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Post by Sara on May 28, 2008 8:34:24 GMT -5
Start spreading the word on Joss and Eliza's new show right here.
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Post by Sara on May 28, 2008 8:36:05 GMT -5
And I'll start off the festivities with a link to a lengthy IGN interview with Joss about Dollhouse, how the show came to be, and his relationship with Eliza. Mildly spoilerish in regards to Amy Acker's character.
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Post by Sara on Jul 22, 2008 9:14:06 GMT -5
Joss on whedonesque.com:
Welcome (back) to the Dollhouse. A New Pilot? A New Hope? A Prequel? A Nyquil? What's the skinny on DOLLHOUSE and why doesn't this link to anything?
Hi guys. Well, it’s been an eventful week. While all of you have been enjoying (and in some cases, suddenly NOT enjoying) our adorable little musical romp “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” (exclusively available on iTunes!) (And I lied about some people not enjoying it!) I’ve been busying myself with a little something I like to call DOLLHOUSE. Finishing a new episode. Finishing a new… here’s the headline… FIRST episode.
What’s that, you say? A second first? How can such a thing be? Does it defy the laws of all physics? Well, I sat down with Rutherford D. Actualperson to do a quick Q&A and give you all the skinny on the progress of my new series (Available on iTunes at some point one would assume!)
Rutherford D. Actualperson: Joss. You are a legend in the industry, and your forehead is a normal size proportionate to your face. Tell me about the idea behind doing a new first episode. Didn’t you already shoot one?
Joss: Yes, Ruhthie, I did. And it was grand, simply grand.
R.D.A: Then why shoot another? Also, your teeth are whitish.
Joss: I said it was grand, I didn’t say it was comprehensible. I showed some scenes to David Lynch and he’s all, “whuh?” Bad sign. But I kid.
The fact is, I’m very proud of the ep we shot and the series is making me crazy with the excitement. But I tend to come at things sideways, and there were a few clarity issues for some viewers. There were also some slight issues with tone – I was in a dark, noir kind of place (where, as many of you know, I make my home), and didn’t bring the visceral pop the network had expected from the script. The network was cool about it, but not sure how to come out of the gate with the ep.
R.D.A.: So they made you do another. It’s Firefly all over again! Run! For the love of God, HE’S CALLING FROM THE HOUSE!!!
Joss: Wow. Good panic.
R.D.A.: I try. But I am genuinely concerned. Also your smooth skin and elegant hands are making me bi-curious.
Joss: Well, the idea to do a new first episode wasn’t the network’s. It was mine. I understood their consternation, and saw the gap between my style and their expectations, and I suggested I shoot a new ep and make the one I’d shot the second. It isn’t going to be buried, like the pilot of Firefly. It’s simply coming after another, slightly cleaner ep. And because unlike Firefly, it isn’t a two hour epic which introduces everyone to each other, the onus isn’t on the new ep to explain a million things.
The fact is, Fox ordered the series before we shot a frame and then, after the strike, I had literally two months to write and prep the whole thing. Which means simply that the network has to figure out what they might want to tweak AFTER it was shot, unlike a pilot. Buffy didn’t make the fall sched, Angel got shut down when they saw the second ep outline… it’s birth pangs. The network truly gets the premise (this is a whole new crew, as you know), loves the cast, is excited about the show – but they’re also specific about how they want to bring people to the show and I not only respect that, I kinda have to slap my forehead that I didn’t tailor my tone and structure to the network’s needs, since that’s something I pride myself on.
R.D.A.: You’re not just being the good soldier?
Joss: We both know from years of experience that I’m a crap soldier, though I am an accomplished fan-dancer. No, this is a very cold look at what’s going on, and it’s not an Us vs Them. The truth is, I’m in love with this world, and I don’t care how people get into it. I have a million things to say about (and through) all of these characters, and I don’t mind which ones I say first. I think I just turned in a pretty cool pilot script. [Editor’s note: that means someone TOLD him THEY thought it was cool. He has no judgement of his own. This is sad, but on the plus side, it was probably one of his writers, who actually ARE cool. So rest easy.]
R.D.A.: So what does this mean for production?
Joss: We’ve pushed an extra few days so I can prep this bitch within an inch of its life, i.e., read it once more.
R.D.A.: But how will this affect the foundation of the very turning of our precious earth, and by that I mean Comiccon?
Joss: Yeah. Unfortunately, we won’t have a new teaser to show, since we’ll start shooting after the con. People will have to settle for chatting with Eliza and Tahmoh. But they’re likeable folk. (Sadly, Tahmoh only speaks Canadian, though he has a lovely translator at his side, like Isabella Rosselini in “White Nights”.) We’ll still rock the panel, but showing clips is kind of a tradition, so my emoticon doth frown.
R.D.A.: And the first first episode?
Joss: I’ll reshoot a few scenes, but it’ll basically air as is. When I was given seven episodes, I referred to them as “the Seven Pilots”, ‘cause you always have to lay out the premise one way or another in those early eps. So instead of Grumpy, this particular episode will be Sneezy. (Seriously. Eliza fights POLLEN! Sooo sexy.)
R.D.A.: So Eliza’s still a different character every week?
Joss: Often several.
R.D.A: And in the Dollhouse, the amazing-looking facility where all the beautiful people whose memories have been wiped live in a state of unselfconscious innocence, the showers are co-ed? [Editor’s note: the showers are co-ed?]
Joss: The showers are co-ed. [Editor’s note: HOT damn.]
R.D.A.: So nothing of substance has been changed. Shower-wise.
Joss: You are a sad, lonely actual man, Actualman.
R.D.A.: So true, so true. Thank you for talking/fan-dancing to me. Anything else you’d like to add?
Joss: Available exclusively on iTunes! Oh. About Dollhouse? Only that it’s going to be a funhouse ride of excitement, fear, existential angst and co-ed showers. That I love it. Love the writers, love the cast, and already blissfully live in the strange, compelling world of the removable self. Hmm. When I pitched it to Eliza, she said “My God, it’s my life!” But after that sentence, I think maybe it’s mine.
R.D.A.: I guess we’ll have to wait till January to see what you’ve cooked up.
Joss: And I’ll probably keep cooking till the moment I serve.
R.D.A.: Would you hold me?
Joss: Yes, Ruhthie. Yes I will.
[Editor’s note in Strongbad’s voice: IT’S OVER!]
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Post by Queen E on Jul 22, 2008 10:04:42 GMT -5
Oh my god. This bit?
R.D.A.: So they made you do another. It’s Firefly all over again! Run! For the love of God, HE’S CALLING FROM THE HOUSE!!!
Joss: Wow. Good panic.
R.D.A.: I try. But I am genuinely concerned. Also your smooth skin and elegant hands are making me bi-curious.
Cracks my shit up.
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Post by Sara on Jul 22, 2008 10:30:10 GMT -5
Oh my god. This bit? R.D.A.: So they made you do another. It’s Firefly all over again! Run! For the love of God, HE’S CALLING FROM THE HOUSE!!! Joss: Wow. Good panic. R.D.A.: I try. But I am genuinely concerned. Also your smooth skin and elegant hands are making me bi-curious. Cracks my shit up. That was the part that almost made me laugh out loud here at work. As did this bit: R.D.A: And in the Dollhouse, the amazing-looking facility where all the beautiful people whose memories have been wiped live in a state of unselfconscious innocence, the showers are co-ed? [Editor’s note: the showers are co-ed?] Joss: The showers are co-ed. [Editor’s note: HOT damn.]
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Post by Squeemonster on Jul 22, 2008 11:35:50 GMT -5
Oh my god. This bit? R.D.A.: So they made you do another. It’s Firefly all over again! Run! For the love of God, HE’S CALLING FROM THE HOUSE!!! Joss: Wow. Good panic. R.D.A.: I try. But I am genuinely concerned. Also your smooth skin and elegant hands are making me bi-curious. Cracks my shit up.
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Post by Lola m on Jul 22, 2008 20:11:21 GMT -5
Oh my god. This bit? R.D.A.: So they made you do another. It’s Firefly all over again! Run! For the love of God, HE’S CALLING FROM THE HOUSE!!! Joss: Wow. Good panic. R.D.A.: I try. But I am genuinely concerned. Also your smooth skin and elegant hands are making me bi-curious. Cracks my shit up. That was the part that almost made me laugh out loud here at work. As did this bit: R.D.A: And in the Dollhouse, the amazing-looking facility where all the beautiful people whose memories have been wiped live in a state of unselfconscious innocence, the showers are co-ed? [Editor’s note: the showers are co-ed?] Joss: The showers are co-ed. [Editor’s note: HOT damn.] Eetah, eetah, eetah!! You know, if all we had of Joss was his posts? I'd still love him. I mean, I want more, of course. Much much more. ;D
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Post by Sara on Sept 5, 2008 8:19:41 GMT -5
From today's SciFiWire:WARNING: VAGUELY SPOILERISH. It didn't set off my "Dammit, now I've been spoiled" tirade, but there are a few nuggets of info about the character Amy Acker will be playing: Acker Opens The Dollhouse DoorOnce you're in the Jossverse, it's hard to escape, Amy Acker has discovered. Not that you'd really want to. There are worse things than being associated with Joss Whedon, the writer-director-producer whose cult-like fans worship his creations: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and the upcoming Fox SF series Dollhouse. When Acker, who played Winifred "Fred" Burkle on Angel for three years, heard that Whedon was developing Dollhouse, she naturally wanted in. Co-created with Eliza Dushku, another Whedon veteran, Dollhouse centers around a secret organization that programs specially modified humans--known as "dolls"--with temporary memories and personalities suited to different assignments. Acker plays the role of Dr. Claire Saunders, the caretaker of the dolls, who has a mysterious past of her own. The role was originally written for a woman in her 40s or 50s, but Whedon ultimately decided to adapt it for Acker based on his experience working with her and their ongoing friendship. Acker spoke with SCI FI Wire exclusively in a phone interview last week and talked about reuniting with Whedon, with a peek at what Jossverse fans can expect from the new series. Dollhouse is set for a January premiere on Fox and will air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. How did you get involved in the show?Acker: Joss is also one of my very best friends since Angel, so he had told us about Dollhouse, and I kept telling him how jealous I was of Eliza and all the other people. And he was like, "Yeah, I wish I could write a show for my friends." And then about a week or something before they shot the pilot, my husband picked up the phone and was like, "Joss wants to know if you're going to come do the thing for Dollhouse." And I was like, "What? What's he talking about?" And this character sort of came in later. So it wasn't originally written for you?Acker: Originally it was going to be an older woman, like in her 40s or 50s. And then I think he was worried about having a crossover between Buffy or Angel and this, and then finally he just said, "Ultimately I kind of thought you were the right person for it." So they brought me on. And I was like, "Um, thank you," because I was asking if I could do makeup or wardrobe or something. I just wanted to be a part of it. It sounded really cool. Tell us about your role. Acker: I'm the doctor who takes care of all of the dolls in the Dollhouse, and I have these horrible scars all over my face, so you get the sense that there's a little history to my character, and you're going to find out what happened to her and why she got these and why she kept them and all of that stuff. So she's a bit mysterious? Acker: Yes. I'm always hiding in the shadows. It's a really fun character. How similar is it in tone to Buffy and Angel? Acker: It's hard to say. We're only on the second episode now. I definitely see some similarities, just because most of the writers are people who were on Buffy or Angel or Alias [in which Acker also had a role, as an assassin] or all of those shows. So they all have such a familiarity. They're all really familiar with each other, and they all just write so well together. It'll be a little bit different, but I think the stuff that people love about the writing is all going to be there. Is there a lot of humor in it, or is it a more straightforward drama? Acker: The great thing about it is that it can really be anything. There's going to be some dramatic stuff, and then I think episode three or four should be really just kind of a farce, the whole thing. It's really going to switch between all different kinds of stuff, which is great for the actors, because if you're going to be on the show for a number of years, you can't ever get tired of your character, because it's always changing. Your character doesn't get as much variety as the dolls do, though. Acker: Yeah, but it never seems like Joss' characters are really boring anyways. Even if I'm not a doll, I still get to do all sorts of cool stuff. You've done quite a few science fiction and fantasy projects. Are you naturally attracted to that? Acker: I enjoy doing it, because I think you really get to be imaginative and you get to do stuff that's not in real time and something that's totally different. It's something you would never get to experience. I think it's fun to just take it to that whole other level. --Cindy White
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Post by Karen on Oct 16, 2008 9:57:19 GMT -5
That was the part that almost made me laugh out loud here at work. As did this bit: R.D.A: And in the Dollhouse, the amazing-looking facility where all the beautiful people whose memories have been wiped live in a state of unselfconscious innocence, the showers are co-ed? [Editor’s note: the showers are co-ed?] Joss: The showers are co-ed. [Editor’s note: HOT damn.] Eetah, eetah, eetah!! You know, if all we had of Joss was his posts? I'd still love him. I mean, I want more, of course. Much much more. ;D
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Post by Sara on Oct 27, 2008 8:52:24 GMT -5
Mildly spoilerish in that Joss talks about a few of the characters in very vague terms. Nothing in here set off a "dammit, I didn't want to know that" tantrum on my part, but a vague disclaimer and all that...
From today's whedonesque:
I thought it was time to check in with you once again, gentle viewers. Or readers. Or pictures-looker-ats (that might be viewers). Also listeners, sniffers, haberdashers, Olympic hopefuls, the elderly, the youngerdly, and the mighty state of Oregon (go Oregon-based sports franchise!) Welcome all. Welcome... to me.
What's me up to? I'm glad me asked. Me've (I'm not doing that any more) been working on a little show called Dollhouse. Yes, perhaps you've read about how it's blazing an untrammeled path to surefire success, with nary a hitch or a hiccup, just pure blazing blazery, comet-like and meteoresque. What's that, you say? You've read other things? Dark, Yog-Sothothy rumors about shutdowns and delays? Poppycock! They’re true. But I never pass up a chance to say "poppycock". ("Balderdash" is so '07. Let it go.) I know there's been a lot of concern, various fabulous hues of panic alert readiness. So here's the skinny. Some of the names have been changed.
The show was ruined by Flim Flinear. Okay, that's another lie, and you're probably close to giving up on this blog, so here we go. Yes, we've had to make adjustments. Yes, it's been hard and I've been depressing to be around for awhile. Basically, the Network and I had different ideas about what the tone of the show would be. They bought something somewhat different than what I was selling them, which is not that uncommon in this business. Their desires were not surprising: up the stakes, make the episodes more stand-alone, stop talking about relationships and cut to the chase. Oh, and add a chase. That you can cut to. Nothing I hadn't heard before on my other shows (apparently my learning curve has no bendy part) but frustrating as hell given our circumstances - a pilot shot, scripts written, everybody marching together/gainfully employed... and then a shutdown. Glad I was for the breathing room, but it's hardly auspicious. So back into the writer cave I went, wondering why I put up with this when I can make literally dozens of dollars making internet movies. Why I do put up with this is divided into three parts.
One: They're not wrong. Oh, we don't see eye-to-eye on everything, but wanting the first episodes to be exciting and accessible is not exactly Satanic. Being Satan is, but that's in their free time and hey, there's no judging in the Dollhouse. This kind of back and forth has happened on every show I've done, so if you liked those, chances are that was a part of why. And the need to focus on the essentials of what makes this universe tick - and which wire to cut to make it stop - really does bring up our game. So we as a staff have gone from blinking like unhoused moles to delving in with the same relish we had when we started. The show is really coming together now, in a way that I believe excites us and satisfies the Network. Of course, I have no idea if anybody else will like it, but I have the same faith in the staff, the crew and the remarkable cast that I always did. More, in fact. And what's more crucial:
Two: Nothing essential has changed about the universe. The ideas and relationships that intrigued me from the start are all there (though some have shifted, more on that), and the progression of the first thirteen eps has me massively excited. The episode we're shooting now I wrote as fast as anything I have before, not because I had to (although, funny side-note: I had to) but because I couldn't stop the words from coming. Because I can feel the show talking to me; delighting, scaring and occasionally even offending me. It's alive. Alive! Which is a far cry from how I felt a month ago. It's been hilarious trying to keep up with what's in, what's out, who's met whom and when - we've shot all of the first seven episodes out of airing order - but it's come together in a pretty thrilling way. My huge gratitude to our cast for their precision and patience. Which also includes...
Three: Eliza. Watching her on the monitors at two o'clock this morning I was reminded forcibly how much I wished I were in bed – but also how strong, radiant and unmistakable her presence is. She's someone who could coast on talent and never ever does. I love to watch her work. In fact, I think I got myself into this mess for that very reason, and though I have this fall occasionally sworn never to eat lunch with an actor I like again, I’m pretty pleased and crazy proud.
So here's me, slogging away on a show like days of old and not hating life. Again, you guys will be the judge, jury and execu... lawyer, but we do have something to show you. Something, I'm chuffed to say, still pretty damn strange.
As for what's been changed, well, some things I obviously can't tell you. Some I can, for the record: The original pilot was in fact thrown out. Again, at my behest. Once it became clear what paradigm the Network was shooting for, it just didn't fit at all, even after I'd reshot more than half of it (see above re: despair). To get a sense of how completely turned around I was during this process, you should know there was a scene with Eliza and the astonishing Ashley Johnson that I wrote and shot completely differently three different times, with different characters in different places (actually I wrote it closer to eight times), and none of it will ever see air. Which is as it should be (though I'm determined to get Ms. Johnson back in the future). The scene just didn't belong anymore. Similarly, the character of November has fallen out of the mix, because the show simply moves too fast now for me to do what I wanted with her. Season three, anyone...? Happily, Miracle Laurie is still with us in a new role, playing against (and pining for) Tahmoh's character, Paul Ballard. Their chemistry is deeply nifty. The only other major cast shift is that the Dollhouse head of security, Laurence Dominic (played by Reed Diamond), who was written just for the now-defunct first ep, has stuck like fly-paper, and Reed is very much in the family for the present. (Most of my problems seem to involve my actors making themselves indispensable. This is the good problem kind.)
Apart from that, it's all hush-hush: some things I'd intended to hold back are laid out much sooner, and some are rolling out more slowly. We're still heading toward Tim's intense two-part mind-blower - right before a thirteenth ep that may actually just be insane.
And finally, young Steve DeKnight, after writing and shooting an ep so cool it helped not only define the show but save its ass, is ending his consulting duties, the f#%&er. I will be crying on the shoulder of Jane Espenson come Monday, so congratudolences are in order. Excited for the Jane Flava.
And there you have it. I'll be writing more bulletins about "Cabin" and a certain DVD in the very near future, but I wanted to get you all some actual information for a change. I can count on you guys not to tell anyone, right? What's a blog?
Faithfully, -joss.
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Post by Michelle on Feb 16, 2009 14:37:49 GMT -5
Behind the scenes with "Dollhouse" producers Craft and FainIs it grindhouse camp? Extreme inflatable-girl fantasy? Latter-day Moses narrative? Or another case of a fickle network playing Lucy and the football with one of TV's best-loved creators? Whatever your take on Joss Whedon's new series, "Dollhouse," after you see the debut at 8 p.m. next Friday on Fox 4, you're not likely to say it's short on ambition. The year's most anticipated new series, at least among Internet fandom, "Dollhouse" stars Eliza Dushku ("Buffy," "Angel," "Tru Calling") as Echo, an eye-popping shebot who can be programmed with almost any personality her employer desires, whether a gun-toting rock climber or a dressed-to-the-nines hostage negotiator fluent in Spanish. Echo is employed by is a super-secret organization -- run by a queen bee with a British accent (Olivia Williams) -- whose mad software genius, a dude named Topher (Fran Kranz), rewrites Echo and scores of her fellow "actives" before each of their sexy-slash-dangerous missions, for which the firm is handsomely compensated by clients. Throw in some nefarious government investigation (or is it a cover-up?). Add a dash of intrigue in the form of Echo's protector, Boyd (Harry Lennix), a shadowy ex-cop with a heart of gold. And then stir in the possibility that Topher may not be completely erasing Echo's remembrances of things past, so that eventually she may figure out what's being done to her. All those ingredients make for a stew that, initially anyway, needs salt. The dialogue is conspicuously missing Whedon's trademark snappy patter -- unlike, say, the memorable pilot of his series "Firefly." Hardcore Whedonists are well aware that this is actually the second pilot that Fox ordered of the show, and that "Firefly" was also scheduled on Friday nights in 2002, and quickly died there as well. On the other hand, Fox is giving "Dollhouse" a potentially potent lead-in with "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," another power-grrl show, at 7 p.m. And the network has come up with an irresistible on-air ad campaign for the two shows in the spirit of the Quentin Tarantino-Richard Rodriguez "Grindhouse" flicks. Having seen two more promising later episodes, I say give "Dollhouse" time. And in the meantime, enjoy the set. I first laid eyes on it last summer, during a visit to the Fox lot: an expensively wood-paneled, 100-foot-wide, two-story nerve center for the "actives," where they spend their down time between assignments getting backrubs, taking showers, going for dips -- basically anything that involves disrobing. "There's not a person who's gone on that set who hasn't said, 'I want to live here,'" observed Sarah Fain, the show's co-executive producer, as we walked through the "Dollhouse" stage last month. "Every single person, from the extras to our cast to the studio execs," echoed Liz Craft, her longtime writing partner, the show's other co-executive producer and, way before that, Fain's classmate at Pembroke Hill. Craft and Fain got their first co-writing credit with Whedon on the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spinoff "Angel." They've risen steadily as a tandem to co-showrunner status, most recently with the short-lived adaptation of James Patterson's "Women's Murder Club" books for ABC. Everyone agrees that the likable, enigmatic Whedon is the captain of the ship, but it's a big ship. That's why they're here. "No one person can run the show," Craft said. "You have to be able to delegate." And in this case, he has two lieutenants to carry out his ideas. "We can interpret what he says: 'What do you think he meant?' 'Well, I think he meant this.' That's nice, to have another set of ears," said Craft. "And we're very comfortable with collaboration." I ask if that's because they're women -- still a distinct minority in Hollywood's writing ranks. "I think it's more being Midwestern than being women. There is a definite team-player, work-ethic, 'I don't want to disappoint you' ..." "We're the 'whatever you need' people," said Fain, finishing the thought. The day I visited the "Dollhouse" stage in January, the fabulous zombie spa was mostly under tarp, so we retired to a homey-looking room with books and child-sized furniture and a piano in the corner. As we sat and talked, a multiracial group of preteen actors assembled in the corner, joined by crew members starting to set up. Somebody started to play "Stand By Me." Fain explained the scene that Dushku would soon be shooting here. "She's going to come in and read a fairy tale to these kids. Last week, she was kicking somebody's ass. I mean, she can be anyone. We have everything from nice sweet emotions to huge action and stunning twists." While Echo is out terrorizing and/or romancing, an FBI agent named Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) will be doggedly pursuing rumors about this mystery outfit that has figured out how to turn smokin' men and women into pleasure slaves. Everyone around Ballard treats him as though he's asked the agency to re-open its UFO files. But in the end, said Craft, it's neither Echo nor Ballard "but the workings of the dollhouse that we think is what everyone's going to be interested in." "Dollhouse," said Fain, is a parable "about a people struggling to be free. Echo is our heroine, and she's a fighter." Like Moses. "Whether she knows it or not," added Craft. At this, both women laugh knowingly -- after all, they're talking about a character who has her hard drive reformatted every three days. "Well," said Fain, "that just makes her more interesting and more heroic."
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Post by Sara on Apr 21, 2009 9:50:54 GMT -5
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Post by Karen on Oct 14, 2009 10:58:01 GMT -5
Warning - some spoilery bits for casting, but you can skip over those pretty easily as you will be warned in advance. Why Dollhouse Should be SavedJoss, if nothing else, is always a step ahead of pointing out society's ills. From the review: Several recent events or scenes have been knocking around in my head, but they're like puzzle pieces that won't resolve themselves into a coherent image.
There's the Roman Polanski affair, and how the debate about his actions has opened my eyes to the concept that there can be a debate about his actions. There's the David Letterman situation, which of course isn't on a par with the Polanski mess but which raises questions about the late-night host's personal life and veracity, and also opens up a whole other can of worms.
As New Yorker critic Nancy Franklin noted in a review of Jay Leno's program that ran before the Letterman scandal broke, there are no women on the writing staffs of the Jay, Dave or Conan O'Brien shows. None.
We all like to think we're better than the blatantly sexist managers we see on "Mad Men," but are we? Has the composition of late-night writing rooms changed much in the past 40 years? Apparently not.
Speaking of "Mad Men," there was a scene in a recent episode in which a young woman was strongly pressured into having sex in order to pay back a favor bestowed by a more powerful man. It was -- what was the word Letterman used repeatedly to describe his actions? -- creepy. To say the least.
Dollhouse_sc-48_9937 All of which brings me to "Dollhouse," which is struggling mightily in the ratings. I very much want this show to continue, not because it's perfect, but because it grapples with these very issues, which resist easy analysis yet can be fascinating (witness the strong ratings for Letterman's scandal-related broadcasts). ......... I guess I can intellectually understand why the millions who watch "The Mentalist" every week don't tune in to "Mad Men" and "Dollhouse."
These shows aren't about bad guys being punished or diseases being cured And I'm not necessarily disparaging close-ended procedurals; they provide their own set of pleasures (the preceding sentence was added to this paragraph).
But shows such as "Mad Men" and "Dollhouse" grapple with uncomfortable questions about power, exploitation, hypocrisy, selfishness and the lies people tell themselves so they can feel better about taking advantage of others.
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