Muster Dogs become bush stars

“I can’t go anywhere without being asked about Frank Finger and whether Luci is still okay,” Lisa Millar explains.

“It blows me away how much people want to know about what happened with the dogs. That kind of what started this whole idea about doing the special.”

Indeed, Muster Dogs has been such a breakout hit for ABC (upstaged perhaps only by that other animated ABC dog) that a 4 part follow-up special seems inevitable.

Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now? catches up with trainers and dogs from two seasons to see what they have been up to.

“People kept asking, ‘What happened to them? Did they end up being good working dogs after they ended up on these properties, or did they kind of let stardom go to their heads?'”

Since filming of Season 1 trainers and dogs have become stars in the bush. There’s been romance, a newborn baby, and a litter of puppies bred from two of the Muster Dogs stars.

“We’re basically pulling back the curtains and letting people know what it was like for these ordinary Australians to suddenly become household names, especially out in the bush. They get stopped and asked for selfies. In their communities they’re a big deal. It was super fun for me because even though I have a lot to do with Muster Dogs while it’s being filmed, and I get to know the participants, at the end of the day, I’m the Narrator and the voice of it. Whereas with this one, I get to film with them.”

Lisa Millar, Frank Finger

Without the competition element, the four episodes adopt a light tone, whilst still showcasing regional Australia.

Millar travelled to WA, Tasmania and Queensland for the episodes while cameras also filmed in Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.

“It was a juggle for me, because it was all building up to me leaving News Breakfast,” she explains.

“I was doing News Breakfast during the week, filming the special on weekends, and then every few months, going off to film Back Roads somewhere as well. So it was pretty hectic, and certainly for the producers from Ambience Entertainment.”

Viewers can expect to see Season 1 winners Frank and Annie in Clermont, Queensland, Joni and Chet in WA, Cilla and Ash in Ban Ban Springs, Queensland, and Season 2 winners Zoe and Buddy in the NT. At rural shows the dogs are welcomed as canine rock stars, all without interfering with their work ethic.

“Having watched them at shows all over the place there’s no drama with kids running up to them. They don’t bark. They’re never aggressive at all, like they just up the attention. And they’re just really cuddly dogs,” Millar continues.

“These dogs are focused when they’re on the job, and we’re really conscious as the crew to not interfere when the dogs are working. We step back and just let them do their thing, and we don’t try and over-produce what the dogs are doing. We just let them do what they do.”

Lily, Snow & pups

A third season will premiere on February 2nd with both kelpies and border collie pups.

“We get lots of people messaging saying, ‘Why don’t you do cattle dogs? Why don’t you do Blue Heelers?’ Why don’t you do something about Guide Dogs because they’re working dogs?’ So we have a lot of very helpful suggestions from the audience about what breed we should do next.

Jokingly she adds, “I’m still trying to get the Bluey tie in!”

Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now? screens 7:30pm Sunday on ABC.