If you haven’t caught the FX network’s great new Thursday-night series “Wilfred,” do yourself a favor and tune in tonight to Elijah Wood’s hapless Ryan character deal with his strange post-suicide-attempt reality: His next-door neighbor’s giant talking dog that only he can hear (played with droll deadpan wit by actor Jason Gann, reprising his dog-suited role from the hit Aussie show).

But tonight’s episode, “Doubt,” should be especially hilarious, courtesy of the arrival of Bruce, a mysterious stranger from Wilfred’s past — played by none other than alt-country kingpin Dwight Yoakam, who knows a thing or two about droll dialogue delivery himself. And the man’s camp is suddenly bustling with activity.

Yoakam’s latest film “Bloodworth,”

which casts him alongside Kris Kristofferson and Val Kilmer, just premiered at the Nashville Film Festival. But Gore Verbinski’s reboot of “The Lone Ranger,” in which he also stars, with Armie Hammer as the Ranger and Johnny Depp as Tonto, is temporarily halted, midproduction, thanks to a skyrocketing budget that’s already exceeded $200 million. Once the fat gets trimmed, it should hopefully be filming soon, knock wood.

Yoakam also just honored Leon Russell at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame awards, and he’s just re-signed with his old imprint Warner Brothers, for whom he hasn’t recorded in over seven years. And the next album — due in early 2012 — should be surreal. Yoakam just tracked several new tunes with Beck, and Joe Chiccarelli is on board as producer.

For more, visit www.dwightyoakam.com.