There are some perks to being a dog, and clearly there are some perks to playing a dog on television. Series co-creator Jason Gann, who plays the dog 'Wilfred' (Thu., 10PM ET on FX) in both the current US series and the former Australian series, certainly seemed to be enjoying the perks in the series premiere.

The central conceit of the show is that Elijah Wood's character Ryan sees his neighbor's dog Wilfred as a man in a dog costume. Everyone else sees a dog.

We also see Gann in his costume, which is why we get to enjoy bizarre visuals of Wilfred nuzzling his nose between a waitress' breasts and even starting to hump her.

It's safe to say you probably haven't seen another sitcom like 'Wilfred' ... and I mean that in the best way possible.

Elijah Wood stars as a severely depressed guy named Ryan who has very vivid conversations and insane adventures with a dog named Wilfred. The catch: he's the only one who sees the pup as a man in a dog suit. A man in a dog suit who's often smoking massive amounts of pot when he's not digging holes in the backyard, fetching things and trying everything to get Ryan to live a little.



That shaggy fetching man is none other than co-creator Jason Gann, who helmed the short film and Aussie series of the same name and concept before reimagining it for American audiences.

I caught up with Wood and Gann to talk about the show (premieres Thurs., June 23, 10PM ET on FX), the amazing guest stars that came to play and what it is they're really smoking in all those many haze-filled scenes.

It wasn't easy to wrap my head around 'Wilfred' (10PM ET Thursday, FX). The new comedy both very strange and very familiar, and its ambling mixture of the surreal and the mundane is both intriguing and disconcerting.

Whether or not 'Wilfred's' blend of low-key stoner comedy and oddball bromance is effective in luring people back week after week remains to be seen. But I can at least say this with confidence: You won't see another man-befriends-another-man-in-a-dog-suit comedy on television this year. Probably.

FX announced the premiere dates for its summer shows.

The Elijah Wood-starring 'Wilfred,' a remake of the Australian series of the same name about a man whose neighbor's dog appears to him as a man in a dog suit (yep), will premiere on Thu., June 23 at 10PM ET. The show will run for 13 episodes.

The final season of 'Rescue Me' will begin its run on Tue., July 12 at 10PM ET and conclude in September to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The second season of 'Louie' will debut directly after 'Wilfred' on June 23.

In other TV news ...

• Want to see a sneek peak of 'The Voice' before it officially premieres next week? NBC will debut 12 minutes of the new series before 'The Tonight Show With Jay Leno' tomorrow evening. Tune in at 11:35 for the first look. [NBC]

• Audrina Patridge's days of reality stardom could be over soon. The former 'Hills' star's new series, 'Audrina,' tanked on VH1 Sunday night. [Vulture]

• 'Parenthood' star Lauren Graham is branching out into literature. Perhaps channeling a bit of her playwright character, Graham will publish her first novel with Random House. [Twitter]

FX has picked up 'Wilfred,' an American adaptation of the Australian hit, for 13 episodes. The show will Elijah Wood as Ryan a shy guy struggling with social and professional happiness -- that is until he meets Wilfred, a dog played by Jason Gann.

Wood's character sees Wilfred as a man in a dog suit, but the rest of the world sees him as a dog. Jason Gann is the co-creator of the series and he played the title character in the Australian version.

"We loved how well the pilot turned out, and we were blown away by the chemistry between Elijah Wood and Jason Gann," said Nick Grad, executive vice president of original programming at FX Networks, in a statement.

In other TV news ...

• 'Family Guy' star Alex Borstein has signed a deal with 20th Century Fox TV. Under the agreement, Borstein will write and executive produce two comedy projects that she could potentially star in, one animated and one live-action. Borstein's contract also allows other writers to develop for her too. [Deadline Hollywood]

• Original 'V' star Jane Badler has extended her stay on the series for the entire second season. Badler was originally signed on for four episodes, but she'll be around for all 10 episodes. [TV Guide]

• Skyler Samuels has been cast in 'Nine Lives.' 'The Gates' star will headline the ABC Family pilot about Chloe King, a young woman with heightened abilities. [Deadline Hollywood]

Elijah Wood is having a good week.

First came the news that his movie, 'The Oxford Murders,' a festival favorite that has been looking for a distributor since 2008, will be released on Aug. 6. And now comes word that the 29-year-old actor will star in his first television series.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Wood, who hasn't appeared on TV since playing the Artful Dodger in a 1997 adaptation of 'Oliver Twist,' is set to star in a comedy pilot called 'Wilfred' for FX.

FX, a network primarily known for gripping dramas like 'The Shield' and 'Damages,' has ordered a comedy pilot, 'Wilfred,' for next season.

The live-action pilot is based on the critically acclaimed Australian series starring co-creator Jason Gann. Gann will star in the U.S. update, according to a network press release.

David Zuckerman of 'Family Guy' fame, meanwhile, will serve as writer and executive producer.

"We really loved David's take on Wilfred and believe it's on target with our growing comedy brand," said Nick Grad, executive vice president of original programming at FX Networks. "Following up on the success of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' with 'The League,' 'Archer' and 'Louie,' we're going to continue to be aggressive in comedy to capitalize on our momentum."