Wilfred Renewed for Fourth and Final Season

Variety is reporting that Wilfred has been renewed for a fourth and final season, which will consist of 10 episodes and air on month-old FX sister network FXX. Season three showrunners Reed Agnew and Eli Jorne will be joined by former showrunner David Zuckerman for the final season, said to offer the type of closure and answers that would have been denied fans of the show had FX axed the show.

A renewal was looking less and less likely for Wilfred as its third season went on, with ratings down close to half from its season two numbers. The show was essentially by itself for the first time after former companion Louie took 2013 off and ran into several high profile events (NBA finals game 7, 4th of July, NFL preseason) that ate into its audience, never allowing it to find its footing this season. However, with the show’s positive critical notices and the introduction of FXX, this is a way for FX to keep both the creative and critical communities happy, as well as continue building FXX with known properties that skew rather young and send a message to fans that the network won’t yank the rug from under their feet.

Had FXX not been in existence yet, there might not have been a fourth season of Wilfred, but FX is in need of programming and can afford to give the series, based on the Australian comedy of the same name, a send-off. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League have already moved to the network, garnering impressive season premieres considering the channel’s availability, while the first FXX original to launch will be animated comedy Chozen. The network, which caters to the 18-34 demographic, is a part of FX’s plan to grow from 13 original series to 25 over the next couple of years.

The final season of Wilfred is set to premiere sometime in 2014.

How do you feel about Wilfred getting a definite end date? Do you want to find out what exactly Wilfred is or do you prefer the air of mystery around his existence? Will Ryan ever find happiness as long as he’s around Wilfred?