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, a new television show from author/actor/musician Joel Thomas Hynes and TV producer powerhouse Sherry White will start shooting around 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," Hynes told CBC Radio's Weekend AM.

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

Little Dog is about lightweight boxer Donny "Little Dog" Ross, played by Hynes, and his haphazard quest for redemption after he walked out of the ring in the middle of a fight — which is seen as a very cowardly move in boxing, White said.

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

Hynes is the creator and star, while White, who has produced and written for shows like Rookie Blue, The Catch and Orphan Black, not to mention writing Maudie, is the showrunner and executive producer. She is 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 a TV series.

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"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 Dog to 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 20th Century Fox Television in association with Marvel Television called The Gifted.

White said their son will be filming 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 Dog through production companies Elemental Pictures and Cameron Pictures.

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

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