Staging a much-anticipated comeback to television hasn’t been that easy for
TV producer Joss Whedon, creator of longtime cult fave Buffy the Vampire
Slayer. First came the disconcerting news in July that he’ll be creating an
entirely new pilot for Dollhouse, his midseason drama for Fox about a
creepy organization that strips employees of their personalities and
assigns them new ones. (“I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” he told fans at
Comic-Con in July. “I did some things that weren’t right for the
network.”) Then, Whedon halted production on Dollhouse last week so he can
write the script for its fourth episode ― one of seven that he’s contractually
obligated to deliver. The shutdown comes amid press reports that Fox isn’t
happy with the drama’s creative direction, which likely demands a lot from
lead actress Eliza Dushku (also a Buffy alum). And after the bow of Fringe
(9.1 million viewers), there’s a growing fear that shows with dense
mythologies may have a hard time succeeding. (Bear in mind that very few of
Fox’s sci-fi series from the past decade have lasted beyond one full
season.)
According to multiple sources, Fox remains committed to airing Whedon’s
high-concept series and believes the work stoppage will allow the already-busy producer (he’s working on a horror movie with Buffy alum Drew Goddard) to
fully flesh out his characters. “With months before our broadcast premiere,
we have the rare luxury of extra time,” says a 20th Century Fox TV spokesman
of the show’s planned January debut. “We believe in this show and want to
give it every opportunity to succeed.”
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Comments (1-19) of 19 Add your comment
Given the tanking ratings on both Fringe and T:TSCC, what are the odds that FOX makes history (even for FOX) by cancelling this show before it even airs? *rolls eyes*
Oh, wg, you expressed my inner monologue! We Whedonists are a loyal bunch and we will stand by the man until we are given reason not to. I hold out hope that FOX learned a lesson from the Firefly debacle and at least gives Dollhouse a full season in order to hook the viewers in…
And in my world, people sing and dance and ride on pink unicorns:)
Joss Whedon working for Fox again makes me think that he’s a glutton for punishment. The cancellation of “Firefly” /still/ smarts… I’m looking forward to “Dollhouse,” but certainly concerned that Fox is (as usual) more hindrance than help.
The reason Fringe had poor numbers is that it was presented all wrong. I turned on to watch it…first off 2 hour premieres on a Sunday, bad idea. Secondly, what I got was a movie preview for the new Keanu Reeves movie and lead ins that told me there was going to be more and more of that.
Thirdly, it went up against football and True Blood (which seeing that Fringe was going to interfere with that timing promptly made me change channels). Bad plan all the way around.
I think we need to relax and see what airs in the winter. Stopping and retooling before hitting the air is the best way to go in TV today since TV shows aren’t given the chance to “grow” (i.e., if they aren’t a hit within the first 2-3 episodes, they get yanked off the air).
Joss Whedon is one (if not the) most creative and talented writers in Hollywood, so I’m more than happy to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s earned that much based on his previous work.
Oh my GOD, I am so sick of all this ratings crap. NOT EVERY SHOW CAN BE #1, people! There’s only one #1 spot! Shows with dedicated followers get canned because they aren’t in the top 10…there’s FIVE HUNDRED channels to watch these days! It’s so infuriating, and it’s all the adverstisers’ fault…Like those 1 million more people you think you need to watch the show AREN’T getting bombared by the same ads in print, on the bus, on billboards, and every freaking other place they look. SO annoying.
How many people who hate Fox with vengeance for Firefly actually watched the show when it mattered for its ratings?
Tune in everyone for Dollhouse, because no one has ever cancelled a hit.
jenjen….just wanted to point out that was not the actual premiere…that was a rebroadcast of the premiere that had happened on a tuesday. i think fox is re-airing the episodes then, and because of that i’d be curious to see what the added numbers were…granted that sunday couldn’t have added all that many more, but at least a couple million more is a solid debut…
oh and the best part about the tues. episodes?? they’re presented w/”limited commercial interruptions” i tivoed the show and when i saw there were 2 totally different running times i was highly confused…
Thanks for clearing that up. I didn’t even notice the Tuesday premiere thing. I only saw that it was on Sunday. I = blind lol
The folks at Fox are *idiots*. The pilot episode for Fringe has been avaliable all over the Internet for at least three months (also what happened to True Blood). A huge part of their fan-base *already* saw the episode. Expect a bump with episode two. The two-hour Sunday slot vs True Blood was also very stupid. And hey, watching TV real time is going the way of the dodo – we just returned out cable box and will be waching everything we have time for via Internet; in my area, there was a stream of people taking their boxes back as well. With cable (and internet) so expensive, why pay twice?
“Fringe” had big ratings bounce for episode two, so it looks like serialized dramas aren’t dead just yet, hmm? That said, this much smoke from “Dollhouse” early on (a new pilot AND a production halt b/c apparently neither the studio nor Whedon like the creative direction) is a bad, bad sign. Personally this concept doesn’t seem appealling to me. JMO.
I loved Buffy, but this show looks terrible. Hire better writers Fox. Hire based on ability not on how well you know them.
I am personally hoping for Dollhouse to tank so that Joss can focus on more things like Dr. Horrible. One more big-budget sci-fi mythology show is practically white noise in today’s television culture, but I believe Joss has the opportunity to revolutionize the industry and release the stranglehold that advertisers have on creative output.
Fox p!sses me off. Joss Whedon is one of the most talented, entertaining writer/director/producers out there–mainly because he is so out in left field. It would be great if Fox exes would just simmer down and let the man create his show. Whedon is clearly different, but he knows good story-telling and what people like. Back off, and let him work! Sheesh!
The Whedonites are a cult of sorts — never mind that the final seasons of BTVS and ATS were pretentious and creatively inadequate, or that Firefly took about seven episodes to find its footing while being incredibly expensive to produce. Fox must be “evil” if Joss Whedon doesn’t make money. The thing is, Whedon had one good idea and he ran it into the ground. These days he runs more on snark and self-adulation than genius. He has real talent but needs to separate himself from his sycophantic fanbase if he’s ever goin to tap into it again. Right now, he is trapped in a cycle of self-created martyrdom, and the Whedonites put him there.
My question is, whether it is good or not, will FOX let it find it’s audience.
I have total faith in Wheodon. The only time he has ever let me down is when he left Buffy to work on Firefly. Season 6 and 7 sucked.
Hope the Dollhouse is up and running soon.
I am really disgusted with this article. “amid press reports that Fox isn’t happy with the drama’s creative direction”? That is irresponsible journalism.
There has been one “report” that said this. One. TV Week used “A person familiar with the thinking of some Fox executives” as a source (while still saying that all the official word was positive) and it has been repeated everywhere as if it’s gospel truth.
Guys, this story is all smoke.
And Selena, I think you’re way off base. I disagree with almost every single thing you say here, but the most indefensible is the “Whedon had one good idea” crack. Even if you lump Buffy, Angel, and Fray into one “idea” there is still Firefly, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible, Sugar Shock, Toy Story, Speed, Rosanne, and dozens of other projects.
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