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Adapting the Australian series

There was interest in continuing the series on SBS, including talk about a possible film. However, Renegade Film, the company that produced the original Australian series, was unable to sell it in its original version to any other countries. Gann departed to create an entirely new series for the United States that used the format of the original, and additional Australian seasons were not pursued. Gann was initially hesitant to make an American series, stating, "I had no interest in making the same show again, just surrounded by people with different accents." However, the show in the United States differed greatly from the original series.

When the show moved to the United States, head writer and show creator Jason Gann took a more advisory role in the writers room, writing only six episodes of the show's four-season run. Gann has noted that writing the American version was more taxing than writing the Australian version. His pitches often got rejected, and ultimately in the transition, he gave up a lot of creative control. This resulted in departing from the Australian series in several ways.

When David Zuckerman took over the series, he expressed that the show's lack of international appeal was due to a lack of clear rules that the fantasy elements of the show could follow. He made it a priority to set and follow certain rules in the new series. In reworking the character of Wilfred and his relationship with Ryan for the American audience, Gann used the film My Bodyguard as a reference point. The show took on a lighthearted and hopeful tone, as the original series was often cited as being extremely cynical.

The show was pitched to Gann as a different vehicle for the same character that he played in the Australian version. Because the character was so crude, and because he would have to be in a dog suit, Gann originally did not want to play Wilfred. However, he felt that the character was very different from the Australian version, having many more sides, and overall being "more fun".

On more than one occasion, Gann suggested that part of the reason that the show had poor ratings in the United States was because it got bogged down in mythology and at times made comedy secondary. He stated, "Season Three, we really tried to steer it back closer to where we were Season One and make it really comedically satisfying. I really felt we achieved that, but it wasn't enough, I guess."

After the close of the final season in the United States, Gann considered returning to do a third Australian season.

Reception

Critical reception of the American adaptation of Wilfred was comparable to that of the original Australian series, with generally positive reviews.

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 78% score, based on 41 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Wilfred is proudly vulgar and offensive, but a sentimental undertone lends the show some pleasing poignancy." The second season holds a score of 69%, based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The critical consensus reads, "Wilfred continues to be scaldingly funny with a deft humanistic touch but, like its titular character, it may be getting too coy with its narrative mind games." The third season holds an 86% score, with an average rating of 7.6/10, based on 14 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "Wilfred returns to a lackadaisical groove as its third season leans heavily on the combustible chemistry of Jason Gann and Elijah Wood, who both bring a hangdog charm." The fourth season holds a score of 100%, with an average rating of 7.8/10, based on 10 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "Wilfred rewards patient viewers with answers to its labyrinthine mythology during a final season that is harrowing, mind-bending, and ultimately moving."

Review aggregator website Metacritic gives Season 1 a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on reviews from 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Season 2 holds a score of 57 out of 100, based on five reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.

Curt Wagner, writing in Redeye (The Chicago Tribune), said, "Stuffed with absurd situations and piles of bad taste, Wilfred is the strangest new show on TV. And the funniest."

David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "Wilfred works on many levels, something that may not become apparent until after you stop laughing."

Some of the less positive reviews included Mike Hale, who wrote in The New York Times, "Some shows aspire to cult status; this one goes straight there, practically bypassing the need to be broadcast at all," but concluded, "Gann's bits of doggie business ... are reliably humorous, but beyond that the show doesn't offer a lot of bark or bite."

Tom Gliatto of People magazine also gave a less positive review, calling the show "The Odd Couple redefined by psychosis and whimsy. I'm not wagging my tail."

The series premiere hit a positive note with viewers, and it became the highest-ranking debut sitcom in the history of FX Networks. It continued to remain in the top ten for Thursday night cable television shows throughout the first season. It was picked up for a second season on August 6, 2011. The second season aired from June 21 to September 20, 2012. On October 31, 2012, Wilfred was renewed for Season 3, which aired from June 20 to September 5, 2013. On October 2, Wilfred was renewed for a fourth season (its last), which aired from June 25 to August 13, 2014.

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