Dollhouse, from Joss Whedon and Co. Options

[superstitious]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135300/

I watched the first episode. It was terribly slow for the first 15 minutes and nearly gave up on it. However, being such the loyal Whedon fangirl that I am, I stuck with it and I'm glad that I did. It picked up mid-way through and the show looks promising. I wish that Eliza Dushku had meatier acting chops, but then again, I had wished the same with Sarah Michelle Gellar and I watched Buffy until the very end.

Anyone else catch the show? It's not bad for a Friday evening program.

(Also, I did try searching and couldn't find a topic for this, if you find one, merge away. I won't be offended)

[NoSex]

AVC: The show has gone through its share of delays and retooling. What was going on with it before, and what was done to work it out?

ED: We shot the first pilot, Joss did, in sort of a noir style, and I think first and foremost,Fox didn’t like that feel. So there were a few things they wanted different, and they wanted the story to unfold in different ways. It was a big deal for Fox, and they have a lot invested in the show, so absolutely their opinion matters. So we retooled it, and instead of doing a cut-and-paste job with the pilot and doing reshoots, Joss just sort of went, “I have an idea that I think that you’re looking for, so let me just reshoot a new pilot.”

AVC: It isn’t like Joss is some new kid on the block, though. He has a lot of shows under his belt, and he’s got this large cult following. Is it frustrating when you get that kind of feedback?

ED: Honestly, yes. I understand it from a business perspective, and from Fox’s view, but at the same time, we’ve now done 13 episodes, and people have said that the show took off once they finally realized that Joss is best off left alone to do his thing. That happens around episode six—six through 13 are just extraordinary. I love one, two, three, four, and five, but Joss’ first script that he did after the pilot is number six, which is called “Man On The Street,” and it is just unbelievable. From that point on, the world unfolds in Joss’ way, with Joss’ speed, and it’s really remarkable.

AVC: Are you biting your nails in the interim? There are still a few more weeks before that episode airs.

ED: I think it’s going to be important for Fox and for us to really push that message. Every show needs time to grow, and it’s really difficult to set up a show, especially one with such a complicated, complex premise, that’s so multi-dimensional. We wanted—and Fox also wanted—the first six episodes to be episodes people could pick up and understand what was going on even if they were late getting to the party, which I agree with. So the first six episodes are more self-contained. But once we sort of hit that place where the show takes off, I think it’s going to be important to send some screener copies back out there to some of the reviewers that maybe didn’t jump on board the first time around, or some of the diehard Joss fans that felt they were missing his voice in some of the first shows. Because his voice is back, and it’s loud, and it’s as exciting as ever once we get rolling.