Why Dollhouse Is Failing

Usually at the beginning of a blog like this the writer will begin with a long, meandering preamble trying to convince the reader that he/she is a fan of Joss Whedon... not me. I mean, I am one, but whoever reads this blog is pretty much going to believe whatever they choose and I'm cool with that. However, since so many others have done it, I figured that I'd post my opinion as to why so few people are watching Dollhouse.

After watching the 2nd season premiere of Dollhouse I turned to my wife and said "this show is so doomed." And my wife promptly did the wifely thing which is to roll her eyes. And that's fair... but after watching last night's episode "Belonging" it demonstrated how this show, when it's at the top of it's game, is the best show on network television. It also demonstrated why it was always going to struggle though.

Think back... when was the last time that a television program took such an obscure sci-fi concept, dealt with such big questions (What's a soul? Where should lines be drawn morally? how hot is Eliza Dushku?) on network television and had 10 million viewers? For whatever reason, it just doesn't occur. If Joss and Co. had made the show into more of a procedural... like an involuntary-type Alias then it would have had a much better chance I think. And then it could pull a Fringe and forward it's mythology every few episodes and ask a big question every once in a while, and life would be a bit more merry Nielsen-wise.

The constant "big idea" nature of Dollhouse, however, does not seem to be able to keep viewers. Why? Are Americans too stoopid to appreciate a show like this one? A lot of people say yes, but me, I think it's just that Most people don't have the time to just stop and focus on television for a couple of hours every night. Or they just don't want to. American Idol kills Every Single Time it airs, and what is it really? Background music while America washes dishes, clothes or studies. The Super Bowl is the highest rated event every year, but who do you know that watched every second of it last year? I'm a big football fan, but those dogs playing football get some time on my television every year.

Procedurals rule all... the NCIS's, CSI's and OPP's. Add Survivor in there and all of these shows have the exact same formula every single week. Crime-investigation-wrong arrest number one-*insert cool bullet trajectory visual here*-wrong arrest number two-tribal council, wash, rinse repeat. You can watch, miss 8 minutes because that meatloaf isn't sitting well with you, come back and catch up with minimal effort. Skip 8 minutes of Dollhouse and see how long it takes for your brain to implode, I dare you. Just call the ambulance Before you attempt it. And lay down a tarp over your furniture so the cranial fluid doesn't ruin the sofa.

So, yes, that's my opinion as to why Dollhouse was always doomed. As I've tweeted, if Fox really does honor it and let it run 13 episodes, I will officially forgive them for the Great Firefly Debacle. As for the show... honestly I'd rather it have this limited run and stay as good as it is and as honest as it is to itself than to see it proceduralize itself for ratings. Yeah, I know that's not a word and I see all those red lines under it, but I'm a rebel so screw it.

And since Joss, at this point, could write a show about a tv show about an invisible-deaf-mute and it'd still get around 2 million viewers every week, I think that his next move should be to cable. Starz or Showtime. Then maybe we could get another 5 season show out of him. You could count me in... though probably not if it's the invisible-deaf-mute thing.