Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse': Will it survive the Friday night curse?

12/05/08 - As an avid fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and the internet-only miniseries Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, I must admit I was overcome with geeker joy when I heard Joss Whedon would have a new series "Dollhouse," coming to Fox midseason.I was even more thrilled to find out that Eliza Dushku, aka Faith, Buffy's twisted rogue slayer with a daddy complex, would be taking the lead role in said new series. It all seemed to good to be true, a bright light following the horror that has been the Buffy: Season Eight comic books.

And, as I suspected, it was. A dark cloud settled over the Whedonverse as Fox announced it would be airing "Dollhouse" Friday nights at 9 p.m., starting February 13. Why such a panic you ask? Well, how many shows do you stay in to watch on a Friday night?

Friday is the night for second-rate comedies and cheesy dramas, like Reba or Ghost Whisperer. Not many shows survive on Fridays, let alone an intelligent but hard to categorize show like the ones Whedon is known for.

"Dollhouse" centers around the illegal organization from which the show derives its name, a place where wealthy clients hire "actives" to fulfill their every need and desire. Actives are people who have chosen, for their own reasons, to give up their bodies and minds in exchange for a stay at the Dollhouse, and for every job, said actives are given new personalities and skills, which are then forgotten when the job is done.

Dushku plays Echo, an active whose memories from past jobs and her former life, start coming back to her, leading her to begin questioning her life at the Dollhouse.

As is typical of Whedon, "Dollhouse" has a sci-fi bent, which means it will most likely be difficult for it to find an audience, especially on a major network. A select few, namely Heroes, have succeeded, but even Heroes has been losing footing among audiences.

Sci-fi series, like Battlestar Gallactica to name one great non-Whedon example, have often been much more than just sci-fi, bringing with them some of the best dramatic storylines and wittiest humor on television. With their wild premises and complicated plots though, most viewers seem to avoid them like the plague, unless they are lucky enough to have well-known stars or producers (Heroes and Lost, I'm looking at you).

Whedon's shows have been no exception. Buffy didn't grab hold of many viewers until its second season, and even then the show was never what could be considered a hit with audiences. It had a strong cult following but no mass appeal. The only real reason it stuck around was because it aired on The WB, which was never a very successful network. Then it was sold to UPN, an even less successful network, where big numbers weren't a requirement for renewal.

Firefly, however, is the more troubling example. The show, which is frequently described as a "sci-fi western," spawned the 2005 movie Serenity after it failed as a television series, barely lasting three months before being cancelled. The kicker? It also aired on Fox on Fridays.

I, for one, am hoping the Friday night curse passes "Dollhouse" over, although I remain pessimistic. If you're a fan of quality television though, check out "Dollhouse's" trailer at www.eonline.com or, of course, YouTube.

May I shamelessly suggest at least recording it on your DVR for the sake of my little Whedon-obsessed heart? It's about time my poor Buffy DVDs got a break.