‘Dollhouse’ (Likely) Cancelled *Updated*
By Eric Lim
Thu Apr 09 2009
12:12 pm
in Television
“Dollhouse” has been officially likely been canned, and in a bad way. FOX isn’t even allowing the show to complete it’s run, and is instead stopping it at episode 12, “Omega,” listing it as the season finale.
Actress Felicia Day of “The Guild” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog” was to be featured in episode #13 and posted on her Twitter that it won’t even air now. Thanks a lot, FOX.
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. :(
Normally I wouldn’t be upset, since it’s been noted already that the show was bound to not be picked-up again, but at least let the show finish with some dignity. What else are you going to air on Friday evenings?
Co-editor Caffeinated speculates that this might be a bastard move on FOX’s part to try to sell more DVDs. I wouldn’t put that beneath them.
Update: I step away for lunch and looks like there’s controversy brewing. The Hollywood Reporter has a better write-up about the situation, stating that “All parties also insist the network has not canceled Dollhouse.” It also looks like the twelfth episode was originally meant to be the season finale, which leads to some confusion on my part:
One might argue that from Fox’s point of view, the entire season order was fulfilled because the original pilot never aired, Whedon reshot it. Otherwise the network would have paid the studio for 14 hours instead of 13. Sources also say the story in the “Omega” season finale is more or less Whedon’s original vision for how the season would end, so fans watching the show won’t feel like the storyline was cut short.
Wait, what? So what is this final un-aired episode supposed to be? It’s still not a good sign that it won’t be broadcast, and it’ll come as no surprise if it’s announced in the following days that the show won’t be picked up for another season.
Update 2: Felicia Day just posted another link on her twitter (Gosh, why don’t we just go ahead and turn this into a Felicia Day blog already…) to E! Online’s clarification of the “Dollhouse” debacle. Here it is in one sentence:
Fox the television studio made 14 episodes of Dollhouse, and Fox the television network paid for the 13 that it originally ordered and is airing 12 of them.
Dollhouse only getting 12 episodes aired?! [TV by the Numbers]
Comments
Marq
Thu Apr 9, 2009
12:50 pm
Link
This is a lie, FOX didnt say anything about the cancelation of the show. They only said the 13th episode will not air on TV, it will go to DVD directly.
xadrian
Thu Apr 9, 2009
1:24 pm
Link
It hasn’t been canceled, just not airing the last episode.
http://sepinwall.blogspot.com/2009/04/dollhouse-13th14th-episode-in-limbo.html
Max Elman
Thu Apr 9, 2009
1:50 pm
Link
Er, no - that’s not true. It’s not “officially” cancelled at all. The only thing that’s official is that episode 13 isn’t being aired. Check your facts before posting please.
Patrick_Stewart
Thu Apr 9, 2009
2:24 pm
Link
It might not be “officially” cancelled, but come on.. Not airing any more episodes is pretty much the same thing.
Kreniigh
Thu Apr 9, 2009
2:55 pm
Link
After the way Fox treated Firefly, I would have been shocked if something like this did *not* happen. I could not understand why Joss would go back to Fox after that…
Christopher_J
Sat Apr 11, 2009
9:51 am
Link
Fox pretty much already ruined the show. The first few episodes were completely substandard, all because they felt the viewing public needed to be eased into the world of the dollhouse. It only recently became incredibly intriguing, right around the episode that Joss himself said was more a kin to his original vision of the show.
p.s.: I hope they add the original pilot on the dvd.
Annie
Mon Apr 13, 2009
7:29 pm
Link
Dollhouse smells. I hope it gets cancelled.
Nicole
Mon Apr 13, 2009
8:06 pm
Link
Dude, I will be so pissed if Dollhouse gets canceled… It’s the only decent show on television
Ben
Tue Apr 14, 2009
3:31 pm
Link
Dollhouse has not been canceled. Fox won’t release their fall lineup until May 18, so until then they aren’t saying anything about what shows will get the axe. Terminator: TSSC hasn’t even been officially canceled at this point.
SPOILERS AHEAD…
This is what is going on with episode 13, according to Watch with Kristin:
It’s an episode that features Felicia Day but does not have any of the regular cast because it takes place several years in the future.
It isn’t a conventional finale. It’s something completely different. And while I want Dollhouse to air in full, I also understand why a network might decide not to air a completely unique episode as the last episode of the season when they are still trying to attract new viewers to the show.
Bob
Wed Apr 15, 2009
5:09 am
Link
Come on, it’s Fox. If there’s even a rumor that a show has been canceled and it’s sci-fi or fantasy, it’s already canceled. They assassinated it just like every other genre show they’ve ever aired except The X-Files. I don’t understand why Whedon or Dushku would even consider accepting a paycheck from Fox; the network has burned both of them before. I just hope this doesn’t stall Penikett’s career; he managed to jump from one stellar genre show to what should have been another, without a beat. This deserved a two season run, not 12 episodes that dripped with the ooze of network interference.
JJT
Sat Apr 18, 2009
1:52 am
Link
I cannot believe Joss actually went to Fox again. I didn’t want to start watching this show because I knew this was exactly what would happen, but I got hooked enough by the promos and watched. I wasn’t sure of the show at first, but I really love it now. Now, that I’ve gotten to know the world a little better.
You hear that, Fox? Give your shows time so that people can fall in love with the ORIGINAL stories, and not some rehashed crap or reality show.
This is why I normally refuse to watch anything on Fox.
Jennifer
Sat Apr 18, 2009
6:16 pm
Link
Dollhouse is everything I imagined it to be… Ever since the show aired I have stayed home almost every Friday to watch it, and considering i used to go out every Friday I think that says a lot. To not let Dollhouse continue would be Fox’s loss. This show NEEDS to be continued, and aired on a monday through thursday time slot to be given a TRUE chance, because this is my favorite show on t.v and even I can’t make every Friday night to see it because things come up. Then I have to watch the show on my computer. Dollhouse can dive into amazing and creative new ideas people couldn’t even imagine. Evertime I make a friend watch just ONE episode they LOVE it… Even just the filler episodes. This show is so interesting and amazing, and to cancel it would be like throwing away money because this show could make fox a great deal of money if they decided to go about it the correct way.
kwikas
Sun Apr 19, 2009
4:50 pm
Link
Whedon needs to cut all ties with Fox. I mean, how many times does he have to get foxed before he understands they’re all a bunch of foxers. Whedon’s style lends itself to character development and an evolving story line, but Fox doesn’t seem to understand this. Like with Firefly he has just been foxed again. I enjoyed both shows and all I can say to the network is “you foxed up again”.