Dollhouse Canceled

[KSiteTV]

The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ibd4c93af8a3194fa7c8dd409d00e6902) is reporting that Dollhouse has been canceled.

It's expected to finish out its 13-episode order, and the remaining episodes will begin airing Dec. 4 as previously planned.

Thoughts?

[Dominicus]

Sad it's on Fox though it was expected

[darkphoenix21]

Seriously, FOX has a problem keeping their SYFY series for more than two seasons. They did it with Firefly, T:SCC, Tru Calling, Dark Angel and now Dollhouse. Do they hate these types of shows, so they make sure that once they start falling a little bit in ratings they immidately cancel them. ..I hate to see this happen to Fringe..cause if they start to fall in ratings they're done for.

[Who]

:(

[347Studboy]

I'm pretty sure that if I were Joss Whedon I would never collaborate with Fox again.

Ugh. I've never watched Dollhouse but I can understand how much this sucks. :\

[clois-destiny-forever]

This sucks, although it was on Fox, which means its cancellation isn't completely surprising. Ugh. No fair. :(

[nic25]

Seriously, FOX has a problem keeping their SYFY series for more than two seasons. They did it with Firefly, T:SCC, Tru Calling, Dark Angel and now Dollhouse. Do they hate these types of shows, so they make sure that once they start falling a little bit in ratings they immidately cancel them. ..I hate to see this happen to Fringe..cause if they start to fall in ratings they're done for.

I agree Angel,but if they cancel Fringe,mani will be so upset.Dollhouse though,im not surprised.Still sucks though.

[KSiteTV]

Natalie Abrams at TV Guide says that the plan is still on for episodes to start airing December 4. The series finale is scheduled for January 22.

[dreammaster]

no I just hope the series doesn't end on a cliffhanger like Las Vagas did

[kirmacat]

:(

[Clois4eva89]

I can honestly say i'm not shocked by this first Terminator and now Dollhouse.Fox is great at news but they suck at keeping programs on the air. This is why I didn't bother to keep watching the show,because I figured this would happen. Kinda makes you wonder if CW will be the only network around to do shows.It seems like NBC and Fox are always killing off their programs every year.

[ReevesSuperman]

Not a giant surprise. I also wouldn't hold out hope for Fringe since it keeps losing viewers left and right. It may come back next season, but I don't see it lasting past that. Besides, I have already seen X-Files.
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[Welling_is_pretty]

Yeah, when I saw this news I was not surprised. Disappointed but not surprised.

Still, as someone pointed out to me, there is a silver lining. This frees Joss up to work on Dr. Horrible's sequel! ;)

[A Flawed Fashion]

I don't think anyone is all that surprised by this. I would have liked to see it go on longer, but with those ratings, there is no way Fox would keep it around much longer.

Its been pretty uneven with episodes ranging from average to amazing, but over all I enjoyed the show and am sad to see it go. I can't say I didn't see it coming though.

[InactiveUserID]

I blame myself.

[kernel_thai]

I blame myself.

LOL

[kernel_thai]

First, as a big T:SCC fan, were currently cleaning out a spot in the morgue for u guys and the first round is on me.

Obviously the writing was on the wall. Why would FOX give it a second season only to leave it in the abysmal Friday night death slot? Why end season one with several strong, edgy eps only to go back to the same ole crap to start season two? Why bury Epitaph One? Why not try shaking up the cast? (if any show ever cried out for a strong male lead it was Dollhouse)

Mostly the big question is where was Joss? If his name wasnt plastered above the title ud never recognize it as his show. Where was the humor? JW shows r generally quite funny. It just never felt like he was comfortable with his own premise. Sure the Alan Tudyk eps were great and Epitaph One was a super idea but week in and week out the show seemed to be fighting to justify the concept. The show also struggled to justify it's choice of leads. Tahmoh Penikett's character seemed tailored to the same one note style he used on BSG. Hard to say if he has any range when all get gets to play is the brooding tough guy. Eliza Drusku did get a chance to show some range. In fact the show was seemingly designed as a showcase. While reviews on her range as an actress r mixed she certainly never made anyone forget Faith.

RIP Dollhouse

[fresley4ever]

I completely expected it but I blame fox for not giving it a chance. I was angry when they stopped airing it suddenly. That is exactly why they don't have the ratings.

[Hopefulsuicide]

I'm feeling a whole range of emotions about the cancellation, which is why it's taken me a while to come onto this thread.

1. Grief - it took me a while to really connect with the characters. I admit, some of them I still feel a little distant from (mainly Paul and Echo)... but after the last few episodes, and having had a season 1 athon, I had really started to form that connection. To Topher especially, and for the Victor/Sierra ship which is fast becoming my favourite of all ships ever.

and now it's over... all the things I was beginning to hope for, hope to see, hope to gradually get to in a third season are gone... there is simply no chance of some of the things i wanted every coming about now :(

2. Anger - Obviously angry at Fox for even accepting another Joss show just to toy around with it and dump it... it's like they took my favourite thing just because they could, and then when they got bored with it they discarded it without a thought to me whatsoever. But I'm also angry at Joss. Why Fox? Why would you even think about going back to them? Money? I mean is that it?

How about the importance of actually getting to tell your story, to build up fans, to really get a message across :(

3. Reluctance - as I now feel like watching the next few episodes is just going to make it hurt so much more... because I know what Joss is like, and he will go out with brillance :(

Anyway, the next time Joss decides to do something for television i hope he steers clear of Fox. Or I hope they steer clear of him.

[kernel_thai]

2. Anger - Obviously angry at Fox for even accepting another Joss show just to toy around with it and dump it... it's like they took my favourite thing just because they could, and then when they got bored with it they discarded it without a thought to me whatsoever. But I'm also angry at Joss. Why Fox? Why would you even think about going back to them? Money? I mean is that it?

How about the importance of actually getting to tell your story, to build up fans, to really get a message across :(



Eliza Drusku who is not only the star but has a production credit has an exclusive deal with FOX. Only way she goes somewhere else is if FOX rejects the idea.

As I have mentioned before, this never felt like Joss's show. Maybe it was more about helping his friend Eliza and less about Dollhouse

----- Added 5 Minutes later -----

If something good has come of this, here it is. Joss now has a get out of jail free card. FOX can only cancel him once so he can pretty much go for anything he wants. I dont know how many eps r left to be filmed but I hope he throws everything into it in the way he did for Epitaph One. And if Epitaph One pertains to the shows conclusion, FOX should air it as part of the double header Fridays. Here's ur chance to wow us, Joss. The knife is no longer hanging over ur head. Ur dying so make ur last words poetry.

[KoopaBowserSSBM]

Fox gives shows too short of a leash.

[Xanderman]

Bye Dollhouse. Can't say I'll really miss you since you were never really that great to begin with.

It's a shame TSCC wasn't given a firm cancellation notice well beforehand so that they could have at least tried to close out the series instead of leaving things on a cliffhanger. But perhaps too soon a notice might have been seen as potentially damaging to the movie's success, so they (the network in conjunction with the studio) waited until the last possible moment, and screwed everyone involved with the show in the process, including its fans.


Joss...Ur dying so make ur last words poetry.Lol.

[Welling_is_pretty]

First, as a big T:SCC fan, were currently cleaning out a spot in the morgue for u guys and the first round is on me.
Yeah, I figure very soon this is going to the morgue section. *sighs*


Where was the humor?
This was a big sticking point for my sister, also a Dollhouse fan. She (and I both) get that this show is meant to be 'darker' but even Angel was funnier than this! I mean, Topher tries (and some of Victor's stuff--a la Victor as Kiki--was hilarious but still--!).

[bonoferox]

I really hate Fox....

[Hopefulsuicide]

Ur dying so make ur last words poetry.

I hardly think Joss is dying... it's not like this is the end of his career... it's just the end of one of the many genius stories he is capable of bringing us :)

----- Added 54 Seconds later -----


Bye Dollhouse. Can't say I'll really miss you since you were never really that great to begin with.
.

And yet you watched and commented on every episode...

Can't have been getting it that wrong :lol:

----- Added 4 Minutes later -----


Yeah, I figure very soon this is going to the morgue section. *sighs*


I'm not certain, but I think it'll stay in the World of Joss Whedon section, which was there before Dollhouse even started.




This was a big sticking point for my sister, also a Dollhouse fan. She (and I both) get that this show is meant to be 'darker' but even Angel was funnier than this! I mean, Topher tries (and some of Victor's stuff--a la Victor as Kiki--was hilarious but still--!).

I never really understood a lack of humour as a Whedon criticism... why is it that just because he has done humourous shows befoe and is very good at it, that a Whedon show immediately has to be funny. Why can't it just be what it is? A very clever, questioning, insightful, daring television show that is not only a commentary of modern social views of women and sex, but of the consequences that way of thinking could lead too...

----- Added 5 Minutes later -----


I really hate Fox....

Me too :(

[hansioux]

I really hate Fox....


Me too :(

me three... but they have glee, so i have to bow to their evilness...... i swear, if they cancel glee, that's freaking it.

[Welling_is_pretty]

I never really understood a lack of humour as a Whedon criticism... why is it that just because he has done humourous shows befoe and is very good at it, that a Whedon show immediately has to be funny. Why can't it just be what it is? A very clever, questioning, insightful, daring television show that is not only a commentary of modern social views of women and sex, but of the consequences that way of thinking could lead too...
Well, I think back to pretty much everything that Joss has done (that I have seen, anyway)--Buffy, Angel, Dr. Horrible, Dollhouse and his comics and there seems to be a strong currant of humor running through all of them--even if it can get pretty dark sometimes. And while the show was (and is) all you say I guess a lot of fans just find it odd that Joss's solmewhat trademark humor seems to be missing from this show.

[kernel_thai]

In defense of FOX

yep FOX canceled another sci-fi show. FOX deserves some blame. They also deserve some credit. FOX takes chances on shows like Dollhouse and Firefly. FOX not only took a chance on T:SCC but paid a fee to do it as it was produced at WB. Maybe T:SCC never gets on if FOX doesnt take the chance. Ud think CW could have had it if they wanted it.

FOX is known to be quick with the ax. They expect a certain ratings number and if they dont get it they cancel. Dollhouse had lousy ratings. Off with its head.

FOX does deserve some of the blame. I dont think they ever believed in the show. It started on Friday night and ended on Friday night. Wouldnt u think they would have tried to move it to a different night and see if ratings improved? They meddled with the format. FOX likes stand alone eps while the show wanted to do arcs. FOX didnt like the original pilot and it had to be redone. Why did the they approve the show if they didnt like the pilot?

Dollhouse is gone because it didnt attract and keep enough viewers. Just that simple. FOX didnt kill Dollhouse they just shoveled the dirt on the box.

[hansioux]

In defense of FOX

Dollhouse is gone because it didnt attract and keep enough viewers. Just that simple. FOX didnt kill Dollhouse they just shoveled the dirt on the box.

sometimes it a show doesn't get a certain rating means the channel should readjust it's estimates for a certain time slot.

By the way, Season two with horrible number has nothing to do with the shows or the writing. It only had 2.5 mil for the frakking season 2 pilot when there used to be 4 mil+ watching the show. Unless people were psychic and knew that pilot would suck, otherwise the real reason for the poor season 2 ratings is because there is no TSCC lead in.

There, I said it. Many would agree "A Spy in the House of Love" was the best dollhouse episode before season 2 episode 4. In that episode November delivered a message to Paul and Sierra goes undercover at NSA.

For such an exciting episode, you'd think rating would go up after that, but unfortunately the ratings went down from 3.5 mil to 3 - mil since that episode. Because "A Spy in the House of Love" aired the same day as TSCC finale.

I'd like to see what FOX can put in those 2 hours to make up for the 8 mil of viewers on friday night. maybe something that no one would bother to DVR so the live ratings would look good.

[kernel_thai]

This all goes right back to what Ive been saying...FOX never believed in this show. Who in their right mind would have placed that show on Friday night? Even T:SCC didnt start on Friday, it just got dumped there. I realize some show has to be on Friday but wouldnt u want to program for an older, stay at home crowd that night? Then, after it was plain half its audience had to DVR the show, why not try it on another night? They picked it up with big speeches about believing in JW and his fan base. If it wasnt so expensive to put a show on ud almost think FOX was rubbing Whedon's nose in it over all the grief theyve taken for Firefly.

[Ressurrector]

I feel for the fans of dollhouse then. After SCC was canned I havent even watched dollhouse again. But hate to see Fox can another budding scifi show. Thats F'ed up

[Hopefulsuicide]

Well, I think back to pretty much everything that Joss has done (that I have seen, anyway)--Buffy, Angel, Dr. Horrible, Dollhouse and his comics and there seems to be a strong currant of humor running through all of them--even if it can get pretty dark sometimes. And while the show was (and is) all you say I guess a lot of fans just find it odd that Joss's solmewhat trademark humor seems to be missing from this show.

It was there. It was there in Topher and to some extent in Adelle, it was there in certain funny episodes, in Victor occasionally. It's not like the show had absolutely no humour. It's just not the kind of show that suited too much.

IMO any more humour than was present would have made the show feel wrong somehow... seriously, find bits that you thought should be more 'funny'.




Dollhouse is gone because it didnt attract and keep enough viewers. Just that simple. FOX didnt kill Dollhouse they just shoveled the dirt on the box.

Dollhouse is gone because it didn't attract enough viewers BY FOX STANDARDS. It was attracting more viewers than Smallville and Supernatural, but wasn't good enough for FOX.

So yes, it is Fox that I blame for Dollhouse's demise.



By the way, Season two with horrible number has nothing to do with the shows or the writing. It only had 2.5 mil for the frakking season 2 pilot when there used to be 4 mil+ watching the show. Unless people were psychic and knew that pilot would suck, otherwise the real reason for the poor season 2 ratings is because there is no TSCC lead in.

There, I said it. Many would agree "A Spy in the House of Love" was the best dollhouse episode before season 2 episode 4. In that episode November delivered a message to Paul and Sierra goes undercover at NSA.

For such an exciting episode, you'd think rating would go up after that, but unfortunately the ratings went down from 3.5 mil to 3 - mil since that episode. Because "A Spy in the House of Love" aired the same day as TSCC finale.

I'd like to see what FOX can put in those 2 hours to make up for the 8 mil of viewers on friday night. maybe something that no one would bother to DVR so the live ratings would look good.

While I do think TSCC cancellation did loose Dollhouse a number of viewers, I think the reason for the Season 2 pilots bad numbers was a complete lack of marketing.

[kernel_thai]

Dollhouse is gone because it didn't attract enough viewers BY FOX STANDARDS. It was attracting more viewers than Smallville and Supernatural, but wasn't good enough for FOX.

So yes, it is Fox that I blame for Dollhouse's demise.

Its not fair to compare a show on CW to a show on FOX. CW has less affiliates and lower ratings standards. To be fair, Smallville would likely have been cancelled in its second season if it had been on FOX. Buffy had seven seasons split between WB and UPN. Its widely regarded as one of the best tv shows ever. It never drew the kind of rating that would have kept it on if it would have been on FOX. U need no further proof that Dollhouse doesnt produce viewers than the fact that repeats of Bones r getting better ratings than new eps of Dollhouse in the same time slot




While I do think TSCC cancellation did loose Dollhouse a number of viewers, I think the reason for the Season 2 pilots bad numbers was a complete lack of marketing.

Ud think after all the talk from the Whedon fan base they would have at least turned out to support the pilot. I think a large chunk of the Whedon fan base, of which Im a member, were more supportive of Whedon than the show. Take Whedon's name off the show and it prolly doesnt get on the air.

[jjgravitas]

Sorry to hear about the cancellation, but does that mean the show is dead? Buffy switched from WB to UPN for its last two seasons. Medium also jumped networks this season, switching from NBC to CBS. Perhaps Dollhouse can do the same and go to ABC or CBS. Here's hoping.

[A Flawed Fashion]

Sorry to hear about the cancellation, but does that mean the show is dead? Buffy switched from WB to UPN for its last two seasons. Medium also jumped networks this season, switching from NBC to CBS. Perhaps Dollhouse can do the same and go to ABC or CBS. Here's hoping.

I don't really see this one making a jump. The ratings are pretty awful. UPN bought Buffy off of the WB because they wanted it. Medium had decent ratings even though it was cancelled and it fit well with CBS's lineup. As much as I would like to see Dollhouse continue, it doesn't have anything going for it that would get it picked up by another network.

[krpto]

yeah I don't think it really has much of a chance switching networks I'm pretty sure the only network that would even consider it would be the cw and even they wouldn't pick it up because dawn o wouldn't think it has enough drunk rich sluts in it.

[Vergon6]

Yeah, Buffy was a very special case and even then, I believe UPN regretted taking it because it was a very costly deal and the only got two seasons out of it.

----- Added 2 Minutes later -----


Its not fair to compare a show on CW to a show on FOX. CW has less affiliates and lower ratings standards. To be fair, Smallville would likely have been cancelled in its second season if it had been on FOX. Buffy had seven seasons split between WB and UPN. Its widely regarded as one of the best tv shows ever. It never drew the kind of rating that would have kept it on if it would have been on FOX. U need no further proof that Dollhouse doesnt produce viewers than the fact that repeats of Bones r getting better ratings than new eps of Dollhouse in the same time slot

Agreed. It's a completely different ball game. FOX is available in many more markets than the CW is.

[Welling_is_pretty]

In this interview Joss talks about a lot of stuff (http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/12/dollhouse-fox-joss-whedon.html) (it's a long one!), Joss mentions that he's letting Dollhouse go and doesn't plan to try to continue it in any form at all.

He also mentions why he thinks the show was canceled (Fox execs got too squeamish) and that he thinks TV is dying as a medium.

EDIT: I see that someone put the interview up on a thread by itself but am still leaving the link here in this thread anyway, as it's relevant, I feel.

[Xanderman]

And yet you watched and commented on every episode...

Can't have been getting it that wrong :lol:
Lol point taken. And I wasn't only "slagging the show off", was I (to coin your expression). There were some genuinely positive comments in the mix from me too...in between all the slaggin', that is.;) :lol:

[dru-zod2501]

I'm getting caught up on the 2nd season now, and I'm really feeling pissed. this show was definitely killed way too early. I don't know whether to blame this on the pinheads @ Fox, or the dying medium of Television, but OOOO someone's gotta pay!!

[Dr. Curt Connors]

Its sad, another reason to dislike FOX, I just got season 1 of Dollhouse and i'm watching it for the first time and I absolutely love it.

[dru-zod2501]

return it!!! return Dollhouse Damnit!!! unless you can come up with something goddamn good to take its place. You're on thin thin ice FOX!!! Human Target almost makes up for it...ALMOST!!...