Commented by hugh_auld
Posted on 2009-08-16 13:59:49

yeah, but the whole reshooting the pilot episode and dinking around with the next few episodes after that.... yeah had nothing to do with executives dinking around and not understanding the show. atleast with firefly, joss got to shoot what he envisioned... whereas with Dollhouse didnt get back to itself until episode 6. I recommend watching the unaired pilot and the unaired 13th episode back to back. it is like a movie event.

Commented by MikeO
Posted on 2009-08-16 14:03:22

This analysis seems very flawed to me. Comparing a 12-episode partial first season of Dollhouse to Season 4 of an established hit like Battlestar Galactica is ludicrous. Of course BSG wasn't hyped like Dollhouse, they already had their audience! Then dismissing the network tinkering with the first half of the season leaves me baffled too. That was a huge thing that the show is still trying to overcome and winning back viewers turned off by the first episodes is not easy. And you don't know the DVR & online numbers, even dismissing them as irrelevant, yet Fox indicated those numbers were a huge reason for a season 2 order. You may be right that it won't be picked up in the end, but if so it won't be based on the scattered "analysis" you've presented here.

Commented by Mace Moneta
Posted on 2009-08-16 14:07:11

Dollhouse is mediocre by Whedonverse standards. Episode 6 of the first season is the only one that is recognizable as a Whedon show. The prior and later episodes were uninteresting. Keep in mind that the first season of Buffy was the same. If Dollhouse creates a deep mythology with characters that emotionally connect with the audience (as Mellie/November,Miracle Laurie, did in episode 6), then the series will have more value. The first season then becomes a prequel to the rest of the series. It's why I still watch the first season of Buffy, even though there isn't much there. I can pick out the small bits of character development as background on what will become a great viewing experience. As a standalone product, the DVD of the first season of Dollhouse is not attractive. If season two becomes great, the demand for season one will increase. That should be obvious, even to Fox.

Commented by Kit
Posted on 2009-08-16 14:36:34

I am completely confused by the author's implication that BSG 4.5 received no buzz prior to its release - how is four and a half seasons of a successful show no buzz? That's like comparing the sales of Buffy's later seasons or Angel's later seasons, with the first season of firefly...

Commented by malness
Posted on 2009-08-16 14:37:28

Also, when Firefly came out there wasn't iTunes and Hulu. I, for one, own all the episodes via iTunes including the "lost" Epitaph One. TVbytheNumbers predicted Dollhouse's demise by ratings... now its death by DVD sales. Seems to me they are trying whatever they can "to be right" about Dollhouse and have it gone... rather than look at the big picture. A lot of people can get their TV fix in a lot of different ways.

Commented by bpe-dsm
Posted on 2009-08-16 20:53:48

With all due respect, it may be an apples to oranges to compare Dollhouse, fresh out of the gate with many still unaware of its creator or its existence, to an established and sci-fi (syfy if I must) network flagship title like Battlestar. I think the show just needs more push as to whose involved with it and what the conceit is, but I think it's doing well.

Commented by radar
Posted on 2009-08-17 01:39:30

True that Whedon did say he liked the direction of the second half of the season, but that's because the show returned to the foundations of the original pilot. The second half of the season is phenomenal and bears little resemblance to the first shaky episodes.

Commented by Jon
Posted on 2009-08-17 02:23:40

I truly hope this isn't the case. Dollhouse deserves at least a (good) 4 season treatment so that the mythology and characters can fully blossom; the 'lost' episode--Epitath 1--is currently #1 on ITunes and it's juicy revelations may serve to bring more eyeballs to season 2 through word of mouth. Let DVD sales be damned just this once, I say.

Commented by Robin
Posted on 2009-08-17 08:28:31

The thing to remember about <i>Firefly</i> is that its success on DVD was an extremely slow burn motivated by a slowly growing group of hardcore fans. It was viral. Because FOX has treated <i>Dollhouse</i> with a good deal more respect, the Whedon fanbase hasn't been nearly so incensed or desperate to get the word out. But I still imagine that the audience for the new series will grow in a similarly gradual way, given its timeslot and controversial subject matter.

Commented by Adam
Posted on 2009-08-17 14:07:03

Have to disagree with you about the amount of market push Fox gave Dollhouse - it was minimal.