For the Love of Joss

Have you ever anticipated something wonderful to the point of it becoming near-dread? Joss Whedon finally has a new series, Dollhouse, coming to TV this fall and it sounds so good that my excitement is almost equally mixed with the fear of a premature cancellation.

I'm not sure my soul can face another heartbreak like it endured over the loss of Firefly. (The most promising, brilliant one season show to ever spawn a feature film - Serenity - and still not be continued, making me sad for the future of our world.)

It may seem ridiculous to be worried about losing a show I've never seen, that hasn't even been filmed. But this is Joss - it will be brilliant, I have no doubt. What I do doubt is the ability of any intelligent television series to survive on TV today.

Come on, people (networks, viewers, advertisers, whoever really holds the fate of TV), we don't need more reality shows. We don't need to watch people make fools of themselves, bathe with porcupines, eat slugs, or find someone to shack up-- I mean, love. We need some intelligent television. Shows that entertain, yes, but that also explore real human emotions and relationships. Shows that actually (gasp) make us think and feel.

Here's an excerpt from a Sci Fi Wire article about the upcoming Dollhouse:

"It came from my conversation with Eliza [Dushku] about her, about her life, her career, about what everybody wanted from her, what they wanted her to become and what she was trying to become," Whedon said in an interview last week during Fox's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. "That's really what the show is about. It's about plumbing the depths of our identity."

Dollhouse stars Dushku as Echo, a member of an underground, illegal group of people who've had their personalities wiped clean, enabling them to be imprinted with any number of new personalities to carry out missions at the behest of their handlers. The people, called "Actives," live in a spa-like facility called the Dollhouse, and everything seems to be going according to plan until Echo begins to experience self-awareness and feels compelled to uncover the truth about her identity. (read the full article)

Despite my fears (or mistrust of the network-gods), I will be watching Dollhouse this fall and will try not to worry about its future. How could I not watch? Joss Whedon's genius is one of the few things that I find truly inspiring in this world.

*Update: here's a blog for Dollhouse info galore: http://dollverse.blogspot.com/