Nick C's Behind the Screens

2nd Update:  Some people have the problem with the word “lie,” in the following post.  There are questions about whether it’s a loaded word and question its accuracy.  My take is this:  FOX is mad because the site provided false information that they further implied was official.  To me that is lying.  Was it malicious in intent?  No.  Was it false?  Yes.  Did they know it was false?  No, but they knew it wasn’t official but they still provided the information as if it was.  That is by definition lying.  Again it wasn’t malicious in intent nor intended to hurt the show.  The point of the following article is it was supposed to be noticed for the irony that it is.  FOX hurts Whedon show, FIREFLY, fans try to save it.  This time fans hurt Whedon show, FOX tries to save it.  It’s ironic.  I don’t believe Dollverse is bad or meant to do anything bad.  I’m leaving this up in its original form to remind me to choose my words more carefully next time so as not to confuse people.

Update:  I’ve had it explained to me that Dollverse claims they confirmed with FOX about EPITAPH ONE’s airing and were convinced they were right because FOX assured them “every episode will air.”  However Dollverse never found out that FOX had never licensed EPITAPH ONE.  So their source that it was ever scheduled and that it would be pre-empted was just plain wrong.  Which is what FOX is upset about.  I take the email from FOX (which should have remained private) to mean “In the future please confirm with us about air dates,” and that means FOX is willing to confirm air dates for them.  Still the Dollverse people are taking this as an attack on them and their rights.

Original Posting Follows:

There is a website called “Dollverse,” and it’s a fan site for Joss Whedon’s DOLLHOUSE.  The chain of events that lead up to the very appropriate bitchslap is very convoluted.  The simple answer is FOX ordered 13 episodes, made them shoot another pilot and chose not to air the original pilot.  FOX Studios ordered a 14th episode for the DVD set.  FOX Broadcasting never bought the 14th episode.  Kevin Reilly (and others) keep making the mistake of saying “We’re going to air all 13 episodes,” and the Dollverse people took that to mean EPITAPH ONE (the 14th episode) would be aired.

The problem is FOX never had it planned to air.  So here is what Dollverse did:  They claimed FOX decided to pre-empt the airing of the 14th episode.  The problem?  They were lying.  This turn of events caused DOLLHOUSE fans to think the show was certainly canceled, etc.  In fact many (myself included) feel that Dollverse cost DOLLHOUSE bad PR and the idea the show had no chance of coming back.  I tried to say on TVBTN that it wasn’t part of the equation but I don’t think anyone believed me and honestly I don’t blame them.  When you’re lead to believe a show was pre-empted with no plans of airing, that is bad.  I later found out they never licensed the show and wanted it for Season 2 like I reported on TVBTN weeks ago.

So FOX sends Dollverse an email.  The email states posted an incorrect airdate schedule for the remaining season one episode stated as fact that “Epitaph One” would air on May 15, then May 22 – which was never announced by the network – as we never licensed that episode for air.

Moving forward do not make any further announcements on your site regarding network scheduling unless you receive notification from the network that scheduling is confirmed – you are doing a great disservice to the show and your own site. Clearing up your misperceptions of the show has become very time consuming and frankly takes away valuable time that could be spent actively marketing the series in the proper way.”

So how does Dollverse respond:  Dollverse was recently told by FOX it can not cover something about the TV series Dollhouse, in perhaps a watershed moment in terms of a network attempting to control a fan site output.

So their response is that FOX is now trying to control them!  Lets not forget the fact that they flat out lied about the show airing on May 15th and May 22nd.  FOX had never licensed the episode!  Dollverse is trying to twist this into a Big Brother situation when the correct response is:

“We,re truly sorry.  We will not in the future post scheduling information unless it is confirmed by FOX.”  How hard is that?  Obviously too hard for the bruised egos at Dollverse…

Here is the complete take by Dollverse:

http://www.dollverse.com/2009/05/epitaph-none-fox-and-dollverse.html

http://twitter.com/TheNickC

They say I should have one.  I’m not sure if I “get it,” but my goal is to at least be twitted about more than The CW since that is their new motto (or one of them).  We should try and make it happen.

I suppose the purpose of this Twitter thing is to let people know when I’ve updated the site with new articles, and for you guys to send me messages and request topics, news, rumors on subject matters important to you guys and gals.  I think my BlackBerry twits, so we can even twit each other at events like Comic Con.

Update:  I made the link work!

ABC Studios is continuing their effort for REAPER to live on.  Either in syndication or on a cable net.  There is talk of ABC Family possibly picking it up, but a show about the Devil and his son on a network aimed at Family?  Toss that talk right into the trash.  It’s a rumor and a silly one (and confirmed false).  There is talk of the See Fee Network (formerly Sci-Fi, now SyFy and called See Fee by me) picking it up.  This one actually has some legs because they’re discussing it.

However it appears the show will be living on via a very likely syndication package deal with fellow ABC Studios syndicated show THE LEGEND OF THE SEEKER (LOTS) from Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi (Xena, Hercules).  LOTS is the top syndicated scripted program in the states and does well in over seas sales.  The question most people ask is what will this mean to REAPER?

First it’s already cheap, cheap, cheap.  They had to make adjustments for season 2 already.  So the difference between a syndication budget and their current budget is minimal.  So the real question is:  Will Tyler Labine be on the show?  The answer is:  YES.  His contract with REAPER is pretty clear on the fact that.  Some people wonder if syndication is different than renewal, nope.  For the purposes of his contract he is the guy.  FOX delayed SONS OF TUCSON from Fall to Mid-Season to wait out the REAPER situation (among other things).

I’ve seen SONS OF TUCSON and it’s not a winner.  The kids aren’t that funny, and Tyler Labine is definitely not funny.  Think of Sock’s stupidest scams on REAPER that don’t even bring a chuckle, that is what SONS OF TUCSON was with kids antagonizing Labine.  The plot is basically kids with money and no parents pay Labine to con his way as their parental figure for authority figures in their life (school and what not).  Yes, it’s a brilliant idea (note sarcasm).

What is the potential of REAPER in syndication?  Well one thing is that it will get advertised far more than the CW did with REAPER.  REAPER was a show that the CW spent their least amount of promo budget on and it showed.  Technically I suppose the movies and JERICHO got less promo work (none at all) but right behind that was REAPER.  So the affiliates will want to advertise it and LOTS.  LOTS is already the top scripted syndicated show.  If they can work out a deal where LOTS is the lead in for REAPER then they have a good chance of actually increasing the viewing of REAPER compared to the CW.

Why is ABC Studios doing this?  I think they think Dawn is an idiot.   Check that.  I know they think Dawn is an idiot because someone there said it.  They’ve believed in REAPER and thought that the CW gave them a raw deal on promotions, etc.  They were right.  So what happens when REAPER in syndication outperforms what the CW did on Sundays and what REAPER normally did?  It’s egg on the face of Ostroff.  Combined with the CW losing more money than it did last year, and the brilliant idea to move their top scripted show to Fridays…. it could make Dawn a joke.  Jokes don’t last long in Hollywood.  Even the CW spin program can’t save her if numbers are down, SMALLVILLE flops, and REAPER reaps in the viewers.

So I suggest everyone who wants Dawn to fact the music go and find their local CW affiliate information and send them an email of  “Please pick up REAPER in syndication from ABC STUDIOS, Thanks.”