Fox Pulls 'Dollhouse' From November Sweeps

It was recently announced that Joss Whedon would direct an episode of the new Fox hit Glee, and now I'm wondering if that isn't some sort of severance package for Whedon's foundering Dollhouse. Proving you need a lot more than a hot chick to survive in TV, the Eliza Dushku sci-fi show has never really been on thick ice at the network, and we detailed some of its second season troubles last month. But now Entertainment Weekly writes that Fox won't be calling Dollhouse up from the bullpen at all in November. Why does that matter? Well, there are four sweeps months in TV, used to establish advertising rates more than anything. But to get the premium prices, the networks put on their best products in February, May, July (which doesn't count for a whole lot), and November. If your show is off the schedule in any of the three primary months, that means the network probably doesn't have long-term plans for it. In the case of Dollhouse, even though it does quite well with the DVR crowd, it is among the lowest-rated shows on TV. And it airs on the worst night of the week, Friday. And Fox brought it back for a second season when it really didn't need to. But all hope isn't lost yet: Dollhouse has only aired four episodes of the 13 Fox ordered to start the season. While it's almost certain the network won't extend the order and finish out the season, there's a chance the show can gut it out past the first 13 if there's a real ratings turnaround. But Friday nights in December are probably the worst possible destination, thanks to holiday parties, weekend travel, and all the rest. Curiously, the next episode to air after this Friday was designed as a November sweeps show, bringing in Summer Glau from the also canceled Sarah Connor Chronicles. But now that will have to boost ratings in December...if Fox decides to air the rest of the shows it has ordered. Is there a reason Fox wouldn't do that? Oh yes. Two or three. The first is DVD sales. We already know people don't watch this show when it's scheduled to be on, and DVR viewers are more likely to buy DVD sets than non-DVR viewers. With special features like eight unaired episodes, that could sell a few hundred thousand more DVDs, which would generate far more income for Fox than commercial revenue. The second reason is, not surprisingly, commercial revenue. Fox could probably stick repeats of one of its higher-rated shows on the Friday night slot, bring in more viewers than Dollhouse is generating, and make more money. Even without a significant number of viewers, you're probably breaking even. Reason three: Fox can put all the shows online as exclusive content. It's unlikely we'll get a sense of what direction the network will go until later in November. Overall, Fox is probably having the best fall of any of the networks. Its growth is quite substantial, and it's closing in on CBS for the overall lead, if you can believe it, particularly in the key demos. So it has some leeway with one poorly performing show, especially on Friday. But the odds are overwhelming that 13 will be an unlucky number here.

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