Dollhouse

Futon Critic has the episode summary for the pilot, "Ghost" airing Friday, Feb. 13th. [QUOTE] Joss Whedon, creator of groundbreaking cult favorites "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly," returns to television and reunites with fellow "Buffy" alumna Eliza Dushku in DOLLHOUSE. Echo (Dushku) is an "Active," a member of a highly illegal and underground group of individuals who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. Hired by the wealthy, powerful and connected, the Actives don't just perform their hired roles; they wholly become with mind, personality and physiology whomever the client wants or needs them to be. Whether imprinted to be a lover, an assassin, a corporate negotiator or a best friend, the Actives know no other life than the specific engagements they are in at that time. In the series premiere episode, Echo is hired by a businessman to be the ultimate kidnapping negotiator when his young daughter is abducted. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) risks his career in his search for the elusive Dollhouse in the "Ghost" episode of DOLLHOUSE. [/QUOTE]

They are going racy with the promo photos. ;) [CENTER][URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1340"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/1498c5ab30af7f.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL="http://vevmo.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1341"][IMG]http://vevmo.com/imagehosting/1498c5ac26ff58.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/CENTER]

The reviews are in (and they are a bit rough.) [INDENT][FONT=Courier New]Slices of mumbo don’t come much more jumbo than this new entry from producer Joss Whedon; it’s enough to make one long for the days when TV dramas were criticized for being too pat, too predictable, too much like one another. Whedon, who directed the pilot, certainly dressed it up stylishly, but I’ll take simple coherence over fancy-pants trappings any day. After all, this is television, not an art-house cinema in Greenwich Village. - [B][URL="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/12/AR2009021203994.html"]‘Dollhouse’ Deserves To Be Condemned[/URL] - by Tom Shales, The Washington Post[/B][/FONT] [/INDENT][INDENT][FONT=Courier New]Unfortunately, he’s expending his considerable talents on an empty-vessel premise that probably couldn’t support a series even were it more adroitly cast, or didn’t resemble the already dismissed [I]My Own Worst Enemy. [/I]The result is a show that his most devoted fans will debate and embrace, and a mass audience just won’t get. - [B][URL="http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2009-02-12-dollhouse_N.htm"]Fox’s ‘Dollhouse’ is its own worst enemy[/URL] by Robert Bianco, USA Today[/B][/FONT] [/INDENT][INDENT][FONT=Courier New]Viewers may also have trouble maintaining interest in the perils of Echo, even if Agent Ballard can help salvage some of her memory banks. “Dollhouse” has an amusing premise, but the universe it inhabits in the early episodes is thin and bland. The sinister corporation behind the Dollhouse is ill-defined, and the show’s main characters are one-dimensional, including the real-life dolls. The plot lacks the metaphoric allusions and richly imagined contexts that enliven other science-fiction series like “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” and “Battlestar Galactica.” - [B][URL="http://tv.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/arts/television/13doll.html?_r=1&ref=television"]Directions: Brainwash, Rinse, Repeat[/URL] by Alessandra Stanley, The New York Times[/B][/FONT] [/INDENT][INDENT][FONT=Courier New]Unfortunately, it’s a disappointment. It lacks the humor and vivid characters of [I]Buffy [/I]and [I]Firefly, [/I]which might be OK if the plots were more compelling, but that hasn’t been the case in the three episodes sent for review. The show has a good premise but wastes it with derivative storytelling, the kind of stuff Whedon avoided when [I]Buffy [/I]and [I]Firefly [/I]simultaneously tweaked and respected their genres. - [B][URL="http://www.star-telegram.com/movies/story/1199245.html"]‘Dollhouse’ lacks the teeth of producer’s earlier series[/URL] - Robert Philpot, Star-Telegram[/B][/FONT] [/INDENT][INDENT][FONT=Courier New]I know this now because I just watched Fox’s new, much-hyped show “Dollhouse,” from the guy who brought you “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel.” And unlike the aforementioned ideal date that went south, I’m not in love, but I [I]am[/I] intrigued. - [B][URL="http://www.nypost.com/seven/02132009/tv/dream_doll_154888.htm"]Dream ‘Doll’, ‘Buffy’ Creator Back With Mind-Erasing Fun[/URL] Linda Stasi, New York Post[/B] (she gave it three out of four stars)[/FONT] [/INDENT][FONT=Courier New] [/FONT]

[quote=RockSteadyVybes;48470] Idk...Bacchus what did you think?[/quote] I wasn't blow away, but there is nothing about the show that is unwatchable, so I'll tune in next week and see where things go. There are some parts I liked and others that I felt were a bit off the mark. I am looking forward to the ratings today to see if this show has a chance at life.

[quote=RockSteadyVybes;48502][B]It's worth noting that Episode 2 is markedly better, 3 features a nifty reveal, and 4 serves up a cool plot twist. [/B][/quote] I'll be watching for a couple more weeks to see how things go, but it was DOA for a network prime time show. It will probably fall into the low 4/upper 3 million range next week as the premiere always draws better than subsequent episodes. :([INDENT][FONT=Courier New]Dollhouse averaged 4.72 million and a 2.0/6 (rating share) among 18-49 year old i in its premiere.[/FONT][FONT=Courier New] 8:00 FOX Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 3.90 1.4/5 8:30 FOX Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 3.52 1.3/4 9:00 FOX Dollhouse 4.73 2.0/6 9:30 FOX Dollhouse 4.70 2.0/6 [[URL="http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/02/14/friday-ratings-how-did-dollhouse-and-terminator/12837"]via TVBYTHENUMBERS[/URL]] [/FONT][/INDENT]The only good news is that it grew out of Terminal Terminator, which is doing infomercial like numbers... Neither of these shows will be renewed.

[quote=RockSteadyVybes;48564]OOF =( So sad. I'll be loyal to it for as long as Fox lets me.[/quote] If they dropped this after Fringe or House (or, heck American Idol!) for a special viewing, you'd have 10 million + viewers. Then give it a regular time slot BESIDES FRIDAY to pull that audience along. Instead, they gave it a death time slot. These numbers were expected. Fox gave up on the show a long time ago, which is sad.

Fox seems to give up on some shows early on and brush them under the rug before they even have a chance to get going. Dollhouse could definitely be a good show down the road and something different to tune into but things don't really look good right now.

Things are sounding so ominous, I am not sure I am going to watch on Friday. If it is 100% getting canceled and he is moving on - why should I commit to a dead show? [FONT=Courier New] [/FONT][INDENT][FONT=Courier New] Joss Whedon, the George Lucas of television, reveals why working on his triumphant return to the small screen, [I]Dollhouse[/I], [URL="http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25951789/joss_whedon_goes_where_no_tv_man_has_gone_before"]has convinced him to abandon TV for good. [/URL][/FONT] [/INDENT]

[quote=Bacchus;48648]Things are sounding so ominous, I am not sure I am going to watch on Friday. If it is 100% getting canceled and he is moving on - why should I commit to a dead show? [FONT=Courier New] [/FONT][INDENT][FONT=Courier New] Joss Whedon, the George Lucas of television, reveals why working on his triumphant return to the small screen, [I]Dollhouse[/I], [URL="http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25951789/joss_whedon_goes_where_no_tv_man_has_gone_before"]has convinced him to abandon TV for good. [/URL][/FONT] [/INDENT][/quote] Strange that it got so much hype as his return to small screen and it basically got shot in the leg before it started running. I might watch anyway just to watch but I think only a miracle can save this show right now.

I finally sat down and watched last night. It's definitely not a bad show (in my mind it's impossible for Joss to make a bad show) but I was a little disappointed. The plot is too similar to the NBC Christian Slater bomb of a show that was canceled. I think it would have been to have Echo be on 'cases' that were fun, adventurous and dangerous for the onset. The kidnapping and having Echo's personality remember her traumatic past would have been better served down the road. The audience is trying to figure out what exactly Dollhouse is so I just thought that plot twist was let out prematurely. I blame Fox's relentless devotion to American Idol. All their programming gets shuffled to the back burner and it really sucks. Dollhouse would work much better following Fringe. But that is never going to happen unless they move Fringe to Fridays.

[quote=Kathleen;48831] The kidnapping and having Echo's personality remember her traumatic past would have been better served down the road. The audience is trying to figure out what exactly Dollhouse is so I just thought that plot twist was let out prematurely.[/quote] I am with you there as I was thinking the same thing. I wanted to be brought right into the Dollhouse and could have done with a few episodes where things were working as they should. Instead we got all these external intangibles that muddied the plot and diluted the impact of the episode as a whole (The FBI side story was another unneeded insert into episode 1.) Oh well. The good news is that if they are still airing TSCC, the bar is so low we might get all 13 Dollhouse episodes. [quote]I blame Fox's relentless devotion to American Idol. [/quote]AI and baseball in the fall. It makes Fox a two pony network with the rest of the stable used to fill in the gaps without care to how that shuffling will effect the longevity of the shows involved. Even House took a small hit getting moved to Mondays, but they don't seem to care. It is all about their show ponies. [quote] But that is never going to happen unless they move Fringe to Fridays.[/quote]Blasphemy! :D

[quote=RockSteadyVybes;48899] I still don't get why he went BACK to Fox.[/quote] Er....maybe Fox was the only one that would take it? :sofa:

[quote=RockSteadyVybes;49622]THE SECOND EPISODE WAS SO GOOOOOOOOOOOOD. It sets up the series - it had more action - it set up so many questions and mysteries! Perfect. THIS is what the pilot should've been.[/quote] Hmmm....it is on my DVR saying to me, "They are going to cancel the series before episode 5, delete me!"[INDENT] [FONT=Courier New]Since we are all wondering how week two of Fox drama Dollhouse did, let’s begin with that. And, no, it is not good. Dollhouse finished third from 9-10 p.m. in total viewers, with 4.22 million, and tied for second (with a repeat of CBS’ Flashpoint) among adults 18-49, with a 1.7 rating/ 5 share. One week earlier, Dollhouse opened with 4.76 million viewers and a 2.0/ 6 in the demo, based on the final nationals. Comparably, that was a loss of 540,000 viewers and 15 percent among adults 18-49. Note: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Viewers: #4, 3.84 million; A18-49: #2t, 1.4/ 5 at 8 p.m.)[/FONT][/INDENT][[URL="http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/246104191"]via Pifeedback[/URL]] However, I might watch if things get slow tomorrow. :D

Oh, and just in case you even think waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay in the back of your mind that this show will get picked up, here are the numbers on Fox Friday, the week before Dollhouse & TSCC aired together:[INDENT] 8:30 p.m. – Cops (R) Viewers: 4.67 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#3) 9:00 p.m. – America’s Most Wanted Viewers: 4.62 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5/ 4 (#3) [/INDENT]So basically they'd be better off with a repeat of Cops and an episode of America's most wanted, lol.

I saw the two eppies just now on hulu...the show is okay...I will watch it when I can...and catch up when I can but mostly because I am an Eliza Dushku fan and I loke Joss Whedon as well.

[quote=Bacchus;49627]Oh, and just in case you even think waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay in the back of your mind that this show will get picked up, here are the numbers on Fox Friday, the week before Dollhouse & TSCC aired together:[INDENT] 8:30 p.m. – Cops (R) Viewers: 4.67 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#3) 9:00 p.m. – America’s Most Wanted Viewers: 4.62 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5/ 4 (#3) [/INDENT]So basically they'd be better off with a repeat of Cops and an episode of America's most wanted, lol.[/quote] Bad boys what ya gonna do..... Ah well it is a promising series and there are alot of ways they could have taken it. But now I feel it'll be another "entire series" boxset. Maybe there is some hope though...somewhere.

How was episode 3? I've come to the decision that I am just going to allow all these to build up on my DVR as we await whether this series will make it past episode 5.

[QUOTE=Bacchus;50825]How was episode 3? I've come to the decision that I am just going to allow all these to build up on my DVR as we await whether this series will make it past episode 5.[/QUOTE] I watched the first two episodes on Hulu.com and decided to watch ep 3 "live." I liked this episode better than the first two, perhaps because it was more classically written as a TV drama. They are still taking too many shortcuts in plot development to suit my taste. Eliza definitely knows how to play a role. Given the range of acting she has brought to the show thus far, I can certainly see her as a more mainstream actress in the future. It was a refreshing relief after watching the "Death of Sarah Chronicles" the hour earlier.