Show me a shiny DVD in Europe. I'd buy it. Make it a special edition with an Eliza statue, and I'll buy it.

[ edited by Krusher on 2009-02-22 02:11 ]

Krusher | February 22, 02:10 CET

Thanks Simon (and gossi, who appears heavily involved in this).

My only (paranoid?) fear: Joss keeps hinting that the 2nd half of the season gets pretty bizarre -- using phrases like "maybe I crossed the line." Will it get so kinky that my friends will later say, "What kind of sick stuff do you watch on TV?!"

Just kidding... I hope :-) .

SteveP | February 22, 03:30 CET

Will it get so kinky that my friends will later say, "What kind of sick stuff do you watch on TV?!

If we're lucky ;-)

Cool site, I took a button for my blog :-)

ShanshuBugaboo | February 22, 03:32 CET

How can I add one of the buttons to my Facebook page so other people will see it?

I've already joined the Facebook group listed at the top. Does that appear on my Facebook page somewhere? (I don't notice it.) Or is there any other feature of Facebook -- e.g., the "badge" or anything else -- into which I can paste the HTTP code?

SteveP | February 22, 04:26 CET

I wanted to know the same thing SteveP. Facebook is the only website page/blog/thing I have. It's where my friends live...

bubblecat | February 22, 11:09 CET

Facebook applications and badges and stuff are coming. It's a bit of a slow roll out as it takes time to put it together.

Plus, I don't want to panic people. (Although the not panicking people thing is a double edge sword - Dollhouse's ratings aren't terribly good, but this site has got a muted reaction, I suspect, cos I haven't called it Save Dollhouse OnMaGod We're All Gonna Die.com)

[ edited by gossi on 2009-02-22 14:42 ]

[ edited by gossi on 2009-02-22 15:36 ]

gossi | February 22, 14:42 CET

gossi, thanks for creating this.

A few weeks back I was going to suggest that we fans begin some campaign to "spread the word" through social networking tools that many of us use -- since this was part of the reason that Dr. Horrible was successful. Thanks for taking the lead on make such a campaign possible. Hopefully -- despite a tepid response to this initial thread -- the 'faithful' will follow your lead and incorporate your suggestions into their various online presences.

SteveP | February 22, 15:31 CET

Oh, I actually stole much of the idea for the site from Jed Whedon and the Dr Horrible team. Even down to the banner sizes, which we took directly from DrHorrible.com.

Interestingly, Dr Horrible was #1 on iTunes for a long, long time, and Dollhouse isn't near that (it reached #1, but it dropped back down). The Horrible team did a really good online marketing job with little to no budget.

gossi | February 22, 15:38 CET

In fairness though, Dr Horrible presumably wasn't against such stiff competition (since it was released during the summer hiatus). No BSG, no Grey's, no 'Lost' etc. to go up against. Take those out and 'Dollhouse' is no. 1.

(which is not to take anything away from the job JJZM did promoting DHSAB - those guys worked like buggery doing interviews etc.)

Saje | February 22, 15:46 CET

Are Joss & Co. attempting any similar online techniques for Dollhouse? Does Fox's ownership of the property place contstraints on what the creative team can do without "official" Fox blessing? E.g., are there Twitter accounts for Echo, Boyd, Topher, etc. as there were for Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer?

SteveP | February 22, 15:49 CET

The Dollhouse creative team don't do the marketing, 'cos they aren't paid for it. Team FOX do. I mean, they'll send Joss and Eliza on interviews and such, but everything is organised and done by FOX. FOX have spent a small fortune on Dollhouse online - just look at the pretty website, all the videos etc, but they've failed to embrace things like iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Digg, Twitter etc.

gossi | February 22, 15:56 CET

Yeah -- I agree that Fox has spent lots of money promoting Dollhouse, and I really appreciate that.

I just wonder if there's a slight mismatch between the techniques Fox is using and the demographic of the viewers most likely to watch. Fox's money has gone into traditional PR (mags, interviews, etc.), and that's good. But the younger demo often gets its ideas from the social-networking fabric and I think Fox has spent less energy trying to "seed" that fabric. (If you don't mind me mixing metaphors...) That's where your "ActivateDollhouse" site can fill a crucial gap.

SteveP | February 22, 16:04 CET

Good going, Gossi. This looks like a really good idea. I hope it works.

newcj | February 22, 16:51 CET

Point taken, but as noted in the ratings thread, its actually done better than people are taking. Highest Fox Friday premiere in 4 years, highest rated Fox show in its time-slot. Didn't lose viewers between first and second half, only actually lost .1 week to week, beat the hell out of its lead-in, etc., etc., etc.

zeitgeist | February 22, 18:34 CET

zeitgeist - people said all that kind of stuff about Firefly. Firefly was the #1 show amongst adults on it's night, for example. The reality is, if it's not profitable, it won't get picked up for another series. There's a reason the trades are saying it's a disappointment in terms of numbers: 'cos it is. It was developed as a Monday night, big launch series - 'cos of the cost of the show.

[ edited by gossi on 2009-02-22 18:46 ]

gossi | February 22, 18:45 CET

Sorry, wasn't really a reaction to you per se, just weary of general picnicking. Some of the trades are actually talking seriously about how these numbers are fine for the time slot (not blockbuster, not poor). Now whether the numbers justify enough ad revenue to make the cost of the show worthwhile, that's a more worthwhile conversation. That's the conversation that matters to the network, because I guarantee you they are not as down on the actual numbers and C3 numbers as the fandom in general is. I'll go change the picnic alert color to mauve now. That's right, you heard me.

[ edited by zeitgeist on 2009-02-22 20:12 ]

zeitgeist | February 22, 19:57 CET

Mauve ? Mauve ? OMGOMGOMGOMG, sky falling, world ending, gyres ever widening, mere anarchy loosed ... hang on, I have my picnic alert chart upside down ... Oh cool, mauve *pops champagne*.

Saje | February 22, 20:39 CET

Wait! The world can't end, I've just ordered pizza!! Oh hang on that mauve...

Interestingly, the network moved the show to a Friday where they knew the ratings would be less, but the show still has a Monday night price-tag. Surely this was always a risky move. Ah well, as Gossi says, if it grows then it grows...if it doesn't, well, we have a new DVD.

Some people have mentioned product placement, do US shows get sponsers, like the progs over here on independent channels? For example, I think Appletise sponsers Friends and erm...can't remember the others. Personally, I think Mircosoft should sponser Dollhouse, however, if Skynet sponsers TSCC I am OUT of here....

bubblecat | February 22, 21:26 CET

I think part of the problem here is Dollhouse is very unlikely to face the dilemma of cancellation. It won't get pulled from air. And it's filmed it's 13 episode order, so it can't get cancelled. The issue is going to be if it returns for a second series. It's a numbers game, but it's more complicated that purely ratings as zeitgeist rightly points out - lots of things come in to play. Although that said, if the ratings drop off, they are the most important factor still, since they control how much money you're making from advertising.

gossi | February 22, 21:51 CET

One remark I have not seen yet is that, while Dollhouse is an expensive show and should do better than the regular Friday night show to make a profit and be renewed, improving on Fox's general Friday night ratings might at least ensure we get to see all 13 episodes. Even if Fox makes a loss, as long as Dollhouse does better than anything else they can air in that timeslot, airing the episodes which they paid for anyway, makes them back at least some of the money. So I guess that's something to be positive about.

Celebithil | February 23, 00:24 CET

I will support the show as much as I can and even try to get my friends to watch. I seriously just hope we will get to see a second season.

ria | February 23, 16:19 CET

I'll go change the picnic alert color to mauve now. That's right, you heard me.

You totally stole that from me. Ahem.

gossi, any word on whether the set is still standing?

Re: commercials. I don't know about you guys, but when I re-watch the show (DVR or live), I like to skip the commercials... even on the remote-free TV thing Dollhouse has.

That said, I COULD NOT skip seeing Eliza on that Hulu commercial (either live or DVR'd). That's says something sad about me, but I keep wondering why aren't the Fox people using their stars for the commercials???

I, for one, wouldn't fast-forward if I saw Adelle DeWitt (or Olivia Williams) showing us some savvy manage-your-evil-corporation-communication-with-Blackberry, or Topher loving his Windows-computer-software-at-home... because-no-other-software-is-better spiel.

Like they did with Six Feet Under fake funeral commercials, or Twin Peaks Japanese coffee commercials. I'd stay for that extra time.

Would anyone else? In the spirit of our other democratic-thread, let's vote. :)

korkster | February 23, 20:50 CET