According to Wired.com, Joss Whedon fans are already beginning a big campaign to save the popular writer/director/producer’s next SF project titled “Dollhouse,” before it has even hit the air.
They’re doing this, not because they think Whedon has a stinker on his hands, but because they all know which network the television series will be premiering on — FOX!
The last time Whedon dealt with Fox was with his uber-popular, but very short-lived phenomenon called “Firefly.” Fox literally trashed the show, running episodes out of sequence, changing airdates without notice and axed it after a handful of episodes. The show has gone on to be one of the most popular DVD sellers in the entertainment industry’s history and led to a big screen feature film titled “Serenity,” not from 20th Century Fox, but its competitor, Universal Pictures.
Die-hard Whedonites want to make sure Fox doesn’t try that same kind of tactic with his newest project, “Dollhouse, a sci-fi drama about a group of high-tech killer assassins.
Taking the lead in this campaign is the newly developed community website DollhouseForums.com. Those involved in the blossoming organization are asking Whedon fans everywhere across the country to begin developing a strategy to find ways to contact local Fox affiliates, advertisers and other movers and shakers about “Dollhouse.” Some of organizer suggestions have been to set up viewing parties, watch the trailers online, buy Dollhouse-endorsed merchandise and to create more Dollhouse-fan sites.
Others are convinced that this could be much ado about nothing, noticing a change at Fox over the last season with the renewal of such shows as “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” and also believe Fox now realizes the mistake they made with dumping “Firefly.” These fans have a wait-and-see attitude about “Dollhouse.”
If only 500,000 people watch the show then regardless how good the show is it will be cancelled. I don’t believe in supporting a show just because a particular person wrote it, produced it or directed it. If they can’t draw the fans to the show in a season then it will be cancelled and that would be appropriate. After all why should a network spend money on a program that they will not make money on?
The fact of the matter is that firefly did not create a large enough fan base to justify keeping it on the air. The movie did ok but by Hollywood standards it really didn’t do that well and certainly not well enough to do a second one. If you look at the revenue that the movie made and factor in that many fans saw the movie more than once then there really wasn’t enough fans to keep it on television. While I’ll admit that the fans of Firefly and Joss Whedon are very loyal and vocal it just isn’t enough.
There are many shows that I wish had been given a longer runs to try and build a fan base but that is the way it works. Regardless of what night they put the show on or what they put the show against. If it can not draw consistent numbers of viewers then it will be canceled. I don’t know what the magic number of fans is but it is probably related to the cost of the show and since generally speaking scifi shows cost more to produce they need a larger number to keep them on the air.
While I agree somewhat with what Dave is saying, this is not always how it has been. Yes, networks should keep shows that make them money, most defiantly. However, networks today do not give a show long enough a chance to develop a following. Shows need time to grow, just like anything. “The Twilight Zone” started to dismal ratings, but the network gave it time to breath and it went on to be a huge success. It seems that the trend, especially with fox, is to want and expect an instant hit. Yes, these happen, quite often, seemingly, but for the time, money and effort that go into these shows, it seems to me that networks would be better served to nurture a well written and produced show. Why cut your losses when you can get an eventual return on your investment? It’s like buying a radio and tossing it out if you don’t find a song you like on the first spin of the dial, then buying another radio; lather, rinse and repeat. . .
It must continue to be stressed that networks can pull any show they want for any reason they like….but, we all agree that a show should at least be given some semblance of a chance to build an audience. In the case of “Firefly” that chance was never given. How does a network give a show a chance?
1. Promote the hell out of it and give it as much ad exposure as possible with video promos/commercials, press junkets and actor interviews with the press and on various talk shows.
2. Find a night and time to air it and stick with that to give audiences time to find it and tune in on a weekly basis.
3. Run episodes in sequence, starting with the first or pilot episode.
4. Let the show run out at least 13 uninterrupted episodes without pulling the plug.
If NBC would have pulled “Seinfeld” after its first dismal season then we’d all be scratching our heads and asking “Who is this Jerry Seinfeld person.”
Networks no longer give shows the chance they deserve to grow, enhance and develop a core audience. I am grateful to see Fox slowly turning by its renewal of T:TSCC. That is a sign of change on their part because the show is loved by SF fans but did only an average rating share. This bodes well for Fox execs. Perhaps they are finally getting wise to what viewers, and not just advertisers want.
This is a great idea. Waiting until a show is in trouble doesn’t seem to work, so why not contact people earlier? I would hate to see another Whedon show go down in flames.
Awesome idea!
Right on, Sam.
I do think starting a ‘save the show’ campaign is a bit dippy before the show even airs.
In the past Whedon has been very outspoken about how upset and bitter he was about FOX’s lame-brained handling and eventual cancellation of Firefly.
If he’s back with fox, I can only assume whatever hesitance and suspicion he had about working with them has been laid to rest. The best thing fans of Whedon’s work can do now is help promote it through fan-sites and such, and watch the damn thing when it airs.
I for one and very brand loyal when it comes to writers – Whedon in particular. If he wasn’t involved in this show I would probably have ignored the trailers and show announcements. Knowing the consistent quality of Whedon’s work though, I’m looking forward to it.
Fight the good fight!