FOX will announce its 2008-09 schedule at its upfront presentation to advertisers on Thursday (May 15), but fans have already been anticipating Dollhouse and Fringe for months.

Created by J.J. Abrams with frequent cohorts Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, Fringe is expected to have a place on the fall schedule, launching with a two-hour pilot believed to be budgeted in the $10-million range and directed by Alex Graves (Journeyman). The cast of the X-Files-esque drama is led by relative newcomer Anna Torv -- hoping to catch a little of the magic Abrams gave to Keri Russell, Jennifer Garner and Evangeline Lilly -- but includes familiar faces including Joshua Jackson (Pacey!!!), John Noble (Denethor!!!) and Lance Reddick. Viewers will likely have to wait a little longer for Dollhouse, which seems destined for midseason. Joss Whedon is writing and directing the pilot, which brings Eliza Dushku back to primetime. I've read the script for each pilot. Keeping in mind that between rewrites, casting and directing choices original pilot scripts can be as different from the eventual pilot as night and day, here are a few first impressions:

Fringe Written by J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
What It's About: When something disturbing, unexplainable and just a bit icky happens to the passengers on an international flight, FBI Agent Olivia Warren (Torv) begins an investigation that leads her to Dr. Walter Bishop (Noble), a renegade scientist whose unorthodox experiments into fringe phenomena led to arrests and eventually institutionalization. Warren can only get Bishop out with the help of his estranged son Peter (Jackson), a young man with a genius IQ, but questionable morals and motivation. The son isn't ready to reconcile with his father, the father isn't ready to be reintegrated into the outside world and Olivia isn't ready to serve as babysitter, but they form an unlikely team. How does the airplane tragedy relate to The Pattern, a spate of unexplained occurrences sweeping the world? And what does any of this have to do with the mysterious Prometheus Corporation, one of the world's most forward-thinking companies? And what do we make of Broyles (Reddick), the head of the Homeland Security's newly formed Fringe Division?
How It Reads: The script I read feels like an early draft. It's rife with typos and comes in at more than 110 pages, far longer than any two-hour pilot could handle. Once 20 pages of the script are trimmed, I'm assuming the pilot will play far better. The script has an X-Files meets Altered States meets Alias vibe that's immediately familiar and comfortable. The actual plot of the pilot could probably have fit into a standard hour, but Abrams and Company are making the effort to give the material a global scale and the script plants at least a half-dozen potential running mysteries that will allow Fringe to have both serialized elements and also freak-of-the-week plots. The set-up of these three individuals against a vast corporate/government conspiracy has been fruitful for Abrams in the past and there's no reason to believe that it won't work here. While Abrams has always been able to write carefully delineated female characters, Olivia is initially the weakest link in the show's core trio, another strong, career-minded female whose personal life threatens to undermine her professional prospects. The inevitability of a strained will-they/won't-they romance between Olivia and Peter already has me rooting for an expanded role for Astrid, the FBI underling to be played by Jasika Nicole.
How It Might Play: For FOX, the best thing about Fringe -- other than getting into the J.J. Abrams business, of course -- is that the series has the potential to partner with almost any established show on its schedule, depending on how they spin it. It's the story of two bickering partners solving crimes and flirting? Team it with Bones. It's the story of a brilliant and eccentric man with limited social skills? Let's match it with House. It's about a strong, single woman doing whatever she has to do to save the world? Sounds like a match with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. While I can't speak for Torv, the other lead roles seem perfectly cast, though Fringe isn't going to be sold as a star-driven show. It's going to be sold as FOX's attempt to reclaim the X-Files demo that the network has jeopardized with the swift cancellation of too many shows from folks like Whedon and Tim Minear. The script lends itself to a large-scale pilot and it should leave viewers knowing exactly what to expect in the episodes to come, which is more than can be said for...

Dollhouse Written by Joss Whedon
What It's About: Echo (Dushku) is a Doll. She's a young woman imprinted by a group of shady scientists as a blank-slate-for-hire. Depending on how she's programmed, she can be a glorified prostitute, the ideal wedding date to make your ex-girlfriend jealous, a butt-kicking bodyguard or a sympathetic confidante. She can be anything you want. And she's not the only Doll in the Dollhouse, a vast holding facility overseen by Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams). When Echo hasn't been imprinted by programmer Topher (Fran Kranz), she's supposed to be a blank slate, but Topher and Dr. Claire Saunders (Amy Acker) are beginning to notice signs of learned behavior from Echo, signs of memory. If Echo's becoming self-aware, that might be the break to help Paul (Tahmoh Penikett), a federal agent trying to get to the bottom of the Dollhouse urban legend.
How It Reads: A good pilot should do one of two things: It should either lay out the blueprint for the rest of the series or it should intrigue you so much that you can't wait for the second episode. Fringe falls into the first category. It leaves almost nothing to the imagination in terms of what's coming next. Dollhouse falls into the second category. Whedon's script builds into a mystery that's as much philosophical as science fiction. The introduction to the show's universe is immediately disorienting, but also enthralling, as Whedon mixes elements of the conspiracy thriller with what threatens to become a profound meditation on identity. Dollhouse comes across as darker in tone and slower in pace than anything Whedon has previously attempted and while there's humor sprinkled throughout, the sensation at the end is one of overarching menace and also sadness. The pilot script concentrates on only three or four main characters, though several others are introduced in passing, and it offers no stand-alone elements. After reading the pilot, I'm ready to go on the journey with Whedon even though I can't figure out what the week-to-week plot of the show is going to be.
How It Might Play: Since Desperate Housewives and Lost made the major networks want to dive back into the serialized drama business, viewers have made it clear that they're cautious about starting a show that might get cancelled mid-story. Dollhouse feels like the sort of show that might have been better suited for FX or HBO or Showtime, where Whedon's devoted audience could make a show a hit. But Dushku had a talent deal at 20th Century Fox TV and with FOX and this is totally her vehicle, the sort of role that most young actresses would kill for. Since Echo is constantly being other people, Dushku is in position to go from action star to sex kitten to child-like innocent in the course of a dozen pages. It's Dushku's show, but the pilot suggests potentially meaty roles for Williams, Kranz, Acker, Penikett and Harry Lennix, as Echo's trainer. While recognizably Whedonesque, Dollhouse finds Joss going in different direction, one that may be less quippy and less plot-driven than some might expect. The fans will still love it, I suspect, but will Dollhouse be able to find an audience beyond the Whedonverse? I'm not sure. So this could be one of those "Enjoy it while you've got it" gems.

Comments

In other words, they are both horrible and will be canceled quickly.

FOX should have stuck with what worked--New Amsterdam.

Andrea | May 12, 2008 9:26:31 PM | #

---

Dollhouse sounds wonderful for thoughtful intelligent viewers, of which there are vanishingly few. So Fox will kill another Joss show. Sigh.

Mike | May 12, 2008 10:20:51 PM | #

---

Yah, it's a shame for Whedon, if only he wrote stupid, audience friendly shows, then he (and we) wouldn't suffer constant cancellation.

Robert Moore | May 13, 2008 3:12:19 AM | #

---

ANDREA

Are you fucking insane? new Ansterdam was so fucking terrible i had to stop watching half way through the second episode.

Dollhouse sounds cool, but why does whedon keep going back to fox? Surely he has learnt his lessson. Other channels must be foaming at the mouth to get him on board.

richard | May 13, 2008 3:12:21 AM | #

---

I'll take one episode of new Whedon on the air. I miss his excellence, so I'll hope for the best and soak up all I can.

And for anyone who's going to post along the lines of "I won't watch until it gets picked up for season 2" so that you don't get invested in a new show that'll be canceled... don't be that guy. That mentality drives me nuts - as it actually directly leads to cancellation when ratings are low.

K | May 13, 2008 5:02:55 AM | #

---

Why the hell would Whedon want to work with this network again? This has "Wonderfalls" written all over it - Brilliant show with a fantastic female lead on a show that the network doesn't get, so it gets scrubbed after three or four episodes.

"Dollhouse" should have gone to a platform where network expectations aren't going to be unrealistic to meet. F/X doesn't have much going on, why not use that Fox product - give it a concise 13 episode arc of a season and keep it on the air when only three or four million tune in each week.

Brian | May 13, 2008 6:00:40 AM | #

---

Boo it does sound as though Dollhouse has potential to be cancelled. But I am going to put a bit of faith into Fox and hope that they will learn from what happened with Firefly, at the moment they dont sound as though they interfering with production, but that might be because there hasnt been enough filmed yet.

As for J.J's new show, not overly excited, I would be if Lost was over and done with but I dont think my ickle brain will be able to cope with so much twisty turnyness. Also from the description it is sounding more than a little like a mix of lost and heroes and to be honest they are both a bit old hat. Give us something fresh JJ

David | May 13, 2008 6:17:24 AM | #

---

Fox is desperate for a hit, a hit that isn't American Idol, so I'm guessing that they'll be a little patient with both Fringe and Dollhouse, and let them find their audience and niche. Why else take on these sorts of shows? And this is a worse network than Fox for speculative story telling...CBS, anyone?

jennifer from | May 13, 2008 6:32:39 AM | #

---

All shows have a potential for cancellation, on Fox more so it seems. It all depends on what show Dollhouse gets paired up with. If Fox pairs this up with American Idol which is a mid-season show each year, then Dollhouse will get enough views to keep it around. Pairing it up with House or Bones might work as well. If they leave it out to dry say on Friday at 8pm, see Wonderfalls then it's done already. Dollhouse has Tuesday at 9pm written all over it. We are speaking of Fox though. So I would not be surprised to see on Thursday at 9pm which would also be a kiss of death. Mondays and Wedneday might work as well provided it's parried with the right lead in. Lets hope it gets the back in of American Idol at least a couple of times. You never know about Fox though I'd never thought Prison Break would last this long.

Gregg | May 13, 2008 6:40:26 AM | #

---

I hope the show with Dushku. I have missed her on TV. I liked Tru Calling and was upset when the show ended. I have been a fan of hers since she was on "Buffy"

Trish | May 13, 2008 7:34:05 AM | #

---

Andrea, you won't be much respect from many real tv fans by saying Abrams and Whedon suck, then immediately following it up by praising Mew Amsterdam.

wrenn | May 13, 2008 7:48:28 AM | #

---

Seriously, I find it super funny that the author of this article mentions the typos in Abrams script when this "article" is filled with them.

Either way I'm pretty much on board with anything Whedon does. Dancing pigs? I'm in.

shaun | May 13, 2008 9:00:23 AM | #

---

I love everything Joss and JJ does, and am glad that FOX has picked up shows from these great writers. I'm willing to give FOX the benefit of a doubt, since their post-Firefly record is not bad and they did renew Sarah Connor Chronicles despite mediocre ratings and were more patient with subpar shows like Tru Calling and Dark Angel than they deserved. TC and DA were just terrible.

Dave | May 13, 2008 9:00:50 AM | #

---

The huge question in my mind--since my mind is completely made up that I'll watch every episode of "Dollhouse" that Fox airs, and buy the DVD set of the "complete series" after they cancel it--is this:

Will it end with the "Grrr Arrgh" Mutant Enemy logo?

Emerald | May 13, 2008 9:58:17 AM | #

---

Emerald,
I believe that Mutant Enemy is no more.

KAREN | May 13, 2008 11:13:28 AM | #

---

So looking forward to having a weekly Whedon fix again! And I'm sure I'll check out Fringe as well.

New Amsterdam was bad. I wanted to like it. I tried. But it was just bad.

JavaChick | May 13, 2008 12:09:39 PM | #

---

I don't see what the fuss about Whedon is. Firefly wasn't all that great and the movie version was painful to watch. The Dollhouse show sounds good, but it will require a lot of attention from viewers. Other than hardcore Whedon fans, this show will have trouble attracting viewers.

Let's face it people, most of us don't watch TV for the art. We watch 30 min or 1 hour of it a day to escape the reality of our pathetic lives. Most of us will settle for dumb sitcoms for a few cheap chuckles or some reality show to remind us that as pathetic as we are, there are worse people out there. Those of us who like quality tv already are invested into to many shows to watch and probably won't want to invest time into another.

If Dollhouse comes out toward the end of Lost's run, then it might attract some of Lost's viewers looking for something beyond mindless TV, but other than that, it probably won't do well.

Chris | May 13, 2008 1:49:51 PM | #

---

I thin Dollhouse sounds like a great show. I think it would have been nice to pair it on a night with New Amsterdam but I saw they cancelled that show.

So I guess I would love a fox night of Terminator and Dollhouse to keep me tuned to fox for the night.

At least there is potential by the names to go thru the whole Echo, Bravo, November alphabet and have alot of different dolls introduced over time.

Fraz | May 13, 2008 2:21:43 PM | #

---

I will definitely watch Dollhouse for three reasons:

1. Joss Whedon
2. Eliza Dushku
3. Tahmoh Penikett

I hope it's good, it's got three ingredients for a good show already.

Siansonea | May 13, 2008 3:19:29 PM | #

---

Mutant Enemy still exists on paper to the extent Joss could trot it out again if he gets another proeprty that he basically owns. Heck, Four-Star, Calvada, Cayuga, Villa de Stephano, those are all gone, "presentation companies" don't really last.

D.C.A. | May 13, 2008 4:52:42 PM | #

---

Dollhouse's 4 disc complete series is going to sit right perfectly next to Firefly on my DVD shelf.

blurr | May 13, 2008 6:19:33 PM | #

---

Ok,, this is a long shot, but i will laugh my head off at the irony of this if it happened.
What if, in a scene, when Echo's on a mission, we see a cameo of the TSCC characters in the background, and vice versa.

chaoswurm | May 13, 2008 6:47:41 PM | #

---

I wonder if Whedon is making a mistake (I haven't met him, so I don't feel comfortable calling him Joss). Early Buffy episodes are heavily plot driven, and I think a strong story is how you pull in an audience, especially if you're dealing with something really strange.
I haven't read the script, though. If he's showing character through action rather than character through dialog about what the other characters are like, then the show may be quite powerful stuff.

Charlie | May 13, 2008 7:14:27 PM | #

---

The real test is the time slot. Firefly, Wonderfalls, Point Pleasant, etc. were all on Friday night without any promotion and died. Any night that isn't Friday or Saturday, in any timeslot that isn't directly against Lost, Heroes, or Chuck, and Dollhouse will flourish.

likesdoomedfoxshows | May 13, 2008 7:14:37 PM | #

---

Dear Andrea

Stick to reality tv please since you have no clue what good television is...i bet you have a ratings box don't you?

John | May 13, 2008 8:12:02 PM | #

---

Post a comment

Name:
Email Address:	optional
URL:	optional
Comments: