Will Fox Give Dollhouse a Chance?

[nerd4hire]

This Q&A with Matt Roush asks a question a lot of Whedon fans are wondering about, I'll bet.

Question: As we all know, our dearly beloved Joss Whedon is returning to Fox this fall with his new show Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku. While it's a bit too early to speculate on whether it's going to be a success (critically or otherwise), I'm still interested in what you think about how patient Fox will be if the show does not become a hit right away. Fox has canceled some pretty good shows quickly in the past (including the amazing Wonderfalls), but it seemed like the network was more patient with Eliza Dushku's Tru Calling and Joss Whedon's Firefly than with other shows. Although both shows only attracted mediocre ratings, they at least kept them on for half a season (or in Tru Calling's case even a little bit longer than a full season). It was as if they were waiting for them to become sleeper hits despite their horrible time slots. Also, Firefly proved that Fox can make a lot of money with Joss Whedon's shows, even if short-lived. DVDs of the show are still selling. Might Fox be more patient with Dollhouse than with other shows because it knows that Whedon has a strong fan base that can bring them an awful lot of money, or will the network treat it just like every other show? Also, I'm curious how you see Fox scheduling the show. I for one hope it won't be on Friday nights. Fox has a lot of mystery/sci-fi themed shows in development (Fringe, The Oaks, Dollhouse) and on the air (Terminator, New Amsterdam), and I'm wondering whether Fox is going to become the sci-fi/animated network, just like ABC became the female-centered network, CBS the crime network and NBC the offbeat, "we're not so mainstream" network.— Donnie

Matt Roush: Never too early to obsess, is it? Joss Whedon's return to TV is without doubt big news, but I would be surprised if Fox's expectations go much beyond a cult sensation, which these days ought to be enough. Could Dollhouse break out the way Heroes and Lost did in their first seasons, or Alias did in the media? Let's hope. If the show is as good as the buzz is over the pilot script, I'd think Fox would do everything it can to ensure it gets maximum exposure. Which means not scheduling it in a Friday death slot, and which absolutely means being patient. As you rightly note, there's incredible potential in the merchandising marketplace for anything Joss touches, so it's in everyone's best interests to do right by this one. As for Fox's brand identity, it seems to me that landing a sci-fi/fantasy hit has been a priority since The X-Files signed off six years ago. It's just easier said than done. But if anyone can do it, Joss can.

Will Fox Give Dollhouse a Chance? Is Moment of Truth's Moment Up? What's Happening to HBO? And More! - Ask Matt | TVGuide.com
(http://www.tvguide.com/Ask-Matt/080324)

[Blondie Bear]

Let's hope. Maybe in this post-strike world, Fox will quit being a butt about its shows and actually give stuff a chance.

[Bangelxx]

Fox BETTER give Dollhouse a chance or else, I'm gonna go over there and....you don't wanna know what I'll do!

[TabulaRasa]

If Fox plays this stupid and cancels it too soon. I will have to do some Buffy butt kicking! They know what Joss can do and they should really allow the show some real time to blossom with existing Joss fans, and newcomers every day.
I think with all the peeved fans Fox will be careful this time.

[Keanoite]

I know what I hope Fox will do and thats get behind the show, give it the promotion and timeslot it deserves. Going on past experience that seems highly unlikey but they put this contract infront of ED, they wanted her so that kinda makes me believe they will treat Dollhouse better than they have othe shows.

[goldenboy]

I'm curious to see what Dollhouse is gonna be paired up with. Something conventional like Bones or House? Or make it sci-fi night with Sarah Connor (assuming a Season 2) or JJ Abrams' Fringe, or something else...

[Keanoite]

I see it being paired with Bones...strong fan base with the Whedon connection t help draw in the numbers.

[Lily]

I take any show on Fox with a grain of salt, it's always a risk to love a Foxshow cause they take them away so quick, but I hope this one will be different - like the article mentioned, they gave TRu Calling over a season, i can live with a full season, but i'd like to see it play out over at least a couple seasons, the pilot script bits that leaked look good and it seems like it could have over-arcing plotlines from season to season if they do it right

[Blondie Bear]

I would love to see it paired up with either House or SCC. It would be a night of yummy goodness.

[RockManic]

I see it being paired with Bones...strong fan base with the Whedon connection t help draw in the numbers.

Be a good idea. But the fact that it would be a good idea probably means that Fox won't think of it... ;)

I can kinda see them going with a Dollhouse/SCC pairing, if only because of the obvious genre connection. Probably Monday nights.

[TabulaRasa]

I think DH with either SCC or Bones would be great.

I am so happy to not only have another Whedon show, but for it to star a very much loved Whedon actor.

[nerd4hire]

This one's good for a smile - Save Dollhouse (http://hijinksensue.com/2007/11/05/save-dollhouse/)

[Randy Giles]

A big question will be when FOX even premieres this. Fall or midseason?

They have a total of THREE sci-fi/fantasy shows they've given blind series commitments to. Dollhouse, Fringe (JJ Abrams), and The Oaks. I doubt they'll premiere them all in the fall. And I think they'll probably air Fringe in the fall over Dollhouse, because it's probably a lot easier to sell, plus more people have seen JJ Abrams' work. And as eager as I am to see Dollhouse, if FOX could perhaps air the entire first season behind American Idol to give it maximum exposure I wouldn't mind waiting until midseason to see it.

Whatever they decide to do I *do* think they'll be patient with it. Why else would they give it a commitment based solely on a premise and star? Plus you can't forget that most of the executives at FOX have been replaced in the last few years.

[ckg927]

Not to mention that TSCC is still floating around there,too. (They haven't given a green light for it yett,but Mike Ausiello at TV Guide noted recently that Fox has given the green light for producers to go ahead and get directors hired for the next 3 eps of next season.)

[Randy Giles]

Yep. And there's New Amsterdam...I'm doubting it will return, but I wouldn't completely count it out just yet, it depends on how the ratings for the final two episodes do. I could see FOX putting that on Friday nights. Maybe.

[goldenboy]

So it's definitely midseason now, right? Variety confirmed that I think. Sucks. But it seems like a good thing, really--since so many new FOX fall shows have been crushed in recent years. The World Series always interrupts and destroys the flow.

Wonder if it might actually be paired up with 24 or American Idol. Some spoilers below:

Dollhouse Written by Joss Whedon
What It's About: Echo (Dushku) is a Doll. She's a young woman imprinted by a group of shady scientists as a blank-slate-for-hire. Depending on how she's programmed, she can be a glorified prostitute, the ideal wedding date to make your ex-girlfriend jealous, a butt-kicking bodyguard or a sympathetic confidante. She can be anything you want. And she's not the only Doll in the Dollhouse, a vast holding facility overseen by Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams). When Echo hasn't been imprinted by programmer Topher (Fran Kranz), she's supposed to be a blank slate, but Topher and Dr. Claire Saunders (Amy Acker) are beginning to notice signs of learned behavior from Echo, signs of memory. If Echo's becoming self-aware, that might be the break to help Paul (Tahmoh Penikett), a federal agent trying to get to the bottom of the Dollhouse urban legend.

How It Reads: A good pilot should do one of two things: It should either lay out the blueprint for the rest of the series or it should intrigue you so much that you can't wait for the second episode. Fringe falls into the first category. It leaves almost nothing to the imagination in terms of what's coming next. Dollhouse falls into the second category. Whedon's script builds into a mystery that's as much philosophical as science fiction. The introduction to the show's universe is immediately disorienting, but also enthralling, as Whedon mixes elements of the conspiracy thriller with what threatens to become a profound meditation on identity. Dollhouse comes across as darker in tone and slower in pace than anything Whedon has previously attempted and while there's humor sprinkled throughout, the sensation at the end is one of overarching menace and also sadness. The pilot script concentrates on only three or four main characters, though several others are introduced in passing, and it offers no stand-alone elements. After reading the pilot, I'm ready to go on the journey with Whedon even though I can't figure out what the week-to-week plot of the show is going to be.

How It Might Play: Since Desperate Housewives and Lost made the major networks want to dive back into the serialized drama business, viewers have made it clear that they're cautious about starting a show that might get cancelled mid-story. Dollhouse feels like the sort of show that might have been better suited for FX or HBO or Showtime, where Whedon's devoted audience could make a show a hit. But Dushku had a talent deal at 20th Century Fox TV and with FOX and this is totally her vehicle, the sort of role that most young actresses would kill for. Since Echo is constantly being other people, Dushku is in position to go from action star to sex kitten to child-like innocent in the course of a dozen pages. It's Dushku's show, but the pilot suggests potentially meaty roles for Williams, Kranz, Acker, Penikett and Harry Lennix, as Echo's trainer. While recognizably Whedonesque, Dollhouse finds Joss going in different direction, one that may be less quippy and less plot-driven than some might expect. The fans will still love it, I suspect, but will Dollhouse be able to find an audience beyond the Whedonverse? I'm not sure. So this could be one of those "Enjoy it while you've got it" gems.
Straight From the Script: 'Fringe' and 'Dollhouse' - Misfits of Sci-Fi - Zap2it (http://blog.zap2it.com/scifi/2008/05/straight-from-t.html)