"Dollhouse" New series to star Eliza Dushku

[LesbianJedi87]

Shame....

Whedon's 'Dollhouse' shuts down

Production has been suspended on Fox's new TV series Dollhouse for two weeks to allow creator Joss Whedon to retool scripts.

According to Zap2It, Whedon directed two of the series's three episodes but couldn't find enough time to work on the scripts for upcoming episodes. Fox obliged Whedon's request to suspend production in order to bring the scripts up to standard.

A representative said: "We have every confidence that [the extra time] will allow Joss to make the show the best it can possibly be. It's very rare that you have a head writer who is also directing two episodes in a row. But we are happy that Joss is directing, because this is his vision."

Whedon had previously reshot the Dollhouse pilot to resolve "clarity issues".

Dollhouse is the second major Fox show to halt production in a week, with 24 closed down due to script issues.

haha whatever. I don't really have high hopes for this show. Now I do love seeing Eliza on TV and will watch anything she's in (even if it sucks, check out the movie Sex and Breakfast and you'll know what I'm talking about), but like Tru Calling I just don't see this lasting. The problem with Tru calling (in my opinion) was that it was just repetitive! Same story line's different episodes. That's just what I feel will happen with Dollhouse.

Defiantly doesn't mean I won't be tuning in, I just won't be surprised if the show isn't a success and if it is then I'll eat my words happily!

[Ben Varkentine]

The Bad and Ugly asks:

Is FOX Going To Screw Joss Whedon (Again)?

http://www.thebadandugly.com/2008/10/20 ... don-again/

And so the myth continues. Once again we have people behaving as though Joss Whedon had created (for instance) House, which is actually a hit, and not a cult success, which is not the same thing.

I'm not talking about quality here, just the realities of viewership.

Joss Whedon has only ever created one-and-a-half cult successes for television (the one-half for Angel, which was succesful but a spinoff).

So why do people act as though he's entitled to the benefit of the doubt no matter what he does, and the networks are stupid for not listening to The Voice Of Joss?

Indeed, these are questions for the ages.

[Feena]

Here's a short clip...

Dollhouse clip

[Ben Varkentine]

And here's a promo...

http://tinyurl.com/9dnnu6

Is it me, or does that make it look like it's going to suck?

(I'm not saying it will...I'm saying the promo could be better.)

[urnofosiris]

It´s a shame Tru Calling did not manage to survive, I really enjoyed that show and felt it was original until they ruined it for me by introducing yet another tiresome arch nemesis plotline and with Jason Priestley no less, brrrr, it could not have been a worse way to jump a shark...
Anyway, too early to tell really, but if they are going to claim that Dollhouse is the most original series than they probably should have avoided such a cliched promo: saint, sinner, lover...bleh

[Ben Varkentine]

Oh, great. Looks like Whedon's pimping Dollhouse by trying to pick up some of that L Word dollar:

http://tinyurl.com/asfzgt

[Millerchip77]

And here's a promo...

http://tinyurl.com/9dnnu6

Is it me, or does that make it look like it's going to suck?

(I'm not saying it will...I'm saying the promo could be better.)

Agreed - it looks really cheesy and exploitative of women which Joss had better not do or he might find some collective action at his door...

[Ben Varkentine]

Further in the sequence of "they're not making it look good," there's a blog puporting to be written by Eliza Dushku herself set up to promote the show. I say "purporting to be," because based on the first entry, well I just hope she didn't write it herself. It seems like the sort of thing that was cranked out by a PR agent, very boring.

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnoth ... 61435.html

In the words of the poet: I have a bad feeling about this...

[Ben Varkentine]

As always, take this for what it's worth, but the score on Metacritic for the show is 59--"mixed or average."

http://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/dollhouse

[Hemiola]

Well, I watched it and, I have to say, my problem was simply trying to understand it.

From the first episodes of "Buffy", the premise behind the series was clear (in fact, you will recall that Giles actually explains it to Xander and Willow). In the case of "Dollhouse", I'm not sure I get it. The closest I can come is that an evil corporation kidnaps (or uses others to kidnap) fit young women whose minds they then erase so that they can "re-program" them to satisfy the needs of their clients.

However, it is implied that at least one of the corporation's employees has doubts about what it does and furthermore a "rogue" (?) FBI agent seems to want to investigate the corporation and shut it down.

On the other hand, the beginning implied that Echo (Dushku's character) actually signed up to join the corporation.

It's all very unclear. If things don't become more enlightening soon, I'm going to have to give up on it.

QUESTION: ED has stated in interviews that both she and Whedon came up with the idea for the series. So how come only Whedon gets the "created by" credit?

ANOTHER QUESTION: Isn't the premise of the series awfully similar to "My Own Worst Enemy" with Christian Slater? It strikes me that Slater's series is better executed and much easier to follow.

ONE GOOD POINT: It's always nice to see Amy Acker.

[Ben Varkentine]

BTW, here's the Nielsen Rating Overnights:

http://tinyurl.com/bqc8mt

How well Dollhouse did may be something of a Rorschach test: How well did you want it to do? Me, I'm just bummed that Wife Swap and Howie Mandel beat Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Supernanny beat Friday Night Lights...

[amazon]

QUESTION: ED has stated in interviews that both she and Whedon came up with the idea for the series. So how come only Whedon gets the "created by" credit?

Eliza is credited as executive producer

[WebWarlock]

Well.

Those ratings are not good. Right now it's saving grace is that it is getting higher than Terminator.

But it will not last and it's numbers are likely to go down.

Tim

[Ben Varkentine]

Right now it's saving grace is that it is getting higher than Terminator.

And that's unfortunate. I don't care about Dollhouse one way or the other (I watch Friday Night Lights), but Terminator is underrated in both senses of the word.

[Millerchip77]

We probably won't get it here if it bombs - which is a pity because I LOVE Eliza Dushku...What do you Kittens think? Was it any good?

[Hemiola]

ED is always good (and nice to look at ). but see my post above for questions about the writing and/or execution of this show.

At this point, I'm enjoying some of the American adaptations of British shows that we are getting here, especially "Life On Mars" (a splended series, which I am told was even better in its original version).

BTW, Millerchip, can we pleeeeeease get an update on your AU fic. Thanks!!!
[/i]

[Ben Varkentine]

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the show is doing better on iTunes than it is in actual ratings.

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0682340/

ETA:

However, that may not matter.

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0683666/

[Millerchip77]

ED is always good (and nice to look at ). but see my post above for questions about the writing and/or execution of this show.

At this point, I'm enjoying some of the American adaptations of British shows that we are getting here, especially "Life On Mars" (a splended series, which I am told was even better in its original version).

BTW, Millerchip, can we pleeeeeease get an update on your AU fic. Thanks!!!
[/i]

Thanks Hemiola - and Ben...I'm so excited about getting it from iTunes! It's whole new world...I'll let you know what I think.

Hemiola I'm posting chapter 3 on BETA as we speak...

[Triscuit7]

So, I'm watching it, mostly because Darcy is sort of interested in it. The one thing that I can say is that the base concept where the people are given memories/personalities seems directly lifted from C J Cherryh's Hugo and Nebula award winning Downbelow universe. Specifically the interstellar power Union "programs" certain citizens (azi) for roles in their society. Very creepy concept and it's all done with "tapes".

[Hemiola]

My recorder failed to work on Friday (4/10), so I missed the episode of "Dollhouse". :( Can anyone provide a summary? Thanks!!

[meretricious]

Too lazy (and forgetful) to do a summary myself, but twop is always good for one. http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/dollhouse/a_spy_in_the_house_of_love.php

[LesbianJedi87]

best thing about this epsiode....eliza dushku in a dominatrix outfit. lovely.

[Hemiola]

My gracious thanks, SassyEggs *bows*

[masterjendu]

Tonight's episode was good!!!

[Hemiola]

Yes indeed it was! At last we seem to be close to getting some of the answers we've been waiting for ever since the whole series started (and that we should've gotten much sooner! ).

Very effective use of the "Sleeping Beauty" metaphor (as a fan of Tchaikovsky's ballet and Disney's cartoon, I'm a sucker for this ).

Finally nice to see the return of Alan Tudyk (late of "Firefly"/"Serenity"). It will be interesting to find out if Alpha's a villain or a hero in this picture (although I could never forgive his character for scarring the beautiful face of Amy Acker).

[TheOriginalLostSoul]

Had the opportunity to meet with "Dollhouse" guest star, Mark Sheppard, a few weeks back at a local con in Dallas; and he told me that he didn't have much hope on the show getting renewed; and, he also spoke that Whedon himself wasn't too hopeful either...

[effrena]

the show gets renewed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
www.tv.com

[Hemiola]

Sadly, Amy Acker's appearances in the new season will of necessity only be brief, since she will be featured in a new show called "Happy Town".

[SJ]

British Kittens,Sci-Fi Channel starts showing the series today at 9pm.

[restlessminds]

Have never seen this but just read in the Guardian, to quote, 'that we (the UK) are going to get Epitaph One, the Joss Whedon episode that wasn't aired in the States.' Apparently, it's on the Sci-Fi channel over here. Thought some folks might be interested, so there you go.

Enjoy
restlessminds