The Wonderful Maladys 101 (Not Really)

The Wonderful Maladys

It's hard to write a "101" post when there's not much info to go around. You gotta love the internets because there's already a wiki page here with a small bit of info, but not much to go on. TV Script Dude also has a positive review of the show with a sneak peek at the pilot script here.

Here's what we do know:

The Wonderful Maladys centers around a dysfunction family of 3 siblings who lost their parents when they were young. There's Alice (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the borderline alcoholic; Mary (Molly Parker), the ironically screwed-up therapist; and Neil, the eccentric. Creator, Charles Randolph has said from the beginning that the role of "Alice" was created with SMG in mind - very complimentary - and she is now one of the Executive Producers.

This dramady should be a perfect fit for Gellar who (as we know from our love of Buffy) can make us laugh and cry with the best of them. I, for one, hope this works out because the girl can act and her career, post-Buffy, has not allowed her to really show her stuff.

The Buffy/Angel episode watching guide

Ever wonder how to watch Buffy and Angel in order? How to make sure you get all the proper crossovers in their place? I have tons Whedonverse related documents going back years and this is one that I email very frequently to new viewers. So why I haven't posted it on this blog by now is beyond me. If you know a new viewer that would like to see the episodes properly, send them here....but for the love of Sunnydale tell them to not look around until they're done watching! Spoilers everywhere on this here Buffyfest blog for a new viewer!

Anywho, for the full list, see below:

After watching the first 3 seasons of Buffy, move on to this order. This is order is designed for minimum disc switching.

Seasons 4/1
Buffy Season 4 - The Freshman
Angel Season 1 - City of...
Angel Season 1 -Lonely Hearts
Buffy Season 4 - Living Conditions
Buffy Season 4 - The Harsh Light Of Day
Angel Season 1 -IN THE DARK
Angel Season 1 -I FALL TO PIECES
Buffy Season 4 - Fear Itself
Buffy Season 4 - Beer Bad
Buffy Season 4 - Wild at Heart
Buffy Season 4 - The Initiative
Angel Season 1 -RM W/A VU
Angel Season 1 -Sense and Sensitivity
Angel Season 1 -The Bachelor Party
Buffy Season 4 - Pangs
Angel Season 1 -I Will Remember You
Buffy Season 4 - Something Blue
Angel Season 1 -Hero
Angel Season 1 -Parting Gifts
Buffy Season 4 - Hush
Buffy Season 4 – Doomed
Buffy Season 4 - A New Man
Angel Season 1 -Somnambulist
Angel Season 1 -Expecting
Angel Season 1 -She
Buffy Season 4 - The I In Team
Buffy Season 4 - Goodbye Iowa
Angel Season 1 -I've Got You Under My Skin
Angel Season 1 -The Prodigal
Angel Season 1 -The Ring
Angel Season 1 -Eternity
Buffy Season 4 - This Year's Girl (1 of 2)
Buffy Season 4 - Who Are You? (2 of 2)
Buffy Season 4 - Superstar
Buffy Season 4 - Where the Wild Things
Angel -Five by Five (part 1 of 2)
Buffy Season 4 - New Moon Rising
Angel -Sanctuary (part 2 of 2)
Buffy Season 4 - The Yoko Factor
Angel Season 1 -War Zone
Angel Season 1 -Blind Date
Buffy Season 4 - Primeval
Buffy Season 4 - Restless
Angel Season 1 -To Shanshu in LA

Seasons 5/2
Buffy Season 5 Episode 1: Buffy vs. Dracula
Buffy Season 5 Episode 2: Real Me
Buffy Season 5 Episode 3: The Replacement
Buffy Season 5 Episode 4: Out of My Mind
Angel Season 2 Episode 1: Judgment
Angel Season 2 Episode 2: Are You Now or Have You Ever Been
Angel Season 2 Episode 3: First Impressions
Angel Season 2 Episode 4: Untouched
Buffy Season 5 Episode 5: No Place Like Home
Buffy Season 5 Episode 6: Family
Angel Season 2 Episode 5: Dear Boy
Angel Season 2 Episode 6: Guise Will Be Guise
Buffy Season 5 Episode 7: Fool for Love
Angel Season 2 Episode 7: Darla
Buffy Season 5 Episode 8: Shadow
Buffy Season 5 Episode 9: Listening to Fear
Buffy Season 5 Episode 10: Into the Woods
Buffy Season 5 Episode 11: Triangle
Buffy Season 5 Episode 12: Checkpoint
Buffy Season 5 Episode 13: Blood Ties
Angel Season 2 Episode 8: The Shroud of Rahmon
Angel Season 2 Episode 9: The Trial
Angel Season 2 Episode 10: Reunion
Angel Season 2 Episode 11: Redefinition
Buffy Season 5 Episode 14: Crush
Angel Season 2 Episode 12: Blood Money
Angel Season 2 Episode 13: Happy Anniversary
Angel Season 2 Episode 14: The Thin Dead Line
Angel Season 2 pisode 15: Reprise
Angel Season 2 Episode 16: Epiphany
Angel Season 2 Episode 17: Disharmony
Buffy Season 5 Episode 15: I Was Made to Love You
Buffy Season 5 Episode 16: The Body
Buffy Season 5 Episode 17: Forever
Angel Season 2 Episode 18: Dead End
Angel Season 2 Episode 19: Belonging
Buffy Season 5 Episode 18: Intervention
Buffy Season 5 Episode 19: Tough Love
Angel Season 2 Episode 20: Over the Rainbow
Angel Season 2 Episode 21: Through the Looking Glass
Buffy Season 5 Episode 20: Spiral
Buffy Season 5 Episode 21: The Weight of the World
Buffy Season 5 Episode 22: The Gift
Angel Season 2 Episode 22: There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb

**note:  Although some may not agree, the narrative flow is actually better if you watch "Darla" BEFORE "Fool For Love" (or if you have any skill at math with regards to calculating Angel's age)

Angel Season 3 Episode 1: Heartthrob
Buffy Season 6 Episode 1: Bargaining: Part 1
Buffy Season 6 Episode 2: Bargaining: Part 2
Buffy Season 6 Episode 3: After Life
Angel Season 3 Episode 2: That Vision Thing
Angel Season 3 Episode 3: That Old Gang of Mine
Angel Season 3 Episode 4: Carpe Noctem
Buffy Season 6 Episode 4: Flooded
Buffy Season 6 Episode 5: Life Serial
Angel Season 3 Episode 5: Fredless
(at this point you can watch them however you want until mid season 7 of Buffy [indicated] as Buffy moved to UPN and there were less crossovers. I grouped them into fours so it's still not as much disc switching...but feel free to watch 8 Angels in a row if you're into the story more, or vice versa)
Angel Season 3 Episode 6: Billy
Angel Season 3 Episode 7: Offspring
Angel Season 3 Episode 8: Quickening
Buffy Season 6 Episode 6: All the Way
Buffy Season 6 Episode 7: Once More, with Feeling
Buffy Season 6 Episode 8: Tabula Rasa
Angel Season 3 Episode 9: Lullaby
Angel Season 3 Episode 10: Dad
Angel Season 3 Episode 11: Birthday
Angel Season 3 Episode 12: Provider
Buffy Season 6 Episode 9: Smashed
Buffy Season 6 Episode 10: Wrecked
Buffy Season 6 Episode 11: Gone
Buffy Season 6 Episode 12: Doublemeat Palace
Angel Season 3 Episode 13: Waiting in the Wings
Angel Season 3 Episode 14: Couplet
Angel Season 3 Episode 15: Loyalty
Angel Season 3 Episode 16: Sleep Tight
Buffy Season 6 Episode 13: Dead Things
Buffy Season 6 Episode 14: Older and Far Away
Buffy Season 6 Episode 15: As You Were
Buffy Season 6 Episode 16: Hell's Bells
Angel Season 3 Episode 17: Forgiving
Angel Season 3 Episode 18: Double or Nothing
Angel Season 3 Episode 19: The Price
Angel Season 3 Episode 20: A New World
Buffy Season 6 Episode 17: Normal Again
Buffy Season 6 Episode 18: Entropy
Buffy Season 6 Episode 19: Seeing Red
Buffy Season 6 Episode 20: Villains
Angel Season 3 Episode 21: Benediction
Angel Season 3 Episode 22: Tomorrow
Buffy Season 6 Episode 21: Two to Go
Buffy Season 6 Episode 22: Grave

Angel Season 4, Episode 1: Deep Down
Angel Season 4, Episode 2: Ground State
Angel Season 4, Episode 3: The House Always Wins
Angel Season 4, Episode 4: Slouching Toward Bethlehem
Buffy Season 7, Episode 1: Lessons
Buffy Season 7, Episode 2: Beneath You
Buffy Season 7, Episode 3: Same Time, Same Place
Buffy Season 7, Episode 4: Help
Angel Season 4, Episode 5: Supersymmetry
Angel Season 4, Episode 6: Spin the Bottle
Buffy Season 7, Episode 5: Selfless
Buffy Season 7, Episode 6: Him
Buffy Season 7, Episode 7: Conversations with Dead People
Buffy Season 7, Episode 8: Sleeper
Buffy Season 7, Episode 9: Never Leave Me
Buffy Season 7, Episode 10: Bring on the Night
Buffy Season 7, Episode 11: Showtime
Buffy Season 7, Episode 12: Potential
Buffy Season 7, Episode 13: The Killer in Me
Buffy Season 7, Episode 14: First Date
Buffy Season 7, Episode 15: Get It Done
Buffy Season 7, Episode 16: Storyteller
Angel Season 4, Episode 7: Apocalypse, Nowish
Angel Season 4, Episode 8: Habeas Corpses
Angel Season 4, Episode 9: Long Day's Journey
Angel Season 4, Episode 10: Awakening
Angel Season 4, Episode 11: Soulless
Angel Season 4, Episode 12: Calvary
Angel Season 4, Episode 13: Salvage
Angel Season 4, Episode 14: Release

(Start watching in this order again around or before here.)

Buffy Season 7, Episode 17: Lies My Parents Told Me
Angel Season 4, Episode 15: Orpheus
Buffy Season 7, Episode 18: Dirty Girls
Buffy Season 7, Episode 19: Empty Places
Buffy Season 7, Episode 20: Touched
Angel Season 4, Episode 16: Players
Angel Season 4, Episode 17: Inside Out
Angel Season 4, Episode 18: Shiny Happy People
Angel Season 4, Episode 19: The Magic Bullet
Angel Season 4, Episode 20: Sacrifice
Angel Season 4, Episode 21: Peace Out
Angel Season 4, Episode 22: Home
Buffy Season 7, Episode 21: End of Days
Buffy Season 7, Episode 22: Chosen

Then all of season 5 Angel (in order, of course.)

Shortened link to this page is: http://tinyurl.com/buffyangelepguide

Save Chuck (and all our shows)

You know, we don't talk about Chuck much here at Buffyfest even though it has a beloved Whedonverse star on it, which is rude. I think it's time we do because 1. it's a good, fun show and 2. what Jayne and Chuck did over the weekend is fucking amazing.

Adam Baldwin and the cute dude with the weird hair that plays Chuck, Zachary Levi, attended the Starfury Con in England that I really wanted to go to. Many Whedonverse stars attended (Baldwin, Summer Glau, Felicia Day, Clare Kramer, Miracle Laurie, Georges Jeanty, Jonathan Woodward, & Dominic Keating). As you may or may not know, Chuck has been on the verge of cancellation and since Subway is a big advertiser for them, a brilliant grass roots "Save Chuck" effort is suggesting fans to buy a $5 Footlong from Subway on April 27th, the season finale of Chuck.

So long story short - apparently at the con, a fan suggested to Baldwin and Levi to lead a mass exodus to the nearest Subway to show them the money and they actually did, along with 400-600 con attendees! Levi even jumped behind the counter to help the staff make all the sandwiches. Those Subway employees must have been like WTF? Incredibly awesome.

See pics and read the full story here:
http://www.endofshow.com/2009/04/26/chuck-stars-lead-400-fans-to-subway-to-save-show/

Mildly nauseating camera-work video (sans our boy) here:

Fanvid Sunday

I've been bad about the fanvids lately. I find them and love on them but the sharing... not so much. I was being selfish and, for that, I am sorry. Verily the time has come to kick it old school with a classic Firefly fanvid from Rora1984.



And that's all. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Dollhouse Death Watch for Ep 10

Tara's Take: "Last night's ep titled "Haunted" and written by Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen-Whedon, and Jane Espenson was pretty good, I thought. It definitely was kind of a filler-MOTW, though, and could really have been used earlier in the season to replace, say, STAGE FRIGHT. Ah well. It wasn't. And, awwww, Topher's birthday. But with all those great minds in the same room, I might have expected something a little better. That's all I'll say."

Michelle's take: "Considering that I fell asleep, that pretty much says it all."

Bitsy's take: "This would have been a good episode if it weren't for this whole "Eliza is completely one-note and can't play anyone but Faith to save her life" problem. I can't be the only one to notice that the best episodes tend to involve Echo the least. Here she's the full on central figure and all the potential drama of the situation gets sucked out of the room through Dushku's pouty lips. Or would you prefer I say that the raw emotion of a life after death scenario was brutally drowned in the pools of Dushku's empty, love doll like eyes? Either way, she ruined the day on this one. Also? I feel no sympathy for Topher. I'm a firm believer that he could have friends that are not invented if he, oh I dunno, maybe spent less time RAPING THE MINDS OF PEOPLE, USUALLY WOMEN. Sorry, Topher. I'm never ever going to feel bad for you."

The ratings for last night's episode were dismal. We know that last's week's Prison Break return fared worse than the usual Dollhouse numbers., Unfortunately this week's ratings were a 1.9/3 in its return, averaging a a worst ever for the series with only 2.99 million viewers. Bitsy rant: What's that sound I hear? Why, it almost sounds like a fat lady singing... or is it the sound of a sad trombone? The haunting song of the fail whale? In any event, I hope the abysmal ratings mean this mistake will finally die like the aborted, mutant fetus it is so I can wake from this nightmare and have Joss make something I'll actually enjoy. That'd be swell. end rant

We don't want Dollhouse to die (Bitsy's note: Speak for yourself, Tara), but we Buffyfesters made a bet long ago in "The Dollhouse Death Watch". As you can see from the chart, Bitsy lost back in episode 7.

Do you think Dollhouse will make it to season 2? Leave us a comment and let us know which group you belong:

Tara's Group (the bitter realists) - thinks Dollhouse will not make it to season 2.

Michelle's Group (the starry-eyed optimists) - who still believe that Dollhouse get renewed for a second season.

note: The optimism is higher than ever and the realists have even taken a hit due to some unfortunate calculating last time. What? I wasn't cheating, I swear! I don't really want to win this thing, you know! That would be bad for everyone.

Watch DOLLHOUSE Week 4/27 - 5/1

Go here for more info on this event. Basically the plan is to watch (or re-watch) one episode each day beginning on Monday with Joss's "Man On The Street" on Hulu, Fox On Demand, etc. Then on Fri 5/1 tune into FOX at 9/8c to watch "Briar Rose", the season's penultimate episode (penned by Battlestar Galactica writer Jane Espenson). The season finale "Omega", airs 5/8 on FOX.

Cue the Exploding Brain Effect

I am shocked this video hasn't been posted absolutely everywhere by now. Did James Marsters not just say that Buffy and Angel should be the ones together and that the relationship between Buffy and Spike was, ultimately, an unhealthy one??? Am I alone in thinking that's kind of huge? Weigh in here. As the man who played the part and wrote for the role in comic form, how much weight do you give his words and do they effect your opinion of Spike and Buffy's relationship?

James Marsters vs. Dark Horse Comics

Mtv's interview with James Marsters probably started out innocent enough. During the discussion, Marsters talked about his unhappy experience while penning the "Spike and Dru" comic back when Buffy and Angel were still on the air and back when Dark Horse Comics had control of both series.

"I thought that if I wrote a comic, I’d have ultimate power over everything,” said Marsters. “It was a rude awakening to find out how little power writers have.”

His biggest complaint was with the art work.

“I thought that was kind of cool for me, but Juliet Landau didn’t write this and didn’t want her character drawn like a hideous beast… This is a twisted romance. This is not a gothic thing. And in romance, the leads have to be romantic. They have to be characters that the audience wants to kiss.”

He said he complained to Dark Horse, but ultimately it was too late to change anything and as a result he wasn't entirely proud of the final product. After Mtv posted this interview, Dark Horse immediately responded.

“The artist James was referring to was Ryan Sook, and he was
someone Joss really liked,” explained Dark Horse Senior Managing Editor Scott Allie. (The artist was misidentified as inker Keith Barnett in the original post.) “When James expressed his concerns about Ryan, Joss talked to James for me, and told him this was how he wanted the book handled. I talked to Juliet about this recently, and she had no problem with any of it — she’d seen the book and thought it was fine...."To Joss and me, it was a horror story, focused on two of the best villains from the show — this was before Spike’s redemption. We wanted it to feel like a horror comic.”

All this "Spike and Dru" controversy comes on the heels of the announcement of Brian Lynch's new Spike series and his collaboration with Juliet Landau on a Drusilla story for IDW Comics. Doesn't matter what happened behind the scenes in the past, as long as Lynch can bring these two crazy kids back together again. It's been way too long since we've gotten to see any kind of Spike and Dru interaction.

Click below to read the entire Marsters interview:
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/04/21/exclusive-writing-buffy-comics-was-a-rude-awakening-says-james-marsters/

Click below to read the entire Dark Horse response:
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/04/21/dark-horse-responds-to-buffy-actor-james-marsters-comics-comments/

Free Twitter backgrounds for fans of the Whedonverse!

Use them to spice up your Twitter life. They're free and Whedonverse-y! You got your general Mutant Enemy monster, Serenity, Fruity Oaty, and Buffyfest themes. Enjoy!

Click above to enlarge preview images. Click link below to download the full set:
http://www.fairlybohemianproductions.com/BuffyfestTwitterBacks.zip

To install the backgrounds on your twitter page, follow these instructions:

1. Log-in to your Twitter account and click the Settings link located at the top toolbar.

2. Click the Design tab on the Settings page

3. Click Change Background Image and in the browse field, browse and locate on your computer the background file of your choosing (make sure you unzipped the file downloaded above).
4. Click the save changes button.

If you have questions, need a higher/lower resolution, more image on the right side, or anything at all, email us at Buffyfest@aim.com

Congratulations to Jed and Maurissa Tancharoen Whedon!

That's right! The Whedons officially added another to their clan yesterday when Joss's brother and his fabulous girl, Jed and Maurissa, made it official and got married.

Check out the cast of the High School Dr. Horrible play sending congrats their way! Cute!

Cute! Alyson Hannigan, Alexis Denisof and their baby daughter Satyana in LA.

photo by AP

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along...Movie? (Spoilers)

That's right. Joss Whedon told Sci-Fi Wire that not only will Dr. Horrible be back, it might be a big screen production. Unfortunately, I hesitate to jump for joy on this one. Won't that decision make it harder for Joss to use his creative license and possibly allow the "Suits" to come in and destroy the purity of the story (see also: Dollhouse)? Joss says no.

"We want to do the product the same way we did the first one, which is out of our hearts, and then go to people [and say], 'OK, if you're interested in this, this is what it is.' Besides, it could be something theatrical. It could be something on the Internet again, where it's done on the fly and it all comes from us. We don't know how we want that to be. The best thing to do is to write it. Then we can start deciding a business model based on the script."

Okay, so Joss assures us that no one else will dictate the story that they want to tell. Maybe it'll be another Serenity. Or maybe not. As much as I love Dr. Horrible, what if they can't pull off a final installment that lives up to the rest of the story? I'd hate to see them tarnish the characters we've grown to love (see also: Buffy Season 7).

(Spoiler) Furthermore, Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, co-writers, said that they'd like the chance to bring Penny back from the dead (see also: Buffy Season 6).

Does everyone see where I'm going with this? If so, now you understand why the joy-jumping has been halted until further notice. I know I'm usually the optimist of the group, but this has got me worried and it's only because I feel so much love and respect for the story of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (see also: Buffy, Angel, Firefly).

To read more, click here:
http://scifiwire.com/2009/04/joss-co-reveal-plans-for.php

Dollhouse panel at Paley fest '09 - Video

Joss, Eliza and the whole Dollhouse gang talk at last night's Paley Fest 2009 event about the Pilot episode "Echo" that never aired.

Dollhouse Death Watch - Paleyfest '09 Edition

So yesterday there was a Dollhouse panel and you can get thorough reports of it here, here, and here. But, since you came to ol' Buffyfest, why don't I lay a little of the Bitsy charm on you and you sit a spell. Oh, and we'll talk about Dollhouse too. I mean, why not, right? Let's break this bad mamma jamma down.

It should come as no surprise that, with all the topics discussed, it's the fate of the show (both it's fabled 13th episode, "Epitaph One", and potential further seasons) that's been talked about the most. Joss's up to date report on the possibility for more was a resounding "maybe" but that he has "hope". He said they were in talks about perhaps airing the 13th episode but that the show as a whole is in uber bubble territory. Now, look, I'm a known skeptic. I had this thing out by episode seven and, frankly, I'm still not sold on the concept or the follow through on said concept but I recognize both a desire and a potential for the proverbial show to go on. You want a shot at more Dushku in slutty outfits and shirtless Tahmoh? Here's my advice: don't focus on trying to get a second season. Put your time and your effort behind getting the 13th episode aired and putting asses in seats for the episodes prior.

Here's the thing: the explanation that "Epitaph One" was always meant to be a DVD extra kind of deal will never ever ring true for me. Why would Joss have mentioned it at yon Apple Store and Felicia Day's involvement if he was not of the mind that it, at least, could air? So here's a little conspiracy theory for you to munch on and, regardless of whether I'm wrong or right, the advice I give based on this hunch of mine will still have the same potential effect. The truth is out there! And by "there" I mean, you know, right here. Continue Reading...

I think that the news that only twelve episodes would be airing was a very strategic move on the part of Fox and one one that Joss was ultimately willing to go along with. The numbers, by Joss's own admission, are dreadfully soft. The DVR and online numbers are solid though, right? That's good and all but, folks, it aint gonna be good enough. At the end of the day the network wants people watching the ads, not the show. How do you get people to watch the show on the night? Well to answer that question, you need to ask another one: who is your audience and how do you get more of them? Well the audience, by and large, are people who are fans of the man, the myth, the legend (and general snazzy dresser) Joss Whedon. They know they can use the rabid fanbase to get more people watching but they're still kind of fuzzy on the how. So here's the thing: they can't possibly promise you a second season because, right now, there's zero precedent for one. But they've still got a few episodes they promised to air and they'd really like that advertising dough so hmmm... what carrot can we possibly dangle at the end of a rope with little consequence? How about that last episode! We weren't sure if we were going to air it anyway (don't tell Joss, tee hee) but, maybe if we withhold it, make Joss got out and shill for it, the Jossoholics (Whedonphiles? Dollhousers? Bueller?) will get viral and advertise the pants off this little show and we'll improve our numbers just enough to make airing one more episode worthwhile. If not? Hey, we'll rank up our DVD sales by just keeping it as an extra.

Don't worry about season two. Worry about giving Fox incentive to air "Epitaph One". Find a way to appeal to the new lead in audience. I'm sure Prison Break has message boards and such. Bring the Dollhouse love to their turf especially since their show is about to end anyway. Maybe they want something new to watch and Dollhouse could fill that hole? You bring over that audience you got a shot at episode 13. You keep that audience and season two might just take care of itself.

Paley Fest '09: Dr. Horrible News (Beware: Dollhouse Spoilers)

Remember the anticipation felt before last year's Paley Fest when we heard the news that the Scoobie Gang (or most of them anyway) were going to be in the same room together again. Oh, the joy! Then came the actual event and that infamous "ipod question" heard round the world. Well, I haven't forgotten and it seems Joss hasn't either. At this year's Paley Fest during the Dr. Horrible panel, Joss made a plea for no ipod questions. Thanks Joss because you were just saying what we all were thinking.

(Spoilers) Check out the Futon Critic's nice little time-line to keep you up to speed on such subjects as why they killed Penny and how Bad Horse is really the break-out star of the Whedonverse appearing in Angel, Dr. Horrible and next week's episode of Dollhouse:

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20090414_drhorrible


The Dollhouse Panel is taking place today. I'm sure the fate of the show will be the question on most people's minds. Scificool.com is reporting that Joss had this to say on the subject when talking with a bunch of reporters:

“[The chances are] not very good but in limbo,” Whedon said in a group interview Tuesday night in Hollywood, where he was sitting on a panel at the Paley Festival presentation for his Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. “Obviously our numbers are pretty soft, and there it is, but we live in hope. I’m really proud of the episodes that are coming out. More than that, I can’t really ask.”

Check out more here:
http://www.scificool.com/joss-whedon-says-second-season-of-dollhouse-are-unlikely/

Joss Whedon Speaks as a Humanist

Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal human qualities, particularly rationality, without resorting to the supernatural or alleged divine authority from religious texts.
Joss Whedon was awarded the 2009 Cultural Humanism Award at Harvard last week. In the 1st clip, Joss discusses Humanism, education and faith. The 2nd clip deals with the issues of morality. Whedon cites Buffy's decision to kill Angel as an example of his own journey to understanding morality.


"The enemy of humanism is not faith. The enemy of humanism is hate, is fear, is ignorance, is the darker part of man that is in every humanist, every person in the world. That is the thing we have to fight." - Joss Whedon







Her [Buffy] search is my own. Those are questions that came up that I had to answer."
-Joss Whedon

She was definitely one of the Taraka gang, Giles, and way gun happy.

OMG did you guys see the cop chick from the Buffy Season 2 episode, "What's my line pts 1 & 2" in the finale of SCC? You know, the part where Buffy gets attacked during "Career Week" (Angel: "I lurk" - hee!) and Oz gets shot by the third assassin of the "Order of Taraka"? Both Buffyfest reader Captain Elias and Michael noticed her during the jail chaos scene of SCC. I laughed and thought "no way"...but I looked it up and it's true! Spice Williams Crosby is an "action actress"/stunt performer and has worked on Buffy, Angel, Charmed, T:SCC and many other shows and movies. Good eyes, guys!

Dollhouse Death Watch for ep 9 and T:SCC's swan song

TVbythenumbers says: TSCC goes out with a whimper....and it's a damn shame because the probable series finale episode was truly excellent. If it really was the last, then it's a sad day for quality television. I think Summer Glau's gorgeous street ballet symbolizes the show's swan song nicely.


Isn't she faboosh? Note: that clip was created to support Tyler Shields’ new book “The Dirty Side of Glamour.”

In that same article, Dollhouse's ratings were also mentioned, which brings us back to this week's Dollhouse Death Watch. After the week's fandom "full on insane volcano mode," to quote Bitsy, things seem shakier than ever. I still can't believe why anyone would buy Fox's flimsy excuse that the studio only made the 13th ep because they needed a 13th ep to fulfill their own DVD deals. When the hell did this ever happen in the history of TV? Why did Joss think otherwise? I'm sure it will all unfold eventually.

Only a few more eps to you. Leave us a comment and let us know which group you belong:

Tara's Group (the bitter realists) - thinks Dollhouse will not make it to season 2.

Michelle's Group (the starry-eyed optimists) - who believe that Dollhouse get renewed for a second season.

SPOILER IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH LAST NIGHT'S EP "A Spy in the House of Love" YET -

Since I don't think that Dominic being sent to "the attic" in last night's ep counts as a death...I don't think we can consider the poll in the right sidebar over just yet.

More on the Dollhouse Season Finale Snafu

I wanted to add something that I had previously said on twitter (follow us here, if you wish)...and that is:

Why would Joss totally confirm that Felicia Day would be on Dollhouse "towards the end" if there was a chance she'd never air? I heard it live with my own ears when he first broke that news in a small room at the Soho Apple store. I mean rabid fans would spread this news like wild fire (as we did) and he knows that.

Listen to the podcast of that event here for yourself. The Felicia news is at around the 30:45 mark:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=301899522
(that link will open up iTunes on your computer.)

I'm just saying, the evidence shows that Whedon wasn't really prepared for the cropping of the Dollhouse season. Fox shadiness is afoot.

SMG is preggers!!

What the hell? Is this insane news day? People is reporting:
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20271621,00.html

"Don't Spuff 'Til You Spuff Enough" Free mp3 Download

See below for a free mp3 download of the new hit single "Don't Spuff 'Til You Spuff Enough"!

Click to listen/Right click to download:
http://www.theprettypleas.com/random_files/Spuffy.mp3\

A little back story about the origin of this song: Ivan is used to being around us...attending Buffyfest events, helping with video filming and editing and just general living with Michelle. So, he'll occasionally pick up words like "Whedonesque" "The One True Bix" (which he sometimes gets confused about and renames "The One True Bits" in reference to our Bitsy), and, of course, "Spuffy". Eventually we invaded his brain space just enough for him to start quietly inventing this Michael Jackson (RIP) inspired song way back last year. It just grew and grew from there and one fateful day, to Michelle's delight, he decided to record it. Bitsy jumped on as a guest cameo and a hit was born.

And there you have it!

Dollhouse Death Watch - Special Announcement!

What has been buzzing the last few hours (you look away for 2 seconds!!) is:

DOLLHOUSE HAS BEEN ALL BUT CANCELED

or, er, pretty much...or something.

The facts are these:

TVWeek reported that Prison Break would be airing it's finale a week early and cutting Dollhouse's run a bit short. By 1 full season finale short, that is.

Why they ever confirmed all episodes would air, is a mystery.

Then Felicia Day all but confirmed this via her favorite internets hang out, Twitter.

And then, Jed Whedon via @DrHorrible tweeted and super-confirmed it.

But then Alan Sepinwall, said on his blog:
Day's episode, called "Epitaph One," was apparently filmed by the studio independent of the agreement -- or, at least, independent of what Fox network considers to be in the agreement -- and does not seem to be tied in to the story in "Omega." In other words, if there's a cliffhanger in "Omega" (and I don't know if there is), it's not going to be resolved in "Epitaph One."

Fox network won't decide the fate of "Dollhouse" until Upfront week, near the end of May, and the decision not to air "Epitaph One" has nothing whatsoever to do with renewal. It's unclear whether "Epitaph One" will turn up as a bonus on the season one DVD, or on Hulu, or even if it might be a bonus episode for a hypothetical season two. All I know for now is that it's not going to air on Fox as part of the first season run of "Dollhouse."

Very confusing stuff. So how will this affect the Dollhouse Death Watch you ask?

Hoenstly, if this is all true and episode 12 will be the last episode ever to air, then I think no one will win the DDW. FOX gets the last laugh! The hardcore S&M skeptics kind of won, because it didn't see the whole season (but they were voting for a 7 ep run, or cut very short.) My group, the Realists, kind of won. I always said they'd "do the right thing and not pull a Firefly" but then murder it without the slightest guilt and it wouldn't make a second season. Looks like their not even doing that much, though.

I should add that some hopeful people are still thinking the opposite: that the 13th ep titled "Epitaph One", would actually be a Season 2 Episode 0 bridge-type ep....and that by not airing it they may use it to promote season 2 some time in the Summer.

So how many people actually think Dollhouse will see a second season now?

UPDATE: Tim Minear dropped by Whedonesque to be all informative:

So maybe I can help clarify this somewhat. Because we scrapped the original pilot -- and in fact cannibalized some of its parts for other eps -- we really ended up with 12 episodes. But the studio makes DVD and other deals based on the original 13 number. So we created a standalone kind of coda episode. Which is the mythical new episode 13. The network had already paid for 13 episodes, and this included the one they agreed to let us scrap for parts. It does not include the one we made to bring the number back up to 13 for the studio side and its obligations. We always knew it would be for the DVD for sure, but we also think Fox should air it because it’s awesome.

So that's slightly more clearish. But there were meant to be thirteen episodes aired, right? That was how this had been billed all along until just now. Sounds like Mr. Minear is trying to keep the crowds hopeful but I still think this train just made it's last stop at canceled-ville. Everybody off!

Don't Spuff 'til You Spuff Enough

Dollhouse Death Watch (and SCC's been canceled) - The ratings snafu continues!

I love the word "snafu". It's just so funny. Also, it's used in the best line of the already amazingly hysterical: Space Olympics. "And food funding is insufficient!" Hee! So glad they included it on The Lonely Island album.

But we're not here to talk SNL. We're here to talk Whedonverse, of course! Excuse my ass if I needed a reason to laugh. It's not my fault that the proverbial shit is hitting the stupid fan, you know. That's right...it's looking like Dollhouse is going to be a goner. At least, that's what tvbythenumbers thinks. And even more cruel, news circulating that Sarah Connor Chronicles has actually already been unceremoniously canceled. Booooooooo!!! A thousand times boo!

As you probably know by now (since the DDW is going up way late this week) the ratings weren't good last friday. Not good at all. DH dropped another 10% so, that's that. Sarah Connor Chronicles also dropped 12%. I know the whole "people are stupid" argument is a lame one but come on!! SCC rock(ed) the house! And Dollhouse has been getting sorta more enjoyable.

Sadly, I think commenter Jgirl had it right when she said "If Dollhouse makes it to a second season, I'll eat my Faith doll with a side of Spike sauce."

Duh, forgot to add....Do you think Dollhouse will make it to season 2? Leave us a comment and let us know which group you belong:

Tara's Group (the bitter realists) - thinks FOX will show all 13 episodes ordered, but will then cancel it and thus, Dollhouse will not make it to season 2. What can I say? We're jaded.

Michelle's Group (the starry-eyed optimists) - who believe that Dollhouse will show all episodes and even get renewed for a second season.

And speaking of Dollhouse and Death...when the hell is someone going to get the Whedon axe on this show? That damn poll has been on the side of this blog for far too long. Obviously someone knows something about Dominic...because all those votes means he's clearly the goner, but when? When!!?

Happy Birthday, Michelle!

It's Buffyfest's own Michelle's birthday today. Yay! Hope it's much better than Buffy's!

And for some extra special birthday joy, let's dig out this fun...that's right It's Buffy's swearing keyboard. It's NSFW if you like your speakers loud, it's definitely British, but it's sure to put a smile on this festive day. Make sure to type out "Happy Birthday Michelle" in celebration!

Thanks for the Memories Andy Hallett

After a few days of shock and mourning, it's time to thank Andy Hallett for making the Buffyverse an extra special place. His portrayal of the larger-than-life, Karaoke-singing, green demon stole our hearts. Lorne had some of the best dialogue on Angel, funny and poignant. Here's some of Buffyfest's favorite quotes:

- Look you're a big hunk of hero sandwich.

-I thought Our Lady of the Perpetual Seabreeze was the real deal, till the Divine Miss J. walked right through that door and into my ass. W-Which is where my heart is.

- Oh, really? Yeah, well, I am not some mystical vending machine, here to spit out answers every time you waltz in with a problem. I have a heart. Granted, it's located in my left butt cheek, but it's still a heart, and that heart is broken.

- [about living] It's like a song. Now, I can hold a note for a long time. - Actually, I can hold a note forever. - But eventually, that's just noise. It's the change we're listening for. The note coming after and the one after that. That's what makes it music.

- And another thing: How... How do they get the pimiento's in the olives huh? There's a mystery for you. Yeah. Do they stuff each one by hand? 'Cause that seems a little time-consuming. Or, do you think they have a little pimieno-stuffing machine?

- [to Angel] Yeah. But just because I know his name, it doesn't mean you can't knock him unconcious. Please continue.

- There's not a destroyer of worlds who can argue with Manilow.

- So, what we should do is start with the other Karaoke bars, see if we can get a lead on him. That is, if you're not too busy getting lawyers killed and setting girls on fire.

- Elton's in town next month. What do you say? You, me, back row seats? .... Mr. Elton John hits the first few keys of "Yellow Brick Road", I defy you not to feel like the only other person in the room.

- Aggie, I'd rather have a hydrochloric acid facial. I'd rather invite a hive of wasps to nest in my throat. I'd rather sit through a junior high school production of "Cats"! You see where I'm going with this?

- I'm gonna have a chat with "Mr. Tall, Dark and Rocking". And meanwhile, Durthock the Child-Eater is gonna open up to y'all. He's searching for the Gorrishyn Mage who stole his power and he's feeling just a little bit country. So let's give him a hand.

- Isn't this the sort of 'tude that got you where you are now? I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say... if all you're gonna do is switch back to brood mode, we'd rather have you evil, then at least, ... leather pants.

- [to Connor] Actually, that's Uncle Filthy Demon to you.

- I'm the Host...have you met me? I never shut up!

I'm going to take this with a grain of salt...

This isn't the first time we've heard a rumor like this and I'm sure it won't be the last, but this UK site is claiming a Buffy movie is in the works with SMG in talks.

http://www.showbizspy.com/article/183535/sarah-michelle-gellar-in-talks-for-buffy-movie

What's up with the supposed source calling her "Michelle", though. I mean really.

We have a winner of The March Madness Whedonverse Character Tournament!

Sorry for the delay! We wanted to be extra careful to double and even triple check the votes.

Most importantly, we want to thank everyone who participated in March Madness, especially to those who played from the beginning and dealt with the agony of picking between some beloved characters early on. This was a lot of fun! We're trying to figure out the best tournament to do next time. Let us know if you have a suggestion.

And without further ado, we give you the favorite character of the Whedonverse as voted by the fandom (and by the slim margin of 6 votes out of nearly 500)!:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Protagonist, Chosen One, (ex)Cheerleader

Final Score - Buffy 241 to Spike 235
Crazy! Spike sure put up a great fight!

And if you'd like to see the bracket of the entire tournament history, click below to enlarge:

March Madness - The Whedonverse Character Tournament FINALE!

Well after a whole month of doing this we're finally coming to the end of the "March Madness" tournament. We started with 64 beloved Whedonverse characters and now we're down to the Final 2, as voted by you. Thanks so much to everyone who participated and made this so enjoyable. Maybe next time we'll do a "Worst of the lot" tourney. FYI, even if you never voted before, please feel free to still vote in this championship round.

The Final Four was intense, but then again we are a passionate bunch, right? Spike pretty much clobbered Willow, not a surprise...but Red had more than a few fans with 69 votes. The real surprise was Giles beating Buffy by a huge landslide at one point early on! But the slayer came back in the end to beat Giles by an even 20 points. I always thought Buffy would make it to the end, but she sure got a run for her money a few times. See below for battle for the championship:

Location: The Hellmouth, Hell
Spike vs. Buffy
Ack!
Choose and Perish...

Winner of the East: Spike 132 to Willow 69 ,

Winner of the West: Giles 90 to Buffy 110

And that is your final showdown of the Whedonverse. It's ending in 2 days - Friday, April 3rd at 11:59 pm EST (shortly after Dollhouse!) Like always, if you want to play along, please leave your choices in the comments section of this post!

If your curious to see the bracket showing how the tourney went, click here to enlarge:

We won WhedonTrivia this month!

We won! Yay! And let me tell you, it was fricken hard!! I had to set phone reminders and stuff, and some of the questions were real brain crunchers. Seriously, WhedonTrivia is hard core..not for the faint of Whedon!

The hardest one was probably: On what Buffy commentary does Joss first mention Firefly? I had to recruit everyone for that since I only saw it with like an hour to go. People were watching episodes, it was crazy.

But in the end (and as you can see from the handy dandy WhedonTrivia point chart) we are TOTALLY the winners and we didn't get a single question wrong all month. Listen, we have a rep to protect. Didn't want to ruin our street cred with lazy answers and stuff! Hee!

If you haven't heard of WhedonTrivia I'll let you in on the fun. Basically it's a Twitter based trivia game revolving around our favorites: Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse, Firefly, etc. and all the lovely cast, crew, and creators related to all of it. If you don't have a Twitter account, you'll have to sign up and then follow @WhedonTrivia to play. And follow us while you're at it!

And to celebrate our glorious victory, we're going to donate a fabulous Buffyfest themed item for next month's Trivia prize. So get your Whedon obsessed asses over there and start playing! Question 1 is already up... and don't miss a single day of questions.

For even more info, check out the MySpace page for WhedonTrivia here.

Cast members remember Andy Hallett

Charisma Carpenter spoke to TVGuide.com and said:

"Andy was a beacon of love and laughter."

Also, via Christian Kane's MySpace:
3/31/09
For those of you that don't know, Andy Hallett has passed. I'm driving cross country right now, which is always a breath of fresh air, and a wide open freedom. But today the world seems smaller and incomplete. I have lost a friend, and the world has lost a beacon. I will never forget his laugh or his infectious smile. He has left us better than we were before. "I love you Andy. You will be missed. A room was always better with you in it." - Christian

Watch the clip  if you want to see Andy at his finest... on stage... singing through a mic... at about 3 1/2 minutes in...