FX adapts Aussie comedy ‘Wilfred’

By Rick Bentley

McClatchy Newspapers

LOS ANGELES

Dogs have been part of television programs from “Lassie” to “Frasier.” But, you’ve never seen a mutt like the one in the new FX Network series “Wilfred.”

Elijah Wood plays Ryan, an introvert with serious emotional problems. He’s asked by his attractive neighbor to watch her dog, Wilfred. The world sees the canine as a typical four-legged creature, but Ryan sees him as a man (Jason Gann) dressed in a dog suit.

Gann’s more than the guy in the suit. The cable series is based on the Australian series that he co-created. He came up with the idea while talking with a friend about a dog who terrorized his owner’s boyfriends.

“I just started improvising as this dog. It wasn’t a concept. It was just funny, and Adam Zwar, the original co-creator with myself, we just said, ‘That’s a short film, baby. We gotta write that down,’” Gann says. “So we wrote down a seven-minute short, and a week later we shot it. Within a year, it was at Sundance, and it’s just a bad joke that’s gone too far.”

It’s easy to understand why Gann would be part of this quirky comedy. It’s his co-star who’s in new territory. Wood has worked mostly in dramas, including “The Lord of the Rings” saga and “The Ice Storm.” He wanted to do comedy, so he signed on to live in a world where man’s best friend talks, burps and smokes pot.

It helped that the first script reminded Wood of one of his favorite movies, “Harvey.” He likes the way “Wilfred” has the same imaginary-character relationship that he loves about the classic film.

“Wilfred” premieres at 10 p.m. tonight on FX.