Surprise: Fox RENEWS 'Dollhouse'

UPDATED: In a stunning move, sources say Fox has renewed Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” for next fall.

The official announcement will not be made until Monday at the network's upfront presentation, but sources confirm a deal has been struck for another 13 episodes. Fox plans to continue the show on Fridays next fall.

The low-rated series was last seen given up for dead by the media in a field somewhere.

But the show's DVR numbers are huge (averaging a 40% bump), online streaming is strong. It’s a sci-fi show, which tend to bring in strong ancillary revenue such as DVD sales for sister-company studio 20th TV. And it’s said that Fox execs rather like the series, especially the latter half of the season. Besides, a show airing in the fall on Fox is a bit like running in midseason on most networks -- it’s not the network's strongest part of the year and maybe ... maybe ...

All right, fine.

The move is tougher to explain than most, especially based on the show's ratings. A “Dollhouse” pickup is a shock, an underdog comeback that blows away NBC’s will-they-or-won’t-they hand-wringing over “Chuck” (psst, they almost certainly will). In fact, "Dollhouse" might very well be the lowest-rated in-season scripted drama to ever get a renewal on a major broadcast network. Almost certainly if based on where the show concluded -- a 1.0 among adults 18-49.

Basically this is a case of a bunch of minor decision-making factors successfully ganging up on the biggest factor (ratings). In addition to DVD sales, streaming and DVR influences, Fox received some serious budget concessions from 20th TV and Whedon to continue the show, with 20th now shouldering a greater portion of the load.

Another factor was the show's unaired 13th episode, which Whedon shot on a shoestring budget for the "Dollhouse" first season DVD set. Whedon presented it to the network as an example of how "Dollhouse" can achieve a high-quality production with a lesser budget.

The renewal also means Fox is bringing back all three of its freshman dramas for a second season -- "Fringe," "Lie to Me" and "Dollhouse" -- which is a nice boast in challenging year for broadcasters.

Along with NBC renewing low-rated "Friday Night Lights," and strongly considering modestly performing "Chuck," and the CW stations considering bringing back very weakly rated "Reaper," there's seeming trend this spring toward networks looking beyond live-viewing ratings when contemplating the fate of shows with passionate fanbases that they can monetize in non-traditional ways.

Last year, in the wake of CBS canceling fan favorites "Jericho" and "Moonlight," the sense was that vocal minorities could no longer sway the suits.

This year, cult TV shows have been like creatures in a George Romero movie; you can never trust that they're dead.

Source: THReviews

Support Joss: Tweet to Save Dollhouse Petition

It's no secret that FOX has a hard time trusting Joss Whedon when it comes to his genius mind. I mean look at what they did with Firefly! That's why it is time for the fans to be heard, it's time to get loud! So if you're a Joss Whedon fan, please pay close attention, because we need your help to save Dollhouse!
Here's how we're going to do it, in FOUR simple steps:

Step One. Leave a comment below. Tell us exactly what it is that you love about Dollhouse. It can be anything. Is it the plot, the characters, the writing style, the suspense, whatever it is we want to know! The more specific the better. We will take all of the feedback from the comments and send it to the network explaining for our fans why Dollhouse needs to see a second season (and many more after that).

Step Two. Spread the word. We want you to talk about it on twitter! Log on to your twitter account and tweet out this message (exactly as it appears):

Support Joss: Save Dollhouse. Fans get their voices heard @BuddyTV http://tinyurl.com/SaveDollhouse Please ReTweet and join the cause.

Step Three. Follow us on Twitter. Make sure you are following BuddyTV on Twitter to get all the updates on how our campaign is going.

Step Four. Download our official Save Dollhouse wallpaper. Use it as your own twitter background our wherever you choose. Your desktop, myspace, facebook, anyplace you can think of!



We need to hurry! Even though last week's episode gained ratings, it wasn't enough. Dollhouse's fate lies in our hands. We are coming to the final episode and Execs will be making their decisions soon.

From BuddyTV

Dollhouse Episode 2- The Verdict

So two weeks into Joss Whedon's new sci-fi turn drama 'Dollhouse', what have we learnt exactly? Well we know that any amount of meddling on FOX's part in the creation process puts the show back a week (thanks to the ordered rescripting of the pilot), we know that a lone FBI agent is on the trail of the Dollhouse and we know that Eliza Dushku can really kick ass, although didn't we know that before?

Many fans of Joss remember the days of 'Buffy' and 'Angel' when between some decent vampire butt kicking there would be plenty of wit and punch from the fellow 'Scoobies'. But that doesn't seem to be the way of the 'Dollhouse'. Instead, some may view the show as an easy way for Dushku (who plays the heroine, Echo) to dress up each week in a different costume and a different character, seemingly wasting our time with lovely organised stories which may as well have been individualised to each episode.

There may, even, be very little reason to care for Echo and her predicament, along with the rest of the 'Dolls' but I was captured by the pilot (despite the bias of being a previous Joss fan) and thankfully episode two showed the beginning of a developing story, something which may in the end give back to the audience what they are craving for.

In recent seasons, the serial has taken a bad slapping across the face with a fish. Shows like Heroes have lost viewers and despite several attempts at starting again (after the disruptive WGA strike last year), it just hasn't returned to the former sci-fi royalty was it of Season One. Lost has returned with Season Five, bigger and better than ever but it wasn't until there was a definite ending that the writers pulled themselves together and finally started moulding a story which could, and I use the next word with both hands tied behind my back, easily! Although after recent episodes JJ Abrams and the gang seem to be moving away from sci-fi and more towards pure science.

So it lands upon Joss Whedon's door to return the sci-fi serial to the popularity it once was, hopefully after nearly a decade of vampireverse we would hope he had learnt something. 'Dollhouse' serves two sorts of audience, sci-fi friendly in regards to the history of the Dolls but also fans of action drama (think 24 mixed with Quantum Leap) with lots of guns, running and shouting.

Episode Two saw flashbacks starting to come back to Echo, what of her past and how did she get to the Dollhouse? But so many other questions arise in my mind, like how do they get the memories of those people they use as imprints, why did the Alpha goes on a rampage and who else knows about the Dollhouse? Cleverly Joss does the exact opposite to that of the pilot, where we saw emptiness in the character, Episode Two saw some emotion (when Echo tells Boyd to trust her), something behind the character and the repercussions that Echo is having throughout the company. So please, writers, lets have more of that.

Hopefully over the next few episodes, the charm of the Whedon program (especially 'Buffy' and the recent 'Dr Horrible' come to mind) comes to light and he will return to the top of the TV charts with a much needed, well missed, good quality sci-fi show.