The Hollywood Reporter reports that Dollhouse has been canceled. Fox will air the entire 13 episodes but will order no more. The series is currently on hiatus; new episodes will return in December, but no more are being written. The Joss Whedon program stars Eliza Dushku as a character imprinted with a new personality each episode.
Eastwick has also been canceled. ABC will not order any more episodes after the original 13 finish out. The latest video version of John Updike’s novel The Witches of Eastwick never seemed to rise beyond the level of prime time soap opera.
Both shows had abysmal ratings.
The FX network has bought the rights (serial rights?) to 2012, the blockbuster apocalypse movie out this week.
I had high hopes for Dollhouse, a bad Joss show is usually better than a good any other show, but I was very disappointed. His shows are usually witty, character driven, and with unexpected depth. I tried and tried to find something to enjoy about Dollhouse, but since Eliza Dushku’s character kept changing, I never cared about her. The whole thing came off as totally misogynistic too, which was an enormous surprise after Buffy… Color me sad, but hopeful after the success of Dr. Horrible.
I enjoyed Dollhouse, watching the three lead “dolls” start to have memories bleed through, and developing from “unable to take action on their own” when wiped by an outside source to guiding the actions of the “staff” at the dollhouse. The subtle hints of conspiracy – and what the dolls and their handlers are preparing to do about it – have really been stepping forward this second season, and I think it is a shame it has not been renewed. But yet again another show that makes you think has been cancelled – someday the US will be ready for a more intellectual show.