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Who’s the Right Boss For Joss?

No, I haven’t started doing everything in rhyme. (Though I do admire Muffy Mouse for her iconoclasm and courage.)  The cancellation of Dollhouse has made it clear that Fox is not the right place for Joss Whedon. With Firefly there was a credible argument that it might have done better if it had been handled better, but Dollhouse got a consistent — albeit not great — time slot, a second season, and terrible ratings. That network just isn’t the right fit for Whedon’s stuff.

Oh, You Beautiful, Or At Least Not Entirely Unsightly, Doll[house]

After doing all those “Is Dollhouse in trouble?” posts (for which I don’t apologize — it was fascinating to see a show’s struggles and re-tools exposed so clearly to the public, when they’re usually hidden from view), the fact that it is in trouble seems vaguely anti-climactic. So instead I’ll direct you to Todd VanDerWerff’s post at The House Next Door, entitled “Hey, Fox. Save Dollhouse.” It’s a good argument for why, after all the pre-production trouble and miscasting and the weak start, the show has real growth potential — that is, it’s not a great show yet, but it arguably could be: