Is Dollhouse the new threshold for succesful Sci Fi on Fox? - Dollhouse

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June 25 2009

Is Dollhouse the new threshold for succesful Sci Fi on Fox? Michael Taylor, co-creator of Virtuality, says that the "threshold for renewing Joss' show ["Dollhouse"] was ultimately pretty low and I think was out of respect for what he showed he can do and respect for sci-fi fans".

The background is that Michael Taylor and Ronald D. Moore created a two-hour Virtuality-pilot for Fox which didn't get a pickup for a full season. This Friday (June 26 at 8/7c) Fox will air it as a summer special looking to see if the show has viewership potential. Michael Taylor was writer and producer on Moore's Battelstar Galactica as well.

wiesengrund | Dollhouse | 18:41 CET | 11 comments total | tags: dollhouse, michael taylor, virtuality

When I first heard about Virtuality I was very excited. That was a long time ago and it has seemingly been radio silence re: the show ever since. I thought the premise was intriguing and I heart shows/movies with spaceships (they just make me happy for some reason). I also love Clea Duvall (Marcie!). And I will pretty much watch anything from Ron Moore - after BSG, if his name is attached I will be tuning in.

It's just a shame that Virtuality's 'test run' (perhaps funeral would be more apt) is on a Friday in the middle of the summer. The bar would have to be pretty low indeed for any measure of success given the circumstances. I also haven't run into any large promotion efforts either. I saw one fifteen second promo on Fox which treated it like a movie and frankly wasn't all that compelling. It's sad, I had high hopes for this one but it seems all but over with... I was so looking for something to fill the Battlestar Galactica shaped hole in my life.

onthedrift | June 25, 19:57 CET

It's not the middle of summer, summer just started. ;)

b!X | June 25, 20:03 CET

To be perfectly honest I think it is kind of unrealistic to use the word 'success' to describe Dollhouse Season 1. 'Worth giving a second chance to become successful' would seem more apt to me.

[ edited by brinderwalt on 2009-06-25 20:13 ]

brinderwalt | June 25, 20:12 CET

Wasn't there more than just straight up ratings (and Joss' reputation) that made Dollhouse a good choice for season #2? I was under the impression that the VERY impressive DVR ratings were part of the reasoning.

AthenaMuze | June 25, 21:44 CET

That, the reduced budget, general love for the show from the execs, yeah. There were many factors.

sumogrip | June 25, 22:45 CET

I think that the bar hasn't moved, Dollhouse just managed to get some help getting over it.

PaulfromSunnydale | June 26, 00:56 CET

Is that when Virtuality is? Damn, I had no idea. Can't wait to see it!

And Dollhouse may not have been a success, but it wasn't a failure, which may be a success in it's own right. Maybe.

SteppeMerc | June 26, 01:07 CET

Damn straight and about time. ;)
So glad to hear find out that Virtuality is a Ron Moore project, I didn't know. Even if it's a really short run of a dead project, Moore has taken a place on my "will not miss giving it a chance" list, along with Joss and Alan Ball.

Shey | June 26, 09:27 CET

I'm watching Virtuality now. What a fantastic show! I'm loving it.

redeem147 | June 27, 02:01 CET

It was purely a business decision. It had nothing to do with respect. That's not ever gonna change.

dispatch | June 27, 11:30 CET

It was purely a business decision. It had nothing to do with respect. That's not ever gonna change.

Agreed.

wiesengrund | June 27, 11:59 CET

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