The Dog Behind Wishbone Didn’t Just Audition — He Stole the Show

Thirty years after PBS introduced a generation to classic literature through a quick-witted Jack Russell Terrier, a new documentary explores how that canine star was chosen. In a preview clip from What's the Story, Wishbone?, series creator Rick Duffield and the show's creatives travel to Hollywood to audition dogs; after a string of misses, the final audition produced Soccer, a Jack Russell who landed the role with a signature jumping backflip and an expressive, intelligent face.

Soccer had already appeared in commercials, but his performance sealed the part. Wishbone was the pet of Joe (Jordan Wall), a preteen in Oakdale whose encounters with friends and family would trigger condensed re-enactments of classic works, narrated by the pup's thoughts via Larry Brantley's voice.

The series staged era-appropriate scenes with Wishbone playing the main characters, covering everything from The Odyssey and The Tempest to Sherlock Holmes, biblical stories, African folktales and Dakota mythology.

wishbone, soccer, jack russell, rick duffield, larry brantley, jordan wall, pbs, classic literature, audition, oakdale