Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dr. Horrible and Dollhouse, has been named recipient of the Bradbury Award for excellence in screenwriting. The award will be presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) at Nebula Awards weekend in Los Angeles, Calif., April 24-26..
"Like everyone who picks up a pen, I was a rabid Bradbury fan and as greatly influenced by him as any other writer I read," Whedon said. "To receive the award named for him is an honor I'd not dreamed of. In my defense, it didn't exist back then. What did exist were the very lovely, very twisted and very human stories that warped my impressionable mind, and that I have tried, in whatever medium they will let me, to measure up to."
Created in 1992 by then-President Ben Bova and named after famed author and screenwriter Ray Bradbury, the Bradbury Award is a special president's award presented for outstanding genre-themed work in a dramatic medium. Previous Bradbury Award winners are James Cameron for Terminator 2 (1992), J. Michael Straczynski for Babylon 5 (1999) and Yuri Rasovsky and Harlan Ellison for 2000X - Tales of the Next Millennia, a National Public Radio series (2001).
"I'm very excited to be giving this honor to Joss Whedon in recognition of his substantial and superior body of work, including Buffy, Angel, Firefly and the Serenity film, as well as Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog," said SFWA President Russell Davis. "His impact as a writer, producer and director on the science fiction and fantasy film and television landscape is undeniable, and he is more than deserving of this recognition from our organization."
Congratulations to Joss Whedon! He is certainly worthy of the honor for his terrificly entertaining shows.
Fans of Joss Whedon have been very upset at Fox's decision to place Dollhouse on Friday nights in February, coupled with Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles. But now Joss says he understands the decision by Fox execs (who he's been talking to) and he's cool with it.
[I]n an interview Wednesday morning, Whedon said that Fridays are "a better fit" for the show.
"It's not a slam dunk, 'We love everything you're doing' slot. Everybody knows that," he said. "Dollhouse" will air Fridays after new episodes of the similarly sci-fi-themed drama "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." Whedon says he trusts the network. "The executives I'm dealing with are canny guys."
By canny, does he mean Fox has given him assurances that it will be patient with the show? More or less. "They're bringing down expectations regarding how big of an audience they think it will bring in the beginning, and then as the show progresses. They need to do that."
*****
Whedon says he anticipated the Friday move -- and not as a bad thing. "If I were an executive, I would have put it on Friday too, honestly, and not as a dig. The people who want this will find it, and hopefully more will as well. Fox is aware that TV just doesn't exist the same way. People watch it online, on DVD, on their TiVos. It's not the end of the world, but of course everyone's been predicting the end of the world for 'Dollhouse' since it was announced."
Whedon also noted that while Fox executives will likely have to wait patiently for building returns on the show, he hopes fans will be just as patient with the story line. "We're trying to create something that's more than the sum of its parts. And not just in an 'Oooh, we're heavy with mythology' way. Dare I say we're reaching for something more philosophical? Am I allowed to say philosophical? Or does that just mean my show will fail?"
It's true that we hardly ever watch shows when they air. We watch on Hulu.com, mostly. And speaking of watching full episodes online, what is going on over at CBS.com? They pulled almost all the full episodes from their site: now NUMB3RS has some full episodes, but they don't have The Mentalist, Ghost Whisperer or several other shows on there, only clips. And neither Sci Fi nor Hulu have any Stargate Atlantis or more than a smattering of Battlestar Galactica episodes. Why not? We watch the ads. It's a moneymaker. Do it. Now.
Access Hollyood's Laura Saltman visits Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushkum on the set of Dollhouse and she actually goes there. She asks about the Friday night timeslot and the comparisons to the Firefly situation. Joss looks really uncomfortable, but gamely answers the question. Eliza does much better, pointing out that she never watches shows when they air, but always Tivos them. Good point. Take a look:
We really can't believe this is happening just as we feared it might. Last week we learned that Fox has exiled Joss Whedon's upcoming show Dollhouse to a Friday night Death Timeslot, just after we heard Joss say that after reshooting the pilot that all was well with the show and the network brass. Now, The L.A. Times is reporting that the script for the seventh episode was so bad that the show may stop production -- again -- so Joss can fix it.
On Thursday, it became obvious that the problems persist. Production on the seventh episode, which is supposed to begin Monday, is being delayed at least a day because the script was in such bad shape, according to a source who requested anonymity. The script for the sixth episode also had big problems, causing production delays that left the cast and crew very frustrated, the source said.
Whedon, who directed the first episode, is hardly seen on set these days, focusing all of his attention to writing. The show stars Eliza Dushku and centers on a group of people who are imprinted with the personalities and abilities they need to carry out specific missions. After they carry out their duties, their memories are wiped clean and they live together like children in Dollhouse, a futuristic dormatory and lab.
"We have yet to gain any momentum," the inside source said. "The network wants to tone things, and Joss is trying to figure out how to give them that and still do the show he wants to do."
Sounds like deja vu for Whedon. The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" creator vowed to never work with Fox again after experiencing creative issues with Fox over "Firefly," his canceled TV show that led to "Serenity," the movie, after success on DVD.
This show has had more drama than a season of Angel -- and it hasn't even aired yet. We don't know if we can stand the strain of waiting to see if the show will actually air, or if it's all been some kind of horrible practical joke Fox is playing on us.
We just knew it. Joss Whedon's Dollhouse really was in big trouble. Like, the network hated it. Fox thought it was too dark, too complicated and didn't have enough action. But Joss went back to the drawing board, fixed the problems and now everything's great. We hope. Here's what Joss said:
Basically, the Network and I had different ideas about what the tone of the show would be. They bought something somewhat different than what I was selling them, which is not that uncommon in this business. Their desires were not surprising: up the stakes, make the episodes more stand-alone, stop talking about relationships and cut to the chase. Oh, and add a chase. That you can cut to. Nothing I hadn't heard before on my other shows (apparently my learning curve has no bendy part) but frustrating as hell given our circumstances - a pilot shot, scripts written, everybody marching together/gainfully employed... and then a shutdown. Glad I was for the breathing room, but it's hardly auspicious. So back into the writer cave I went, wondering why I put up with this when I can make literally dozens of dollars making internet movies. Why I do put up with this is divided into three parts.
One: They're not wrong. Oh, we don't see eye-to-eye on everything, but wanting the first episodes to be exciting and accessible is not exactly Satanic. Being Satan is, but that's in their free time and hey, there's no judging in the Dollhouse. This kind of back and forth has happened on every show I've done, so if you liked those, chances are that was a part of why. And the need to focus on the essentials of what makes this universe tick - and which wire to cut to make it stop - really does bring up our game. So we as a staff have gone from blinking like unhoused moles to delving in with the same relish we had when we started. The show is really coming together now, in a way that I believe excites us and satisfies the Network. Of course, I have no idea if anybody else will like it, but I have the same faith in the staff, the crew and the remarkable cast that I always did. More, in fact. And what's more crucial:
Two: Nothing essential has changed about the universe. The ideas and relationships that intrigued me from the start are all there (though some have shifted, more on that), and the progression of the first thirteen eps has me massively excited. The episode we're shooting now I wrote as fast as anything I have before, not because I had to (although, funny side-note: I had to) but because I couldn't stop the words from coming. Because I can feel the show talking to me; delighting, scaring and occasionally even offending me. It's alive. Alive! Which is a far cry from how I felt a month ago. It's been hilarious trying to keep up with what's in, what's out, who's met whom and when - we've shot all of the first seven episodes out of airing order - but it's come together in a pretty thrilling way. My huge gratitude to our cast for their precision and patience.
*****
As for what's been changed, well, some things I obviously can't tell you. Some I can, for the record: The original pilot was in fact thrown out. Again, at my behest. Once it became clear what paradigm the Network was shooting for, it just didn't fit at all, even after I'd reshot more than half of it (see above re: despair). To get a sense of how completely turned around I was during this process, you should know there was a scene with Eliza and the astonishing Ashley Johnson that I wrote and shot completely differently three different times, with different characters in different places (actually I wrote it closer to eight times), and none of it will ever see air. Which is as it should be (though I'm determined to get Ms. Johnson back in the future). The scene just didn't belong anymore. Similarly, the character of November has fallen out of the mix, because the show simply moves too fast now for me to do what I wanted with her. Season three, anyone...? Happily, Miracle Laurie is still with us in a new role, playing against (and pining for) Tahmoh's character, Paul Ballard. Their chemistry is deeply nifty. The only other major cast shift is that the Dollhouse head of security, Laurence Dominic (played by Reed Diamond), who was written just for the now-defunct first ep, has stuck like fly-paper, and Reed is very much in the family for the present. (Most of my problems seem to involve my actors making themselves indispensable. This is the good problem kind.)
They made him scrap his pilot. Have we mentioned before that Fox ruined Firefly and that we can't understand why Joss would ever agree to work with them again? Maybe once or twice? Needless to say, we'll be tuning in no matter what.
Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku get a little silly as they discuss their upcoming tv show, Dollhouse. We certainly hope the rewrites are going well. Not to be Debbie Downer or anything, but we're convinced Fox is going to wreck this show just as surely as they wrecked Firefly. We're just saying. Let's hope we're wrong.
Joss Whedon has shut down production on his new show, Dollhouse, for rewrites. The shutdown will last about two weeks and shouldn't delay the show.
Filming on "Dollhouse" stopped Thursday after wrapping episode three. It came upon request from creator/exec producer Whedon, who had had spent little time in the writers room lately, busy directing the first two episodes of the series. Not completely happy with the quality of upcoming scripts, he asked producing studio 20th TV for a timeout.
Production on the midseason sci-fi drama starring Eliza Dushku is slated to resume Sept. 25.
The news follows Whedon's revelation in July that he was shooting a new "prequel" episode to serve as the show's pilot. Whedon said he opted to craft a new introduction to the series after meeting with Fox executives.
If Joss says the show needs rewrites, then it needs rewrites. And he's just the guy to get things whipped into shape.
Kristen at TV Guide has seen
the pilot for Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Here's what she had to say:
What's it about?
The logline don't lie: "Echo (Eliza Dushku) is a young woman who is literally everybody's fantasy. She is one of a group of men and women who can be imprinted with personality packages, including memories, skills, language—even muscle memory—for different assignments. The assignments can be romantic, adventurous, outlandish, uplifting, sexual and/or very illegal. When not imprinted with a personality package, Echo and the others are basically mind-wiped, living like children in a futuristic dorm/lab dubbed the Dollhouse, with no memory of their assignments—or of much else. The show revolves around the childlike Echo's burgeoning self-awareness, and her desire to know who she was before, a desire that begins to seep into her various imprinted personalities and puts her in danger both in the field and in the closely monitored confines of the Dollhouse."
What's it like?
Dollhouse is like The Bourne Identity meets Stepford Wives meets boarding school meets Los Angeles neo-noir meets the Whedonverse. In short, it's rad, man.
*****
Is Echo just a new name for Faith?
That's a negatory. Echo has a genius for contemplation and self-awareness that Faith couldn't begin to approach. Echo also has about 48 different faces to show the world, which gives her a good head start on Faith, who seemed to vary primarily between rage and desolation. In the first episode, we are shown that Echo is essentially like the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz—"If I only had a brain..."—but she's otherwise fully equipped with a soul, a rockin' bod, and a good, fearless heart.
Joss Whedon
blogs
that he's finalized the cast for Dollhouse. Amy Acker (pictured on left) and Miracle Laurie (on right) have joined the ensemble.
Hi campers. We're having the read-through of the script today. Why would I be nervous? YOU'RE nervous! Anyhoo, I just couldn't resist letting you know that the recurring roles have actually been cast for some time now. I'm shocked that any part of our casting process hasn't been leaked somehow. And though I'm a fan of secrets, I'll give you the last two pieces of this particular puzzle:
November (who will be recurring but does not appear in the pilot) will be played by the luminous Miracle Laurie.
Dr. Claire Saunders will be played by... yet another name I'm gonna have trouble remembering how to spell... Amy Acker.
All in all, pound for pound, soup to nuts, man vs beast, it's a pretty amazing ensemble. I'm not sure how I landed this troupe, but rest assured I'm gonna write bestest good word for talkacting to them yes! They're in good hands.
Onward... to adventure! -j.
Amy Acker is a fan favorite and Miracle Laurie is a relative unknown. It's an interesting cast: we'll see how well they work together.
Joss Whedon's upcoming show Dollhouse just got
some new castmembers, in addition to star Eliza Dushku. Battlestar Galactica co-star Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo, Fran Kranz, Dichen Lachman and Enver Gjokaj have all signed on for the show.
"Dollhouse" revolves around a group of young men and women who are imprinted with different personalities for different assignments. They have no memories of their previous lives, until Echo (Dushku) begins to try to find out who she was.
Penikett will play Paul Smith, an FBI field agent obsessed with the urban myth of Dollhouse and a twisted romantic foil for Echo.
Kranz will play Topher Brink, a twentysomething genius programr responsible for imprinting the dolls.
Lachman will play Sierra, a doll like Echo and her friend, who has every personality in the world but her own.
Gjokaj will play Victor, also a doll and a friend of Echo's, who is childlike when he's inactive, and everything from Errol Flynn to young DeNiro when he's active.
The show was greenlit for seven episodes before the writers' strike and we're really looking forward to seeing it. It's produced by Fox, though. You know what they did to Firefly. Enough said.
Joss Whedon has signed
with Fox once again to do a sf television series. It stars Eliza Dushku and it sounds really cool. The name of the show is Dollhouse.
According to the interview with E! Online with Dushku and Whedon, Dollhouse is the story of Echo, a programmable human plaything:
"Echo (Eliza Dushku) [is] a young woman who is literally everybody's fantasy. She is one of a group of men and women who can be imprinted with personality packages, including memories, skills, language--even muscle memory--for different assignments. The assignments can be romantic, adventurous, outlandish, uplifting, sexual and/or very illegal.
"When not imprinted with a personality package, Echo and the others are basically mind-wiped, living like children in a futuristic dorm/lab dubbed the Dollhouse, with no memory of their assignments--or of much else. The show revolves around the childlike Echo's burgeoning self-awareness, and her desire to know who she was before, a desire that begins to seep into her various imprinted personalities and puts her in danger both in the field and in the closely monitored confines of the Dollhouse."
We like the concept, we like the casting, we are very disturbed that the show is on Fox. Joss, Joss, what did they promise you to come back? Did they promise to show the series in order? Did they swear they wouldn't pull the show after a few episodes have aired?
Are you sill having Firefly nightmares? We are.
Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dr. Horrible and Dollhouse, has been named recipient of the Bradbury Award for excellence in screenwriting. The award will be presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) at Nebula Awards weekend in Los Angeles, Calif., April 24-26..
Joss Whedon
blogs
that he's finalized the cast for Dollhouse. Amy Acker (pictured on left) and Miracle Laurie (on right) have joined the ensemble.
