Check out these pictures of the Dollhouse Set. I don’t think quick cuts and flashes in the trailer really does the lush earth-tones of the dollhouse justice. It looks futuristic yet ‘homely’ – not what I was expecting when the show was touted a few months ago, but I am not disappointed as it’s a very believable environment.
So the doll’s do Yoga? Interesting that they would do things to de-stress – why not just wipe their minds? Ah, freewill
Thanks to Dollmazing for sending me these great pix (I’ll be posting more later)!
Joss Whedon talks to scifi.com about how the ‘remote free’ policy will affect the shooting of Dollhouse and it’s re-runs. He also reveals that Eliza Dushku is more than just an actress on the show – she’s also one of the producers. Whedon claims that far from being a ‘freebie’, the title of producer requires genuine input and commitment from Dusku:
“I said, ‘Oh, wow, I’ve come up with a show, and I’ll do it with you, but you have to know, though, this thing about you having a producer credit: I’m going to make you earn it. I’m going to want your input. I’m going to want ideas. I’m going to want you to help me work out certain problems. This is our show.’ She and I came at it from a very similar aesthetic view, a very similar political view and a great mutual trust. So, to me, it’s an essential part of what the show says about people and about her, that she should be a producer.”
The Fringe Alternate Reality Game (ARG)/Viral Marketinghas well and truly begun (nod nod wink wink) - it looks like FOX have learned a thing or three from the home of JJ Abrams ‘LOST’. But I’m wondering whether Dollhouse will be treated to the same type of online interaction? I mean, Dollhouse is a different type of show from Fringe and Lost - does it have the necessary scope for months and months of online puzzle solving and clue hunting? Would the Dollhouse fans be ready for such investment in this kind of online interaction?
I ask those questions but in my mind I know the answer – HELL YEAH!
I’m even wondering whether the Fringe ARG will overlap into ‘Dollhouse’ so that we have one mega ARG inter-verse featuring the networks two best shows? I can but dream.
The UK’s Guardian look at which US shows could be making their way to the UK next year, among them is of course Dollhouse, but obviously they haven’t done their research as they describe the show as ‘involving clones’!
Dollhouse – Fox What’s it about? Joss Whedon returns to the small screen with this Attack of the Clones-style drama starring Eliza “Faith” Dushku. Why might it work? It’s Joss Whedon. And Eliza Dushku. Plus it involves clones and wiped personalities and secret missions. For many people it’s the most eagerly awaited new drama of the season. What could go wrong? Whedon’s dramas often start slowly – Buffy and Angel didn’t hit their stride until season 2, Firefly was just getting good as it got cancelled after a handful of episodes. The concern is that Fox won’t have the patience to nurture the show.
It is interesting to consider which UK channel will pickup Dollhouse. ITV bought ‘Bionic Woman’ last year along with the likes of ‘Dexter’ and ‘Dasies’. However I think Dollhouse would be more suited to the BBC or Channel 4 – who had a good reputation for purchasing creative shows until they let ‘LOST’ slip through their fingers.
does this intrigue you? Is watching Eliza Dushku’s Echo have a different persona implanted on her each week, while searching for the truths of who she really is and how she got stuck in “the Dollhouse,” something you’re up for? – EW.com
Scifi.com have an article in which Joss Whedon reveals that the show is not another “Alias“, and will have it’s own identity, even if part of that identity is asking ‘who am I?’:
“That’s really what the show is about. It’s about plumbing the depths of our identity.”
“It’s sort of taking the role of a Frankenstein monster and saying, ‘Who am I? Who created me? Why am I like this? What’s good about me? What’s bad about me? What’s eternal about me? And what’s just evanescent?’..And everyone in the show is dealing with that same issue, but for a different reason. That, to me, is the heart of the thing: ‘Well, who are we?’”
“There will be a flow-through of the show as well, about [Echo] and the characters surrounding her and how the Dollhouse works, how it doesn’t work, and her burgeoning self-awareness..Between these engagements, she’s this complete innocent and starts to go, ‘Hey, here I am in the Garden of Eden. What’s this apple, and what do I do with it?’
The Joss’d podcast have an interesting interview with Jill Golick- one of the first people outside of Team Whedon to get their hands on the pilot script for Dollhouse. In the interview she notes the influence that Whedon must carry with the FOX hierachy due to the level of control that he seems to have maintained over the structure of his show. She also states that Dollhouse wont be as ‘episodic’ as many fans are fearing – she points to the fact that the script tells an over-arching story. Another thing she mentions is that the writing in Dollhouse doesn’t belittle the intelligence of the audience – there’s little explanation as to what is going on, instead fans are required to work out for themselves what is happening in this ‘Dollhouse world’. Which is great news for me, as I like to be challenged rather than spoon-fed!
You can listen to the entire interview here - it’s about 27 minutes in if you want to cut straight to the chase.
In the recent trailers we see head honcho of the Dollhouse facility, Adelle DeWitt, make the direct comparison between “robots” and an “active”. Whilst many of us would consider ‘programmed dolls’ to be closer to robots than ‘humans’, she tells it straight: “An active is the truest soul among us”.
So what does this mean exactly? Are we looking at science so evolved that it transcends humanity, freewill, choice..memory? In theory an active appears to me to be a puppet on a string – told what to do, where to go, who to be. How is this a ‘true soul’? Do we really live in an age were being able to purge memories and become someone different each day, represents a true soul?
If I’m asking these questions, imagine the kind of questions Echo will begin to ask when she starts to remember fragments of who she was last time around!?
Of course the head honcho is biased in all of this – it’s her programme, of course she’s going to promote it in a good light. We, the viewer, can be more objective as to whether or not the ‘dolls’ are in safe hands.
As I’ve mentioned before, I just LOVE this premise - I can’t help but be fascinated by intelligent and ‘fun’ ideas like this one Joss Whedon cooked up over lunch with Eliza Dushku.
We’ve got 8 long months to wait until we’re fully immersed into the ‘Dollhouse’, but why wait til then?..I’m beginning my speculating and theorising now!
It’s just come to my attention that the comments system has not been operable – probably since I started this blog. D’oh! Apologies if you have been trying to leave a comment and been hit with an error message. I’ve now looked into the problem and resolved it, so all comments should get through from now on.
So if you have anything to say about anything posted on the blog and the show itself – whether it’s positive or negative or inbetween - then feel free to share your thoughts – this blog will only be as good as the show and the ‘WDH.com’ community!
Also, if you notice any teething problems or errors pages, links not working etc, please feel free to let me know so that I can iron out any kinks in the system. I also hope to improve the blog and the interface the closer we get to January!
In the 
Site Update – Comments System Fixed
by Roco on May 21, 2008 · 2 comments
Hey folks,
It’s just come to my attention that the comments system has not been operable – probably since I started this blog. D’oh! Apologies if you have been trying to leave a comment and been hit with an error message. I’ve now looked into the problem and resolved it, so all comments should get through from now on.
So if you have anything to say about anything posted on the blog and the show itself – whether it’s positive or negative or inbetween - then feel free to share your thoughts – this blog will only be as good as the show and the ‘WDH.com’ community!
Also, if you notice any teething problems or errors pages, links not working etc, please feel free to let me know so that I can iron out any kinks in the system. I also hope to improve the blog and the interface the closer we get to January!
Cheers! :)
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