Best New Show On TV

Best show on TV right now? The Office lost its edge when Jim and Pam went lovey-dovey; Gossip Girl fires as many blanks as bulls eyes; Battlestar Galactica found earth; Heroes got lost trying to be Lost; and Lost... okay Lost is still pretty fucking great. But the big surprise on TV right now is Dollhouse. When the first episodes of Joss Whedon's new series started making the rounds in critics' circles, it was roundly panned. Rumors spread that FOX execs were to blame for meddling with the pilot, which actually was pretty terrible. But that old Whedonesque subversion has slowly crept back in, particularly with clever dialogue and plot trickery. (This week's episode drops those vintage hip-hop Whedon lines like "my first check had more zeroes than the luffwaffa.") If you want to sample, I suggest either last week's epp where the dolls infiltrate a religious cult or the one where they join a girl band -- doesn't it already sound good? Update: good comments inside, some of which echo the recent Atlantic piece, Joss Whedon and the Real Girl.

20 comments

Is that a BSG spoiler, or does it just seem like one?

posted by Graham at 2009-03-22 15:07:32

St. Elsewhere is all Tommy Westphall's dream.

posted by Rex at 2009-03-22 15:09:24

I watched way more episodes than I would watch had it no been made by Joss Whedon. It's hard to get past the fact that 90% of the events you see might as well be a dream sequence, because as long as she doesn't die (and of course she doesn't) they don't matter. And each week's mission is always stupid and never believably requiring an 'active' to be pulled off. And the first few were basically just hooker role play. The only reason Quantum Leap worked is because Sam was so likable, and each episode furthered Sam and Al's relationship, and the missions were clever and entertaining. Eliza Dushku is so unlikeable and not as good of an actress as she thinks she is. Also asthma is not psychosomatic. It's just an annoying show.

posted by BradOFarrell at 2009-03-22 15:15:19

Did you like Buffy?

posted by Rex at 2009-03-22 15:27:57

ok, so big whedon fan over here, and up until this weeks episode i was pretty much done with dollhouse. i'm glad this week they actually threw some plot (and a good fight scene) into the mix, and it helped that there was considerably less echo involved. the problem with echo is that she's written to have no personality, which is a big problem when she's the main character of your show. also, can we have more scenes with the tech guy topher and the doctor? (i love amy acker.) i still have major issues with the writing though, it's a bit like when they let the writers from 2 1/2 men write an epidode of csi. paul and i have recently been watching two totally under the radar shows, burn notice which is on usa, and life, which is on nbc opposite lost, so no one watches either of them. both have great casts, (half of deadwood has ended up on life at one time or another, and 3 and 6 from bsg have been on burn notice) are well written and quite funny. season 1 of both are on dvd now.

posted by kittyholmes at 2009-03-22 16:39:03

Good recs! I'll check those out. Everyone seems to be harshing on the Dushku, but I think she's handling an interesting challenge pretty interestingly -- she has to play a different character every week. I'm sorta the opposite of you with the tech guy tough -- he's the worst trope of the show.

posted by Rex at 2009-03-22 16:43:20

I've only had the chance to watch Dollhouse once, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I would like, however, to mention House as a fantastic series. There are always interesting medical cases and relationships going on in House and I think it has another few years in the media,

posted by Helen Washington at 2009-03-22 17:08:22

that better not be an effing BSG spoiler. thanks

posted by Brigitta at 2009-03-22 19:07:34

I haven't seen Dollhouse yet (it's on my list!), but I loved the <a href="http://waxbanks.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/why-you-dont-like-dollhouse.html" target="_blank">Wax Banks thing</a>.

posted by alesh at 2009-03-22 19:08:38

I've tried to watch the pilot three times now, and have yet to get 20 minutes in. I even tried on an airplane, thinking I'd have no choice and ended up watching episodes of Trust Me that I'd already seen instead. (And Trust Me isn't a particularly great show, but the scene that opens Dollhouse with the motorcycles and the club is so patently stupid...)

posted by Tyler at 2009-03-22 19:27:49

Sorry to be a geek... The Zero was a Japanese fighter, not a German fighter, so the Luftwaffe didn't have any Zeros. Points for clever idea, deduction for inaccuracy. I'm available for fact-checking. :)

posted by Bruce at 2009-03-22 21:21:51

Interestingly, a character on the show points out that it was the Japanese who had Zeros, so they get the deducted points back.

posted by b at 2009-03-22 22:41:59

You forgot Kath and Kim!

posted by neopolitan at 2009-03-23 00:02:19

I'm watching a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAKOB4fBiRk" target="_blank">real show</a>, as there are none left. I even rented V, the series. Gah!

posted by taulpaul at 2009-03-23 08:44:27

What ever happened to awesome shows like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezDIPDVH-IE&NR=1" target="_blank">Airwolf</a>?

posted by taulpaul at 2009-03-23 08:47:08

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCItnKrXvMM" target="_blank">Streek Hawk</a> even influenced Daft Punk's wardrobe

posted by taulpaul at 2009-03-23 08:49:01

Since there hasn't been a whole lot worth watching (second the props for Burn Notice & Life), I've kept checking in with Dollhouse from the fence, but the last episode had me thinking it'll be another enjoyable Whedon show. Also? Kings may turn out to suck, but Ian McShane could watch flies fuck for 60 minutes and I'd sold ...

posted by James at 2009-03-23 15:09:58

Dollhouse has gotten really good the last 2 episodes. I was shocked about the neighbor. Have you read this:<a href="http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=67077201&blogId=475266763 " target="_blank"></a>? Its that dude Patton Oswalt talking about Watchmen but then he switches to plugging the TV shows he likes, including Dollhouse.

posted by shawn d at 2009-03-23 16:01:28

trying the link again http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=67077201&blogId=475266763

posted by shawn d at 2009-03-23 16:02:00

i heard they are remaking "v." let's hope it's closer to battlestar galactica than knight rider as far as quality remakes go. anyone else worried about caprica? that promo during the finale kinda didn't sell me on the show, i like the premise, i like the cast, so let's just hope whoever made the trailer is to blame.

posted by kittyholmes at 2009-03-23 17:00:21

Best New Show On TV

Rex Sorgatz