A show of hounds: In these Web episodes, dogs take the spotlight

Who doesn't love puppies?

Writer and producer Amy Harris is counting on drawing an audience of canine fanciers to click over to her new Web program, "Puppy Love." The first of 10 short episodes featuring dog-centric stories is available at LStudio (www.lstudio.com), the entertainment site sponsored by Lexus.

"I had the idea for a while, but I couldn't figure out how to crack it," Harris said. "I loved the idea of a cast of characters, and pitched it in March. We got the green light in June and by August we were shooting."

Harris worked as a writer on "Sex and the City" and tapped in to her extensive list of friends to work on the Web series. She got the actors, writers and directors to donate their time, as the project budget included a $50,000 donation to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"Instead of getting actors at scale, we found actors that love dogs," Harris said.

Several episodes feature the dogs of the actors, including two that star Oscar, Harris' own spaniel.

Each episode was shot in two days and the production value is equal to anything you'll see on network programs. Harris said the budget for all 10 episodes was less than $300,000. She said a comparable project done by a major network would have a budget of at least $4 million.

Harris didn't do the series for the money, but instead wanted to share stories that make her laugh.

"My definition of success is working with people I like on a project I like," she said. "This did it for me in spades."

Although most of the episodes target a female dog-owning audience, at least one is aimed at males. An episode written and directed by Jason Reilly is "very male." It tells the story of guy whose dog upstages him when he tries to meet women.

The first episode tells the story of a dog with a gas problem that chases men away. The woman's friends perform an intervention to help the dog owner come to grips with the situation.

Other story lines include a couple splitting up and dealing with joint custody of their dog, a woman who is very afraid of dogs and parents expressing their feelings about their grown child by talking about her dog instead.

Harris said the Lexus people gave her complete creative and budget control. There is no product placement.

LStudio has first-use rights for 18 months, then Harris owns the programs. She said she is working on syndication or sponsorship of a digital video disc that would include all the episodes.

The comment area of the viewing window includes several positive notes. The site also includes a Web program featuring Lisa Kudrow (from "Friends") as a therapist and several documentaries.

Visit my Tidbits blog (www.lvrj.com/blogs/onlineguy) to see photos of Harris, Reilly and Oscar.

Share your Internet story with me at agibes@reviewjournal.com.