Latest Scoop from Ausiello: Summer on Dollhouse?

Source: EW

According to Ausiello, Summer Glau might migrate over to Dollhouse, now that Sarah Connor has been canceled:

Question: With Sarah Connor Chronicles canceled, please tell me there is a possibility of Summer Glau making an appearance on Dollhouse! --Jenn

Ausiello: The noise you're about to hear is the sound of the Whedonverse exploding. Joss confirms to me exclusively that, well, he's one step ahead of you. "If anybody thinks [bringing Summer onto Dollhouse] hasn't occurred to me already then they have not met me," he says. "I mentioned it to her before [SCC] was canceled. I was like, 'You know, we should get you in the 'house.' But first we have to come up with something that works." And casting her as a doll would not work, insists Whedon. "Summer would be perfect to play an active, but she's done that [type of role] a lot," he says. "I'd rather see her play someone who talks too much. The most fun I have is when I get somebody who's good and comfortable at doing something, and then I make them do something else. Summer said to me, 'I would like to play a normal girl before I die of extreme old age.'" Got any ideas? Head to the comments section!

These little tidbits only make me want those "two lost episodes" even more. Lucky for me, the DVD set comes out just a few days before my birthday. Guess what's #1 on my list!

Eliza on Acker

Looks like the Dollhouse Crew wants Amy as Whiskey/Saunders, and is hoping the taping schedule allows her to do both shows.

Now that Amy Acker's Happy Town pilot has been picked up by ABC, what does that mean for Dollhouse's Dr. Saunders? — Lynn
MATT: I ran your question by Eliza Dushku when I chatted her up at Fox's upfront party, and while the Dollhouse lead/producer is unsure just yet Acker's Happy news will impact Dr. Saunders'/Whiskey's presence in Season 2, she said that at the very least, "I hope Amy will pop in and grace us now and then." Beyond that situation, sources assure me that snipped Season 2 budget or not, the Dollhouse staff will suffer no casualties.

Source: http://www.tvguide.com/News/MegaBuzz-Greys-CSINY-1006199.aspx

More Renewal News

All of the popular sources have confirmed that Dollhouse will be back for a 2nd season. Evidentially, the renewal involved slashing the budget, which sources say is not that big a deal, as the sets are already built. Guess that means no more fighting on top of sleeping pods! I'm hoping Amy Acker's new show being picked up does NOT lead to Whiskey being sent to the Attic, and to a new doll being imprinted as Dr. Saunders.

I love Washington Post's TV Reporter's comments:

"We hear Sony is practically paying Fox to keep " 'Til Death" on the air until it has enough episodes for syndication, and the budget on "Dollhouse" reportedly was sliced as part of the deal to get a second-season pickup late last week -- an order that caused The Reporters Who Cover Television's eyebrows to rise until they nearly disarranged their bangs.

After all, Joss Whedon's latest exercise in feminist heinie-kicking-and-tight-tank-top-wearing hadn't even copped 3 million viewers the other day. That's not even a decent FX number, much less a stat that would merit renewing a series on the country's No. 1-ranked network. The reporters suspected that "Dollhouse's" eyebrow-raising pickup had something to do with the fact that the company that produces "Dollhouse" is owned by the same company that owns the Fox broadcast network. They sensed that the renewal had more to do with keeping the show going for the sake of DVD boxed sets, overseas sales and other ancillary interests than with copping the largest audience possible for Fox, and they said so yesterday during a Q&A with Fox execs.

Those execs were braced to meet that suggestion with stout denial. They are great believers in stout denial and they are very good at it.

"It's a bet on Joss Whedon," Reilly insisted when asked about it, adding that Fox is committed to having original scripted programming on Friday nights.

Unless it's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," Fox's other scripted Friday drama this season. "Terminator" is canceled because, Reilly explained, they looked at that show's ratings and "the trend line was not pointing in the right direction."

Hey, let's take a look at the ratings track on "Dollhouse" -- shall we? It's 4.8 million, 4.2 million, 4.2 million, 3.6 million, 4.3 million, 4.1 million, 3.9 million, 3.4 million, 3.5 million, 3 million, 3.1 million, 2.7 million."

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/18/AR2009051802744_2.html?sid=ST2009051900007 (Lisa de Moraes, Washingtonpost.com)

Never got into Sarah Connor myself. I love true sci-fi, but am not a fan of the shoot-em-up-action-movie-set-2000 years-in-the-future type of thing. But I'm not sure Fox isn't dooming Dollhouse by leading in with comedies. But then again, didn't the Simpsons originally lead into The X Files? And we didn't even have TiVo in those days. Me, I'm still a good old VCR gal. I'm also single, so my Dollhouse habit rarely involved live viewing. Hulu serves as a backup for the occasional power outage.

I wonder how others think scheduling will effect viewing. I'm also wondering why Fox doesn't try a Dollhouse/Fringe block...

Eliza Dushku Dishes on Dollhouse Renewal: "Now We Get to Really Have Some Fun!"

It's really official. Dollhouse is coming back! Eliza just found out, and is, of course, pstched.

Source: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Eliza-Dushku-Interview-1006170.aspx

In trumpeting Dollhouse's Season 2 pick-up, Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly called the decision "a bet on creativity" and "a bet on Joss" — as in series creator Joss Whedon. Immediately following Fox's upfronts presentation, TVGuide.com grabbed a few minutes with Dollhouse lead Eliza Dushku to celebrate the renewal as well as the show's fans.

TVGuide.com: How did you find out about the renewal? Who told you?
Eliza Dushku: I was in Uganda the past two weeks. I landed Friday night about midnight, and when I touched down the first message was a text from Joss saying, "We're back on, kid! Get ready to raise hell!" [Laughs] It was a nice homecoming.

TVGuide.com: Kevin Reilly has been out there saying that Dollhouse's renewal is testament to Joss' loyal fanbase.
Dushku: The fans, the fans, the fans, absolutely. We are so grateful and just bowled over by the support and the love and the loyalty. We are so excited to do the second season because it took us until the last six or so episodes to hit our stride; now we get to really have some fun.

TVGuide.com: Will the "missing" 13th episode, "Epitaph One," now serve as the Season 2 premiere? Or is it still DVD-only?
Dushku: You know, I dont know. I just got off the plane, so I dont know.

TVGuide.com: "Epitaph One," which was produced on the studio's own dime, was used to convince Fox that Dollhouse can be delivered on a smaller budget. Are there any differences the viewer might pick up on?
Dushku: No, our set is pretty solid and top dollar. I think the show will continue to be visually stunning.

TVGuide.com: So, as you filmed it, you didn't pick up on anything different?
Dushku: Well, it was faster — and that's always nice!

TVGuide.com: How will Echo be different going forward, considering the events of the season finale?
Dushku: Being downloaded with all the personalities, the build-up was about Echo becoming self-aware. It will give the audience a chance to connect with Echo more, because she's not just that blank slate. There's something behind her eyes creeping out. That's the center of the show — can you really erase someone's identity? The answer seems to be no.

TVGuide.com: That was nice what Paul Ballard did for Mellie, getting her released from her contract early.
Dushku: I know, right? He's a love. We have such an amazing cast... It's just such an honor to be a part of it. When Joss sent out that email, everyone one was just flipping out. We were really, really happy.

TV Guide Reports Renewal

I was reading TVGuide.com today, and came acros the following:

Bones joins Lie to Me, Fringe, Dollhouse and 24 as Fox's officially announced returning dramas for the 2009-10 TV season. (Reference: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Fall-TV-Bones-1006129.aspx)

If this is true, it is FANTASTIC NEWS!

Looking Good for Renewal!

Great news! TV Guide reports that Dollhouse is looking good for a 2nd season! Let's spread the word and try to get the comments up. They need to know how badly the fans want it.

Meanwhile, on the renewal front, sources tell TVGuide.com that Dollhouse is now "looking really good" for a Season 2. Created by Joss Whedon and starring Eliza Dushku, Dollhouse wrapped up its freshman run on May 8. The action-drama averaged about 3 million viewers each week, not including impressive DVR playback boosts.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/FallTV-Dollhouse-Strahan-1006118.aspx

Save Joss Whedon's Dollhouse!

About the 3rd episode, I stumbled on to the best new TV show since "Lost," namely Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. (It must be some sort of pattern with me. I actually didn't discover Lost until the 3rd episode either. I had to wait for re-runs. We didn't have Hulu.com back then. But I digress.) I was immediately intrigued by this new series, seemingly a darker "Fantasy Island", except in this version, rich folks pay scientists to imprint willing volunteers with a new, dream personality each week. The hour flew by sooner than I knew it. I never did get up to get that soda I had thought about during the first, ever so short, commercial break. I turned the TV off and went to my computer, hoping Hulu was carrying this fantastic new show. It was. And the first 2 episodes were just as intriguing as the one I had just watched live. My VCR got a new weekly entry in its recording schedule.

I care very little about TV shows these days, with the exception of Lost, to which I am almost obsessively devoted. I like a few sitcoms, but if I miss them, it's no big deal. I certainly don't schedule my social life around them. But it's different with Lost. I stay in on Wednesday nights, and spend the hour after the show dissecting it in internet chatrooms. Until recently, no other show held my attention like Lost. And then I discovered Dollhouse.

Dollhouse is my new, favorite television show. It doesn't quite have the internet proliferation of Lost. But give it time. Lost didn't have it either during its first season. Please, give it time.

But the folks who report on TV are telling us our time may be up. Dollhouse is a "bubble show," meaning the network has not decided that it wants to pick it up yet. But they haven't canceled it either. Maybe we can change their minds.

Let's start to build that Internet Presence, like Lost has. As time permits, I will be enhancing this site with additional Dollhouse-related information. In the meantime, please leave your comments below. And help me get this site to go viral. Maybe that way, we can get their attention. We can show them how much Dollhouse means to us.

Dollhouse is the best new Sci-Fi series to hit the tube in decades. It is innovative, creative, and current. It is destined to become a sci fi classic, if it is just allowed to run its course.