FX have renewed their orders for Louie, Wilfred and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. This is particularly good news for Wilfred, their remake of an Australian series about an introvert who sees his attractive neighbour's pet dog as a gauche man in a dog-suit.
I wasn't sold on Wilfred's pilot, you may recall, but it's developed into one of the most interesting and bizarre comedies around. It did that by not lazily emphasizing the obvious "man-as-dog" jokes and instead focusing on its off-kilter tone and some twisted ideas. Plus Elijah Wood and Jason Gann are great, both individually and as a weird double-act.
Meanwhile, Louie has grown in popularity in its second season. It's another comedy I enjoy, although I sometimes think people daren't criticize it because it's widely seen as a masterpiece. Sometimes it's not especially funny, very indulgent, and the pacing drags, admit it. Sometimes. But it's still a comedy that's definitely pushing barriers and doing something unusual, uncomfortable, and memorable.
And as for It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia... well, I've never seen it, so I have nothing to say. But FX have ordered another two seasons, despite the fact season 7 hasn't even premiered yet, so that's an astonishing show of faith. Any fans out there?
