Making Fetch Happen

Portland comedian Andie Main doesn’t like reality TV. But she does like her dog, Sadie.

So, she decided to invent the type of reality TV show she’d want to watch, one in which singles gather together at a friend’s farm in Hillsboro and let their dogs play matchmaker. The show is called Fetching and it’s being made in the Portland area.

The inspiration for Fetching came from Sadie, a pandemic dog who was somewhat reactive, often barking at men.

“My dog wasn’t helping me meet people,” Main says, “but what if she could?”

After percolating on the idea for several years, Main decided to talk to her comedian friends about it and found many were enthusiastic and wanted to be part of the project.

Main enlisted help from fellow standup comedians, including Ally J Ward, who will serve as co-host of the show and the leader of “the pack” of comedian commentators. Jennifer Amie came on as showrunner and producer, and the team has begun fundraising for the project. They hope to raise $10,000 to produce the show.

Fetching has several components. First is the “meet cute” at the aforementioned Hillsboro farm. The dogs are let out to play and meet each other; if two dogs bond, their owners must start talking.

While contestants and their dogs mingle, comedians will be on hand for play-by-play commentary.

“I want the reanimated corpse of Fred Willard to do it,” says Main, referring to Willard’s dog show commentary in the film mockumentary Best in Show (2000). Unfortunately, Willard died in 2020; in his absence, other special surprise guests will have to do.

Other segments include “Queer Eye-esque” makeovers for contestants and, of course, the big date, where the humans go out on the town and the dogs stay home with the comedians. All of this will be filmed and put up on YouTube, sans ads, with the option to donate at the end—“a PBS business model,” as Main puts it.

Main hopes the show takes off and can tour other cities, incorporating the culture of each location, like Real Housewives, but with less plastic surgery and more dogs.

“We’re going to be showcasing so much of Portland. The city is another character in the story,” Main says. Local vendors have already reached out to her to help. A hairdresser is donating services, as is a comedian who also works as a makeup artist. The Portland Pickles have broached the idea of coordinating a date night at one of their dog-friendly events, and Main welcomes other prospective collaborators.

Speaking of local culture, the demographics of the people currently signed up to audition is reflective of both our city and the (sorry) state of dating and gender politics. Main reported that, of the 60 people who are currently signed up to audition, “no more than seven” are cis men. There are three poly couples in the mix. The rest are single women or nonbinary people. (There are dozens of us!)

“I think that speaks to the male loneliness epidemic,” Main says, chuckling. But if more men don’t come out of the woodwork, she’s fine with that. “Why bother putting your finger on the scale and helping out someone who doesn’t even want help?” she says of the lonely men of Portland. Any other men “only with the best intentions” who want to participate are welcome to contact her, she says.

“Put down your video games, touch grass, get out here. That dog needs a walk,” says Main, who adds the situation is like one where a boy takes a home economics class: The odds are good.

The goal of the show is to match people up for romantic relationships, but what happens if two dogs belonging to those few cis straight men fall in love? Main says it’s fine if platonic friendships come out of the show. “We’ll take any form of love, you know. Maybe it’ll light a spark they never knew existed,” she says.

Either way, connection is the goal.

The show will select 20 final contestants after the initial tryouts on May 30. From there, Main hopes to shoot the farm segment the second week of June and send matches on dates the next week. She sees the show as “a kindhearted social experiment.” Maybe some people will find love, but, no matter what, she says, “it’s just going to be really adorable.”

CHECK IT OUT: Fetching tryouts at Migration Brewing, 2828 NE Glisan St., 503-206-5221, migrationbrewing.com. Saturday, May 30. Contact fetchingtheshow@gmail.com to sign up in advance.

On a new Portland reality show, your dog picks your date.