Fans of Dirty Jobs might struggle to recognize the man in the upper left-hand corner. The one with a pocket square in his suit jacket. It’s me, for the record, impersonating a judge on Hallmark Channel USA‘s annual love letter to mutts, #BestinRescue, which airs tonight and tomorrow night.
Why did I agree to do this? Am I harboring a latent desire to appear in Christmas movies that air in September? Am I migrating toward a series of partnerships with companies and brands so aggressively G-Rated they bleep words like “shucks” and “darn it?” No. I agreed to participate because I’m a sucker for mutts, and this is the only dog show that celebrates dogs for the qualities I most admire. I refer, in no particular order, to “Best in Underbite,” “Best in Snoring,” “Best in Belly Rub,” and “Best in Couch Potato.”
It’s an achingly earnest production. Unapologetically sentimental and aggressively heart-warming. And full disclosure, I’m not even sure I actually appear on camera. But I was happy to be there, with my pocket square, because like many of you, I prefer my canines as flawed as their owners. Check it out, 8pm, 7 Central, tonight on Hallmark
Mike