Dollhouse

[Kopek]

Whedon fucked up 'Dr. Horrible'. There. I said it.

yDcEKo4V7fA

[Raider]

Dr. Horrible was awesome.Dollhouse will fail only if FOX fucks it up.And let's face it,there is a pretty good chance that will happen.

[grimoald]

I thought Dr. Horrible was great till the last 5 minutes.

I do really like Whedon's stuff, but something about this just looks odd. It is another one of these shows that seems like a failed movie script adapted to TV (I'm aware that it isn't), it just doesn't seem like something that will sustain a few series without becoming really cliched and repetitive. She was about to find out the truth, and Helo almost rescued her, repeat ad nauseum every 3rd or 4th episode.

[Hobnail_Boot]

I thought Dr. Horrible was great till the last 5 minutes.

I do really like Whedon's stuff, but something about this just looks odd. It is another one of these shows that seems like a failed movie script adapted to TV (I'm aware that it isn't), it just doesn't seem like something that will sustain a few series without becoming really cliched and repetitive. She was about to find out the truth, and Helo almost rescued her, repeat ad nauseum every 3rd or 4th episode.
I don't know why Joss keeps fucking around with FOX. It seems that the CW or a cable channel would be better suited for his stuff.

[nuclearjew]

The CW? They fucked him over bigtime with Angel (back when they were the WB).

[Hobnail_Boot]

The CW? They fucked him over bigtime with Angel (back when they were the WB).
Well, their ratings expectations are much lower. FOX will expect 14 million/week. He ain't getting that consistently on that network. I believe the CW would be happy with 7 million/week and that is doable.

[Draven X 23]

DVR!

[Hobnail_Boot]

Here's a "new" video clip from the pilot courtesy of Entertainment Weekly: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/12/exclusive-dollh.html

[syd2o2]

I just noticed Amy Acker is on the show too.
If they can get 8-9 mil viewers they will be fine. I think the only scripted shows on Fox averaging over 10 mil are 24, House and Bones.
I mean Prison Break got to season 4, and I don think they had more than 7-8 mil last season.

[Draven X 23]

I only got to see some of it. My cable kind of died in the middle. So I saw the middle and the end.

But it does not look good for Fox Friday Nights


'Dollhouse' premieres soft; 'Terminator' dives

http://reporter.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451d69069e201116863aa79970c-500wi (http://reporter.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451d69069e201116863aa79970c-popup) Expectations were low.
But they weren't quite this low.
The series premiere of Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" was seen by 4.7 million viewers Friday night and garnered a 2.0 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and 6 share. It was beaten in the 9 p.m. hour by ABC's "Supernanny" (6.1 million viewers, 2.2/7) and is the lowest-rated scripted series premiere on a major broadcast network this season aside from NBC's now-defunct "Crusoe."

"Dollhouse" was paired with the midseason return of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (3.7 million, 1.3/5), which was shifted from its previous Monday post. "Terminator" came in third place in the hour and hit a series low (by like 27%). "Terminator" beat NBC's "Howie Do It" (3.9 million, 1.2/4), but not by much. Both "Ghost Whisperer" (10.3 million, 2.4/8) and "Wife Swap" (4.3 million, 1.5/5) did better.
The performances represent a disappointing debut for what was, on paper, a good idea: creating a male-skewing sci-fi block to go against CBS' night-topping female-skewing crime shows. Fox didn't expect to win against CBS, but had some hope of coming out ahead of ABC's reality shows. But "Terminator" was sinking in the ratings earlier this season and "Dollhouse" has suffered from negative buzz and creative trouble for months. Critics, overall, seemed disappointed (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/40111) with Whedon's latest effort.

Fox had a third-place finish for the evening despite airing full-budgeted dramas. "Dollhouse" fared OK against two of its competitors, with CBS' Canadian import "Flashpoint" (8.9 million, 1.9/6) and NBC's ailing "Friday Night Lights" (3.5 million, 1.1/3) pulling lower numbers. It also did better than last year's short-lived "Canterbury's Law" in the slot.

At 10 p.m., an episode of ABC's "20/20" (10.9 million, 3.4/11) about the impoverished hill people of the Appalachian Mountains drew the newsmagazine's largest Friday audience in more than four years (ABC, in fact, won the night over CBS, which is rare). Yes, there was a whole morbid curiosity "real-life 'Deliverance'" aspect to its popularity. But give ABC and Diane Sawyer credit for convincing so many people to watch a report on poverty. Usually a newsmagazine needs an octuplet mom to pull off those kind of numbers (http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/02/ratings-idol-and-fringe-slip-octuplet-mom.html).

[Ethix]

I thought the show was pretty meh. I'll probably give it a few episodes simply because it's created by Whedon, but I'm not impressed so far.

[BSM]

I think I saw a preview of an upcoming ep with Eliza in a schoolgirl outfit.

This show has until that moment to hook me.

[the creeps]

this show reminds of a "burn notice" type show. where every week the mains with be someone or something new and different.so that is cool. but i hate the way Eliza walks around like a retard on xanax in the dollhouse.

[Titus_Pullo]

The pilot was what I expected: a very uninspired, mediocre at best Sci-Fi show.

[nuclearjew]

The pilot was what I expected: a very uninspired, mediocre at best Sci-Fi show.
Really? I'm not a big Whedon fan but I thought the pilot was decent and that the show has a lot of potential (though it'll probably get canceled with the shitty time slot). And it doesn't really seem like sci-fi so much as a thriller with some sci-fi elements (i.e. the ability to implant "dolls" with personalities). This show feels like The Pretender with a dash of Dark Angel (maybe those aren't great shows to be similar too...).

[Titus_Pullo]

It just seems a lot like Quantum Leap a lot where she will get to be someone else every week. A show like Lost and Battlestar Galactica is more my type of Sci-Fi.

[nuclearjew]

It just seems a lot like Quantum Leap a lot where she will get to be someone else every week. A show like Lost and Battlestar Galactica is more my type of Sci-Fi.
Granted, Eliza Dushku looks better in a dress than Scott Bakula. Though not that much better. I will give this show a chance since it'll be the first Whedon show I've watched as it aired.

[Techtro]

I had this show completely misunderstood at first. I thought it was going to be like a bunny ranch place where rich guys program a girl to act/perform in the way they wish.

But in saying that, although I know that plot may well have been more entertaining I think I'll give the show another week to get me in.

[Jericho]

I like Techtro's show

[Hobnail_Boot]

The pilot was boring, but I'll watch every episode because it's Joss Whedon's show. This should be on the CW (or ABC Family--hehe), not Fox.

[Titus_Pullo]

Swingtown was canceled.

I do know of a place that has lots of swingers. The only drawback is the having to get married part.

[Madrum]

Fuck, I haven't seen it yet, but after reading this am no longer looking forward to it. I am a fan of most of Whedon's work, I hope the show gets better then. I'll still watch it, I just won't hurry about downloading it.

Maybe they could bring back Fire Fly or a new vampire (angel spinoff) where Eliza becomes the new uber vampire with a soul and Amy Acker as a diminished pissed off demi god is her side kick.

[cleetus]

I haven't played close enough attention and now I don't know what in the fuck is going on here

I don't even know what questions to ask

[Genius]

Whedon should go back to writing Astonishing X-Men. His run was great, if constantly delayed. And it looks like he'll have some time on his hands, after say, 11 more episodes?

[Archetype]

There's a lot of good actors in this, and the concept is interesting and played out fairly well; whenever I found a problem with it they worked it out within a few minutes. That said, I hate the dolls and Eliza is only an OK actress. Every time she says something "hip" I want to punch her in the chin. Nowhere else, just that tiny chin.

[nuclearjew]

There's a lot of good actors in this, and the concept is interesting and played out fairly well; whenever I found a problem with it they worked it out within a few minutes. That said, I hate the dolls and Eliza is only an OK actress. Every time she says something "hip" I want to punch her in the chin. Nowhere else, just that tiny chin.
The worst part of the show is this douchebag. I don't know how he gets work. Check him out in "The TV Set" if you haven't seen it yet, he plays himself perfectly.

http://images.buddytv.com/artist-photos/Fran%20Kranz-15344/Fran%20Kranz-937605.jpg

"Hi my name is Fran Kranz and I am a huge d-bag!"

[Techtro]

After watching episode 3 of this show I now safely certify it....


http://i39.tinypic.com/168wrk4.gif

[Hobnail_Boot]

After watching episode 3 of this show I now safely certify it....


http://i39.tinypic.com/168wrk4.gif
Yea, that's just too bad. I had such high hopes for Joss Whedon's return to television.

[nuclearjew]

After watching episode 3 of this show I now safely certify it....


http://i39.tinypic.com/168wrk4.gif
WTF, I don't get it. I think this show has been pretty entertaining thus far. I want to know who Alpha is. I want to see Echo and her handler get it on. I really dig this show.

[Genius]

Is this on Hulu? I need something to watch in between my BSG marathons and catching up on 24. My life is a mess.

[Jericho]

I imagine it is, what with Dushku being all over the hulu ads lately

[Genius]

She is a little sexier than Alec Baldwin. A little.

[Hobnail_Boot]

Is this on Hulu? I need something to watch in between my BSG marathons and catching up on 24. My life is a mess.
http://www.hulu.com/dollhouse

[wonderllama]

I think the problem is very simple.
There are 3 stories happening in any one episode.

1. The main story
2. The underlying story (what's the dollhouse all about)
3. The "WTF" story (where she's seemingly remembering & alpha etc)

The problem is, I haven't cared about ANY of the main stories, and they are supposed to be the main course, the others are the hints of dessert that keep you hanging on for more.

I'm going to stick it out for now...

[Draven X 23]

According to people that have seen most of it ahead of time it takes until the 6th episode until everything gets going.

Of course my DVR didn't record the 4th episode so I'm behind.

[wonderllama]

I'm only d/ling 4 now cos we're simple down here...not down to be on any channel here in the foreseeable future....

[Draven X 23]

No FOX?

Wow...

[Hobnail_Boot]

According to people that have seen most of it ahead of time it takes until the 6th episode until everything gets going.

Of course my DVR didn't record the 4th episode so I'm behind.
http://www.hulu.com/dollhouse

[logan103]

I have all the eps saved on my hulu queue....Yay or Nay to watch this show?!

[wonderllama]

4 wasn't that bad....give it a go!

[ShitBreak]

I've slowly warmed up to the show. The pilot was meh for me, but it seems to be getting better each week.

[freegood]

WTF, I don't get it. I think this show has been pretty entertaining thus far. I want to know who Alpha is. I want to see Echo and her handler get it on. I really dig this show.

Same here. That tech geek guy gets on my nerves with the timing in his line delivery, but I don't have a big problem with Dushku or any of the other actors. Helo from Galactica is still a tool.

It took a while for Firefly to get fucking awesome. I didn't think the first eps for Firefly were that great.... Gotta trust in Joss Whedon.

I can be patient for four or five eps if the payoff is big.

[Draven X 23]

Issue with firefly was that it was played out of order. You really didn't get some of the humor due to not knowing the characters.

Dollhouse seems to be a place full of Buffybots. I will still give it a chance. I gave the Terminator show 8 episodes.

[freegood]

Supposedly the network and its suits had a heavy hand in pushing out the first 5 or 6 eps.

I don't know. I missed out on all the hype for the show, so maybe I like it more because my expectations weren't pumped up.

[ShitBreak]

Whedon has said the show really doesn't get going until Episode 6. From advanced reviews, people are agreeing.

So I'll stick around.

And I'm about 2/3rds of the way through Firefly, and just picked up Serenity on Blu-Ray. That show should still be on, damnit. (Although I'd lose awesome characters on two different shows: Chuck and Terminator)

[Hobnail_Boot]

And I'm about 2/3rds of the way through Firefly, and just picked up Serenity on Blu-Ray. That show should still be on, damnit. (Although I'd lose awesome characters on two different shows: Chuck and Terminator)
Nathan Fillion (Capt. Mal) also stars on "Castle," a new show on ABC (it probably won't make it to May sweeps).

[BSM]

I've slowly warmed up to the show. The pilot was meh for me, but it seems to be getting better each week.

Does anyone else think that ....

Agent Ballard's neighbor is a "doll"?

Wow - next time I'll watch the whole episode before predicting.

[Daydreamer]

You mean Agent Ballard's neighbor is a "doll." I saw that one coming. Langton is Echo's handler.

I don't usually have any kind of yellow fever, well not much anyway, but I would do so very dirty things to Sierra.

[BSM]

You mean Agent Ballard's neighbor is a "doll." I saw that one coming early on. Langton is Echo's handler.

I don't usually have any kind of yellow fever, well not much anyway, but I would do so very dirty things to Sierra.

Yup, that's what I meant...

[Hobnail_Boot]

We need pics of Agent Ballard's neighbor ("Mellie" played by Miracle Laurie (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2829954/)) in the Babe Forum. Pronto.

[Jericho]

It takes some serious piece of shit to name a kid Miracle

[wonderllama]

Ep 6 was excellent and definitely seems the show has kicked it up a notch...

[freegood]

I thought her monkey faced boyfriend was gonna be alpha.

He still might.

[comicfan]

I think next episode looks really interesting.

[Hobnail_Boot]

I hope Joss wrote this season with the belief that it would only be a self-contained 13 episode series. Otherwise, unless he can pull off another WB-to-UPN-like network switch (such was the case with Buffy), Dollhouse will leave us with a bunch of unanswered questions. You watch and see.

[wonderllama]

Hope not, it is actually getting quite good now...

[Bill]

I hope Joss wrote this season with the belief that it would only be a self-contained 13 episode series. Otherwise, unless he can pull off another WB-to-UPN-like network switch (such was the case with Buffy), Dollhouse will leave us with a bunch of unanswered questions. You watch and see.

They kinda did if you think about it. In this episode they mentioned that there were multiple houses. They in theory could go with a different one each season. I don't see how Dushku would fit in with that plan.

And seriously, if the eye candy wasnt that good I dont know if I could have gotten past the first couple of episodes. At least it's getting good now.

[Nature's Folly]

I'd like to nail the neighbor chick really badly.

[Bill]

She's cute for a chunky chick.

[PALMER]

great show Eliza Dushku is so hot

[Hobnail_Boot]

I'd like to nail the neighbor chick really badly.
QFT. She's > all the other chicks on the show

[syd2o2]

And the 8th episode was the best yet. The show is getting pretty good.

[Draven X 23]

Well this doesn't sound good for the show

Horrendous news. Felicia Day just Twittered that the season finale of Dollhouse (http://io9.com/tag/dollhouse/) won't be airing. At all. This episode not only features day, but Whedonverse MVP Alan Tudyk in a key role. Spoilers below.
According to Day's Twitter stream: (http://twitter.com/feliciaday/status/1485047992)
Man, day getting worse and worse. Found out my Dollhouse (http://io9.com/tag/dollhouse/) ep, #13 isn't gonna air. Only on DVD. Such a great part too. Thx Fox. :(
I'm especially bummed now that I know her role wasn't just a brief cameo, but a "great part." But also. This was supposed to be the episode that introduced us to the mysterious Alpha, a former Doll who went rogue - and who's reportedly played by the amazing Alan Tudyk. Yes, we'll eventually see it on DVD, but it would have been classier of Fox to air it, instead of another rerun of The Amazing Drunk-Dialing Sewer Rats Go Dancing With The Idols.

And yes, this probably does mean that Dollhouse is seriously canceled.

[freegood]

There has to be another mole....

Sucks that we won't find out who.

[ShitBreak]

No where does it say it will be cancelled. The network only ordered 12 shows, so just because a 13th won't air doesn't mean anything.

[wonderllama]

I've been reading links about this.
Original pilot was cannibalised to make the new, that's where the NEW 13th episode came into play.

So they actually had 13, scrapped the 1st and had to add an episode at the end. One which apparently doesn't necessarily progress the story.

[Draven X 23]

I just caught up on some of my DVRed stuff. You can really tell a difference from the first episode to the last. I didn't think I'd care about the Dolls since they are different people each week but they aren't exactly.

Syfy or whatever its called should get Whedon to make shows for it. Joss has never been a ratings cash cow. But if you look at the ratings repeats of Firefly does for SciFi you can tell its the perfect place for him and his projects.

Its a good show that isn't paint by numbers like shows on Fox like Bones, House and such. That might be the problem. Seems to fit better on FX, SciFi, HBO (actual nudity would be nice) and Showtime.

[wonderllama]

Well, here's hoping this gets renewed in...err...what, 8 days?

[Hobnail_Boot]

Well, here's hoping this gets renewed in...err...what, 8 days?
Not gonna happen. I don't understand why Joss keeps on fucking around with the major networks. His brand of story-telling would be perfect for SciFi or USA or some other cable outlet. Hell, with Battlestar Galactica being done, SciFi needs a new flagship program for Friday nights. Dollhouse could have been that show. Maybe Joss needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new idea for Friday nights on SciFi. I'm down with that.

[ShitBreak]

Eliza had a deal with Fox...so for this show to happen with her, it had to be on Fox.

It's too bad. The show was awesome. And holy fuck was Tudyk fucking awesome.

[Hobnail_Boot]

Eliza had a deal with Fox...so for this show to happen with her, it had to be on Fox.
Oh, I know. I'm talking about in general. Why does he keep messing with major networks? What Joss should have told Eliza when they met for lunch to discuss the ideas behind "Dollhouse" is to "fuck off. Get a deal with a cable network and then we can talk. Otherwise, I'm not dealing with network bullshit."

Also, I believe Eliza is a drag on the show. She's hot and plays a good supporting character (see Faith from "Buffy" and hot chick from "Bring It On"), but here two turns as a lead on a TV show haven't been all that great ("Tru Calling" and "Dollhouse"). At some point, that her shows fail stops being about the network and it begins to be about her. She simply is not good enough of an actress to carry a show. However, I would still hit that given the slightest chance. Just saying.

[wonderllama]

I liked Tru Calling, and Dollhouse has definitely improved, but I agree, it's going to be hard to stay around on Fox.

Fingers & toes crossed however...

[syd2o2]

Now it seems there could a 13 episode second season with a reduced budget.

[Hobnail_Boot]

Now it seems there could a 13 episode second season with a reduced budget.
Yea, if Joss concurs.

[ShitBreak]

It's official...

FOX picked up Dollhouse for a 13-episode 2nd season.

[Philips25]

Everyone thought it was dead... apparently not, still not that fussed to be honest didn't think it was that great in the first place;


Surprise: Fox RENEWS 'Dollhouse'

Dollhouse3 UPDATED: In a stunning move, sources say Fox has renewed Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” for next fall.

The official announcement will not be made until Monday at the network's upfront presentation, but sources confirm a deal has been struck for another 13 episodes. Fox plans to continue the show on Fridays next fall.

The low-rated series was last seen given up for dead by the media in a field somewhere.

But the show's DVR numbers are huge (averaging a 40% bump), online streaming is strong. It’s a sci-fi show, which tend to bring in strong ancillary revenue such as DVD sales for sister-company studio 20th TV. And it’s said that Fox execs rather like the series, especially the latter half of the season. Besides, a show airing in the fall on Fox is a bit like running in midseason on most networks -- it’s not the network's strongest part of the year and maybe ... maybe ...

All right, fine.

The move is tougher to explain than most, especially based on the show's ratings. A “Dollhouse” pickup is a shock, an underdog comeback that blows away NBC’s will-they-or-won’t-they hand-wringing over “Chuck” (psst, they almost certainly will). In fact, "Dollhouse" might very well be the lowest-rated in-season scripted drama to ever get a renewal on a major broadcast network. Almost certainly if based on where the show concluded -- a 1.0 among adults 18-49.

Basically this is a case of a bunch of minor decision-making factors successfully ganging up on the biggest factor (rating). In addition to DVD sales, streaming and DVR influences, Fox received some serious budget concessions from 20th TV and Whedon to continue the show, with 20th now shouldering a greater portion of the load.

Another factor was the show's unaired 13th episode, which Whedon shot on a shoestring budget for the show's first season DVD set. Whedon presented it to the network as an example of how "Dollhouse" can achieve a high-quality production with a lesser budget.

The renewal also means Fox gets to brag that it's bringing back all three of its freshman dramas for a second season -- "Fringe," "Lie to Me" and "Dollhouse."

Along with NBC renewing "Friday Night Lights," and strongly considering "Chuck," and the CW stations considering bringing back "Reaper," there's a shift toward networks looking beyond live viewing ratings when considering shows with passionate fanbases that are monetized in non-traditional ways.

Last year, in the wake of CBS canceling fan favorites "Jericho" and "Moonlight," the sense was that vocal minorities could no longer sway the suits.

This year, cult TV shows have been like creatures in a George Romero movie; you can never trust that they're dead.

[bpb]

Sweet.