"An Active is the truest soul among us." Or so says Olivia Williams’ big-brained science honcho in this promo for Joss Whedon’s new Fox show, Dollhouse, premiering this fall. And judging by this spot…
…Dollhouse will touch on all of the things that enrich the soul of the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. Drop-dead-gorgeous female hero? Check. Her search for identity and purpose while carrying out a specific mission (or, in this case, the specific mission-of-the-week)? Done. Disparate people banding together to forge a family out of isolation? In there. Skillfully twisted dialogue that’s both catchy and revealing? Boom. Lots of the kicking of ass? Youbetcha.
Let’s say you’re not a Joss Whedon fan — a group I most definitely don’t belong to, judging by my Quixotic insistence on bringing you clips from Firefly every Friday — but does this intrigue you? Is watching Eliza Dushku’s Echo have a different persona implanted on her each week, while searching for the truths of who she really is and how she got stuck in "the Dollhouse," something you’re up for? (And does the prospect of Battlestar Galactica’s Tahmoh Penikett — as a federal agent on her trail — taking his shirt off sweeten the deal?) I’ve already got my TiVo primed…how about you?
Comments (1-30) of 36 Add your comment
I dressed up as Jayne Cobb for four different screenings of Serenity, have loved women spies since La Femme Nikita, and am on the record (on some EW list no less) for claiming Tahmoh Penikett is one of the most underrated actors around. So yeah, this is my kind of show.
Unfortunately, it has a lot of formulas that have me reeling in fear that it’ll be canceled after a few episodes. Why? Because it’s a Whedon written show, it’s on Fox (but isn’t a reality show), Eliza Dushku’s last show kicked ass and still got canceled, and because serial shows get dissed if their ratings aren’t tip top from day one.
I’m so totally and completely in! But I’ve been a Joss Whedon nut for a long time so I don’t know if that counts as much.
I’m excited! Although I am a Whedon fan so of course I’m excited. I can’t wait!! Ugggh. That trailer almost made me forget that it was coming to TV this…winter. Booooo! Well, that trailer was 100% better than the 90210 trailer. And thank god!
I am so there.
Dear Fox,
Please give this show a fraking chance and don’t just cancel it after a few episodes. Don’t get me started on what you did to Firefly and Arrested Development. Just give it some time.
Love,
Nose
Definitely excited! I miss Joss’ storytelling. I appreciate very much how he delves into human emotion/condition. The plot itself doesn’t matter as much to me – as long as it allows him to do what he does best, then I’m all eyes and ears.
You know – some people have been complaining about the plot, saying it’s silly and whatnot. But the thing is, imagine if Buffy was pitched today. (vampires, demons, and high school students. oh my!) I don’t think that would much impress some people either and look how epic it is! Same goes for Firefly really. I wasn’t into fandom at the time, I got in on the Whedon-love late, and when I heard about Firefly I wasn’t planning on watching it. But I finally caved and it’s now my favorite show of all time.
My point is, everyone should give this show a chance. Joss and his crew are marvelous storytellers, they really know how to hook you in.
Whedon Schmedon — I’d watch Tahmoh Penikett take his shirt off on the Bill O’Reilly show if I had to!
i’m a big fan all all things whedon, and i’ll totally watch this, (while hoping/crossing fingers, etc that it doesn’t get cancelled) but OMG the music in the trailer is not helping.
As a diehard Whedon fan, you don’t have to do much to get me first in line in front of the TV: The bride’s line reading – a plaintive, bordering on hysteric, reiteration of “this IS the HAPPIEST day of my life” in the trailer is Whedonesque enough to get me to watch regardless of anything else.
I implore the FOX Powers That Be: Give this show a decent shot at success.
I’m SOO excited!! If just to see Tahmoh in a suit (and maybe shirtless, one day…? Ratings boost?)
joss whedon – check
eliza dushku – check
witty dialogue – check
kicking of ass – check and check
tahmoh penikett – check, check, and triple check
SIGN ME UP!!!!! My DVR is already on standby!!!
This show looks really good. I think I could really like it. So, it will probably get canceled. (Hopefully not, though.)
Looks good! They can do a lot with this concept, too…comedy, action, drama…
The different personalities part and the overall conspiracy-theory feel of it all reminds me of Alias.
OH, CRAP! It’s on FOX?!?!? It’s doomed. Sigh.
Oh my frakin’ god does that look like one of the most awesome shows ever! I was going to watch it no matter what because I am about the biggest Whedon fangirl out there. Add into the mix that Amy Acker is going to be in it (she’s awesome and a half) and Harry Lennix, who is more awesome than anybody else, and it’s just a lock. Only two problems… 1. FOX has decided to make us wait until January. This is unacceptable FOX. You have top shelf talent here and you’re relegating it to mid-season replacement for no good reason. 2. It’s on FOX. Now I love that Joss still has some faith in the network (although I could’ve sworn that he said more than once that he’d never work for FOX again), but FOX has treated too many excellent shows (Firefly, Wonderfalls, [insert your favorite cancelled way too early FOX show here]) like they were unworthy crap. So FOX, you cancel this show and I swear to never watch another one of your shows again and to boycott the products of your major advertisers..
Oh…and tell everyone I know to not watch the channel and not purchase products of major advertisers…like Coke products….
IIIEEEEE! :dies of happiness:
I definitely fall in the Joss fan camp, as I own the entire Buffy series, plus of course Firefly and Serenity dvds. But Eliza Dushku was always my least favorite part of Buffy (and the Angel eps I saw). So while thrilled about this new series, Dushku almost makes me want to avoid it.
Dude, I’m totally ready. It looks and sounds like the best show of the fall. Can’t wait!
I did just fall asleep. And Wheadon + BSG is what I dreamed about.
I’m in! Really looking forward to this (as well as “Fringe”) seems to have loads of potential.
I agree, dusku was my least fav part of buffy, but a new Joss Whedon show trumps that for me.
There is nothing of Joss’ that I won’t at least try, and inevitably fall in love with. However I do wish he picked another actress. I just don’t think Eliza Dushku’s acting ability is quite up to his writing.
She never invoked the level of emotion in me that the other actors managed.
From what I understand, Fox guaranteed Joss 12 episodes would air before he even came close to signing on the dotted line. Once bitten really hard on the @$$, twice shy…
Is it bad that I watched that whole thing and the most persistent thought I had was… damn, Rick Morehouse got OLD? Which, in turn, makes ME feel old.
I’ll probably watch it because it’s a Joss show but I’m not counting on making it too far, if the show lasts, because I’m not an Eliza Dushku fan.
But he’s going to kill her. Or someone important. I swear, there’s a reason it’s called “getting jossed”. Between Wash and Kitty Pryde…
WOW!!! WOW!!! this looks so good, I look forward to it being a cult hit after FOX unceremoniously cancels IT!!! I won’t watch anything on FOX, but i certainly look forward to the DVDs.
I’ve never been a big fan of Eliza Dushku, but Fran Kranz is an amazing actor (went to school with him, and boy, did he do Shakespeare proud). In any event, it looks far more promising than Fringe…
I can’t wait!
If Fox is dumb enough to cancel this show can we still get downloads and the DVDs?
This is THE must watch of next season for me. I’d probably watch anything by Joss, but I’d be interested in this regardless. I loved Eliza on Buffy and Angel…I think she’s very talented though I think considering Dollhouse’s concept, she’ll really have to push herself. As great as she was, she never struck me as an actor with a natural facility for things like accents, something I think would HAVE to play into this show for me to buy it. Anyway, I have really high hopes for it. And Helo! That’s just the cherry on top of a really awesome sundae. =)
On another note, I’m loving the fact that this show is getting buzz this early, but so much of it is “I hope it doesn’t get cancelled.” It think this creates an aura that the show is iin trouble, and many people might be afraid to watch for that reason. So be positive people