MERRY WOOFMAS: A FESTIVE FILM FOR DOGS – Louis Walsh Leads All Star Dog Cast In Christmas Movie Created Especially For Dogs

• To celebrate the launch of Christmas 24 on Saturday 21st October, the TV channel has created a Christmas movie especially for dogs, narrated by The X Factor’s Louis Walsh

• A film that the whole family can enjoy together, Merry Woofmas features canine cameos from popular Instagram dogs including Ramsey the Staffy (@bluestaffy), Marcel Le Corgi (@lecorgi) and Mika the Huskey (@huskeymika)

• Merry Woofmas incorporates audio and visual stimuli that appeal to dogs, as based on expert research from animal behaviourist Dr Candy d’Sa. The festive film is designed to capture the interest and curiosity of canine viewers, ultimately intended to improve their moods

• Merry Woofmas will premiere on-air and on the Christmas 24 Facebook page on Saturday 28th October at 4:50pm

Cosying up with the whole family to watch movies is as much a part of the festive season as mince pies and turkey dinners. Inspired by the spirit of Christmas, and to celebrate the launch of Christmas 24 this weekend – the original TV channel dedicated to Christmas movies – NBCUniversal International Networks has created Merry Woofmas.

This Christmas movie especially for dogs, is sure to be a treat for the whole family when it premieres on Saturday 28th October at 4:50pm.

In Merry Woofmas – narrated by The X Factor’s Louis Walsh – Pyrenean Sheepdog Holly is hoping for one present and one present only: she wants a big, juicy bone under the Christmas tree. But, despite lots of furry friends showing up to wish Holly a Merry Christmas, there are no guarantees she’ll get what she wished for. Holly’s buddies include special cameos from Instagram stars Ramsey the Staffy (@bluestaffy – 191K Instagram followers), Marcel Le Corgi (@lecorgi – 60.9K Instagram followers) and Mika the Huskey (@huskeymika – 65.6K Instagram followers).

Merry Woofmas narrator Louis Walsh commented “I’ve absolutely loved narrating this special Christmas movie for dogs. It’s been really interesting to learn how pets are stimulated by different sounds and I hope they enjoy my voice-over in this film. I’ll definitely be encouraging Sharon and Simon’s dogs to give this a watch with me this Christmas! Merry Woofmas, everybody!”

Christmas 24 worked with animal behaviourist Dr Candy d’Sa and veterinarian Robert White-Adams throughout the scripting and production of this doggie movie to ensure it incorporates the kind of on-screen stimuli that gets a positive response from dogs including: creating the movie in a dog’s colour spectrum of blues and yellows; slow-moving imagery and short scenes that cater to a dog’s limited attention span. More information on this expert research can be found in the specially commissioned report for Christmas 24 by Dr Candy d’Sa.

Pet behaviourist Dr Candy d’Sa said: “It’s important to realise that dogs see the world in a very different way to us humans, and respond differently to certain audio and visuals. I think it’s great that there’s now a Christmas film specifically developed for dogs, so the whole family can sit back, relax and enjoy a Christmas film together this festive season.”

Audio and visual content that capture dogs’ attention were incorporated in order to pique their curiosity and improve the moods of canines. Louis Walsh’s voice changes tone, pitch, canter and cadence during the film – using specific words used that dogs are familiar with and trigger positive reactions. Intended as a family viewing experience, Merry Woofmas can also be enjoyed by humans, too.

Christmas 24 launches this weekend and Merry Woofmas will be premiering on the channel and Facebook page on the 28th October at 4:50pm. Christmas 24 is available on Sky, Virgin and BT.

About NBCUniversal International Networks
NBCUniversal International Networks is one of the world’s premier entertainment portfolios, delivering quality content and compelling brands to over 165 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The channel brands in the portfolio include Universal Channel, SYFY, E! Entertainment Television, 13th Street, DIVA, Studio Universal, Telemundo, Bravo, DreamWorks and Golf Channel. These unique brands deliver a full range of entertainment experiences to local audiences across the globe; the portfolio also includes Movies 24 in the UK and The Style Network in Australia. Further, NBCUniversal News Group, one of the most influential and respected portfolios of on-air and digital news properties in the world, operate CNBC and NBC News internationally.

NBCUniversal International Networksis a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.