Dollhouse: Thirteen Episodes, And Then What?
There appears to be some confusion (scroll down in the thread) as to what happens next with Dollhouse, since at the moment episode 11, written by Jane Espenson, is being cast, while Tim Minear is busy breaking episode 12. That leaves just the final episode of its original order.
So here's what Fox is telling me: "New series that debut mid-season usually receive a 13 episode order and this is the case with Dollhouse." For all intents and purposes, since Dollhouse premieres mid-season, it's in essence being treated as a mid-season replacement series.
"With its mid-Feb. premiere date," the network's spokesperson continued, "the 13 episode order would bring would have the season finale in May. We would not need additional episodes for the current season." More directly: "Dollhouse has a 13 episode order for this current season. A decision would not have to be made on if the show is picked up for a second season until late spring."
What this appears to mean is that once the season's thirteenth episode is completed, the existing Dollhouse writing staff would be done until next Spring "” if, that is, the series gets picked up for a second season at that time.
Update: An open question for anyone who might know: What does this mean for the massive set, which they basically built instead of doing a traditional pilot?
Do they leave it up, rendering that stage unavailable for any other productions, all the way until a presumptive Spring decision on a second season? Or do they strike it and store it, which presumably would mean the expense of building it again if there's another season?
Update: It's been suggested that there is nothing out of the ordinary in all of this, and my assumption is that this is true.
Confusion likely arose because when Dollhouse first was announced, it was a presumptive Fall series, not a mid-season replacement series. In which case, in that context, it would make sense to wonder when the network would have to decide about "the back nine" of Season One.
Dollhouse originally started filming in April, and by May the term "mid-season" already was starting to appear. When the series indeed got moved to announced for January, and then to February, and became a mid-season replacement, many of us did not make the corresponding adjustment in thinking about the "what's next" question, leading to, in recent weeks, many out loud wonderings about the prospects for the rest of Season One.
So while the above details might not be out of the ordinary, the obvious confusion on the "what's next" front needed to be addressed, and is what prompted me to just ask Fox how this is meant to play out.
