FX's latest original series is Wilfred, a half-hour comedy starring Elijah Wood as a suicidal manic-depressive and Jason Gann as a dog. This one's going to be strange, folks.

Wilfred is yet another Americanized comedy adaptation, this time coming from the Australian show of the same name. The original was broadcast down under in 2007, with a second season airing just last year. Wilfred is based on a 2002 short film by comedy duo Adam Zwar and Jason Gann. Zwar has been replaced by Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the forthcoming prequel The Hobbit) for the American version, but Gann will reprise his role from the original series as Wilfred the pseudo-anthropomorphic dog.

The premise for Wilfred is without a doubt the weirdest to appear on TV in a long time. Ryan (Wood) is a neurotic, depressed man whose neighbor (Fiona Gublemann, Californication) asks him to watch her dog during the afternoons. The dog, at least from Ryan/the audience's point of view, is a full-grown man in a bad costume. Ryan struggles to keep Wilfred under control as he begins to question his grip on reality.

The trailer shows off the quirky black humor that FX seems to be favoring with shows like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Archer. Ryan's suicidal depression is played for laughs and Wilfred's doggy interactions with his owner are exceedingly uncomfortable, in a good way. The series might just work, if writers can keep up the self-aware dialogue and situations and stay away from the disturbing furry undertones.

It's a good thing that FX is picking this one up, because not many other channels (even on cable) would touch something as off-the-beaten-path as Wilfred. The network is known for pushing boundaries further than others, which will let the show stay true to its foreign roots - broadcast standards in Australia are more forgiving of coarse language and naughty behavior, the latter of which is on display in abundance in the first video.

Check out the trailer below:

In other news, Chris Klein (American Pie) and Rashida Jones (The Office) will join the cast for a first season arc. Klein will play a short-term boyfriend to Gublemann's character, while Jones will play a hospice employee in the fifth episode.

If the show follows in the footsteps of the Aussie original, Wilfred will make life difficult for the Klein's would-be suitor character. No word yet on how Jones' character will play into Wilfred's unique storyline.

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Wilfred premieres in June on FX.

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Source: TV Line