Q&A with Andrew Green, PUPPY PLACE’ ON APPLE TV+!
Based on Scholastic’s best-selling book series written by Ellen Miles, "Puppy Place" chronicles the adventures of dog-loving siblings, Charles and Lizzie Peterson, and the puppy pals they foster in search of forever homes. Premiering on Apple TV+ Friday, each of the eight live-action episodes tells the story of a puppy who finds his or her way to the Peterson family. Charles (Riley Looc) and Lizzie (Brooklynn MacKinzie), whose different approaches complement, inspire, and occasionally confound one another, do whatever it takes to find a happy, loving home for each and every dog. Discovering what makes each puppy special offers a unique perspective that helps the pair overcome their own individual hurdles. Executive produced by Iole Lucchese, Caitlin Friedman and Jef Kaminsky of Scholastic Entertainment and Andrew Green.
According to Andrew, helping dogs find their forever homes is the show’s story engine, and it has always been their goal to practice what they preach. While some of the puppy actors already had families of their own, every dog who didn't was adopted by a member of the crew. Eleven dogs were adopted. And the bonus? They’d often come back to set with their new parents to visit and play!
The series was shot in the middle of the pandemic. Andrew is fast to talk about how having the dogs/puppies was incredibly therapeutic. For anyone having a rough day, there was always a nearby puppy who couldn’t wait to climb on your lap and lick your face.
Andrew personally has two pets at home, a miniature dachshund Bruno, 19 years old, who came to work with him every day and became the show’s unofficial mascot. He even has a "major guest star role" in one of the later episodes! He also has an 11 year-old pig named Basil who loves popcorn and belly rubs, but can be very territorial about his section of the sofa.
Q&A
What message do you hope kids watching “Puppy Place” will take away?
There are so many amazing dogs who would love nothing more than to be a part of your family. Adopting a dog, or helping one find their forever home, is one of the most rewarding experiences you will have in your lifetime.
Do you have any pets?
In addition to Bruno (doggie), I have an 11-year-old pig named Basil. We used to go on daily walks around the neighborhood, but he’s slowing down a bit and prefers to hang out at home and watch TV while enjoying belly rubs. I also love working out, playing tennis and softball and experiencing great new restaurants. But, obviously, no pork!
Please share you puppy adoption experiences during COVID with us?
The pandemic and extra safety protocols we put in place during production, there were many new challenges none of us had faced before, and we learned to adapt on the fly. Thankfully, the dogs knew nothing of the pandemic. For them, it was business as usual, which meant lots of playtime and plenty of kisses. It was something we all needed. It didn’t matter how rough a day we were having, the dogs always brought smiles to our faces. Personally, one of the best things about making “Puppy Place” was being able to bring Bruno, my 18-year-old, wobbly-legged dachshund, to work with me every day. He also guest-starred in one of the episodes as a spoiler alert, “an 18 year-old, wobbly-legged dachshund.”
ANDREW GREEN (Creator, Executive Producer, Showrunner)
A three-time Emmy-nominated writer and producer, Andrew Green has written on over 300 episodes of television across a variety of genres. His diverse credits include Suddenly Susan, The Joe Schmo Show, Insatiable, and The Secret Society of Second Born Royals. Since stumbling into the world of kids’ content as a co-executive producer on Hannah Montana, he has developed shows for Disney, Nickelodeon and Amazon. A passionate animal lover, Andrew is over the moon to be able to tell fun, heartwarming stories he hopes will inspire families to adopt dogs in need of forever homes. He lives in Los Angeles with his 19 year-old dachshund, Bruno, and Basil, an 11 year-old, 120-pound pig.
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