FOX Cancels ‘Dollhouse’! Why Do They Do This Everytime?

Posted on: November 11, 2009
26 comments so far (is that a lot?)

According to the Hollywood Reporter, FOX has decided to cancel Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse. We all knew this was coming, but yet we seem to fall for it everytime. Just when the show started to get good, its cut down. Even though I’m a Joss Whedon fan, I didn’t find the first season hugely compelling. However then I saw the unaired season 1 finale, “Epitaph One”, and since then with season 2, the show has finally been living up to its potential. The latest episode “Belonging”, with Sierra’s origin story was fantastic and I felt that the show was moving in the right direction.

Apparently FOX and casual viewers didn’t feel that way, as the ratings still were very low, despite huge DVR and online viewership. My thing with FOX, is that I understand its a business, however Dollhouse was never really given much of a chance to begin with. It not only was given the Friday “Deathslot” but it debuted there! It wasn’t moved from a different day/time, but basically was set up to fail.

Though, I’m not as upset as when Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles was cancelled, this still is unfortunate for a sci fi show that actually started to be about something.

The question now is, what will Joss do next? And is there any possibility of Dollhouse being moved to Syfy Network (that’s what we thought could happen with Terminator SCC, but sadly it did not).

What do you guys think of this news?

- Dennis

Source:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ibd4c93af8a3194fa8f32bc3b11c6126a

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666326 Responses2009-11-11+21%3A26%3A24Dennis to “FOX Cancels ‘Dollhouse’! Why Do They Do This Everytime?”

Fuelbot Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:28 PM
WHY THE FUCK ISN'T TIL DEATH DO US PART GETTING CANCELLED?!

Brian
DeadpoolAndFriends Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:42 PM
WTF? GOD DAMNIT I HATE FOX! Seriously. Killed with the Friday Death Slot.
JoeyMc Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:46 PM
God this sucks very much but the nice thing about Whedon shows is he likes to make movies out of them so that would be fricken great! I'm really made I've been a big fan of dollhouse since the beginning though I don't like the thing of the week I think its always entertaining and original. Has till death even been cancelled yet? If it hasn't I am going to boycott fox I mean if there going to keep a show shouldn't it be dollhouse but what bothers me the most is the fact that they did put it on on friday when it would've had a better chance at 10 on tuesday or something.
Andrew Moser Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:49 PM
Not shocked, but it still blows.
Andrew Moser Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:49 PM
(The news blows, not the show. I've been a fan of the show since day 1!)
ThinkHero Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 9:52 PM
Agreed, even when Dollhouse wasn't the best, it still was better than 90% of the crappy TV shows out there.

Dennis
Nolan Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 10:03 PM
I'm not surpised. You can always tell when Fox is trying to kill a show, and they followed through on every sign. The deathslot, pre-emting it for sports ect. They did it with Futurama though, and see how that turned out? 26 new episodes on Comedy Central sometime in 2010.

I think the managers at Fox ('Those Foxers', I like to call 'em) don't like anything innovative or that may wake the masses out of their comatose state most other TV shows put them into.
ThinkHero Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 10:14 PM
Yeah, not suprising given the ratings. However still upsetting.

Dennis
ThinkHero Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 10:16 PM
I remember how FOX tried to kill Futurama, they moved and pre-empted that show so many times. Then after cancelling had to bring it back because people loved it. It's like they're allergic to good shows.

Dennis
Vanessa Says:
November 11th, 2009 at 11:21 PM
Arrrggh, just when it was getting good.. I hope Joss finds another network for the show.. It's so good, urgh, it pisses me off so much. >.> I really hope it doesn't end here. Hope he tries to put it on a SyFy network. </3 So sad..
Fuelbot Says:
November 12th, 2009 at 12:30 AM
Fox Exec #1: Hey, that last Dollhouse episode was pretty good.
Fox Exec #2: I know, right?!
Fox Exec #1: Actually, the last few have been pretty damn good.
Fox Exec #2: I know, right?! But there's still Til Death, and Brothers, American Dad and The Cleveland–
Seth McFarlane: WHO DARES TO COMPARE MY GENIUS TO THAT ANNOYING WHEDON-BOY?
Fox Exec #1: Well…it's actually good this year. And smart. Pretty much everything American Dad and The Cleveland show aren't?
Seth McFarlane: INTO THE SARLAC PIT WITH YOU! YOU, OTHER GUY, CANCEL THE DOLLHOUSE!
Fox Exec #2: But…
Seth McFarlane: CANCEL ITTTT!!!!!

Brian
ThinkHero Says:
November 12th, 2009 at 1:56 AM
Hahaha, sounds true to life, especially point is driven home with this video

http://www.thinkhero.com/2009/11/11/seth-mcfarlan...

Dennis
ThinkHero Says:
November 12th, 2009 at 1:57 AM
Sadly, the Syfy twitter account has said they weren't going to. Yet they Warehouse 13 is there most watched show ever, how lame.

Dennis
Landfill Says:
November 12th, 2009 at 3:36 AM
You know, I'm sure Dollhouse was really good but for some reason you knew it was doomed from the start. I think it debuted right after the Terminator show got the axe so anything remotely related aka Sci Fi, would have been cancelled soon.

Hate to say it, but with Fringe's recent ratings, it looks like it's on it's way out too.
kenderkenobi Says:
November 12th, 2009 at 10:02 AM
It sucks and I'm not trying to play that down.

But really, when is Joss going to just stop dealing with FOX and start peddling his shows to another network? Ok, fine, there was the big BJ session that came from Buffy and it's ratings (personally I hated that show most of all on TV durings its entirely too long of a run), but since then it seems like Joss and FOX just don't mesh. There has to be other networks that have the cash that'll actually let Joss' vision get a chance to bloom.

Or maybe it's all about the money and somewhere behind the scenes this isn't about creativity for Mr. Wheddon like we'd all like to believe and it just comes down to the gobs of money he's able to rake in every time he STARTS a new show.

At any rate I just won't waste my time if Joss does yet another show with FOX in the future.
kenderkenobi Says:
November 12th, 2009 at 11:32 PM
http://www.pvponline.com/2009/11/12/dullhouse/
Lis Says:
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:07 PM
I hate FOX ! This is my fav show and afte stopping this show I have no other reason to wtch stupid FOX. Let some other TV BUY DOLLHOUSE ! Comeon ,people!
Judas Says:
November 26th, 2009 at 8:13 PM
I love it how Fox takes a watchable show, gets you hooked (timeslots nonwithstanding) then just yanks it off air. But then again, with Fox it’s not a matter of if, it’s the question of when.

At least Whedon managed to have a stab at them in Serenity.

*****************************
The Operative: I told them the Tams were no longer a threat. Damage done. They might listen, but I think they know I’m no longer their man.
Mal: They take you down, I don’t expect to grieve over much. Like to kill you myself, I see you again.
The Operative: You won’t…There is nothing left to see.
******************************
Nicholas Says:
December 13th, 2009 at 10:00 PM
I wonder if they bothered to check online numbers, they might've either been able to give it a better slot, or maybe even supported it in some kind of online distribution fashion. Surely if the traffic was there you could generate a lot of money from advertising. It's a little radical, but some networks here in NZ already have on demand internet broadcast. Although it is annoying that it wont easily save to my hdd. Usually they reserve that for shows already aired, but I think it might be able to support shows that way, and if people went to your source then you'd easily be able to track the numbers. Granted money is at stake, perhaps with Joss they see a risk, and they don't want to blow a good slot on a show that might flop. Harsh, and I think they're assholes.

Given the ratings I'm not surprised. Given the information they had available to them, or might've easily obtained, I don't think they were their best.
ThinkHero Says:
December 13th, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Sadly, Syfy said they weren't going to pick it up. Instead they are content with mediocrity with Warehouse 13.

Dennis
ThinkHero Says:
December 13th, 2009 at 10:06 PM
Yeah Joss should have known better. Let us pray he no longer feels the need to deal with FOX again.

Dennis
ThinkHero Says:
December 13th, 2009 at 10:07 PM
Unfortunately I still have to watch FOX for Glee and Fringe, otherwise I would boycott them, hahaha

Dennis
ThinkHero Says:
December 13th, 2009 at 10:10 PM
Dollhouse had good online and DVR numbers, unfortunately it wasn't enough with the broadcast ratings to keep it on the air. I think what you are saying about NZ is probably close to what we will have in the future for television shows. Nobody wants to watch TV on the network's schedule. We have Hulu where people can watch a lot of broadcast TV shows on demand, but I guess it wasn't generating enough money for FOX.

Dennis
ThinkHero Says:
December 13th, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Dollhouse actually debuted on Terminators 2nd year, but both were up for chopping block earlier this year, and Terminator got the axe and Dollhouse a reprieve.

Fringe isn't on the chopping block yet, but it's getting close.

Dennis
ThinkHero Says:
December 13th, 2009 at 10:13 PM
Debuting the show on Fridays definitely didn't help. I think Joss needs to settle for cable channels instead of insisting on broadcast networks.

Dennis
Landfill Says:
December 14th, 2009 at 12:14 AM
I heard Dollhouse was getting good too. If it were to stick around for awhile, I would have definitely started watching it. I really hope Fringe isn't getting cancelled so soon because I just got caught up and am ready for newest episodes.