We’ve seen the promos. We’re read the reviews. We don’t need convincing that Eliza Dushku is gorgeous and talented enough to headline her own show. So why does the outlook for Dollhouse, the latest mythology from Joss Whedon (debuts this Friday), seem marginal at best? It’s the timeslot, stupid: Fox typically averages an anemic 5.5 million viewers on Friday, and given Whedon’s niche appeal, Dollhouse may only generate an audience half that size. Plus, there are fears that a dense drama based around a protagonist who appears to have no free will could self-destruct by the third week. I mean, where do you go with a kooky conceit like that?
Then again, let’s not forget the upside: Since expectations are soooo low for Fridays (heck, look at the staying power of Ghost Whisperer!), Fox may be patient with Dollhouse and give Whedon plenty of time to work out the kinks. After all, the even-denser Fringe had its fair share of naysayers last fall (many of whom work in our own offices), but Fox rolled with the punches, and now the series from the brilliant minds of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman has blossomed into one helluva thrill ride (and damn ,that Joshua Jackson is truly sublime).
So will you join the millions (thousands?) of Whedon-ites this Friday at 9 p.m. ET (8 central!) to watch Dushku (pictured) kick some ass? Are the promos a turn on — or off?
Check out this clip from the upcoming series:
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I love whedon and Dushku I think will be pretty good, but in a strange way I hope this show fails, if only so Whedon will finally move to cable or HBO where his shows can have a full life.
DVR is already set
I will absolutely watch I love Whedon’s work Buffy was the best
Yes…I will.
Ditto – I have been patiently waiting for this to premiere. . .cannot wait!
If Fox bollocks this up, it’ll hurt them in the long run.
Elza has already headlined her own show, “Tru Calling”. She has the chops, but this seems more of an ensemble show. We’ll see.
Considering the turn out for this show at Dragon*con, I think it will be just fine ratings-wise for awhile. If it is a good show, then they will come. Just hope Fox doesn’t screw up the online portion of this show, because whether or not they realize it, that will be a big place people will watch it.
Fool me once, Fox…I’m still POed that Tru Calling was cancelled, so I will NOT be watching this.
No doubt in my mind. But lets not forget that it goes up against Friday Night Lights. Lets hope for more DVR action.
This is only slightly related. But I recently bought Blossom on DVD and was surprised to see the entire 1st season was AN ENTIRE SEASON!! Not six or 8 episodes!! Why did we stop giving things a chance? I hope this show is good and it gets the shot it deserves. Producers now have ONE SHOT to create the greatest show on the planet or it gets pulled. Its totally stupid.
I will give it a go…. can’t wait
The so-so reviews have left me with low expectations, but I’ll certainly tune in for at least a few episodes.
I’m in. I’ve been waiting good long while. Plus Terminator is back on too. I secretly hope my friends don’t make plans that night (or at least not until til after 9) so I can stay home and watch it live.
You had me at Eliza
I’ll definitely watch – the early reviews have been a little iffy, but to be honest I wasn’t a big fan of the first season of Buffy, so I’m willing to give this show time to develop (and having it on Friday night=low expectations for an audience and presumably less willingness to cancel a show that isn’t raking in viewers)
Big fan of Joss’s. But saw the pilot for this and …. eh. We’ll see
I’ll watch just about anything from Joss Whedon. But Eliza Dushku has always seemed kinda vacant and one-dimensional to me… not very promising when she’s supposed to play a different role each episode.
Thank jeebus for Battlestar hunk Tahmoh Penikett.
I’ll probably DVR it but never watch it. If they air more than 4 episodes I’ll be shocked.
I’ll try any show created by Joss Whedon. He has consistently delighted me with his vision of the world and his sense of humor, so he’s earned my trust. I won’t keep watching the show if I don’t like it, but I’ll definitely give it a fair shot because of Joss and the cast he’s assembled. Can’t wait for Friday!
Totally watching. I’ve been anticipating ever since it was announced. Joss so far hasn’t let me down.
very excited about the show!
I WILL WATCH IT AND TERMINATOR..I WISH THEM BOTH WELL!!!
Being that I am a 35 year old mom whose husband is gone most weekends flying, I will most definitely watch it.
Seeing as how I am a 24 year old male with a horrible job that keeps me from having much of a social life… I will definitely be at home on Friday night and look forward to some Dushku.
I definitely plan to watch! I might even watch Sarah Connor even though I haven’t before. I discovered Firefly after the fact and felt guilty for not watching when it was on. I’ll watch this to make up for it. Plus, I think it looks good.
i will happily set a pass on my dvr for it as i am not usually home on fridays, but in my opinion joss can do no wrong and i also loved tru calling. in my dream world joss would do a show with j.j. abrams.
I’m not a Joss fan, never seen Buffy or Angel…but I liked Eliza in “Tru Calling”, and I’m a Tahmoh Penikett fan from BSG, so I’ll be tuning in. Besides, being a fan of Terminator:TSCC I’ll already be watching that show!
I hope FOX gives both shows a chance to establish themselves on Friday!
Oh, and I think the promos are good otherwise I would have forgotten it was starting this week.
If Joss writes it, I’ll give it a try. I’m not super excited by what I’ve seen – but there’s always so much more than the surface in a Whedon show. I’ll stick with it for at least a season out of respect for the creator.
I have to disagree–Eliza Dushku has not done anything to prove that she’s talented enough of an actor to lead a series. Unless the only requirement is that she’s hot and that she brainstormed the show with Whedon. There are plenty of exceptional women actors out there who would’ve been better suited for the lead. Anyway, Whedon’s always worth a show but I’ve lost a lot of confidence in this show after all the production issues and after seeing clips of the pilot.
I love Joss Whedon and I really liked Eliza Dushku when she was on Buffy. The concept for this one leaves me cold. I’ll give it a few episodes to hit its stride, but I’m not optimistic it will work for me or last long, even if I do like it.