Title: Dollhouse
Paula - May 13, 2008 05:23 PM (GMT)
Is anyone going to check out this show in fall? My friend is a rabid Eliza Dushku fan and has been mentioning it on and off for a while, and it sounds like it might be interesting. Hopefully she'll have better luck with this one than "Tru Calling." I was never really into that show, but heard it got screwed over by Fox (nothing new there).
Someone at Zap2it got his hands on the pilot script and had this to say about it...
| QUOTE |
Dollhouse - Written by Joss Whedon
What It's About: Echo (Dushku) is a Doll. She's a young woman imprinted by a group of shady scientists as a blank-slate-for-hire. Depending on how she's programmed, she can be a glorified prostitute, the ideal wedding date to make your ex-girlfriend jealous, a butt-kicking bodyguard or a sympathetic confidante. She can be anything you want. And she's not the only Doll in the Dollhouse, a vast holding facility overseen by Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams). When Echo hasn't been imprinted by programmer Topher (Fran Kranz), she's supposed to be a blank slate, but Topher and Dr. Claire Saunders (Amy Acker) are beginning to notice signs of learned behavior from Echo, signs of memory. If Echo's becoming self-aware, that might be the break to help Paul (Tahmoh Penikett), a federal agent trying to get to the bottom of the Dollhouse urban legend.
How It Reads: A good pilot should do one of two things: It should either lay out the blueprint for the rest of the series or it should intrigue you so much that you can't wait for the second episode. Fringe falls into the first category. It leaves almost nothing to the imagination in terms of what's coming next. Dollhouse falls into the second category. Whedon's script builds into a mystery that's as much philosophical as science fiction. The introduction to the show's universe is immediately disorienting, but also enthralling, as Whedon mixes elements of the conspiracy thriller with what threatens to become a profound meditation on identity. Dollhouse comes across as darker in tone and slower in pace than anything Whedon has previously attempted and while there's humor sprinkled throughout, the sensation at the end is one of overarching menace and also sadness. The pilot script concentrates on only three or four main characters, though several others are introduced in passing, and it offers no stand-alone elements. After reading the pilot, I'm ready to go on the journey with Whedon even though I can't figure out what the week-to-week plot of the show is going to be.
How It Might Play: Since Desperate Housewives and Lost made the major networks want to dive back into the serialized drama business, viewers have made it clear that they're cautious about starting a show that might get cancelled mid-story. Dollhouse feels like the sort of show that might have been better suited for FX or HBO or Showtime, where Whedon's devoted audience could make a show a hit. But Dushku had a talent deal at 20th Century Fox TV and with FOX and this is totally her vehicle, the sort of role that most young actresses would kill for. Since Echo is constantly being other people, Dushku is in position to go from action star to sex kitten to child-like innocent in the course of a dozen pages. It's Dushku's show, but the pilot suggests potentially meaty roles for Williams, Kranz, Acker, Penikett and Harry Lennix, as Echo's trainer. While recognizably Whedonesque, Dollhouse finds Joss going in different direction, one that may be less quippy and less plot-driven than some might expect. The fans will still love it, I suspect, but will Dollhouse be able to find an audience beyond the Whedonverse? I'm not sure. So this could be one of those "Enjoy it while you've got it" gems.
http://blog.zap2it.com/scifi/2008/05/straight-from-t.html |
twinzz-dorien - May 13, 2008 05:30 PM (GMT)
so Whedon and Dushku are working together again huh?
Whedon writing something can only mean one thing...its gonna be weird and there is gonna be some other-worldy stuff that's gonna happen LOL
Paula - May 13, 2008 09:40 PM (GMT)
Not a fan of Whedon, then? lol
twinzz-dorien - May 13, 2008 11:27 PM (GMT)
well...we have all BTVS & Angel DVD's...we have the serentiy-movie at home (which we hate..but our brother gave it to us LOL) ...
so we don't really hate JW LOL...it are just very common things he writes about :)
Paula - May 14, 2008 05:42 PM (GMT)
Ah, okay. I've never been hugely into Whedon's stuff (I've seen some Buffy here and there and like one full episode of Angel), but this one sounds pretty interesting. I'll definitely be checking it out.
Paula - May 16, 2008 03:02 AM (GMT)
Ooh, the upfront trailer has found its way online. It looks pretty awesome. I'm definitely interested. You can check it out here (if it doesn't get taken down for copyright issues, lol)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV6egKoZEHM Cora - February 20, 2009 04:56 PM (GMT)
I probably won't go to watch the movie BECAUSE I'm not a big fan of Eliza Dushku
In fact I don't like her at all ;)
but that's just me xD
DuckyZu - February 20, 2009 05:11 PM (GMT)
I'm a huge fan of Joss Whedon (in fact my all time favourite tv show are Angel and Buffy) so I checked it out. It looks interesting, I can't wait for next episode.
And it's Sarah Connor night too, which I started watching because of Summer Glau, River from Whedon's firefly. :D
Paula - February 20, 2009 05:30 PM (GMT)
I watched last week and felt like it was a bit confusing/a lot to take in all at once, but it's an interesting concept and I'll give it a chance. Hopefully it'll be a cool show once it gets more into it.
Also, TIM from OTH was on as Eliza's love interest! I totally cracked up.
DuckyZu - February 20, 2009 05:33 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Paula @ Feb 20 2009, 05:30 PM) |
| Also, TIM from OTH was on as Eliza's love interest! I totally cracked up. |
OMG! I didn't recognize him! Lol!
And Fox had Whedon to shoot again the pilot cause it was even more confusing. :D Or so I heard.
Paula - February 20, 2009 05:45 PM (GMT)
Well, he did have a mustache. It took me a second to register why he looked familiar.
And yeah, I heard about the pilot reshoot. I think with this kind of show, it comes down to a choice between basically throwing viewers into it and hoping they catch on okay, or having a really boring pilot that's all explanation and such, you know? So I don't mind, really - but I think I am going to re-watch the pilot before tonight's episode. lol
velvetsky - February 20, 2009 10:49 PM (GMT)
I am generally a fan of Whedon. Loved Buffy, and Angel is still one of the best shows ever. Firefly was good fun. But at least the first episode of Dollhouse didn't thrill me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I'm curious, the concept seems interesting, but there was definitely something lacking, or maybe several things. I liked Tru Calling, but I do wonder if Eliza is really capable of carrying this show. I like her, but I don't think she's got a big range as an actress. And I think she does best in roles where she can be a little 'wild and fun', and funny too. And at least this first episode of Dollhouse, didn't really have a whole lot of that. The best character in that first episode, in my opinion, was her 'handler' guy. The dude who like monitored her on her missions. I liked him.
Heike - March 23, 2010 01:47 PM (GMT)
so sad that they stoped the show! :(
velvetsky - March 23, 2010 10:30 PM (GMT)
I know, I was bummed it got canceled. Despite my initial feelings on the first couple episodes. I found around ep 5 things started to click, and from there, each episode in season one seemed to get better and better, and Eliza did a good job, and the characters around her were all interesting as well. Rocky first few eps, but then Joss' evil genius started to show through. *L*
Paula - March 25, 2010 05:19 AM (GMT)
I fell too far behind during the second season and gave up and deleted all the episodes that had piled up on my DVR. My Eliza-obsessed friend said she'll give me the heads up when it's headed to DVD so I can see how it ended.
twinzz-evelien - May 17, 2010 07:37 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Paula @ Mar 25 2010, 06:19 AM) |
| I fell too far behind during the second season and gave up and deleted all the episodes that had piled up on my DVR. My Eliza-obsessed friend said she'll give me the heads up when it's headed to DVD so I can see how it ended. |
we have s1 on dvd.. haven't really come around watching the entirety of it... will probably buy s2 cuz we like to have entire shows on dvd LOL
