Remember when we wrote that Fox's Friday nights didn't do so well in the ratings? There is even more bad news. Dollhouse lost about 15 percent of its viewers this past Friday night from the previous. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles remained about the same, falling only a tenth of a point.These are the times that try a Whedon-fan's soul. Most of us knew in advance that Friday nights are the exact opposite of a ratings powerhouse. These are the circumstances in which we learn whether Fox was sincere in its agreement with Joss Whedon to try and let the show grow an audience.
On a more upbeat note, the decline in ratings for Dollhouse is consistent with the second episode of any new show. The network probably knows this and hopefully has factored this sort of slip into their plans for the show. I refuse to give up hope two weeks in.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-23-2009 @ 9:09AM
Martin said...
Now if only Dollhouse was as good as previous shows, especially Firefly, but I guess Buffy started out pretty bad, and I still have hope for Dollhouse, but if it gets canceled, at least that might give Joss time to make something better if this is all Dollhouse is really gonna be.
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2-23-2009 @ 9:57AM
0megapart!cle said...
We have no idea how good Dollhouse will end up if Fox gives it the chance to grow. You do know that the vast majority of shows start out much weaker than they end up (especially among Joss' shows)? People need to give it a little bit of time, for chrissakes!
2-23-2009 @ 1:37PM
Clayton said...
Come on. You can't judge a show based on two episodes.
So far, I've enjoyed the show, and those 15% that skipped episode 2 missed a great episode. Much better than the first. But not nearly as good as the early pilot script I read... Hopefully the series will start going in that direction.
http://makeasitcom.com
2-23-2009 @ 1:53PM
Martin said...
Guys, I am not saying the show is the most horrible thing, I am also not saying it couldn't get better, I actually stated it could. The point is, the ratings do matter to the stations, and that could put an early end..
Also, I feel that the premise and where the show is going is so translucent right now, and I don't really know if I care enough about the Dollhouse to make it worth it. But hey, I didn't care about Buffy either and look at how that turned out, so who knows. Just saying, as of right now, the show has everything stacked against it. It is hard enough to keep a critically acclaimed show on the air, think about a show with 2 episodes that aren't that hot so far, with very poor ratings...
2-23-2009 @ 9:12AM
Cyantre said...
Dollhouse just isn't that good, so the decline in ratings compared to T:SCC makes sense. I've been a fan of Whedon since Firefly, but Dollhouse just isn't anywhere near as good as I hoped it would be. I expect the ratings to continue to decline, as even fans of Whedon are starting to give up on this show.
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2-23-2009 @ 10:00AM
0megapart!cle said...
Please explain to me why they should give up on this show after two episodes. Joss' fans know that his shows usually take some time to develop (Firefly was a painful exception).
2-23-2009 @ 11:51PM
collin said...
I think that TSCC's writing is crap this season compared to what I've seen with Dollhouse. At this rate, TSCC should have a "Tribute to Musicals" like the friggin Oscars because the writing isn't getting any better.
Dollhouse seems to be coming together, while TSCC is still stumbling around. It would be a shame if Dollhouse gets cut before it gets a chance, but it is on a Friday night... so there's not much hope here.
Maybe America likes sloppy writing and superficial acting? Oh wait. We're talking about Fox, aren't we?
2-23-2009 @ 9:14AM
Cindy Gibson said...
I was all ready to watch DollHouse Friday night. Than I saw that Sci-Fi had started reruns of Moonlight and, well, that did that. I was blissfully happy to watch my FAVORITE show again and Dollhouse never crossed my mind again.
Fridays are on again.
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2-23-2009 @ 9:53AM
0megapart!cle said...
Why do we care what the fuck you think? Moonlight was an OK show, but the fact that you are even considering watching RERUNS of that show in favor of new scifi shows what a pathetic son of a bitch you are.
2-23-2009 @ 12:16PM
ac said...
Omega why would we give a fuck what YOU think? Man are scifi geeks touchy yeesh...
2-23-2009 @ 9:40AM
Zach said...
Did any of you actually watch Dollhouse on Fri? It was great, definitely a step up then the pilot. It's a shame some people didn't stick around, they should try it again. Martin, you make a great point about Buffy not starting out great. But the 2nd ep was definitely a step in the right direction, way better then any eps in Buffy's first season (and I'm a huge Buffy fan).
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2-23-2009 @ 9:56AM
bee sea said...
I second that, Zach. The second episode story in and of itself was more intriguing than the first - a take on The Most Dangerous Game story, and the mythology of the Dollhouse is beginning to reveal itself after the pilot's sort of cumbersome exposition.
I don't understand why stations are so quick to pull series, when I assume they have put up a pile of money for the show's development and marketing. Sure, they can always fill the time slot with recycled sure things that will get a vague half audience, but a network can't fill an entire schedule with reruns.
Anyhow, I hope there aren't any Nielsen families in this TV Squad club.
2-23-2009 @ 9:55AM
0megapart!cle said...
The show was definitely an improvement. Joss still hasn't gotten the cadence of his dialogue style melded into this show quite yet, but he's getting there. Eliza was much better this week (maybe partly because she didn't have that many lines :) ), and I have hope for this show in the future.
2-23-2009 @ 11:15AM
eric f. said...
I watched Dollhouse on a slight time delay on my DVR, and I am so glad that I watched it before terminator, because the Dollhouse promos during terminator contained spoilers. Those Fox advertising morons.
2-23-2009 @ 12:23PM
Jeff N. said...
The 2nd episode was a lot better than the first episode. Too bad so many people were not willing to give the show a 2nd viewing. It takes a bit of time to get a show fully fleshed out and to reach it's potential.
2-23-2009 @ 9:55AM
David S said...
There were cliches abound in the second episode of Dollhouse. That said, it was executed 10x better than the pilot. While currently I have little reason to be concerned about Eliza Dushku's character, this episode layed some groundwork for the Dollhouse universe, and was effective in doing so. Also just as an adventure of the week, while cliche, was done well with tension/conflict built up at the right moments to the right degree.
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2-23-2009 @ 10:51AM
cdawg said...
I really enjoyed this week's episode. And my goodness the Middleman is GORGEOUS!
I love the premise of the show as a whole - in fact, I really dig all shows where a person becomes something else, or goes somewhere else, each episode, a la Quantum Leap or Sliders.
For the record, I never watched Buffy (except for the musical episode) or Firefly. I did like Angel though. So I'm not a Whedon fanatic or anything, but I do think the premise is really intriguing. I hope people give it more time.
Omegaparticle - chill out, people can have opinions. Cindy Gibson has every right to watch Moonlight if she thinks that is a better show. I never caught an ep of that show either, but have heard its fans are diehard.
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2-23-2009 @ 11:17AM
Parl said...
I agree the second episode was better, but that's not saying much as the first episode was BAD. Even though it was "better," it just wasn't that entertaining. It's just bad. Not only is it bad, but the plot is lame, not to mention that none of the characters "fit" - especially the kid who does the reprogramming. On top of all that, the acting is horrible. I'm sorry Eliza, but you are not believable in any role other than a high school cheerleader. To doom it even more, Eliza is just looking kind of old and haggard in HD. The only reason I bring that up is because Fox is pushing SEX SEX SEX with all their previews/commercials, but she's definitely lost a bit in the looks department (face-wise).
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2-23-2009 @ 11:22AM
Jimmy said...
I watched the first two episodes in one sitting, with a little help from TIVO, and I actually enjoyed Dollhouse. Is it Buffy or Angel, or even Firefly? No, this series is nothing like them -- a completely different concept. On its own merits, without comparing it to the other Whedon series, I think Dollhouse has some potential. The Friday time slot is a disaster for a series like this; a series that needs a little nurturing and a good lead-in. Too bad Fix wussed out and didn't air the series following American Idol.
The one negative that comes to mind is when I read interviews with Joss Whedon about the series. He just doesn't seem all that invested in Dollhouse. I don't sense the fire that I sensed with his other series and that could doom Dollhouse more so than bad ratings. However, with ratings like this I doubt Dollhouse will live into a second season, which will be a shame because that's when Whedon series tend to find their mojo. Both Buffy and Angel were far superior in their second seasons compared to their first, especially Angel.
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2-23-2009 @ 12:13PM
adam said...
Given that it's FOX, I won't be holding my breath. I can honestly say that I'm part of the problem - I totally spaced that it was on. I wonder, however, if Hulu's viewer numbers are the same/up for the second ep - that's where I caught it. Better that than downloading it - at least this way they know I'm watching it, right?
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