Couch Potato: FX's 'Wilfred' premieres tonight

There’s nothing quite like a pet’s unconditional love to pull you out of a funk, is there?

That’s exactly what happens in FX’s new comedy "Wilfred;" the titular dog helps suicidal lawyer Ryan (Elijah Wood) start living his life again.

But while everyone else sees Wilfred as man’s best friend, Ryan sees him as an actual man. In a dog suit. With an Australian accent, colorful vocabulary and a penchant for smoking cigarettes.

"I know your type," Wilfred (played by Aussie actor Jason Gann), a bad influence if there ever was one, tells Ryan. "You’re a good boy. You come when you’re called. … Aren’t you tired of doing what everyone else wants you to do? Maybe it’s time you quit playing ball with them and just play ball with me."

At first, but only briefly, Ryan thinks he’s hallucinating after his latest suicide attempt. But then he comes to accept this new friend in his life, and the show itself does, too.

The writers don’t give any hints about what’s really happening here. Is it all in Ryan’s mind? Has he gone completely insane?

Probably.

But if you just go with it, the show, which is based on an Australian series of the same name, is pretty funny. It’s basically a buddy comedy with a very dark sense of humor — think "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia," but with Mac in a dog suit.

"Wilfred" premieres at 10 p.m. Thursday on FX.