Thursday, April 9, 2009

Dollhouse Canceled?


I hope this is some sort of misunderstanding, cause I'm PISSED.

Felicia Day
posted this on Twitter today

Man, day getting worse and worse. Found out my Dollhouse ep, #13 isn't gonna air. Only on DVD. Such a great part too. Thx Fox. :(

Io9, Crave Online & ThinkHero had run the story by the time I started finding all of this out and I yelled at my computer. I refused to believe it, so asked a source who has been working with Joss on Cabin in the Woods, to get an opinion. Word was Joss called it a week ago. Which makes me feel even more like Fox really did pull the plug. Apparently ep 12 will be the final one aired.

You know, Fox, you are doing yourself no favors. It's just despicable. I mean, I at least thought, based on what Joss has said at various conventions, the network was going to air all the episodes they've shot already. AT LEAST. I've been getting so into this show, more and more with every episode. I've had people tell me they weren't watching because "Why bother? It's a Joss show on Fox, it won't last" and I've said "Pshh, no, they will have faith this time." Because why wouldn't they? Why is it so difficult to just have faith in a show and let it stay on the air?! Other networks have done it! And it's JOSS. COME ON. UGH. Alas. Now we won't get to meet Alpha, we won't get anything resolved, and I'm still yelling at my computer.

Glad I have tickets to the Dollhouse event at the Paley Center. Gonna be a night to remember. I hate you, Fox. We are not friends.

(But also, I'm not believing it til I see a press release.)

Update: Now AV Club is reporting it

Update: Head here to contact people from Fox (Hat Tip: Whedonesque)

Update:
Update: In case you don't scroll down to the comments, we just got a great one from someone who actually knows what's going on!!!!

It IS a misunderstanding, but not in the way that you'd want it to be.

Felicia is right, they're not going to air #13. But guess what -- they never were. Because they only paid for 12 plus pilot (remember, the original scrapped pilot that didn't air?). The studio (NOT THE NETWORK), in what is actually a great business move, ordered an extra episode that they knew from the get-go would never air. Hello getting the DVDs to fly off the shelves.

I have VERY intimate firsthand knowledge of what went down with this show (I was Kevin Reilly's assistant), so I know what I'm talking about.

I'm a huge Whedon fan (I've been to the Once More singalong with Loquacious Muse herself, even), but the network isn't to blame this go-round. Sure, there were some HUGE eff ups with Firefly -- but the people running Fox then are not the same people running it now. So I get it. People are still mad about that. But seriously? NOT the same situation.

And [SPOILER ALERT] we are going to meet Alpha. Episode 11, people.

Update: From Alan Sepinwall, confirming the above comment

Update: Devin Faraci from Chud isn't buying it

Update: Quote from Tim Minear, courtesy of Whedonesque
Okay. So maybe I can help clarify this somewhat. Because we scrapped the original pilot -- and in fact cannibalized some of its parts for other eps -- we really ended up with 12 episodes. But the studio makes DVD and other deals based on the original 13 number. So we created a standalone kind of coda episode. Which is the mythical new episode 13. The network had already paid for 13 episodes, and this included the one they agreed to let us scrap for parts. It does not include the one we made to bring the number back up to 13 for the studio side and its obligations. We always knew it would be for the DVD for sure, but we also think Fox should air it because it’s awesome.

5 comments:

Garrett said...

It IS a misunderstanding, but not in the way that you'd want it to be.

Felicia is right, they're not going to air #13. But guess what -- they never were. Because they only paid for 12 plus pilot (remember, the original scrapped pilot that didn't air?). The studio (NOT THE NETWORK), in what is actually a great business move, ordered an extra episode that they knew from the get-go would never air. Hello getting the DVDs to fly off the shelves.

I have VERY intimate firsthand knowledge of what went down with this show (I was Kevin Reilly's assistant), so I know what I'm talking about.

I'm a huge Whedon fan (I've been to the Once More singalong with Loquacious Muse herself, even), but the network isn't to blame this go-round. Sure, there were some HUGE eff ups with Firefly -- but the people running Fox then are not the same people running it now. So I get it. People are still mad about that. But seriously? NOT the same situation.

And [SPOILER ALERT] we are going to meet Alpha. Episode 11, people.

LoquaciousMuse said...

You rock, just added your comment to the post itself. This makes A TON of sense and actually explains what's going on perfectly. Thank you Garrett!!

Sarah said...

Dollhouse Schmollhouse.

Get into "Kings" dammit. Get. In. To. Kings.

LoquaciousMuse said...

I thought Kings got canceled? But it was just people tweeting yesterday about it, I haven't heard anything official

Jim D. said...

The answer to the Dollhouse question is all confirmed by no less an authority than TV Guide:
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Dollhouse-Robbery-Truth-1004920.aspx.

You have to trust The Guide. It's got "TV" right in the name!