Shep (dog)
Encyclopedia
Shep was a famous Blue Peter
dog
, a border collie
. Shep was bought by the BBC
to replace Patch, one of Petra's puppies, born in 1965. He became the main Blue Peter dog when Petra died in 1977.
Shep is remembered by British
TV viewers as inseparable from Blue Peter
presenter John Noakes
. Shep was excitable, and Noakes would often have to restrain him. Noakes' common refrain, "Get Down Shep!", became a catchphrase, and The Barron Knights released a song
with that title. Shep left Blue Peter when Noakes departed in June 1978.
Shep also appeared with Noakes in five series of Go With Noakes
, from 1976 to 1980. Contrary to popular legend, while Shep belonged to the BBC, Noakes was not required to return Shep to the BBC when he left. Although Noakes retained Shep, he was forbidden to use him for advertising purposes, even though the payments he received for Shep's upkeep whilst on the programme ceased. Noakes used a similar looking dog named 'Skip' in a series of TV ads for dog food in 1978, which infuriated the BBC's Blue Peter production team. Shep died in 1987. Noakes has often become emotional when asked about Shep. He openly wept on an edition of The Weakest Link
when hostess Anne Robinson
asked him about the dog.
Shep was bred by Audrey Wickham (née Hart), breeder of a number of notable pedigree border collies in the Sadghyl line.
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, a border collie
Border Collie
The Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It is the most widespread of the collie breeds....
. Shep was bought by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to replace Patch, one of Petra's puppies, born in 1965. He became the main Blue Peter dog when Petra died in 1977.
Shep is remembered by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
TV viewers as inseparable from Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
presenter John Noakes
John Noakes
John Noakes is a British television presenter and personality, best known for co-presenting the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter in the 1960s and 1970s. He remains the show's longest-serving presenter, with a stint that lasted 12 years and 6 months...
. Shep was excitable, and Noakes would often have to restrain him. Noakes' common refrain, "Get Down Shep!", became a catchphrase, and The Barron Knights released a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
with that title. Shep left Blue Peter when Noakes departed in June 1978.
Shep also appeared with Noakes in five series of Go With Noakes
Go With Noakes
Go With Noakes was a BBC Television children's programme, broadcast between 28 March 1976 and 21 December 1980.A documentary series, it was presented by John Noakes initially alongside, then following his departure from, Blue Peter in 1978...
, from 1976 to 1980. Contrary to popular legend, while Shep belonged to the BBC, Noakes was not required to return Shep to the BBC when he left. Although Noakes retained Shep, he was forbidden to use him for advertising purposes, even though the payments he received for Shep's upkeep whilst on the programme ceased. Noakes used a similar looking dog named 'Skip' in a series of TV ads for dog food in 1978, which infuriated the BBC's Blue Peter production team. Shep died in 1987. Noakes has often become emotional when asked about Shep. He openly wept on an edition of The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
when hostess Anne Robinson
Anne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
asked him about the dog.
Shep was bred by Audrey Wickham (née Hart), breeder of a number of notable pedigree border collies in the Sadghyl line.
External links
- Shep from the Blue Peter website