Dollhouse

With Michael Ausiello breaking the somewhat expected news that FOX is benching DOLLHOUSE for November Sweeps and in the process, virtually guaranteeing your availability to direct that episode of GLEE, I couldn’t help but wonder….

Is it not time to take a page from Felicia Day and her GUILD by cutting the network out of the equation?

After-all, If DOLLHOUSE’s consistently low ratings are any indication, you’ve got at the very least, two million loyal fans devouring everything you touch. Which means, should you ever decide to go THE GUILD route and distribute your own series online for a a mere 99¢ per download, one might expect you to net somewhere in the range of 1.5 to 2 million dollars per episode of [say, for argument sake] FIREFLY: THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES. Which, if we’re to believe TV By The Numbers, is a healthy profit considering the average episode of DOLLHOUSE is said to have cost somewhere in the range of 650,000 to 1.3 million per.

Add to those profits, DVD sales, foreign distribution, product placement, online streaming, merchandising and the one thing money can’t buy — actual ownership of the show affording you the creative freedom to do whatever you choose — and once again, I have to ask, what are you waiting for?

I think you’d agree that FOX tried. The network put their money and marketing muscle behind the show, even going as far as to renew it for an unexpected second season. Unfortunately, the reality of the current television landscape seems to be that if you really want to stick to your own dark and gritty vision, one that asks the difficult questions and challenges viewers with something other than the procedural-of-the-week, you’re probably not going to be able to do it on any of the major networks (just ask the creators of SOUTHLAND). Well, that, or either start sending Echo on more missions that involve either (a) Vampires or (b) Glee Clubs.

DOLLHOUSE’s inevitable cancellation is a sign. A sign that it’s time to continue the pioneering journey you started with DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-A-LONG BLOG by putting your money (or at the very least, some savvy investor’s money) where your mouth is and see what happens.

From Whedonesque.com :

Hi guys. Lot going on.

First off, TV addict not dumb. (But you gotta get clean, man. We love you and you HAVE A PROBLEM. I’m just saying, try a book. A book about TV! Not cold turkey.)

Directing Glee. This is not a diabolical Fox scheme. This is me going "can I can I?" Did you see last night? Best cut-to-opening-credits moment since the halcyon days of BSG.

Howzabout that schedule? Well, I’m not as depressed as everyone else. We weren’t about to rock sweeps anyway, and though there’s a chilly November, December is CRAZY. It’s like an Advent calendar of episodes! We get November to try to spread the word (which I’ll be leaning on Fox to do, though it’s hard to imagine them doing as good a job as the WhyIWatch guy) and then December is pure gluttony. Plus the episodes line up extremely well in these pairs, and we’ll have an absurdly appropriate lead-in.

Back to breaking Tim’s episode. Keep the faith, peeps. I’ll bring you news (and hopefully a little humor, I mean would it kill me to punch these up a little?) when I can. -j

joss | October 22, 18:11 CET