I Am A TV Junkie

Maybe Dollhouse is a Show That is Made Just for Us, But That Business Model Won't Hold Up

I'm posting the full episode from Hulu after the jump so that you can see it, because apparently a lot of you have something better to do at 9 Fridays besides watching the show.

(What did I say about happy hour going a bit too long for some of you on Fridays? You should check into that. TV might be addictive, but it won't destroy your liver.)

The Us in the headline means the fans of the show. The problem with Dollhouse is that it shoots in Los Angeles, has some big salaries to pay (Joss, Eliza, etc.) and looks remarkable on screen  ... but the numbers just don't support the production.

TV By The Numbers posted yesterday and extrapolated the DVR viewing of the show over 7 days past the premiere date based on season one averages and notes:

Kevin Reilly is often cited about the time he talked about how much he liked  the average numbers for Dollhouse’s first season, especially when it came to DVR increases.  The problem is, that average was arrived at with a 2.0 adults L+SD 18-49 rating in the premiere that ended with a 1.0 L+SD adults 18-49 rating in the finale.

Friday night’s numbers are not very different than the numbers for the season one finale.  However, the season one finale was well below the season average for the show even though it was included in the average.  While not much different than the season one finale, Friday night was ~31% worse than the first season’s average, even when projecting the DVR numbers in. And the 18-49 numbers are down 50% from the season one premiere (or the season one premier did 100% better in 18-49 ratings, depending on how you want to look at it).

If you need explainers for such, click over to their site, link above, and learn about TV metrics from my go-to guys for ratings info.

More, including the episode (thanks, Hulu) after the jump.

Video -- When Did I Know it Wasn't the Dollhouse Designer and It Was Alpha

When was it? It was the moment you see "Stephen Kepler" in the green (I think green, I'm colorblind) t-shirt, the Doll uniform.

Because an eco-friendly designer who buils the self-contained environmental systems like the Dollhouse, who lives with massive marijuana plants and eats take out Thai food wouldn't have Alan Tudyk's body.

He would have man breasts and he certainly wouldn't have that vein running up his bicep (see photo above).

Though I certainly appreciate that vein. Nice work, Alan.

So he's Alpha! Not Matt Keeslar. I really thought it might be him, that the reason we never saw any cast member but activated Doll Echo see Keeslar close up in his episode was because he was Alpha and he'd come back later in the season.

I was wrong.

Because I let the show unfold on its own terms (welcome Entertainment Weekly Ausiello blog readers) and I don't scour the 'net for ways to ruin my viewing experience I didn't even know that Tudyk was in the episode until the opening credits. 

Conjecture based on story analysis, btw, is different than spoilers. Spoilers happen because someone has, if you will, actionable intelligence from an inside source. Right, Michael?

You'll notice I also didn't post this season recap clip that claimed spoilers inside it from Fox two days ago, but I did save it for today and it's after the jump for those of you on my homepage.

(If you enjoy letting the shows unfold ont heir own terms as well, please bookmark this site and come back, often. Every day, maybe. Or multiple times. Or, just leave your computer on with it on screen, that would be great!)

I'll have more on Tudyk on Monday night, but not so much that I let the conference call from Fox Monday ruin the season finale for me.

Please don't let this be the series finale. I would like to see this play out, if not on Fox maybe there's a Dr. Horrible-type distribution stream that could be developed for the show.

Can we get some thinking outside the box on this one, please?

Video -- Dollhouse Breakout Episode, Watch Two Patton Oswalt Clips

"Eat it, F Bitch I."

I would have paid Fox to say that on TV. No, I don't have anything against the Bureau, it's just the a great line.

Check out Patton Oswalt after the jump in his two great scenes with Tahmoh Penikett from the episode that I guess we can all agree changed the tone on this show. Almost made me forget the bad news suicide-by-fan-abuse pop star from the second ep. Almost.

Lots happening in this one, in fact massive amounts of exposition. Can we all agree that either Dr. Claire or smarmy Topher's lab assistant (whose name I can't come up with) that changed the personality implanted in Echo to allow her to warn Paul? Because I don't think Boyd would have those skills and no one else has motivation.

I find it interesting that they also chose this week to show us that not all the handlers have the best interests of their actives in mind. The story enforces the notion that Boyd, Echo's handler, is one of the good guys, he has his policing skills to fall back on and I imagine that he will eventually have a crisis of confidence that will lead him to FBI Paul.

And, in a nice piece of scripting, we find out that our favorite Italian food wielding single girl across the hall , Mellie, is a sleeper active when she's killing Sierra's handler. I don't think I've ever seen Kevin Kilner on TV as a bad guy, let alone getting killed.

Sleeper active? Are there other technologies we don't know? That threw me, but what didn't throw me was Mellie's having a connection to the Dollhouse. I had a hunch about her right at the beginning of the episode, then when I saw there was surveillance in her apartment I thought I was dreadfully wrong but then it all played out.

(I did have one point of contention ... last week they all marveled over the fact that Echo was wiped by cell phone. This week DeWitt herself is activating sleeper agents with talk about the number and color of flowers. What the frak is up with that?)

(And, about this Sierra-Victor storyline ... this handler stuff with Sierra still doesn't explain why Victor is getting erections in the show and on a personal note I don't get why no one on the show wants to bother to watch those hours and hours or security video from the shower. I'll do it. You know, just to help out.)

Anyhow, the last few moments (you can catch those moments after either of the clips I've posted from Hulu, they'll give you the option of watching the whole ep again) sets up the big umbrella arc for the next seven episodes, and well see where it goes.

This was much better than any of the others. If it's a network issue, I think Fox just got its answer about working with Joss and this story.

Just let him do what he wants.

Oh, another great line Patton gets to spew? "They'll throw the Kindle at you."

Hey, Jeff Bezos, do I get a Kindle for mentioning this moment of unintended product placement?

Video -- If I Was the Gang at Fox Promoting Dollhouse ...

If I was, I would have bought up all the spot cable I could for tonight's Battlestar finale on SciFi and ran countless ads for the show.

And I would have shot a special promo with Joss and Eliza and Tahmoh.

Countless, meaning so many you can't count them. Because as Entertainment Weekly tells us today, tonight's ep is the one to watch.

Of course, I've watched them all so who's the fool? Actually a couple of them (the Matt Kesslar episode and the art heist ep) were fine, it's the others that were ... meh.

Ken Tucker at Entertainment Weekly:

Dollhouse apostates unite! It's time to rise from your pod-beds and become "actives" once again: be sure to watch or DVR tonight's episode, a Joss Whedon-penned doll-changer that finally sends the series spinning into hyperdrive. Plus, it features the great Patton Oswalt in a key role.

That's right, my Facebook friends continue to run the entertainment industry.

Wouldn't it be a rush if all your Facebook friends showed up for lunch one day? I would have to keep

Patton's website at this link, and in eight days on 3/28 he'll be live at Largo in LA, click over to his site for more info.

I've seen him live and it's worth it. Go.

Dollhouse needs eyes. Give them yours today! Watch some footage of the cast at NY Comic-Con after the jump.

Dollhouse -- Third Time Is Certainly Not the Charm

Given all the rigamerole over Dollhouse getting to its premiere; the first pilot, the second pilot, the public uproar from the Jossverse fan legions who started the Save Dollhouse campaign even before the show started, I thought after the first episode I would just give the show a little time to settle in before I came to any conclusions.

But after Friday I realized that was a mistake, because it should be getting more compelling and it's not. It's really not.

And this story of the pop singer with the death wish having the murder pas de deux with the crazed fan who made a rifle out of his fake crutches made me wanna jump through the TV and smack that pop singer into another show.

Any other show.

Oh, poor poor pop star with the pseudo-Rihanna looks (got kinda lucky there, huh?) and the pseudo-Britney issues. Boo hoo. At least she was self-aware enough to know what was going on, though it apparently came with a death wish that the actual pop tart hasn't cultivated.

I wanted this character to die. If you want the character that your heroine is charged with protecting to die, why are you watching? I mean, why was I watching? To get some of that juicy Tahmoh Penikett b-story/umbrella arc?

Should I care about agent (I have to look up his name, I've watched three episodes and I still have to look up his name, that's not right!!!) Paul Ballard (thank you Dollhouse website) when the only person who shows up at the hospital after he gets ambushed is the somewhat pitiful neighbor with her ever-present tray of lasagna?

And come on, singleton neighbor woman, does Paul Ballard (trying to use the name so it makes an impression) look like a lasagna kind of guy? No, you and I look like lasagna eaters, not Paul Ballard (even you'll know his name by the end of the episode). Send me the lasagna and get on with your life or your pitiful attempt to make him you BF is gonna get you killed.

I don't wanna see some poor single girl with a crush get killed because of it, sounds like something that would happen to me -- it's why I don't date anymore.

And now that we know that the foreign guy (Bosnian? Serbian? That country from Dynasty -- Moldavia?) is an "active," who else is? Is the security guy (Reed Diamond from Journeyman)? That bitch that runs the thing? Good guy Boyd?

And, am I the only one that's pretty sure, reasonably sure, sure about being sure that Matt Keeslar's character from the second episode is that Alpha active that keeps being referenced? Especially now that ABC Family has failed to pick up The Middleman for a second season?

Can I ask many more questions?

Okay, no more questions. I'll just say that I'm giving special dispensation to this show because; a) It's Joss, b) The network did some screwing with the show, and c) There's really nothing else suitable at that hour.

But get better fast, before they can your ass, Dollhouse. And get a better lead-in, Sarah Connor, for all her personal firepower, does not have your back.

If you haven't seen it, you can click over to Hulu right now (if you live in the US) and watch it right now and see for yourself. I would recommend watching episode two first, then one, then three.

Oh, and next week, Echo infiltrates a cult. Not a cult of Joss Whedon fans who play Firefly on an endless loop and chant to make Rupert Murdoch break a hip, but a cult still.

Video -- Outtakes From Tonight's Dushku/Glau Wraparounds on Fox

I love it when the hot chicks start goofin' on each other.

You people in the east have already seen Dollhouse. So, what did you think?

Comment below!

LINK

A Living Doll Named Echo Sends Her Valentine's Day Wishes, See Her Friday at 9

Get yours at this link.

Debuts Friday at 9, on Fox. IGN talked to Joss (because you like-a the Joss) and I have that clip after the jump.

2 Clips -- Dollhouse Countdown: Joss Talks About His Star, Eliza Dushku

Five More Days!!!

Today is Monday, show preems on Friday. At 9, on Fox.

He says:

Eliza is, apart from being, in my opinion, as great a star as I have ever known, she has a genuinely powerful electric and luminous quality that I’ve rarely seen. She’s also a really solid person. She’s a good friend. She’s a feminist. She’s an activist. She’s interested in the people around her. She has a lot of different things going on, and I’ve watched her over the years, as a friend, try to take control of her career, and try to get the roles that weren’t available to her, and protect the ethos and the message of what it was that she was doing, and I respect that enormously. Being part of that progression is, for me, one of the greatest benefits of this show.

Now, about the episode we will see this week ... which one was that again? Time's James Poniewozik isn't sure if what he saw was that episode, but he says:

It was both better and worse than I expected, in different ways. One of my concerns about it was that—given Joss Whedon's talent for making absorbing serials—the case-of-the-week nature of the show would make it harder to grow attached to. (I'm assuming that anyone who cares at this point knows the premise already, but in case I'm wrong: Eliza Dushku plays Echo, an "Active," which is a person who has agreed to let a secretive organization erase his or her original memories and personality and implant new ones in them for "assignments" involving rich clients.)

Yes, this is certainly Joss Whedon trying to do What People Think Works on Broadcast TV Today—the legendary serial-procedural hybrid. But the first episode—in which Echo is imprinted with a kidnapping-negotiator's personality to secure the return of a rich man's abducted daughter—is well enough written to be absorbing. Writing a crime hour doesn't seem like Whedon's thing, but the episode is tight, suspenseful, with intriguing psychological twists and flashes of Whedonesque humor.

That was back in December. What do I mean "back" in December? Well, things happen quickly in the Joss-verse, and I'm generally confused.

All this talk about "this is the pilot" and "no, that won't be, this will be" has just totally screwed me up on this. How about we just all watch this Friday at 9 and then we'll talk about it over the weekend?

And, all this week, more about Dollhouse.

After the jump, TVGuide.com clips with Eliza and Tahmoh Penikett. Note that the interviews are from July and the schedule that they refer to is completely different now. 

Like I said, there has been a lot of reworks on stuff, and based on the Firefly experience that Joss had with Fox and the fan uproar back then, I understand why people are tentative, but I've just decided to tune in on Friday and see for myself and I think you should, too.

And come back all week for more Dollhouse preview stuff.

Video -- Fox's Hot Hot Chicks With Bikes and Guns -- So, They're Soulless

Each and every Friday night starting February 13th. No date for Valentine's, geeky guy? These robots will take care of that (if you DVR the show and watch it the next night, no hot robot chicks will come to your home, your mileage may vary).

Quentin Tarantino would be proud.

Or he'll sue.

LINK

Fringe's Anna Torv on Her Way to New York Comic-Con, Details Here!

The Fringe star and just about everyone but Joshua Jackson and Mark Valley  (don't know why) will be there next weekend.

I know, I would have been just a plane trip from meeting John Noble. Well, maybe Noble comes out to San Diego this Summer and meets me, huh? He is my favorite part of the show. I loved a couple weeks about when Walter was dosing something slimy with LSD. He would have been Best Science Teacher Ever!!!

I'm getting my info on the event from my pals at Fringebloggers.com, but you know that there will be stuff all over the web. Personally, I'm hoping that Fox will shoot the panel and throw the video up on Hulu so I can share it will all of you.

But if that doesn't happen, I'll be scouring the YouTube and the Imeem and all the others to find suitable fanvids for you.

NY Daily News:

For actress Anna Torv, star of Fox's paranormal series "Fringe," the convention is a chance to hobnob with the viewers who made the show a cult hit.

"If it wasn't for the fans, we wouldn't have a show - the fans are everything," says Torv. "And you don't get many opportunities to get to meet the fans, so I am really excited for this."

In addition, Joss (You like-a the Joss, huh?) will be there with some footage from Dollhouse. And hopefully, with Eliza Dushku and Tahmoh Penikett. In fact, if Tahmoh was on my show, I would insist that he travelled with me everywhere.

I mean EVERYWHERE!

But Joss and I have different tastes in these things.

Dollhouse premieres on the 13th at 9 on Fox.

Fringe BTS clip about last week's The No Brainer after the jump. New episode Tuesday at 9.

More Dollhouse Video -- "Enter the Jossverse" Again and Learn to Scream!

"You like-a the Joss, huh? I'll give you more Joss." Evidently, Tahmoh and Eliza like-a the Joss!

If you don't know to what I am referring above, click here. Just read the first couple graphs, the rest of it is about Roger Clemens doing growth hormone.

And, btw, IO9.com has a calendar of all the big February scifi events, and it's at this link. It does not include mention of the Gallifrey One (Doctor Who) convention starting the 13th, but I'll be there geeking out and if you see me come say hello.

Dollhouse premieres on that same day, at 9 after Terminator: TSCC. Fox.

Clip's after the jump, because it's loading slowly.

New Fox Video -- Joss Whedon Mistakes Himself for Eliza Dushku and Visa Versa

There are fanboys all over the world reading that headline and saying, "Joss, just look in the mirror, you are not a hot chick."

I think he knows that.

By the way, she's more than a hot chick. She has acting chops and "chopping chops" (I mean, she fights well on screen).

"Simply the most fabulous television in the history of radio," he says, but you gotta wait until January.

Other things you have to wait until January for?

1. Obama's Inauguration
2. CES
3. Addie's 50th birthday
4. Utah Gay Ski Week (I won't be there, I have had my lifetime fill of snow)
5. The next season of 24
6. San Francisco's Zinfindel Festival (Won't be there either, it's just pink wine)

Clip after the jump.

Joss' Dollhouse Trailer: "This is Cutting Edge Science In a House Full of Hot Chicks!"

And there's already a fansite. The link to that site is right here (and thanks for the pic).

And the trailer is after the jump. Sorry, trying to keep the homepage relatively clear of embeds, it slows the download.

Another clip, from the website Seat 42F, is at this link.

Yes, that is Tahmoh Penikett from BSG (above, far left). How cool is that?

UPDATE: Fox has two clips at YouTube and after the jump I have them for you in a custom player, because I care like no other blogger about your seeing them.

Just a menschy thing to do, especially since the previous trailer I had broke down practically the moment I posted it.

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.

Buffy Reunion Video From Paley Center Event, Whedon Talks About More

More? Yes, more. But before you get all prickly with excitement, think about all the schedules that would have to be arranged just so, just so they could all be available.

If you think that's easy, check out the IMDB pages of all your components, including Sarah, Seth, Alyson, etc. in front, and then Joss and the writers and directors and all the rest behind the camera. We're talking a major undertaking.

There would also need to be a media company willing to go back to the well. I'm guessing the first right of refusal goes to Twentieth TV, and although Joss is working on a series for them and the Fox network right now with another alum, Eliza Dushku (love her last name) it guarantees nothing.

So, don't get your metaphoric panties in a bunch about this. Yet.

I'll stay on this.

Speaking of SMG, I'm going out and buying Southland Tales is week on DVD. I loved Donnie Darko (though it freaked me out, maybe I loved it because it freaked me out) and on film is the only way I wanna see a post-apocalyptic Southern California.

Clip after the jump is from the Hollywood Reporter homepage.

Whedon, Dushku Dollhouse Gets 7 Ep Commitment from Fox

It sounds awfully creepy (Hollywood Reporter):

The drama, whose license fee is said to be in the $1.5 million-$2 million-per-episode range, stars Dushku as Echo, a member of a group of men and women who are imprinted with different personalities for different assignments. In between tasks they are mind-wiped, living like children in Dollhouse, a futuristic dorm/lab. They have no memories of their previous lives, until Echo begins to try to find out who she was.

Creepy, right? And yeah, some of it sounds like it could be a parallel season of Heroes with the Haitian taking more of a leading role, but I'm sure that they'll make every attempt to differentiate themselves from a show that's not getting the best press right now.

I've always enjoyed Eliza Dushku (and her name, Dushku, I like saying it) and I know that the fans will come out for a Whedon series. They've got seven episodes to prove themselves in a very tenuous environment, especially for a big ticket show.

I'd love to see the budget for the pilot. I'm sure they'll spend some big money.

I wouldn't worry about Fox's checkbook; as much as they lose money on a lot of their products (MyNetworkTV anyone?), that singing show they start airing in January can pay for a lot of experimentation.