Joss is returning to TV... and not just any TV, but FOX! After saying he'd never work with the network again after the "Firefly" fiasco, Joss has teamed up with Tim Minear and Eliza Dushku to try it again.

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Copy and pasted version:
Titled Dollhouse, the show will star former Buffy player Eliza Dushku as a secret agent named Echo. However, she won't be simply flashing a badge and kicking criminals in the face. Each of the agents in Echo's group can have abilities and personalities uploaded into themselves for specific assignments; when they complete the assignment, the memories are wiped from their minds. Dushku's character eventually begins to figure out what is transpiring and realizes that she is being used.

"[Dollhouse] deals with our darkest impulses and our best ones," Whedon said. "It deals with all the things I like to deal with--strength, weakness, power, and corruption."

Dollhouse has been given a seven-episode commitment with Fox, and is expected to premiere sometime next year. The idea apparently came to Whedon over a recent lunch meeting with Dushku.

As for the tone of the show, Whedon thinks that Buffy fans will be pleased. "If [Buffy fans] could only see what's in my head right now... They should be [excited]," Whedon told TVWeek.

This marks Whedon's first return to running a television show since Buffy spinoff Angel went off the air in 2004. This also ends Whedon's standoff with Fox, which came about after the network canceled Firefly after only 11 episodes (which were shown out of order).

"It's a brand new day over [at Fox]," said Whedon. "It's a completely new bunch of people and they seem really intelligent and supportive."

Whedon is also working on Ripper, another Buffy spinoff, as well as taking the occasional guest directing spot on The Office.

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Cattivo wrote:

I don't know much about Firefly cuz I didn't like it when I first watched it. From what I've heard from fans, I assumed Whedon also paid a lot of attention to the Gina Torres character and the "whore with a heart of gold" character. Not to mention the previews for the movie advertised a guest character with special powers that was a female.

Oh Lord no. "Firefly" is first and foremost Mal's story. From pilot to "Out of Gas" to "Objects in Space" to "Serenity" to "Those Left Behind" it is all about Mal.

Sure, there's time for his relationship with Inara, and time spent with Zoe and Kaylee, but like "Angel" they are only supporting characters to the lead.

"Angel" was Angel's show. Cordelia and Fred were his supports and lifelines. The show never strayed too far from Angel's personal quest for redemption.

And what is this about Whedon not caring about his male characters!? Spike was a very strong, masculine protagonist, so much so that he got moved to "Angel" after "Buffy". Sure, Xander didn't have powers and was the butt of a lot jokes and situations, but he was never emasculated. The same could be said for Riley and Giles. I'll give you that Andrew was not quite the most masculine of characters and still questionably homosexual... But, hey, let's embrace all aspects of the Y-chromosome!

As already stated "Angel" was perhaps Whedon's strongest masculine show because of Angel, Wesley, and Gunn. Let's also add uber-villain Lindsey to that list as he had one of the most dimensional antagonist roles in any Whedon series. And who could forget that rambunctious Conner and pacifist Lorne? Moving away from the amount of characters, storylinewise Wesley and Gunn carried a significant amount of that show, especially with both of them surviving throughout the whole series. Season four was a Conner driven season that dealt with mostly teenage boy and father issues.

Come to think of it with "Angel" and "Firefly" being both led by male protagonists, I do believe that "Dollhouse" will even the score.

Syd Lexia wrote:

I hope Eliza has finally found her true calling.

*rimshot*

Ghandi wrote:

I love Eliza, and Whedon is an amazing writer. But it's on Fox. Not the smartest people on the planet. Canceled Futurama AND Family Guy. Didn't they also cancel her last show too, Tru Calling?

Actually, I've been following this little soap opera.

Fox has a new president (something CW needs to do, ie fire Dawn! ) and so far they seem to want to bring FOX back to its sci-fi roots; hence all the sci-fi shows. Fringe and Dollhouse are their big investments. Both shows will be given a BIG chance to succeed. The power both Abrams and Whedon hold is enough to keep Fox hesistent on early cancelation.

Terminator has been brought back despite less than desired ratings. This is a major victory for Fringe and Dollhouse. Of course, all three shows will be MONSTROUSLY EXPENSIVE! So the unspoken rule here is that one or two might go depending on how much ad revenue and ratings they get.

Ghandi wrote:

I just read that Amy Acker is going to be on Dollhouse Another Angel alum joins the cast. She was Fred, the country girl who really grew on you as Angel progressed.

And then breaks your heart!

Off topic:

The Fringe pilot has already been leaked online. Go find it and teach J.J. another lesson about secrecy. j/k

Apparently when J.J.'s unfinished, early Superman draft got leaked online, J.J. became obsessed with secrecy. That's why there was a ton of it on LOST, M:I III, and the new Star Trek. I understand where he's coming from. I'm just curious if the pilot is "complete" or still in progress (reshoots, rescoring, etc.).