Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Joss Whedon’s online musical Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog has a release date. The series, which Whedon conceived during last year’s writers strike, will make its web debut when the first episode airs on 15 July at drhorrible.com. The other two episodes of the series will go live on 17 July and 19 July respectively, and you’ll be able to watch them for free until 20 July. After that it looks like there’ll be some kind of system for paid-for downloads in place.

With Dollhouse coming to US TV in the new year and Dr Horrible kicking off this month, it seems Whedon is back with a vengeance. It’s the story of bargain basement supervillain Dr Horrible (played by former Doogie Howser, MD, Neil Patrick Harris) who regularly gets a beating from the heroic Captain Hammer (played by Whedon fave Nathan Fillion), all to a catchy musical backing. "It’s a classic talk-then-break-into-song musical," Whedon told SFX. "The songs are a pop/show hybrid - that is, the sound is poppy and (hopefully) catchy, but the lyrics progress rather than just repeat. The songs move the story. But ya can’t stop hummin’ ’em! (Legally. Hum-stoppage will result in up to six months in WoW as some lame healer)."

You can read more about Dr Horrible in SFX 171, but you’ll have to be quick - the issue goes off sale tomorrow!