Dollhouse prospect for renewal not looking good.
POSTED BY: Haken
UPDATED: Sunday, April 12, 2009 09:54
VIEWED: 10934
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TVBYTHENUMBERS posted an interesting analysis of the cancellation and and renewal prospects of all FOX shows.
At the top is 'HOUSE' with a cancel/renew index of 1.73, which guarantees a renewal. At the bottom is 'Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles' with an index of 0.46. Unfortunately for Dollhouse, which has an index of 0.61, the prospect of renewal doesn't look very good.
To view the full analysis, you can go here:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/03/31/time-running-out-for-dollhouse/15
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Thanks for posting that Haken. we can hope it picks up, I think its finally getting to the good part!!! I also think thats the reason its not doing well, it took (IMHO) too long to get the best part of the story going. Was this F*x's doing? My guess is yes.
A friend at work and I talk about it every Monday, he said he didn't 'see' Joss in it, until this episode, and I think its F*xs's influence. Why don't they get it, that they run a network, they dont create and produce shows.
Chaplain of the 76th Independant Battalion
Do not bother dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!
...it's worse than you know...Operative
...it usually is.....Mal
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While it's fashionable to blame FOX--and I'm sure they ARE responsible in part--doesn't Joss have to accept SOME responsibility for the failure of DOLLHOUSE?
Although the show has gotten progressively better, it's still not a great show. Many creators (Joss included) have successfully created compelling, excellent shows from Episode 1 or 2 (rather than practically mid-season), even with the network breathing down their necks.
I don't know if the premise just isn't as strong, or if Joss hasn't tried as hard, or what, but this is definitely not his best work.
www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."
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A lot of the blame lies with Joss IMO. The premise was not a good sell from the start. The show was pretty much dead on arrival IMO. Joss's cult following can't be the only thing to carry a show. He needs to actually have something that will draw in the average viewer.
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It's not looking good for Nathan Fillion's Castle to get a renewal either... 
Here's the latest projections from this week:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/ratings/nielsen-overnight-tv-show-r
atings
Nothing's official yet I don't think, but it's certainly not good news. It's so weird; if Dollhouse were getting those numbers, Fox would be worshipping Joss Whedon. Guess it's not enough for one of the biggest networks though.
...so, if Summer Glau, Adam Baldwin, Nathan Fillion, and Joss Whedon are all out of jobs next year... Hm, can Gina Torres and Morena Baccarin get out of their TV show obligations? :P (wishful thinking)
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Although CASTLE is enjoyable, I won't be too sorry if it goes away. It's a witty show, but the mysteries are already getting a little stale, I think, and the main reason to tune in is for Fillion. If he can use it as a "stepping stone" to a show better matched to his talent level, I think it will have served it's purpose...
DOLLHOUSE, CASTLE, TERMINATOR... even CHUCK... It DOES seem like they're looking for a clean sweep of all things Whedon, doesn't it? Anyone know how the ratings are for HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER?
www.stillflying.net: "Here's how it might have been..."
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I agree. The episodes have all had some enjoyable aspects, but it's only lately that I started getting really, really into it. I think it was the "There are three flowers in a vase" scene (for those who watched the episode) that gave me the first true "OMG I LOVE THIS SHOW" moment (as opposed to just "oh, that's kinda interesting/funny/cool"). Firefly had a LOT more of those kinds of moments, as did Buffy and Angel, as did Serenity and even the Buffy Season 8 and Serenity comics have had moments like that a lot more often for me, despite how much some have complained about the former.
The worst thing Fox did (other than promote it as Sexy Happy Fun Time Action Show, because it is seriously intended to be MUCH creepier than that) was air the "new and improved" pilot, "Ghost", arguably the worst episode. Not only was it the worst episode, but, get this: as a cold intro to the series, it was far inferior to The Train Job IMO. "Ghost", which was written by Joss's own offering and in probably the average time for a script, was inferior to "The Train Job", which was forcibly rewritten in like two days under considerable pressure. That says something. Of course, part of why it's worse is, sadly, Eliza's acting feels so much more stilted in that one... I read somewhere that Joss wanted to "challenge" Eliza on purpose, but the end result was just far too awkward. The cold opening might have turned me right off from all the awkwardness, if a.) I hadn't known it was a Joss show with an interesting premise with an awful lot of read-between-the-lines subtext from the cast and crew saying "it gets better!", and b.) if I had anything better to watch on that Friday. It also felt a little disjointed because of how much was going on at once... though to be frank, all the people who "got confused" because they "couldn't tell what was happening" were idiots IMO.
In the meantime, the second episode?
The second episode, despite weaving back and forth on the chronology a little, had MUCH better flow, much, much better direction, a FAR FAR better introduction for pretty much every single character (particularly Boyd), better summary of the premise of the Dollhouse, better dramatic tension, better humor, better dialogue, and yes, better acting, particularly from Eliza who IMO works really well as an action heroine in comparison to an uptight character, and was therefore absolutely in her element during the "now" plot. It's also got fewer narrative cliches (boxing shots to show us the character's indomitable spirit, Joss?? REALLY??). As an introduction, it works so much better than when I decided to introduce my mom to the series a few weeks into the run I skipped "Ghost" on the DVR and went directly to "The Target". All this despite very blatantly following a "final girl" plot from a common horror trope for the main plot!
Fox were idiots for not airing that one first. It's a much better impression of the series, despite the amount of catchup you'd have to do with say, opening narration.
However, that said... I've enjoyed something about each episode, and the overall quality HAS gotten better, as has Eliza's acting (thank god. That would have been crushing, to see the actress who I liked in Tru Calling and loved as Faith in Buffy, suddenly just... kind of... start consistently sucking). Though I was disappointed with Caroline's background (kind of boring, almost), the real meat of the plot seems to be getting up there and the supporting cast is increasingly proving to be incredibly talented (I love Boyd's actor and Mellisa Tancharoan so mcuh, I swear). I also like how wickedly, gleefully twisted Joss is willing to go with it; not just the fetuses in the jar, mind, but the simple fact that no effort at all is made to obscure the fact that for the most part, the Dollhouse is pretty obviously little more than a high-tech whore house that specializes in taking young people, manipulating them into signing on, erasing their real selves, and using them as plug-and-play living toys. This show is one giant chunk of rather vivid nightmare
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My theory: Dollhouse will run forever.
I read today that The Guiding Light, daytime soap, which has been running since 1937 is being canceled,
Dollhouse may be canceled, Terminator:TSCC may be canceled. I missed watching any episode of Guiding Light for 72 years, I only watched one episode of Dollhouse but have watched every episode of TSCC and bought season one on DVD. You just know they'll cancel the one I like.
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Hate to say it, but it's clear that Castle has already become formulaic and repetitive. Fillion's attractive performance just can't hide the fact that this schtick has been done before, and doesn't add anything new to the wants of a bored audience.
As for Dollhouse, for all that it is NOT formulaic and repetitive, I fear that it has already become too intellectual for the lcd common viewer that best gives hard-ons to wealthy advertisers. There's too much thinking required in resolving the nuances of Dollhouse plots, and that doesn't work well against the feral gambling hit offered by NCAA basketball and the raw sexual stereotyping that is so prevalent in "reality" shows.
The nerds get Dollhouse, for all of it's open-ended plotting. Sadly, the nerds are a small percentage of the advertisers' targeted audience, who won't pay off on the investment until the phenominal dvd sales demonstrate that, oh, this was a sellable show after all, huh.
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This post brought to you by one who would be immensely glad to be proven stoopid.
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Dollhouse will not be back. It would of done better on the SciFi Channel.
Funny, but I was watching Cupid on ABC last night & noticed that they used the same stock footage of NYC which was seen in Castle.
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