Fox still committed to Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse'
Sep 17, 2008, 02:04 PM | by Lynette Rice
Categories: TV Biz
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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