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Wilfred (American TV series)

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Wilfred
GenreBuddy comedy
Philosophical fiction
Created by
Developed byDavid Zuckerman
Starring
ComposerJim Dooley
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes11 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Running time22 minutes
Production companiesFX Productions
St. Western Films
Starline Entertainment
Fox Television Studios
Original release
NetworkFX
ReleaseJune 23, 2011 (2011-06-23) –
present
Related
Wilfred (TV series)

Wilfred is an American sitcom television series which debuted on June 23, 2011, and is based on the Australian SBS One series of the same name. It stars Elijah Wood and series co-creator Jason Gann, reprising his role of the eponymous dog Wilfred. The series was adapted for the American television channel FX by Family Guy veteran David Zuckerman. It was picked up for a second season on August 6th. [1]

Plot

Main article: List of Wilfred (U.S. TV series) episodes

Wilfred follows a young man named Ryan (Elijah Wood) and his neighbor's dog Wilfred (Jason Gann). At first Ryan is suicidal, attempting to kill himself several times in the first episode. Ryan's female neighbor, Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann), asks him to look after her dog for the day. Ryan is taken aback as he sees Wilfred as an Australian man in a dog suit, while everyone else sees Wilfred as just a dog.[2][3]

Cast

Main cast

  • Elijah Wood as Ryan Newman, the depressed and looking-for-more-in-life protagonist. Originally a washed-up lawyer, Ryan was on the verge of suicide until he met Wilfred, who advises him to live life his way.
  • Jason Gann as Wilfred, Jenna's seven-year old dog. He is protective of his owner and manipulative toward Ryan, to whom he becomes a mentor. He smokes cigarettes and marijuana, drinks beer, eats junk food, and is prone to various vices. While Ryan and the viewers see Wilfred as a man in a dog suit, he is a normal dog through everyone else's eyes.
  • Fiona Gubelmann as Jenna, Ryan's attractive neighbor and Wilfred's owner.
  • Dorian Brown as Kristen Newman, Ryan's older and controlling sister.

Recurring cast

  • Ethan Suplee as Spencer, the rude and loud neighbor.
  • Chris Klein as Drew, Jenna's obnoxious boyfriend, whom Wilfred does not like.

Guest stars

Production

Development

Wilfred is based on the critically acclaimed Australian series of the same name and was adapted for FX by Family Guy veteran David Zuckerman.[4] Wilfred is produced by FX Productions while the executive producers include: Zuckerman;[5][3][6] Rich and Paul Frank; Jeff Kwatinetz; and Joe and Ken Connor from the original Australian series. Wilfred co-creator Jason Gann and Randall Einhorn serve as co-executive producers. Einhorn directed 10 episodes of the first season and Victor Nelli, Jr. directed three.[5] The pilot episode was filmed in summer 2010,[3][6] written by Zuckerman, and directed by Einhorn.[6]

Unlike the Australian version—which concentrated equally on Wilfred, his owner, and her boyfriend—the American version is presented as a buddy comedy between Wilfred and Ryan.[7]

Casting

The casting of Elijah Wood as Ryan was announced on June 29, 2010.[3][6] Ryan is described as "an introverted and troubled young man struggling unsuccessfully to make his way in the world until he forms a unique friendship with Wilfred, his neighbor's canine pet."[2] Series co-creator Jason Gann also reprises his role of the eponymous dog Wilfred, a character described by Zuckerman as being a mixed breed dog who is "part Labrador Retriever and part Russell Crowe on a bender".[3][6] Fiona Gubelmann stars as Jenna, Wilfred's owner and Ryan's next-door neighbor, who works as a local news producer.[8] Dorian Brown was also cast as Kristen, Ryan's controlling and condescending older sister.[9]

Reception

Wilfred has seen generally positive reception, with review aggregator website Metacritic scoring the series an average of 66 of 100. A positive review given by David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle says; "Wilfred works on many levels, something that may not become apparent until after you stop laughing. "[10] Reviewer Tom Gliatto of People Weekly gave not such a positive review saying, "The show is The Odd Couple redefined by psychosis and whimsy. I'm not wagging my tail." Critical reception of the US adaption of Wilfred is comparable to the Australian series.

International broadcast

References

  1. ^ http://www.avclub.com/articles/fx-renews-wilfred-louie-and-its-always-sunny-in-ph,60054/
  2. ^ a b "Elijah Wood as 'Ryan'". FX. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e Ausiello, Michael (June 29 2010). "Scoop: FX snags Elijah Wood for new comedy 'Wilfred'". Inside TV. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 11, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Knox, David (May 12, 2010). "Wilfred is coming to America". TV.com. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Wilfred Official Website". FX. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e Lang, Brent (June 29, 2010). "Elijah Wood to the Small Screen, for FX's 'Wilfred'". The Wrap. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  7. ^ Curtis, Amy (July 12, 2011). "Interview With Fiona Gubelmann On Wilfred". We Got This Covered. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  8. ^ "Fiona Gubelmann as 'Jenna'". FX. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  9. ^ http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2010/12/02/development-update-thursday-december-2-772211/9005/
  10. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/21/DDVS1JTN90.DTL&type=entertainment
  11. ^ http://www.encoremagazine.com.au/us-wilfred-premieres-tonight-renegade-films-interview-9158
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