TVSquad

Technically it is Buffy/Angel week, but all things Whedon have a way of just melding together into one big stew. So it's a fortuitous bit of timing that a trailer for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was released this week. For those still unaware of just what Dr. Horrible is, I think it was summed up best by Nathan Fillion in a recent interview. It's about a super-villain (Neil Patrick Harris) who falls in love with a girl (Felicia Day), and the super-hero (Nathan Fillion) who blows it for him. The super-hero is kind of a dick. And... it's a musical. I think it could be very much more than that. More on that, and the new trailer, after the jump.

First things first, have a look at the trailer.

Now, with the "One" I put in the post title I am referring to the first show to buck the system and really make it big. It's an idea we have heard about many times before. When Firefly was canceled, fans clamored for a way to keep buying new episodes. There was also the Enterprise project where fans were trying to finance another season. There's even currently another one trying to resurrect Jericho again. Clearly, there is some kind of a market for an alternative means of production.

And there are certainly a host of shows that have dipped their foot in the pool. Quarterlife made some noise with their trial run on the network, although that didn't end so well. There are also a number of shows generating plenty of traffic from YouTube and the like. Felecia Day's The Guild is a great example. I'd even throw the always entertaining Tiki Bar TV into the mix. Not to take anything away from any of those shows, but what this budding genre needs is that one big hit that transcends the niche of the internet and gets big exposure. If it can generate a pile of cash to prove it's a viable process, that would be great too. Dr. Horrible has the potential to do just that.

Whedon told SciFi Wire that he anticipates releasing the show on the internet, followed by iTunes and DVD. I think that's the perfect way to go about it. Releasing it for everyone on the internet, especially if it coincides with their panel at ComiCon, should get plenty of butts in the seats. And the one thing you can definitely say about Whedon fans, they are more than happy to spend money on DVDs, even if they've already seen the shows. The success of the Firefly DVDs is ridiculous. It's a failed TV show that sold so many DVDs, they're doing a special edition for Blu-Ray.

Of course, I could just be having an optimistic moment, being suckered in by my strange devotion to Captain Mal. And Dr. Horrible could just come and go and be remembered as a fun little bonus for all of those Whedon fans out there. Or, it could be a watershed moment. It will certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out. What do you say, target demographic. Will you watch Dr. Horrible, and more importantly, will you buy a DVD?

[ thanks James and Sarah ]