Jason Gann has a piece of advice for anyone having trouble wrapping their head around the absurd premise of his offbeat TV comedy Wilfred: Just go with it.
The Wilfred in question is a surly Australian dressed in a bad dog suit who doles out life advice to his depressed neighbour Ryan, played by Elijah Wood. Ryan may or may not be losing his mind – everyone else sees Wilfred as a regular old mutt. But for Ryan, his canine pal is a crude-minded lout with a penchant for busty waitresses, chasing motorcycle-riding goons and smoking pot.
The edgy sitcom is one of the marquee series heading north of the border as part of the FX Canada lineup. It debuts as a sneak preview Monday on Citytv alongside FX Canada’s American Horror Story and The League.
Rogers’ new specialty channel debuts Oct. 31 with other series including the sharp-edged comedy Louie, the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy, the critically loved boxing drama Lights Out and the acclaimed-but-cancelled series Terriers.
“Even though the FX brand has not been in Canada, it’s already known for standing for great quality content,” Rogers Media executive Scott Moore said at a promotional event later Wednesday, when company bosses took over a downtown theatre to screen episodes of Wilfred and American Horror Story for 400 ad buyers.
“The launch of FX is… the latest part of an aggressive growth and investment strategy at Rogers Media in the broadcast group.”
The channel addition follows several recent overhauls at Rogers Media, which include the relaunch of Sportsnet earlier this month, the rebranding of Rogers sports radio stations in Toronto and Calgary and the launch of Sportsnet magazine.
Rogers Media president Keith Pelley said the company is focused on providing quality programs.
“Everything we’re going to do is going to involve world-class premium content,” Pelley vowed at the event, which also saw Gann and co-star Fiona Gubelmann, who plays Wilfred’s owner, briefly take the stage.
“And that’s why the group went out and pursued FX, which is an unbelievable channel.”
FX Canada will be available to 1.7 million digital Rogers subscribers for a three-month preview period beginning Oct. 31, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Rogers also owns Marketing magazine.
How does FX Canada stack up against its competitors? Has Rogers backed a winner? Post your thoughts in our comment section.
