scooter and I agree that we would once again like to see less human drama and more animal antics, we give The Durrells in Corfu two thumbs up (well, we don’t actually have opposable digits, but you get the idea). Like All Creatures, the series is based on the real-life memoirs of one of the main characters and tells a story of family, community, and love for animals. In the first episode, struggling widow Louisa Durrell and her four children ranging in age from 11 to 21, move from England to the Greek Island of Corfu to find a better life. Watch all four seasons with your WTIU PBS Passport member benefit to see the sometimes comical, sometimes poignant ways that the family’s story unfolds. We bet it will get you tail wagging!
Nature: My Bionic Pet
You are likely familiar with inspirational stories of service animals who are specially trained to care for their human companions. In fact, there are several PBS programs that feature such remarkable animals; Mind, Body, Spirit-Animals is one of our favorites. But what about the humans who are specially trained to care for disabled animals? The episode My Bionic Pet from the series NATURE tells the story of pets who aren’t as able-bodied as Scooter and me. But thanks to their humans in their lives—owners, veterinarians, and researchers—these animals are using cutting edge prosthetics, specialized equipment, and other advances in animal medicine to become mobile and independent. Meet inspiring animals like Tripod the llama, Driftwood the cattle dog, Molly the pony, and Chris P. Bacon the pig, whose dogged determination is proving that all animals can live pawsitive and fulfilling lives!