Little Dog on the little screen: New TV show set to film in St. John's

If you miss catching a glimpse of TV crews working in and around St. John's,you'll have something to look forward to this summer.

Beginning in August, anew television show from author/actor/musician Joel Thomas Hynes and TV producer powerhouseSherry Whitewill start shootingaround the capital city.

We're having to fight with Marvel to get our own son in the show.- Joel Thomas Hynes

"Me and Sherry have a long standing creative history and personal history, we have a child together,"Hynestold CBC Radio'sWeekend AM.

"We have a really good working relationship and a great friendship."

Little Dog is aboutlightweightboxer Donny"Little Dog" Ross, played by Hynes, and his haphazard quest for redemption after hewalked out of the ring in the middle of a fightwhich is seen as avery cowardly move in boxing, White said.

"You can't be anything worse than a cowardly boxer," White told the St. John's Morning Show.

Hynesis the creatorand star, whileWhite, who has produced and written for shows like Rookie Blue, The Catch and Orphan Black, not to mention writing Maudie, is theshowrunnerandexecutive producer. Sheis also directing the show's pilot episode.

While Hynes has had acting roles in Orphan Black and Republic of Doyle, this is the first time he is playing the lead in aTV series.

• With rave reviews across the country, Newfoundland-filmed Maudie opens in St. John's

"This is new ground for me. [I'm] very excited," he said.

"I'm training as if I got a fight coming up, but that fight will be mid-August when we go to camera."

Though Hynes originally pitched Little Dogto White as a drama, she convinced him to take a different perspective.

It's now set to air on CBC in 2018 as a half-hour comedy.

'We're in very, very good hands'

A part has been written for their son, Percy Hynes White, though it's unclear if he'll be able to take part.

He has been cast in a new show from 20thCentury Fox Television in association with Marvel Television called The Gifted.

White said theirson will befilming in Atlanta at the same time Little Dog will be shooting in St. John's.

"We're having to fight for him. We're having to fight with Marvel to get our own son in the show," Hynes said.

Hynes said some of the producers of Republic of Doyle will also work on Little Dogthrough production companies Elemental Pictures and CameronPictures.

"We're in very, very good hands," Hynes said.

"[We're] very happy to be working with them. [We're] very lucky."