TV’s 10 Most Famous Dogs

Since the beginning
of TV, many canine stars have risen to levels of fame similar to
(if not more than) their human co-stars. In this article we look
at the top 10, from Lassie to Scooby Doo and Snoopy.

1. Lassie

First seen
in the 1940 novel Lassie
Come Home by Eric Knight, Lassie is well-known even to those
who have never seen the famous dogÂ’s many
films, television
shows, and books. Over a dozen Lassie films have been made since
1943, and the dog has appeared in cameos and television series from
1954 to the present.

2. Benji

First appearing
in Benji
(1971), this little mixed-breed pooch starred in a number of TV
movies in the 1980s, and briefly had his own series, Benji, Zax
the Alien Prince, in 1983. The first dog to play Benji on
the screen was a shelter dog named Higgins.

3. Rin
Tin Tin

Nearly as famous
as Lassie in his day, the real Rin Tin Tin was a German Shepherd
with a history as exciting as any movie. Rescued from a bombed-out
dog kennel in Lorraine, Germany during World War I, the pup Rin
Tin Tin went on to live in Los Angeles and become an unlikely film
star. The Â“characterÂ” of Rin Tin Tin starred in his very
own ABC
television series from 1954 to 1959.

4. Eddie
(Frasier)

Eddie was the
rambunctious Jack Russell Terrier belonging to Martin Crane on the
1990s sitcom Frasier.
Eddie was known for his intelligence and human-like responses to
the other characters on the show. Eddie often had his own scenes
during the closing credits of each episode.

5. Scooby-Doo

One of the
most well-known animated dogs on television, Scooby-Doo
was developed in 1969 by Hanna-Barbera. A crime-solving mutt
whoÂ’s crazy for Scooby Snacks, Scooby-Doo has starred in several
different television series from the 1960s to the present, as well
as several feature and direct-to-video films.

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October
27, 2012