Whedonesque : Comments on 17898 : Matt Roush to Dollhouse fans: Relax.

An email I got the other day day which amused me: "We are going to talk this show into cancellation."

What Matt Roush says is what a lot of people here hve been saying - in amongst the fleeting moments of panic.

Gossi, I have been starting to wonder if that could be a possibility.

The only stuff I read about the show is here. I don't know what reaction/opinion is like elsewhere and I don't know if it really matters. I am going to go for blind optimism and assume everything will work out fine. Why shouldn't it?

alien lanes | October 20, 14:04 CET

OMG, OMG, OMG, why would he tell us to relax if there was nothing to worry about ?!?

Whedon Alert Level: Ultraviolet with indigo tinges around the edge !!!

I reckon now's the time to start a backlash against the backlash to the backlash, just for a bit of variety. Is stopstoppingoursavedollhousecampaign.com gone ?

[ edited by Saje on 2008-10-20 14:06 ]

Saje | October 20, 14:05 CET

I *heart* Matt Roush (and Saje). :-)

OzLady | October 20, 14:16 CET

I'm waiting to find out if I actually like it before I worry about it. Radical, I know.

gossi | October 20, 14:29 CET

Yeah, that'd be fitting: if we all hated the show and it became a total succes. Serves us right for our attitudes during these times ;).

GVH | October 20, 14:33 CET

Man, if it turned out to be rubbish I would absolutely piss myself ;).

(I mean after I got over the weeks of abject misery that is)

Saje | October 20, 14:39 CET

The show being bad is the one thing I haven't seen anyone panicking over yet. Oh no!

Sunfire | October 20, 14:51 CET

Maybe it needs to be rubbish to succeed.

Let's hope it's rubbish.

Nebula1400 | October 20, 14:55 CET

I would rather like it and have it struggle than not like it and have it be popular.

Sunfire | October 20, 14:58 CET

It took a while for me to get into Firefly, might be the same for Dollhouse.

Simon | October 20, 15:00 CET

I'm going to totally hate myself if new webarticles will now start to feature words along the lines of: "whedon fans now worried if Dollhouse is going to be any good" ;).

And yeah, Saje, it would be terribly funny if it turned out that way. Funny in a very tragic way, though :).

And finally: I'm thinking it might be the same for me, Simon. Because this is New Joss Whedon Television[tm], it's bound to be hard to instantly like it because I tend to build it up in my mind and it's hard to meet those expectations. I did have the same thing with Firefly (although, in hindsight, much of that was due to the airing order, as when watching the DVD, I instantly fell in love). On the other hand: I loved Serenity when I first saw it (but, to be fair, that was an established universe) and I also really liked 'Dr. Horrible' from the start. So I guess I may up liking it straight away as well. It's a toss-up. Although, of course, if it is shite, I may also never end up liking it :).

GVH | October 20, 15:09 CET

Most of my favorite things are not ones I fell in love with instantly.

jcs | October 20, 15:11 CET

If it takes me as long to get into 'Dollhouse' as it did for 'Firefly' the show could be in trouble. I mean, 20 minutes is a long time to spend in the ratings wilderness ;).

Yeah, I fully expect there to be a slight feeling of "Is that it ?" straight after the first episode just because we've been thinking and talking about it for a comparatively long time. But so long as i've got some inkling of upcoming greatness that's OK with me, Joss has earned more leeway than any other creator on TV as far as i'm concerned. And if even the first episode knocks it right out of the park then that's the park that win built ;).

Saje | October 20, 15:21 CET

I think Dollhouse will be fine. As the network suit said, time is a blessing and a curse. Let's wait for the pilot before we worry.

As Roush said: Fringe is still finding its feet. Maybe it's a good thing that Dollhouse gets to work this stuff out at the back of the class before standing in front for show and tell.

Andy Dufresne | October 20, 15:27 CET

The ironic part is that whether international viewers dig it or not when it debuts in January, won't matter as much, if the average US viewer just ignore it.

Finding feet is good. I wonder how would've worked if years ago, when X-Files were just starting, there was as much online outpour of things as we have nowadays.

Numfar PTB | October 20, 15:36 CET

When you think about it, "Finding your feet" is kind of funny expression, isn't it?

jcs | October 20, 15:44 CET

Saje had this correct. EVERYONE PANIC THE HECK UP.

Sparticus | October 20, 15:49 CET

Midseason show? Re-tooled pilot? Weird name? Strange premise? How did Buffy The Vampire Slayer ever succeed?

(There was one scene in the pilot that had one character replaced with footage shot after episode 12 was completed, how's THAT for rejigging the pilot?)

zz9 | October 20, 15:56 CET

Saje had this correct. EVERYONE PANIC THE HECK UP.

I know right ? What is it with all this calmness, we're panimaniacs, all the genre news outlets say so - those that refuse to panic can't be real fans if you ask me. Frikkin' ultraviolet people ! That's actually off the Alert scale !

When you think about it, "Finding your feet" is kind of funny expression, isn't it?

Only if you can, otherwise it takes on other connotations, possibly related to a sinister, foot focussed version of the tooth fairy.

[ edited by Saje on 2008-10-20 15:56 ]

Saje | October 20, 15:56 CET

I'm SO tired of talking about this!

Rikardo | October 20, 16:18 CET

Aw, c'mon Rikardo, embrace the pre-air panicky fun! You know you want to!

GVH | October 20, 16:19 CET

I like that our panic alert scale includes wavelengths in the non-visible light realm of the spectrum.

Still pondering what that implies exactly :)

JossIzBoss | October 20, 17:13 CET

Non-visible to some...

Emmie | October 20, 17:21 CET

Only if you can, otherwise it takes on other connotations, possibly related to a sinister, foot focussed version of the tooth fairy.

Aha! Joss's fixation on feet is at last explained!

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | October 20, 17:25 CET

(There was one scene in the pilot that had one character replaced with footage shot after episode 12 was completed, how's THAT for rejigging the pilot?)

I don't think I've ever heard about this. What was changed?

Jobo | October 20, 17:27 CET

I think the panic is holding steady since the news that "Sarah Connor Chronicles" will get a full season, which means "Dollhouse" isn't guaranteed that pre-"24" spot in January. The pain of the Firefly Incident is still with us, and that's why we're scared (along with fans of "Pushing Daisies" for a smiliar reason). If we get a puff of white smoke, or something, from the Fox offices saying "Dollhouse" won't be sent to the Friday neighborhood, that may ease our minds.

On the other hand, would it be so bad if they delayed the start of "Dollhouse" until March? It certainly worked out for another TV show about eleven years ago...

impalergeneral | October 20, 17:33 CET

TSCC's full season pickup has nothing to do with Dollhouse. Nothing. Dollhouse will air on Mondays leading in to 24.

TamaraC | October 20, 17:40 CET

Jobo, the scene with Buffy telling Giles she wants nothing to do with slaying, when she explains the "whole sucking thing", was re cut. After SMG shot it she went to Joss who wasn't on set that day and said she thought she was a bit too angry. He agreed so he said that if they had time when shooting was completed he'd re shoot it, which he did. Nothing was changed as such, just a slightly different tone.
Joss talks about this in the DVD commentary.

But if the same thing happened now with Dollhouse and we got to hear about it....

zz9 | October 20, 17:44 CET

On the other hand, would it be so bad if they delayed the start of "Dollhouse" until March?

impalergeneral - yes. Dollhouse's 13 episode order finishes shooting towards the back end of January, so if they delayed airing it would effectively mean the series is cancelled before it's even begun, unless they ordered more episodes.

I would like to stress I don't believe for a minute that will happen. I believe the situation is thus: TSCC should continue to air until about December, at which point it will shuffle off air until March. Dollhouse will take it's place as planned. TSCC will return and run mid-season, like Prison Break last year, during which time the movie will come out near sweeps time. TSCC will also get the American Idol boost.

gossi | October 20, 17:52 CET

What's Dollhouse?

The One True b!X | October 20, 18:15 CET

Very funny, bix.
I think once Fox says the Dollhouse is open for business in January, on Mondays, at 8 PM, we can relax. After that, it's up to the show.
I hope TSCC winds up on a post-Idol slot on Wednesdays. We'll see.

impalergeneral | October 20, 18:24 CET

You know I was talking rubbish when I was talking about rubbish. I was trying to use reverse psychology on the internet, since it tends to be a very naughty child.

I'm absolutely certain it isn't rubbish. That said, I hope I didn't jinx it.

Let's all just stop using words from now on. They can only do evil stuff.

Nebula1400 | October 20, 18:45 CET

All I know is that script reviews have been pretty damn sweet. And right now, I just wanna gauge the quality of the thing without fussing over all of this pointless speculation.

UnpluggedCrazy | October 20, 18:47 CET

I just don't know if any tv show based on the Barbie franchise can succeed in this retail-nervous environment.

Mort | October 20, 18:51 CET

Well, that's my new Whedonesque tag sorted, Mort.

gossi | October 20, 18:52 CET

Well, Mort, is was very popular as straight to DVD some years ago. You just never know. Wait. Let me go ask my daughter what she thinks.

*runs out of room*
*comes back hanging head*

Nope. Barbies are for sissies. Guess that's that then.

[ edited by MysticSlug on 2008-10-20 18:56 ]

MysticSlug | October 20, 18:56 CET

Math is hard.

The One True b!X | October 20, 19:07 CET

I was, of course, inspired by this.

I have to point this out as I cried when no one got the Philip Larkin reference a while back.

Simon | October 20, 19:12 CET

Philip Larkin? To the Wiki!

What's Dollhouse?

I'm with bix. I'm ignorant until proven otherwise. And when in January I turn on my tv and see this excellently crafted show by this "Josh" guy I will be content.

Likewithpie | October 20, 19:48 CET

Who is this Joss Whedon character? What are fans? How did I get here?

crazygolfa | October 20, 20:11 CET

What's a question ?

Saje | October 20, 20:26 CET

I don't know. I thought you knew everything. :D

crazygolfa | October 20, 20:40 CET

Google knows everything, I am merely the conduit ;).

Saje | October 20, 21:20 CET

I'm in favor of adding the non-visable spectrum to the panic scale, especially x-ray, in honor of the phonetic alphabet. Though I hope things don't get to that wavelength.

[ edited by dreamlogic on 2008-10-20 21:28 ]

dreamlogic | October 20, 21:28 CET

Well, there it is, folks! Mystery solved. Saje is a conduit. Phew! Glad I don't have to worry about that anymore. :D

Now what was that about a doll show again?

MysticSlug | October 20, 21:42 CET

I may even be six conduits, depending on who you ask ;).

And it makes sense to extend the spectrum to accommodate our huge panic. Maybe keep gamma radiation in our back-pocket, just in case.

Saje | October 20, 21:59 CET

Instead of panicing, I'm just grateful for any Joss! I think that's the way this should be approached. I for one am going to allow "Dollhouse" to grow before I make decisions about it. Just like all of his shows, I expect it to be completely different then any of his shows with just a little trademark Joss!

Although I am one of those fans that has loved everything he does! (suprise) so I'm just going to enjoy the ride and be grateful!!

Does anyone know when official desktop wallpapers come out?

WheelsOfJoy | October 20, 22:35 CET

Yeah, gamma should be kept as a last resort. Only to be used in cases of panic caused by legitimate dire circumstances.

JossIzBoss | October 20, 22:53 CET

I asked Fox PR to confirm if Dollhouse is being moved back or not. Response here. Although, basically, they didn't say.

gossi | October 20, 22:59 CET

If we're using gamma, which one of us inevitably becomes the Incredible Hulk?

UnpluggedCrazy | October 21, 16:18 CET

I totally bagsied becoming the Hulk, like, ages ago. In secret right enough but I totally did.

Saje | October 21, 16:37 CET

I don't want Dollhouse on Monday night. Monday night is abundantly full and boiling over.

redeem147 | October 21, 17:04 CET

As bad as some people consider American Idol, wouldn't be bad to having AI as lead in for Dollhouse, especially on Wednesday, when they usually have the result shows. What worries me it's the retention level, since it doesn't really tend to the same type of public.

Numfar PTB | October 21, 17:15 CET

October 20 2008