I initially had a lot of hope and excitement for Joss Whedon's upcoming FOX series Dollhouse, but that hope has slowly dwindled as the network has interfered with the show time and again.  The latest blow came yesterday, when FOX announced that the series will air on Fridays at 9pm beginning February 13.  This is the same time slot that Whedon's late, great Firefly died in many years ago, which leads me to believe Dollhouse won't make it past its first handful of episodes.  Though I'm fairly certain the series will soon be nothing more than another great genre show canceled before its time, I plan to watch every episode before the axe falls.

A day before FOX doomed the show with their scheduling announcement, a nifty promo was released online to get fans pumped for Whedon's return to television.  Check it out below and decide for yourself if Dollhouse has a chance at survival.

Production delays have plagued the series since the filming of its pilot episode, which Whedon had to reshoot after receiving negative feedback from the network.  In mid-September, the set was shut down for over two weeks as the creator scrambled to put together rewrites and reshoots.  Things looked to have stabilized since then, but according to the Los Angeles Times, production delays have plagued the sixth and seventh episodes as well.  FOX apparently isn't happy with the scripts, which has left the cast and crew feeling frustrated.

The time slot situation and behind the scenes drama seem even more unfortunate after viewing the new promo for the series, which is truly fantastic.  The show may be too strange to become a breakout hit, but it looks like it'll allow Whedon the chance to explore the concept of what makes us human.  A little show called Battlestar Galactica has been tackling that question successfully for four seasons, and I'm betting Whedon's vision would be just as strong were it allowed to play out that long.  Maybe he should have pitched the idea to the Sci Fi Channel.

You can check out the Dollhouse promo below:



For those who haven't been following the history of the series, Dollhouse centers around a group of operatives known as "dolls," who are imprinted with personalities and abilities before being sent out on missions.  After they carry out their duties, their memories are erased, allowing them to be boxed until they're needed again.  Lead character Echo, played by Eliza Dushku, soon finds herself doubting her role and questioning her humanity.

When Dollhouse premieres in February, it'll be paired with new episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.  In a strange coincidence, that series happens to star Summer Glau, who also played a major role in Whedon's Firefly.  I'll hold out the slightest hope that FOX will give Dollhouse a better shot than it gave that show, but history tells us it's highly unlikely.


- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: Los Angeles Times, FOX
(Image courtesy of FOX)