For those who came in late, Wilfred is a comedy based around the simple idea that Adam, Sarah's new boyfriend, can understand every word that her somewhat possessive and all too human dog Wilfred says. It appears that only Adam has this skill but rather than being amazed by it, he just takes it in his stride. He realises though that it is unusual enough not to let on about it.
Anyway, it's really not a show about the fact that Adam can understand Wilfred, that's just taken as a given. It's really all about the comings and goings in this three-way relationship.
Sarah has had a rough time with her love-life and Wilfred has been there for all of it. It's a little unclear where Wilfred's protectiveness ends and something a little odder begins but they are inseparable and it's up to Adam to work his way around this.
Wilfred himself, unsurprisingly, is the star of the show. All of the characters are well defined and have a good amount of substance but Wilfred is just perfect.
He draws on all of the qualities of dogs - loyalty, a degree of aggression/menace, a big dollop of charm and a base of stupidity and mashes them up to produce the kind of guy that you might meet at the pub on any given night. Wilfred acts like a dog - he has issues with the postman, sprays to mark his territory, loves to chase a ball (to a point - he's not a fanatic), digs holes in the backyard and he's fine with rooting the odd leg but he also loves watching dvds, eating pizza and nachos, drinking beer, smoking bongs and swearing like a trooper.
Wilfred is unequivocally Australian but I think he also embodies characteristics that are entirely universal. We all know someone like Wilfred. The relationships that exist in this world all ring true as well. Adam is lucky to be with Sarah and he knows it and the luck often extends to the interpretations Sarah manages to attach to some of Adam's actions, which can be hilariously questionable but entirely understandable given the trials Wilfred puts him through in their battle of wills.
It's well worth making the effort to track down this series on dvd - I've seen it in JB Hifi and I'm sure it's around other places. See what happens when Wilfred gets out, when Sarah's ex and his tougher dog come to visit, when Adam calls in a TV vet to help with Wilfred's behaviour and much more.
The performances are all spot on, the writing is superb and it's beautifully made. This is gold.
It all came about from a shortfilm for Tropfest in 2002 as well - which I loved when I first saw it and I'm glad that it got picked up from there. Well done guys.
