Fox Sci-Fi Pickups: Whedon & Abrams Yes, Ron Moore Held Till 2009

It looks like they will be the place for the scifi debuts in the Fall, though the Ronald D. Moore (BSG) penned Virtuality will be held for next season.

That's fine with me, as he his a lot on his plate with the Caprica prequel for SciFi (which is already being cast with, among others, Esai Morales as Joe Adama and Eric Stoltz (most notable in my head for being the male version of Molly Ringwald -- down to the hair color -- in Some Kind of Wonderful).

THR.com:

The Abrams thriller "Fringe," about a trio who explore paranormal mysteries, will have a two-hour premiere on Tuesday, Aug. 26. The show will then settle into its regular time period at 9 p.m. after "House." "We have high expectations for this," Reilly said. "We'll have huge campaign for it."

About the show from Variety:

"Fringe" mixes elements of "The X-Files" and Paddy Chayefsky's "Altered States" with what Abrams calls "a slight 'Twilight Zone' vibe." It will focus on brilliant but possibly crazy research scientist Walter Bishop, his estranged son and a female FBI agent who brings them together.

Episodes will explore self-contained mysteries of the paranormal, as well as the relationships between the three leads.

"So much of the story is relatable people in extraordinary situations," Abrams said. "The show is definitely a nod to 'Altered States' and 'Scanners' and that whole Michael Crichton/Robin Cook world of medicine and science."

Details on Whedon's Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku (love that name) after the jump.

Dollhouse (now actually coming soon, but not too soon) is placed on the sked as the lead-in to 24 in January. From the LA Times:

Describing their initial meetings with Whedon, Fox President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly and Gary Newman, chairman of 20th Century Fox Television, used terms not often heard from powerful executives regarding pitches.

"He had me at 'hello,' " Reilly said, admitting that the first time Whedon visited the network, "I was kinda drunk with the surprise of it all. He laid out the whole concept, but I think it was one of those things where I heard every other word of it."

"I don't quite know what to liken it to," Newman said. "He pitches as if he's thinking of it for the first time. There's an extemporaneous nature to it, which keeps you kind of riveted. You have to listen really carefully because the wicked and clever asides are nonstop."

A Q & A with Joss follows. Click over.