Daniel the Spaniel and Bulldog Division
Daniel the Spaniel and Bulldog Division was a pro-Crusader propaganda Clan children's program. Launched circa 2975, it was the precursor to The Adventures of Clan Spaniel.[1]
Overview
Daniel the Spaniel was one of many pro-Crusader propaganda programs produced by an inter-Clan network of frustrated merchants, an effort to redirect warriors' attention away from the merchants and towards external enemies. In Daniel the Spaniel, the titular spaniel, a young war orphan, grows up alongside the Bulldog Division in their fight against the evil Shark Empire, with all characters represented by anthropomorphic animals.[1] The show closely followed the Amaris Civil War, reaching midway through Operation CHIEFTAIN before cancellation.[2] It portrayed the Star League High Council as betrayers of the SLDF, unwilling to support it and unfit to rule over the territories of the League - pro-Crusader messages.[1]
Each episode came with simulator code so viewers could recreate its main battle, a practice that successor series The Adventures of Clan Spaniel continued.[3]
History
The rise of the Crusaders was helped along by a propaganda campaign launched by a network of merchants across the Clans, frustrated by their warriors' constant interference in economic matters and Londerholm-style acts of brutality. By 2974, the merchants had seen some success with general audiences, but struggled with children; past shows such as Star Captain Wallaby's Mystic DropShip and Richard Cameron and Friends had been rejected by their audience.[1]
In 2974, Clan Burrock Factor Vicary proposed a new propaganda show, a retooling of an in-progress documentary on the SLDF 67th Infantry Division. It would take the 67th, historically nicknamed the 'Bulldog Division', and give them a child-relatable mascot.[1] As several Clans' founders originated from the Rim Worlds Republic, it was decided that the ersatz Shark Empire would take its place, without any direct mention of Stefan Amaris or the RWR.[3]
The show was a massive hit, and ran for ten years. However, in 2985, the newly renamed Clan Diamond Shark objected to the villainization of sharks, leading to the cancellation of Daniel the Spaniel. Plans were quickly put together to retool it, culminating in a spin-off: The Adventures of Clan Spaniel.[1] The Sharks continued to object to Daniel the Spaniel for decades to come, refusing to distribute it in the Inner Sphere. It would eventually be shown in the Snord Museum on Clinton, and later Galatea.[4]