Wilfred

Wilfred is a bit of a one-off as far as comedy goes. The basic scenario of a dope smoking sexually disinhibited dog as a character in a romantic sit-com could go badly wrong.

When I first started watching it I thought it was a crap idea - then it creeps up on you how brilliantly put together the show is - first class scripts and wonderful comic timing.

If you find the idea of a bloke acting the part of a psychopathic pet attractive this is one not to be missed. The humour is Australian which would translate easily for a UK or NZ audience.

Wilfred: "For me this last six years has been one loveless root after the next..great danes...not so great danes...even a few deadies truth be known"

Wilfred isn't your usual comedy, The hero Wilfred is a guy in a dog suit. Wilfred behaves rather badly and is really a bit of a dog. He can talk to Adam who is his owners boyfriend and other dogs but no other humans. A bit like Mr Ed I guess but this one is R rated. Wilfred smokes parties and is in general a bit of an animal. The interactions between other dogs who are also people in dog suits and Wilfred is really quite amazing. From bragging about the privileges his humans give him to sniffing what the other dog had for dinner last night the script is quite amazing. This is not your usual American sitcom and is way out on the fringe of comedy, but if you are not easily offended and want to see something truly different watch Wilfred.

this show is freaking brilliant. based on how Sara's boyfriend Adam see's her dog Wilfred, as a person in a dog suit. the writers Jason Gann and Adam Zwar obviously know dogs really well, because they have conveyed a dog's behavior perfectly into a human actor, and it is brilliant.

ever walked up to a dog tied up outside a shop and gone to say hello or pat it, and it shows it teeth and gives you the look that says 'stay away'? in one episode, wilfred is tied up outside a milk bar while adam and sara are inside. he's playing with something, head down. a man walks up towards the shop and heads to wilfred with his hand out.

wilfred looks up, tilts back and says 'f*ck off'. spot on.

The original Australian Wilfred, created by and starring Jason Gann, we follow Adam (Adam Zwar), a depressed man who moves in with his new girlfriend Sarah (Cindy Waddingham), only to have to deal with her dog Wilfred (Gann), who appears as a grown man wearing a dog suit. Things quickly spiral as he deals with Wilfred's cigarette, weed, and alcohol bingeing, not to mention general terrorizing of the neighbourhood, all while trying to improve things with Sarah. Having seen a bit of the later Elijah Wood American version (also written by and starring Gann) I wanted to check this one out, and I must say I was quite impressed. The series has a darker tone, with some more morbid twists I wasn't expecting but did appreciate. That said, the series does feel a bit off in the second season, followed up a few years later. The first is quite tight, well written, though certainly off colour in good comedic ways, but the second season extends its reach a bit and feels a little all over the place. The lead characters you aren't expected to like, they generally aren't good people, but the show works in its offbeat way. Short at only 16 episodes, If you like dark comedies, especially if you've seen and liked the American Wilfred, then I'd certainly recommend this.