Buffy, Twilight and Obama Walk Into a Bar: Update with Scott Allie

SLIGHT SPOILERS!

Is Buffy corrupted beyond repair? Are Dawn and Xander a perverted mockery of a couple? Is Obama really putting Twilight Kool-Aid in the Swine Flu vaccine? You can find all these answers and more in the recent interview we had with Dark Horse Comic's Super Scott Allie.

Buffyfest: Last year at NYCC, I asked you a question about theme in Buffy Season 8. You weren't able to answer because the comic was in its early stages, but now, 3/4 of the way through, can you comment on what you think is/are the overall theme(s) of the story?

Scott Allie: Sorry, still a no-go! I'll start being apparent in the next few months.

Buffyfest: There's been a lot of talk on the “internets” about Buffy's corruption and how it's been sitting heavy on the Season. Do you think Buffy's been corrupted by power or is this just a girl who's stressed out and/or maybe a little jaded?

Scott Allie: I don't know that power corrupted her so much as pressure. But I do think she's made some unfortunate compromises.

Buffyfest: What do you think those compromises are?

Scott Allie: Well, I agree with fans that financing her operations with theft is not a very heroic thing. But I think Buffy is a very imperfect hero, so I don't think it's so much out of character, as some fans have suggested, but rather a not so positive bit of character development.

Buffyfest: Regarding Obama's reveal as Twilight, did he get his superpowers from a new socialist health program that helps boost people's strength in order to fight against the free market?

Scott Allie: Like all lesser deities, he got his powers from the sacrifices and devotion of his followers. So basically Season Eight ends when everyone loses faith in him, he loses his invulnerability, and becomes an easy target. I'm still talking about Twilight, right?

Buffyfest: Can you give us one personality trait that would characterize the person under the Twilight mask?

Scott Allie: I cannot.

Buffyfest: Doesn't hurt to try. Moving on. There's been a lot of nay-saying over Xander and Dawn's relationship. Why do you think people are so reluctant to embrace this pairing? Was this issue something you and Joss talked about before the story was released?

Scott Allie: We knew it was coming. We never hesitated. We knew people would hate it because of their history, but I guess we disagree. I don't think that age difference would stop many people. I think 200-year-old Angel (and slightly younger Spike) hooking up with high-school-age (or slightly older) Buffy is a lot worse, and we're all still arguing about which one of those relationships was the most True Love. Xander knew her as a child--when he was a slightly older child. Xander's pretty immature, would’ve met her when she was in 6th grade or so. He wasn't changing her diapers.

Buffyfest: Speaking of controversial relationships, we had Buffy and Satsu, Xander and Dawn and Willow's cheating scandal with the Snake Lady, Saga Vasuki. Are there any other shocking parings yet to be seen in Season 8? If so, without going in to detail, what makes it controversial in your eyes?

Scott Allie: Yes, and no, I won't say.

Buffyfest: Continuing with Willow, the One-Shot comes out soon. Besides Kennedy, will we see any other Buffy characters in the story?

Scott Allie: Ohhhhhhhh yeah.

Buffyfest: Switching gears to some of the other Whedonverse titles: With the success of the Dr. Horrible One-Shot, do you think doing a mini or an ongoing in that universe is viable?

Scott Allie: Viable, yeah, and we have specific plans, not ready fo' unveiling.

Buffyfest: What about Sugar Shock? Any chance we'll be seeing more stories there?

Scott Allie: I doubt it. Maybe. Next time he feels like doing something like that, I suspect he'll make up something new.

Buffyfest: Did you watch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles before it was canceled? I loved it! Is there anything you can tell us about the overall time frame of Zack Whedon's Terminator story or how it links to the television show and/or any of the movies?

Scott Allie: All I'll say is that the Terminator license is a very strange thing. Unique in such properties, the original movie, T2, Salvation, and the show are all separate licenses--like Angel and Buffy are. So we only have the original movie. So we're focusing on characters from the film, and situations from the film, and nothing from the other films, or the show.

Buffyfest: With Exurbia coming to "My Space Dark Horse Presents", will it be a continuation of the story with characters like The Rat making appearances or is this a whole new story?

Scott Allie: It takes place before the graphic novel, focused on The Rat. At first we thought we'd do Gage, but while we were on that book tour where we saw you, we came up with this story. I think it's because we were listening to Patton Oswalt's “My Weakness Is Strong”, with all its rat humor...

Buffyfest: As you know, like many women, I was introduced to the comic world through Buffy Season 8. What do you think would attract readers like me to the pulp fictional character of Solomon Kane which you’ve written the next installment for (being released in January)?

Scott Allie: Ohhh, I dunno. Kane is really traditional adventure stuff. For Joss, the monsters are sort of secondary concerns. The monsters are pretty central to Kane. I'm actually surprised at how many women are fans of Conan (created by the same writer as Kane). I think those women will dig Kane, but women who come to comics through Buffy might find Exurbia or Devil's Footprints an easier next step into comics. The Kane artist really likes gore.

Buffyfest: Finally, do you have any comments on the recent cancellation of Dollhouse? Any plans to continue the story in comic form?

Scott Allie: No plans, but we talk. Right now it's just time for him to wrap things up. I loved how Season Two started, much more than Season One. I thought he'd nailed it, and it was like they played a game to see how they could screw it up. Fox %#$@ed this really nice guy.

Check out this quick preview of the Willow One-Shot being released this Wednesday.

I Miss John Connor

Everyone knows about my love of the show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and my grief at its cancellation. I even wrote a post about it here. I thought my wounds had been healed until I read this interview with Thomas Dekker. He really seemed to love the show and even gives some info on where it would have headed in its 3rd Season. Of course, we'll never know because, as Dekker says himself, "In the end it really came down to Dollhouse or us and that was sort of what happened."

I'll refrain from what I really want to say right now and just go back to being a broken-hearted TV watcher once again.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles Has Been Terminated

As most of you already know, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has not been renewed for another season. Josh Friedman wrote a great closing letter to fans that you can read here. It was a thoughtful letter, but my grief still sits there like Poe's Raven, mockingly saying his stupid "Nevermore's" over and over again. So, here are my thoughts as I walk through the TV-induced 5 stages of grief:

1. Denial: I just don't think it's possible for such a quality show to be canceled. Isn't artistic integrity more important that money? And what about those DVR #'s? They were impressive for a Friday night, right? Right?!

2. Anger: The original post I had written yesterday would have reflected my anger pretty well, but it would have also sent lots of hateful comments floating my way. Let's just say I was uncharacteristically pissed off.

3. Bargaining: It's possible they could still put out a straight to DVD Season 3, right? Right?!

4. Depression: I can't believe it's not coming back. I'll never watch TV again.

5. Acceptance: I'm not here yet. Probably next Fall when I go to look at my DVR menu, I'll come across the name Sarah Connor Chronicles and finally realize the truth. Then, I'll put my finger to the remote and....delete program.

fanvid Sunday: T:TSCC Edition

It's no secret that we here at Buffyfest are huge fans of Sarah Connor Chronicles. While we've been happy to see Joss, Eliza, and Nathan all get the pickup for another season of fun, our hearts have been breaking for Summer Glau and crew who turned out killer performances week after week. With that in mind we present this special fanvid Sunday created by allii6 in celebration of Terminator in all it's glory.



What are your favorite TSCC moments? I really hope a miracle happens and it gets a third season. Happy Sunday, everybody.

Tara's note: In response to that I'm adding this (thanks DarthAngelus for the link!) Hey look at me! I'm on Fanvid Sunday!:

Fans fight over who really crashed the Fox phone line!

The most hilarious thing about this is how the T:SCC fans and the Dollhouse fans are fighting about who crashed the Fox line better. This was all after Miracle Laurie tweeted the phone number to the world.  Unity people, sheesh! Our people are on both shows!

Hee! Love it.

http://www.endofshow.com/2009/05/14/dollhouse-fans-crash-fox-phone-system-asking-for-second-series/

Here's the number, by the way:

310-369-3066

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Has Been Saved by E!

If Only E! had some pull over at Fox then maybe this would matter more. Still, it's great to see Terminator get the response it deserves by winning 53% of the vote. Chuck came in 2nd with 25% and, surprisingly, Dollhouse didn't fare so well with only 10% of the vote.

Make sure you read the interview with the show's producer Josh Friedman. He hasn't heard anything from Fox yet, but he still hasn't given up hope: "They're all people, too, and they hear what goes on [with stuff like Save One Show]. I don't think it's a futile effort at all for people to continue to fight for the show."

Read the full article here:
http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b121697_fans_have_spoken_save_terminator.html

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.

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!!?

The Dollhouse Uncertainty Principle and ep. 6 Ratings/Deathwatch Update

As some people might already know, I've been struggling with "Dollhouse" for some time. Let me be clear, I'm not talking about the quality of acting, writing, sets, editing, music, or any other creative part of the thing....not at the moment anyway. That's not the largest issue for me. Much like not knowing what's good/bad, real/unreal in the show, I'm having an issue with what's good/bad, real/unreal outside of the show. I don't know what I feel as I've been overly influenced. I'm talking about being a part of the Cult of Whedon and it's unsavory effects on my psyche. I'm talking about the Dollhouse Uncertainty Principle.

Unofficial 4th blogger Ryan and I talked a little quantum physics earlier today. He was explaining Schrödinger's cat and long story short, I, of course, brought it back to Whedonville. I'm sorry Ry, but to be fair...you were right there with me. And it was then that I realized maybe I could speak about Dollhouse on this blog again. All you Whedon fans out there are likely suffering the same disorder I am and may not even realize it.

Before the "Dollhouse" hype machine started we only had Schroedinger's Dollhouse which made it both a great show and a terrible show at the same time. Anything was possible and we were unaware. Then, stories of Gouda Pizza-induced brainstorming sessions in fancy Hollywood eateries, Eliza Dushku's Fox deal, casting, network problems, re-written pilots and everything else we learned, not to mention simply being Whedon-addicts, started to confuse us. Was this actually an already flimsy plot thought up on a whim and made even more forced because of network interference or is it the usual Whedon genius?

We will never know the answer to that question because now that "Dollhouse" is out we are faced with Heisenberg's Dollhouse a.k.a the Dollhouse Uncertainty Principal. This means we can never tell whether it's great or terrible because the measuring changes the outcome. Technically, this is a double Heisenberg because some people who might normally love it now dislike it only because they know too much about behind the scenes, spoilers, etc. - while other people who wouldn't normally watch it at all because they think it sucks subconsciously feel they need to love it anyway because they are a part of the Cult of Whedon. I have no idea which camp I'm in. I'll never know.

There is no way of measuring ratings that can determine the quality of the show and none of us can be certain as to why we like or dislike it. We are all tainted. If we went back in time and never learned a thing about Whedon and stumbled upon this show on a Friday night because we loved "Connor Chronicles" and watched what followed, then we can form an untainted opinion.

Actually, that's a great segue into Connor Chron. I love that show. A lot. I know I love it and there is no confused feeling. There is no SCC Uncertainty Principle. It's really a great feeling. Unfortunately, that feeling is followed by a feeling of doom due to its impending cancellation (Note from Ryan: A Sarah Connor Uncertainty Principle probably exists for long time fans of the Terminator franchise, of which Tara is not. This is not to be confused with the Terminator Uncertainty Principle, which is a theory about whether time-traveling robots can change the future).

Next time, Ryan and I plan on discussing Bell's Theorem where the shows Buffy and Angel are always connected in quality and cannot be separated. But that's next time.

In the mean, "Dollhouse" scored a 2.6/5 in the ratings to move FOX ahead of NBC this past Friday night with overly promoted episode 6: Man on the Street, though it's viewership was actually down from last week. Here's the updated Dollhouse Death Watch.

And the optimism continues! If next week's ep actually airs (which seems almost certain) then Bitsy's group is out and it's down to Michelle vs. Me (the realists versus the delusionals!)

If you want to share an opinion of what you think is Dollhouse's fate and be added to the list above, see the following options and leave your choice of group in the comments:

Bitsy's Group (the S&M hard-core skeptics) - who's sure Dollhouse will not even make it to the 7th episode. (next week's ep!)

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.

Newsies

Looking for a new school? AOLkids suggests the top 10 "cool schools" but advises NOT attending Sunnydale High if you're scared of ooglie booglies. Or just become a scoobie. Like, duh.





Don't file Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in the canceled drawer just yet. I09 thinks there may be some hope after Friday's ratings spike. We all are in love with this show here. Can we get a serious "Save T:SCC" movement going?




Anthony Stewart Head's Merlin will be airing in the US in June on Sunday nights (NBC). He plays King Uther of Camelot in it. I believe our resident "Honorary Brit" Bitsy may have seen this in it's entirety and vouched for it. Looks faboosh!

The Whedonverse: You Win Some, You Lose Some

Nathan Fillion's new show Castle is getting some pretty good reviews. It's not just the overall show that's catching the positive critical attention, but Fillion himself. This should be no surprise to any Whedonverse fan who has already had the Mal/Caleb/Captain Hammer experience.

http://www.tvworthwatching.com/blog/2009/03/nathan-fillion-makes-abcs-cast.shtml

http://www.tvovermind.com/featured/review-abcs-castle-starring-nathan-fillion

Also getting attention is another Firefly veteran, Summer Glau. Her character Cameron from Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles is receiving praise, funnily enough, not for her entertaining acting skills or the amazing writing that comes with it, but because she's hot. Cameron has made the TV's Hottest Female Non-Human List.

This seems to be as good a place as any to start my rant:

Why is no one watching Terminator? Why is a show with great acting and engaging storytelling going to be cancelled? These two questions seem to be cosmically intertwined by one thing: The time slot from hell.

Back in September, the show had a viewership of 6.3 million and now that it's moved to Friday "...ratings took a 27% drop from their lowest Monday night figures." There's been speculation as to why Terminator was even picked up for a 2nd season in the first place and Fox has gone on record saying the sci-fi match-up with Dollhouse would be perfect for Friday nights. If this was really true, how do you explain Fringe with its cushy, elitist Tuesday night time slot? Pairing Terminator, Dollhouse and Fringe would have made perfect sense if you're pushing the sci-fi angle. That's why it seems hard to believe that any of this was for the good of Terminator, rather it seems to be the last concern on Fox's mind. With all this "talk" the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is the show getting the least amount of attention while having the most to lose.

I get the stinking suspicion that Terminator is the victim of Fox trying to help Dollhouse, but it seems so unfair to risk the cancellation of a good show in order to assure the renewal of another. I understand the gimmick behind placing a show with a character from a previous Whedon show with another character from a previous Whedon show, but Terminator already had a fragile viewership and now, sadly, it's at the point of no return, literally. They'll be some flak for this post, but Dollhouse has so many fighting for its future that it seems "Team Glau" needs someone in the Whedonverse rallying in their corner.

End rant.

Sources:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/09/09/ratings-monday-september-8-terminator-scc-returns/4987
http://danowen.blogspot.com/2009/02/ratings-dollhouse-sarah-connor.html
http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/10/fox-picks-up-te.html
http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/01/fox-executive-session-kevin-reilly.html

Dollhouse Death Watch update - ep 4 "Gray Hour"

According to thr.com This week's ep of Dollhouse was another ratings dip:
"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Dollhouse" both fell for the fourth week in a row. "Terminator" was down 17% this week in the demo (3.0 million viewers, 1.0 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and 4 share) and "Dollhouse" dropped another tenth (3.5 million, 1.5/5). T:SCC is done but I'll save that sadness for another sad post.

Re: Dollhouse - I really liked "Gray Hour". Sure, it had it's problems (I have absolutely no fricken clue wtf is going on with Ballard) but I was entertained in a way that the first 3 episodes didn't really satisfy. Michelle was less thrilled, but we agreed that it was definitely the finest hour of Dollhouse yet. Doesn't help the ratings at all what we think, though...so therefore I give you:

Optimists are still chiming in and it's fantastic! They hold 62% of the vote and climbing. Luckily, once DVR viewership gets added into the ratings, it should be a bit higher. "Gray Hour" is also sitting pretty at #4 on the itunes chart at the moment, so that's great news as well. Michelle just might be winning this thing...and if she wins, we all win too, no?

Again, if you're just finding this now and are totally confused, let me clarify. We don't want Dollhouse to die, but we Buffyfesters did wager a bit against each other in "The Dollhouse Death Watch". If you'd like to join in on the fun, just leave a comment in this post. You can choose between the following:

Bitsy's Group (the S&M hard-core skeptics) - who's sure Dollhouse will not even make it to the 7th episode. [Bitsy's group is almost out. Yipee!! Although, not for Bitsy...in a way.]

Tara's Group (the bitter realists) - thinks douche bag FOX will show all 13 episodes ordered, but will then cancel it and thus, Dollhouse will not make it to season 2.

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

Dollhouse ep 3 "Stage Fright" ratings and Death Watch update

Ratings for 2/27: Fox tied NBC for third place with "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (3.4 million, 1.2/4), dropping a couple tenths of a rating point to another all-time low, and "Dollhouse" (4.1 million, 1.6/5), slipping a tenth this week.

Dollhouse episode 3. I liked it, I disliked it, I realized I can no longer be of use when it comes to opinion. I'm completely tainted by ratings worries, fandom insider info and misinfo, ridiculous comparisons to the actor's other roles, etc. I can't do it. I'm out. Check out this fantastic, in-depth and positive recap of episode 3 "Stage Fright" if you're in the mood for that sort of thing. I, however, am in the mood for:

Things are looking great for Dollhouse from the fandom's point of view, it seems. There has definitely been more of a response from people who truly believe it's going all the way to season 2 (and possibly beyond). 62.5% of this mini poll, to be exact. That leaves a clean 25% for "The Realists" group (who think DH will make it to the end of the season and then cease to exist) and 12.5% for the ever dwindling skeptics (who don't think it'll make it much longer).

Again, if you're just finding this now and are totally confused, let me clarify. We here at Buffyfest have wagered a bit on this, "The Dollhouse Death Watch". And also again, we don't actually want Dollhouse's death of course, we're just having a friendly bet while speculating. If you'd like to join in on the fun, just leave a comment in this post. You can choose between the groups of:

Bitsy (the S&M hard-core skeptic) - who's sure Dollhouse will not even make it to the 7th episode.

Tara (the bitter realist) - thinks douche bag FOX will show all 13 episodes ordered, but will then cancel it and thus, Dollhouse will not make it to season 2.

Michelle (the starry eyed optimist) - who still believes that Dollhouse will show all episodes and even get renewed for a second season.

This Just in: Dollhouse ratings Down - Sarah Connor Chron the same

From TV By the numbers:

Last night’s Dollhouse drew 4.2 million and 1.7/7, down from last week when it drew 4.7 million and a 2.0 rating with adults 18-49, and notably this was against repeats on the CBS lineup. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles did not drop too much from last week, averaging 3.8 million and a 1.3 rating with 18-49s, but last week it was already very low. Note Marc Berman reports 1.4/5 as the rating share for TSCC. Hibberd reported a 1.3/5 earlier — I’ve gone with Berman’s number in the table below, but since I won’t see the actual report until Monday, I’m not sure which is the right number, and either way the numbers are bad!
Despite the repeats, CBS won the night both overall and with 18-49s and ABC was in second. NBC was third among viewers and fourth among 18-49s, and it was the opposite for FOX which was fourth overall and third among 18-49 year olds.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/02/21/saturday-ratings-dollhouse-downer-terminator-tscc-not-uplifting/13214

Dollhouse and Sarah Connor Chronicles have Badass Babes....or something

I've been trying to limit my Dollhouse knowledge. I think by now everyone around me knows how I feel. This promo is kinda cute, kinda cool, kinda anti-Whedonfeminism (which would honestly never bother me all that much). But the biggest question I've been having whenever I get a glimpse of a DH tv ad is: WHY WITH THE MATRIX-STYLE SLOW MO BLASTING BULLET EFFECT? REALLY? LET'S PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999 WHY DON'T WE?? WTF?

Joss Whedon Dollhouse Interview number 4,815,162,342

I'm loving this TV Week interview with Joss re: Dollhouse that just popped up. My favorite bit is:

What’s more, Mr. Whedon said, he’s very happy with how the second half of “Dollhouse’s” 13-episode order is coming along.

“There were definitely times I said, ‘What exactly am I doing here? Is Angel a vampire in this one?’ I had to struggle to find the heart of the show, but you can see, increasingly through the season, we did,” he said. “Now I feel like I have a real good handle on [the show]. … We’re getting it down. We’re having so much fun.”

I don't know why but Joss's mentioning of Angel's journey as a show over Buffy makes me happy. I guess I feel like Angel is the red-headed (sorry Joss) stepchild in his family of show children and it's refreshing for him to name drop it.

Otherwise, I want to believe him but I still think the rest of the interview is a lot of bullshit "dousing of the Dollhouse fire". I'm more worried about it than ever. The Dollhouse tv spots are cheesy UPN style, imo, and you can dress up the "death slot" real pretty, but it still leads to the unhappy death place. Dollhouse and Sarah Connor Chronicles seem to have 2 nicely pedicured feet in the grave. I hope I'm wrong.

Aaanywho, read the entire interview here:

In related news, the 25,000 sq. ft 2 story Dollhouse set cost nearly a million dollars and sounds very cool. It's apparently "unusually elaborate" and "one of the stars" of the show. Check that story out (with fantastic pictures) at LA Times.

Skip to the end of the interview....New show?

From Io9.com - By Webmaster - 2008-01-14

Summer Glau - "Terminator : Sarah Connor Chronicles" Tv Series - Io9.com Interview

Summer Glau spent the hours before last night’s premiere of her new series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, hanging out with fans and posing for pictures at the Los Angeles Comic Book and SciFi Convention. We were able to snag a few minutes with the newest addition to the Terminator factory line before she was whisked away in a frenzy of marketing and fandom. In the new show, Glau plays the good Terminator, sent to protect John Connor. You can catch the second hour of the two-part premiere tonight — an hour that in our opinion kicks a lot more butt. Find out more about Summer, and hear a rumor about the all-singing, all-dancing mystery version of Firefly, in our interview.

You’ve been involved in Firefly, Serenity and The 4400. Are you particularly attracted to science fiction or do you choose the the projects based on the roles?

Well, scifi has sort of chosen me! The first scifi I ever auditioned for was Firefly, and it was the first television series I’d ever read for too, as a regular. Scifi fans are so loyal, they love to see their actors working, and I think that’s why I keep going back to doing scifi.

The characters that you’ve played are all superwomen who kick ass, but they’ve all been "tweaked" somehow, or in some cases aren’t even human. Do you feel like that’s anti-feminist?

Well, look at Lena’s character. She’s a powerful woman, but she’s normal but thrust into extreme circumstances. I like playing roles that are very vulnerable, and I think that Cameron is very vulnerable. Even though she’s a robot, there’s a vulnerability about her because she’s alone in this new reality. She’s childlike in that she’s absorbing everything around her and trying to fit in and find her place. That’s what’s interesting to me. I don’t want to play a character that is one-dimensional. I think that the women, I’ve played, while they’re powerful, they’re also vulnerable, they’re emotional, and they are multi-faceted.

We’ve hear that Joss Whedon likes his actors to have some input in their characters, did you do that when you played River Tam in Firefly?

Oh, you heard that did you? *laughs*

Was it true?

No, not for me! We don’t change anything about the characters. Although it’s important for every actor to answer their own questions about our characters... we used to joke with Joss like "Hey, I have idea for this scene!" And he’d be like, "Uh, yeah. We’re doing it my way." *laughs*

I trust him completely, and there were days when I came for scenes and I didn’t know how I was going to do them. If Joss hadn’t been there, I would have been lost.

Let’s say something magical happened tomorrow, and they said Firefly was coming back on the air. Would you be up for it?

You know, I never had another experience like Firefly. It was very different for me because I’d hardly worked before. I was like a little sister and it was a very safe environment for me. I’ve never had that since, and I would definitely go back in a heartbeat.

Your character changed the most on the show, going from an innocent, lost little girl to a superweapon who could kill everyone in the room at the drop of a hat. Did you bring some of that to the role as Cameron?

I’ve wanted to make them very different. My main concern when I got this role was ’How do you make people care about a robot?’ I’ve been trying to do that in a lot of different ways. What happens in the show is that you’re drawn to her and you start to care about her, but then you see her do something that is so cold, and so inhumane that it’s scary. That’s what I’m going for!

You have a background as a dancer, do you still do that?

I do, although it’s not easy. I go to classes often. I have a very physical role and I have to work out a lot, but I’d much rather go to dance class than go to the gym.

Do you have any shows or projects coming up where you dance?

Well, you could ask Joss about that. We might have a little something coming up...

Firefly, the musical? Summer had to run off to her panel, but we’ll be checking into this!