Dollhouse

"Dollhouse" (Premieres Feb. 13, FOX)

Joss Whedon’s fans may be TV’s most devoted, but they’ve also been trained into a certain amount of insecurity over the years, hence the only-partially-justifed rending of garments when FOX announced that Whedon’s latest drama, "Dollhouse," would air on Friday nights and premiere on Friday the 13th. As I’ve said since the announcement, airing the Eliza Dushku vehicle on Fridays probably saves it from the sort of swift hook it might have faced leading into a make-or-break season of "24" on Monday nights. The premiere, already sent out to critics, feels more like a TV series than Whedon’s original pilot, which was written basically as a 50 minute movie. There’s still ample series mythology and philosophical underpinnings, but it’s also possible to imagine what Dushku’s Echo will be doing on a weekly basis. There’s little doubt "Dollhouse" will be an acquired taste, but Whedon’s fans should be happy and FOX may be satisfied to let the series build. [Denizens of the Whedonverse will also probably be anticipating the March 9 premiere of ABC’s "Castle," which features "Firefly," "Buffy" and "Dr. Horrible" veteran Nate Fillion as a mystery writer drawn into an investigation of a real-work killer using MOs from his books.]