Hacker T Dog
{{Short description|Puppet-dog television presenter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Hacker T Dog
| series = CBBC, Scoop & Hacker Time
| image = HackerTDog.jpg
| caption =
| first = Scoop (2009)
| creator = Neil Sterenberg
| portrayer = {{ubl|Andy Heath (2009) | Phil Fletcher (2009–present)}}
| species = Border Terrier
| occupation = Presenter
| gender = Male
| nationality = British
| lbl21 = Birth date
| lbl22 = Owner
| data22 = Digby Digworth (Scoop)
}}
Hacker The Dog,{{Cite tweet |number=816619966589964289 |user=HackerTDog |last=Dog |first=Hacker The |title=The 'T' in my middle name stands for 'The' #NationalTriviaDay |access-date=2023-03-06 |language=en}} more commonly known as Hacker T Dog, is a Border Terrier{{cite web |url= http://thechildrensmediaconference.com/profile/hacker-t-dog/|title=The Children's Media Conference|access-date=8 November 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://radiotimes.com/news/2014-06-26/andy-murray-interviewed-by-hacker-the-dog-at-wimbledon/|title=Radio Times|access-date=8 November 2017|archive-date=8 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108210215/http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-06-26/andy-murray-interviewed-by-hacker-the-dog-at-wimbledon/|url-status=live}} dog puppet who appears on the CBBC television channel in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |url= http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?sq=presenter |title=Awards Database – The BAFTA site |access-date=27 January 2012}} He is performed by puppeteer Phil Fletcher.
Development and History
Hacker was introduced as a character in the CBBC television programme Scoop, performed by Andy Heath. Hacker is the unintelligible non-spoken sidekick of Digby Digworth, as the two attempt to try and find a news scoop but chaos ensues along the way.
After the character became popular, Hacker was added as a weekday presenter at the CBBC office in May 2009, with the puppetry and voice now being performed by Phil Fletcher. Hacker from that point gained a much more noticeable characteristic, having a much more comedic and sarcastic personality and he now spoke in full words. These characteristics were added to the character within the second and third seasons of Scoop as well. In July, he began presenting on weekdays with Scottish comedian Iain Stirling.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/cbbcstars/ |title=CBBC – CBBC Stars |publisher=BBC |access-date=2012-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301110038/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/cbbcstars/ |archive-date=2012-03-01 |url-status=dead }}
In 2010, Hacker's "half-brother" Dodge T Dog joined the presenting team on CBBC, while Hacker went off to film the second series of Scoop.
In 2011, Hacker was given a solo presenting role on a separate chat show titled Hacker Time, where he interviews television personalities and other CBBC stars. The series lasted six seasons from 2011 to 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/shows/hacker-time |title=CBBC – Hacker Time |publisher=BBC |access-date=14 February 2012 |archive-date=14 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214180424/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/shows/hacker-time |url-status=live }}
In 2013, following Iain Stirling's departure from CBBC, he and Dodge began presenting with Chris Johnson.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/stars/hacker|title=Website|access-date=2018-02-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228095910/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/stars/hacker|archive-date=2014-12-28|url-status=dead}}
The character took a hiatus from CBBC in April 2014 to film Series 4 of Hacker Time. During his absence, numerous guest presenters filled in for him during his usual weekday afternoon slot. Hacker returned temporarily on 24 May 2014, before making a permanent return on 18 June 2014.
A 2016 clip in which Hacker deadpans to host Lauren Layfield "We're just normal men... We're just innocent men", prompting Layfield to break character and laugh while Hacker continues to deadpan, resurfaced in 2022 and went viral.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bigissue.com/culture/tv/normal-men-innocent-men-and-me/|title=Lauren Layfield: 'Normal men, innocent men' and me – The Big Issue|date=27 June 2022|access-date=7 December 2022|archive-date=7 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207212913/https://www.bigissue.com/culture/tv/normal-men-innocent-men-and-me/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/just-normal-men-puppet-interview/|title=I Interviewed the 'We're Just Normal Men' Puppet on Zoom|website=Vice.com|date=17 June 2022 |access-date=7 December 2022|archive-date=7 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207212910/https://www.vice.com/en/article/88q9gx/just-normal-men-puppet-interview|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.indy100.com/viral/normal-men-innocent-cbbc-meme-2657214139|title=A CBBC dog saying 'normal men, innocent men' has become the internet's favourite meme|date=26 April 2022|website=indy100|access-date=7 December 2022|archive-date=7 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207212910/https://www.indy100.com/viral/normal-men-innocent-cbbc-meme-2657214139|url-status=live}} While some assumed the clip had context before the exchange, Fletcher later explained that there was none, and he just ad-libbed the line to make Layfield laugh.
Hacker is very fond of television presenter Sue Barker and mentions her often.{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/14002564.stm |title=BBC Sport – Hacker's The Dog's Wimbledon quest |publisher=BBC |location=London |access-date=28 January 2012}}{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8131158.stm |title=BBC SPORT | Tennis | On the hunt for Sue Barker |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |location=London |access-date=28 January 2012 |archive-date=18 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618202014/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8131158.stm |url-status=live }} In 2009 Hacker was the mascot for the Wimbledon Championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.comedyblog.merseyblogs.co.uk/2009/07/post-3.html|title=Wimbledon japes from CBBC's Hacker the dog – Liverpool Daily Post|year=2012|access-date=28 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112201353/http://www.comedyblog.merseyblogs.co.uk/2009/07/post-3.html|archive-date=12 November 2013}}{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8776237.stm |title=BBC Sport – Tennis – Hacker & Dodge come to Wimbledon |publisher=BBC |location=London |access-date=28 January 2012}}{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/8131864.stm |title=BBC Sport – Tennis – Wimbledon day 11 as it happened |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |location=London |access-date=28 January 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://davecheeseman.com/today-at-wimbledon |title=Today at Wimbledon – Dave Cheeseman | Cameraman & Picture Editor |work=davecheeseman.com |year=2012 |access-date=28 January 2012 |archive-date=8 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308112624/http://davecheeseman.com/today-at-wimbledon |url-status=live }}
Hacker is known for saying 'cockers' – a Northern term for 'mate'.https://www.wigantoday.net/news/hacker-t-dog-invites-stars-wigan-719276 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017221704/https://www.wigantoday.net/news/hacker-t-dog-invites-stars-wigan-719276 |date=17 October 2020 }} Wigan Today. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
In other media
Hacker, Cel Spellman and Amberley Lobo provided CBBC commentary on the Russia v Belgium match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Hacker appeared on an episode of Celebrity Mastermind in December 2016, his specialist subject being the Pet Shop Boys. He came in second place, losing to television chef Paul Rankin.https://metro.co.uk/2016/12/19/hacker-t-dog-almost-won-mastermind-and-everyones-fallen-in-love-with-him-6333612/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019171706/https://metro.co.uk/2016/12/19/hacker-t-dog-almost-won-mastermind-and-everyones-fallen-in-love-with-him-6333612/ |date=19 October 2020 }} Metro. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
Television
The character has appeared in the following roles:
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009–2011 | Scoop | Main role |
| 2009–present | CBBC Office/CBBC HQ | Channel presenter |
| 2011–2016 | Hacker Time | Namesake presenter |
| 2013, 2016 | Sam & Mark's Big Friday Wind-Up | |
| 2014 | Wimbledon 2day | |
| rowspan="2" | 2015 | Wimbledon | |
| Hacker's Birthday Bash: 30 Years of Children's BBC | Main role | |
| rowspan="2" | 2015–2017 | The Dog Ate My Homework | 5 appearances |
| All Over the Place | Appears in cutaway segments recorded in the UK | |
| rowspan="6" | 2016 | Horrible Histories: Gory Games | Contestant |
| Hacker's Olympic Rundown | Main role | |
| Celebrity Mastermind | Contestant; 2nd place | |
| Hacker's Crackers | Main role | |
| Zig and Zag's Zogcasts | Appears in episode 17 | |
| Art Ninja | Appears in 4 episodes from series 2–5 | |
| 2017 | BBC Election Wrap | |
| 2017–2019 | Saturday Mash-Up! | Presenter |
| 2018 | Remotely Funny | Contestant |
| rowspan="2"| 2020 | Pointless Celebrities | Contestant; children's TV special |
| Andy and the Band: Live at Home! | ||
| 2022 | Andy and the Band | Appears in episode: BBC Shutdown |
| 2024 | Birthday Party in the CBeebies House |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Twitter | id= HackerTDog | name= Hacker T Dog }}
- {{Instagram | id= hackertdog | name= Hacker T Dog }}
- {{YouTube|h=hackertdog|Hacker T Dog}}