Top Dog adopted in Germany

RTL’s Top Dog is being produced in-house

RTL in Germany has commissioned a local version of light-entertainment competition format Top Dog, which is distributed by A+E Networks Global Content Sales.

Top Dog sees teams of highly skilled dogs and their owners compete against each other, testing the canines’ speed, agility and teamwork in a series of fun challenges against the clock.

The six-part primetime series will be produced by RTL Studios and will air later this month under the title Der Beste Hund Deutschlands.

Created by Big Fish Entertainment, Top Dog first aired on A&E Network in the US as America’s Top Dog. It returned for a second season on A&E on June 29, hosted by veteran studio and sports broadcaster Curt Menefee.

LA- and London-based The ATS Team is providing production services on the German version, having also done so on the US original.

Robyn Hurd, VP of content sales for EMEA at A+E Networks, said: “Everywhere people love dogs, so truly everywhere there is an audience for Top Dog.”

RTL’s Top Dog joins international versions of other A+E shows secured by the company’s growing formats division, such as Alone, which airs on History in the US and has been remade in Sweden, Norway and Denmark on Discovery+.

In Latin America, the Spanish-language format Forged in Fire is in its fourth season on History, which is also airing a Spanish-language adaptation of the US series The UnXplained.

Meanwhile, the UK version of The Rap Game, an A+E Networks competition format that follows young, undiscovered rappers from all walks of life, will return for a third season on BBC3 this month.