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"Wilfred" is about a talking dog, played by a husky Australian man in an adult-sized dog suit and painted nose, who smokes pot, flirts with women and follows a laser pointer likes it's the most fascinating thing on the planet (he is a dog, after all).
The real surprise? That it all... works.
The buzz: Starring Elijah Wood ("The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) and Jason Gann, who co-created and starred as the titular canine in the original Australian version of the show, "Wilfred" takes a far-fetched (pun!) premise and delivers some big laughs and sharper-than-expected writing. Wood is charismatic and totally likeable as Ryan, a loner who is the only one who sees Wilfred as a walking, talking, toking human (everyone else just sees a regular ol' dog).
The verdict: Funny where it could have been silly, confident where it might have been smarmy, FX fetches (pun!) high marks for taking a high concept series and creating a real treat (pun!). With pale, gangly, down on his luck Ryan and his new imaginary BFF/alter ego, "Wilfred" ends up feeling a little bit like "Fight Club"—but with precisely one brash, foul-mouthed dog thrown into the mix. (For a talking dog show that didn't work as well, check out ABC's failed 1990 pilot Poochinski.)
Did you know? The Baha Men's international hit "Who Let the Dogs Out?" never hit #1 on the U.S. or U.K. charts, but did reach #1 in Australia. Coincidence?
"Wilfred" premieres Thursday, June 23, at 10 p.m. on FX.
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