Working Dog Productions (originally Frontline Television Productions Pty. Ltd.) is a film and television production company based in Melbourne, Australia. It was formed in 1993 by actors Santo Cilauro, Rob Sitch, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner, and producer Michael Hirsh.
History
Working Dog was formed in 1993 by five collaborators who had worked together on earlier comedy projects; the company initially traded as Frontline Television Productions before adopting the name Working Dog Productions in the mid-1990s. The founders have described the company origin as “five friends formed a production company with a dodgy camcorder and a dream.”
The company name and mascot (an Australian Cattle Dog) reflect the founders’ affection for dogs, and the company has retained the original creative core across decades while expanding into multi-platform production and a small executive/staff structure.thumb|Three of Working Dog's founders: [[Tom Gleisner (left), Rob Sitch (middle), and Michael Hirsh (right).]]
Television
Programs with a shaded background indicate the program is still in production.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title
! Network
! Genre
! Years
! Seasons
|-
| Frontline || ABC || Comedy, Satire || 1994–1997 ||
|-
| Behind the Frontline || ABC || Documentary || 1995 ||
|-
| Funky Squad || ABC || Comedy || 1995 ||
|-
| The Campaign || ABC || Documentary || 1996 ||
|-
| A River Somewhere || ABC || Documentary || 1997–1998 ||
|-
| The Panel || Network Ten || Talk show || 1998–2004 ||
|-
| All Aussie Adventures || Network Ten || Mockumentary || 2001–2002, 2018 ||
|-
| The Panel Christmas Wrap || Network Ten || Talk show || 2003–2007 ||
|-
| Russell Coight's Celebrity Challenge || Network Ten || Mockumentary || 2004 ||
|- style="background: #CCFFCC;"
| Thank God You're Here || Network Ten <small>(2006–2007, 2023–present)</small><br /> Seven Network <small>(2009)</small> || Improvised comedy || 2006–2009, 2023–present ||
|- style="background: #CCFFCC;"
| Thank God You're Here || NBC || Comedy || 2007 ||
|-
| The Hollowmen || ABC || Comedy || 2008 ||
|-
| Santo, Sam and Ed's Cup Fever! || SBS || Sport, Comedy || 2010 ||
|-
| Santo, Sam and Ed's Sports Fever! || 7mate/Seven Network || Sport, Comedy || 2012 ||
|-
| Pictures of You || Seven Network || Talk show || 2012 ||
|-
| Audrey's Kitchen || ABC || Comedy || 2012–2013 ||
|-
| Santo, Sam and Ed's Total Football || Fox Sports || Sports, Comedy || 2013–2015 ||
|- style="background: #CCFFCC;"
| Have You Been Paying Attention? || Network Ten || Game show || 2013–present ||
|- style="background: #CCFFCC;"
| Utopia || ABC || Comedy || 2014–present ||
|-
| Pacific Heat || The Comedy Channel || Animated Sitcom || 2016–2017 ||
|-style="background: #CCFFCC;"
| The Cheap Seats || Network Ten || Comedy, Current Affairs || 2021–present ||
|}
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title
! Genre
! Release date
! Distributor
|-
| The Castle
| Comedy
|
| Village Roadshow
|-
| The Dish
| Comedy
|
| Roadshow Entertainment
|-
| Any Questions for Ben?
| Comedy
|
| Roadshow Films
|}
Other
In addition to television and film, Working Dog Productions have also ventured into books, stage shows, and podcasts.
Books
Books which have been published by Working Dog include, but are not limited to, mock travel guides.
Podcasts
- Santo, Sam & Ed's Total Football Podcast (2017–present on ABC iview)
- Santo, Sam & Ed's Cup Fever! Podcast (2018 on ABC iview)
See also
- List of film production companies
- List of television production companies