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Wilfred pilot approved for US series

Lookout America. Australia's anarchic, bong-smoking dog Wilfred, lands a 13 part comedy series on the FX Network.

American TV executives have fallen for the charms of Australia’s anarchic dog Wilfred, with news that the pilot has now been approved for a 13 part series on FX.

The comedy which began as a Tropfest film before being developed into a two season series on SBS stars co-creator Jason Gann in his original title role.

Playing alongside him is Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings) as neighbour to Wilfred and his female owner played by Fiona Gubelmann.

The all-talking, bong-smoking mutt still wears his run-down, mangy dog suit and is described as “part Labrador retriever and part Russell Crowe on a bender.” He also retains his Aussie accent.

The US pilot was directed by Randall Einhorn (The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia).

The news is good for the Australians who helped bring Wilfred to life. Joe Connor and Ken Connor from Renegade Productions remain Co-Executive Producers while director Tony Rogers and co-star Adam Zwar are credited as co-creators. SBS will have first rights on showing the US series in Australia.

Zwar told TV Tonight, “I never thought that painful date I went on in 2001 with a woman and her recalcitrant half-labrador, half-dingo would keep on giving. Kudos to Renegade Films and everyone involved in the US production. But, most of all, thanks to the Aussie fans, who kept Wilfred alive from Tropfest to now.”

Cable network FX has screened such shows as The Shield, Nip / Tuck, Rescue Me, Damages, Sons of Anarchy and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

US adaptations of Australian series are rare, but include shows such as Kath and Kim and Prisoner. Mother and Son was also optioned by US producers but yet to reach screens.

Last year the cult show came under fire from Family First Senator Steve Fielding, who blasted the show for its crude comedy and waste of taxpayer funds.

Looks like the mutt is now having the last laugh.

Source: Deadline

12 Responses

  1. Please, selling the international format rights last year for an extremely nominal fee and then having no involvement since in the project is not ‘doing the deals for it to happen in the U.S.’

  2. Wilfred wouldn’t be happening in America without Renegade, Tony Rogers, Adam Zwar, Jenny Livingstone, Joe Connor and about a hundred other people (including Jason) making it happen in Australia first. I’m sure you’ll find that it’s Renegade that has done the deals for it to happen in the USA, not Jason by himself. He’s a part of it, for sure, a big part of it, but don’t take everything you read on his facebook page at face value.

  3. Very interesting to see that Renegade, Tony Rogers and Adam Zwar are claiming credit for this. The only person actually involved and on salary for the U.S. remake is Jason Gann. No doubt the others were involved in the Australian series, which I thought was amazing, but they are now trying to jump on this sucessful bandwagon when really it was Jason who has been in the U.S. all of this year getting this show off the ground.

    1. That’s a gross distortment. Not sure you grasp the rights of creators of copyrighted work. Those people are all part of the Wilfred rights deal. Hardly jumping on a bandwagon. It’s their bloody bandwagon.

  4. I can’t imagine this will be any good, but FX do a great job with It’s Always Sunny, do you never know. And congrats to the creators, I’m sure they will make a good dollar or two from it.

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