Dollhouse

Fox picks up ’Lie to Me’ and ’Human Target’

Lie to me Fox has picked up Lie to Me, as expected, and has also hired Shawn Ryan to serve as showrunner, which is a pleasant surprise.

The Shield creator has apparently been helping behind the scenes for the past few months (so if the show seems like it’s gotten better/worse in recent episodes, this could be the reason). Ryan developed The Shield at FX when current Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly was running the network, so this represents a reunion of sorts. Ryan is also still running CBS’ The Unit, which is on the bubble for a pickup.

Fox also picked up family comedy Sons of Tucson and drama pilot Human Target with Fringe actor Mark Valley as a man who takes on a different identity each week to help others. One could see the Target pickup as potentially threatening to Fox’s Dollhouse, which has a similar setup, or as potential boon, should Fox decide to pair the two shows. Tone wise, the show’s are different, with Target more in the vein of a series like 24.

Sources say Dollhouse fans shouldn’t lose hope; that despite the show’s recent ratings, the show is still alive. Whedon pitched the network on his vision for season two late last week. Discussions have commenced between Fox and the studio about how to make the show work financially.