Whedon Gives ‘Dollhouse’ Update
When it comes to Joss Whedon’s new television series Dollhouse, "playtime" is the last word on anyone’s lips.
The upcoming Fox show has experienced some pretty serious road bumps since its inception. A reshoot of the series pilot was ordered, shifting the originally shot first episode into the second episode slot. Soon after, a filming hiatus was announced to refocus the tone and direction of the series. Most recently, the full season pick-up of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has left some Whedonites wondering whether there’s an adequate prime time slot for Dollhouse.
Now, Joss Whedon’s breaking the silence about the mishaps on his blog, Whedonesque.
"Basically, the Network and I had different ideas about what the tone of the show would be," Whedon writes. "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."
Despite the hardships, Whedon states that "nothing essential has changed about the universe [of Dollhouse]. The ideas and relationships that intrigued me from the start are all there (though some have shifted) … and the progression of the first thirteen eps has me massively excited."
Whedon also writes that Eliza Dushku’s performance is nothing short of "strong, radiant and unmistakable," calling her an actress "who could coast on talent and never ever does."
"Some things I’d intended to hold back are laid out much sooner," Whedon continues about the show’s pacing, "and some are rolling out more slowly." Part of these pacing issues, he clarifies, include the full scrapping of the original pilot in favor of the reshot version. He doesn’t say whether or not the original pilot is still set to be the series’ second episode despite previous reports.
Other than that, there are some casting changes, as the Dollhouse head of security, Laurence Dominic (Reed Diamond), is sticking around the show longer than the single first episode he was originally planned for.
"Most of my problems seem to involve my actors making themselves indispensable," Whedon concedes, then clarifies: "This is the good problem kind."
The first promos for the series, marked only as "coming soon", began airing during the World Series broadcasts and looks pretty cool.
The Stage
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