Post by ultima7878 on May 16, 2009 21:56:05 GMT -5
found this article on dollhouse and terminator @ www.airlockalpha.com/news426359.html
Fox Makes It Almost Official: 'Dollhouse' Renewed
UPDATED: Joss Whedon reacts to the news
By MICHAEL HINMAN
May-15-2009
Source: TV Week
Fox has done what many people said was not possible: It has renewed "Dollhouse" for a second season.
That is the nearly official word coming from Fox through trade publication TV Week and its columnist Josef Adalian, and filed appropriately under the tag "WTF."
"Many media types had written off the show for dead, since its ratings on Friday have been ... suboptimal," Adalian said in his blog post. "And yet, insiders at the network have been cautioning for weeks that the show shouldn't be cut out."
One outlet that has been saying Fox was leaning toward a renewal was Airlock Alpha, which published a story April 5 appropriately headlined "Fox Leaning Toward 'Dollhouse' Renewal."
"The move seems to be an easy one for Fox. While the audience hasn't been as large as expected, it has instead remained stable," Airlock Alpha reported more than a month ago. "Other factors in favor of the show continuing is that it's not as expensive as other Fox shows. Much of its upfront costs, including the construction of the elaborate set that is the dollhouse itself, were covered by funds that normally would've paid for a pilot (no pilot was made for 'Dollhouse'). Also, while [Joss] Whedon's Mutant Enemy Productions and star Eliza Dushku's Boston Diva Productions are tied to the series, 20th Century Fox Television is still the primary production company involved, which means its licensing fee is not as steep as it would be if the show was produced by another studio."
Show creator Joss Whedon told fans at Whedonesque that he's going to have a very busy off-season.
"Any thread that contains both 'Shpadoinkle' and 'Yub Yub' is truly exciting," Whedon said. "And anything that reunites me with my stunning cast and my crazy staff (or 'room fulla Tophers,' as I call them) is nothing short of a gift.
"Heady times indeed. We're two weeks away from finishing 'Cabin,' and now it looks like no summer vacation after all. But oh, the terrible things my brain is brewing ... just wait. We'll make it worth it. Thanks for hanging in."
While early episodes of "Dollhouse" were not the best received by critics, later episodes in the initial 12-part outing were much better received, even as the Friday audience plummeted. "Dollhouse" premiered Feb. 13 with a not-so-exciting 2.8 rating/5 share overnight, but stayed mostly stable until the beginning of April when it dropped 21 percent from its premiere, and never recovered over its last four episodes.
"Dollhouse" ended its first season with a 2.4/4, although it ended its season with an overnight of 1.7/3.
Fox has initially ordered a 13-episode season, but depending on ratings, could be increased into a 22-episode order. It's not clear if Fox will move it from Friday nights, but every indication AIrlock Alpha has received from sources in the past is that it would be moved.
In the meantime, fans of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" aren't too excited. There has been no word on whether Fox will announce a renewal of the show next week, but it seems more and more unlikely as there has been little or no buzz floating around in regards to a possible renewal.
Many had expected "Sarah Connor" to not even get a back-nine episode pickup, but Fox granted it one with a move to Fridays after Warner Bros. Television reduced its licensing fee for the program.
Earlier this week, series star Thomas Dekker released what was meant to be a humorous (but profanity-laced) YouTube video promoting the "Sarah Connor," even calling Fox's viewer comment line.
Fox Makes It Almost Official: 'Dollhouse' Renewed
UPDATED: Joss Whedon reacts to the news
By MICHAEL HINMAN
May-15-2009
Source: TV Week
Fox has done what many people said was not possible: It has renewed "Dollhouse" for a second season.
That is the nearly official word coming from Fox through trade publication TV Week and its columnist Josef Adalian, and filed appropriately under the tag "WTF."
"Many media types had written off the show for dead, since its ratings on Friday have been ... suboptimal," Adalian said in his blog post. "And yet, insiders at the network have been cautioning for weeks that the show shouldn't be cut out."
One outlet that has been saying Fox was leaning toward a renewal was Airlock Alpha, which published a story April 5 appropriately headlined "Fox Leaning Toward 'Dollhouse' Renewal."
"The move seems to be an easy one for Fox. While the audience hasn't been as large as expected, it has instead remained stable," Airlock Alpha reported more than a month ago. "Other factors in favor of the show continuing is that it's not as expensive as other Fox shows. Much of its upfront costs, including the construction of the elaborate set that is the dollhouse itself, were covered by funds that normally would've paid for a pilot (no pilot was made for 'Dollhouse'). Also, while [Joss] Whedon's Mutant Enemy Productions and star Eliza Dushku's Boston Diva Productions are tied to the series, 20th Century Fox Television is still the primary production company involved, which means its licensing fee is not as steep as it would be if the show was produced by another studio."
Show creator Joss Whedon told fans at Whedonesque that he's going to have a very busy off-season.
"Any thread that contains both 'Shpadoinkle' and 'Yub Yub' is truly exciting," Whedon said. "And anything that reunites me with my stunning cast and my crazy staff (or 'room fulla Tophers,' as I call them) is nothing short of a gift.
"Heady times indeed. We're two weeks away from finishing 'Cabin,' and now it looks like no summer vacation after all. But oh, the terrible things my brain is brewing ... just wait. We'll make it worth it. Thanks for hanging in."
While early episodes of "Dollhouse" were not the best received by critics, later episodes in the initial 12-part outing were much better received, even as the Friday audience plummeted. "Dollhouse" premiered Feb. 13 with a not-so-exciting 2.8 rating/5 share overnight, but stayed mostly stable until the beginning of April when it dropped 21 percent from its premiere, and never recovered over its last four episodes.
"Dollhouse" ended its first season with a 2.4/4, although it ended its season with an overnight of 1.7/3.
Fox has initially ordered a 13-episode season, but depending on ratings, could be increased into a 22-episode order. It's not clear if Fox will move it from Friday nights, but every indication AIrlock Alpha has received from sources in the past is that it would be moved.
In the meantime, fans of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" aren't too excited. There has been no word on whether Fox will announce a renewal of the show next week, but it seems more and more unlikely as there has been little or no buzz floating around in regards to a possible renewal.
Many had expected "Sarah Connor" to not even get a back-nine episode pickup, but Fox granted it one with a move to Fridays after Warner Bros. Television reduced its licensing fee for the program.
Earlier this week, series star Thomas Dekker released what was meant to be a humorous (but profanity-laced) YouTube video promoting the "Sarah Connor," even calling Fox's viewer comment line.