FOX Cancels Joss Whedon TV Show Dollhouse

FOX has officially announced it is canceling the television show Dollhouse, the Joss Whedon sci-fi drama starring Eliza Dushku that was given an unexpected second season this fall but had dismal ratings after moving to Friday nights.

The series will end after its current 13-episode run is over on Friday, January 22. FOX is planning to run the show back to back for three weeks starting December 4 and bringing it back for its final three episodes on January 8. FOX had previously pulled "Dollhouse" from its November sweeps schedule due to poor ratings.

Dollhouse stars Eliza Dushku as Echo, one of a group of "dolls" who are activated in each episode with new personalities and identities and then hired out to well financed clients.

Fan and critical reaction to the show has been mixed. Whedon has a devoted fan base due in large part to his previous television series Buff the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly but the cult following for Dollhouse has not been as large.

Dollhouse was widely expected to be cancelled after its first season was completed last May but it won an unexpected reprieve from FOX and was picked up for a second season. Despite finishing with weak ratings, Dollhouse is one of a number of genre shows that tend to increase its ratings after DVR numbers are added and seek to appeal to advertisers based on their youthful demographic. Unfortunately this season's ratings were even lower than last year, thanks in part to the move of Dollhouse into the Friday night 9 p.m. time slot.

Dollhouse is produced by Whedon's Mutant Enemy Productions and premiered as new series mid-season on February 13, 2009. It had been previously delayed from a fall start. Dushku previously starred in Whedon's Buffy and Angel series as the vampire slayer Faith.

Dollhouse also stars Tahmoh Penikett as Paul Ballard, an FBI agent who spent the first season investigating the Dollhouse but joined it this season to protect Echo. Dichen Lachman and Enver Gjokaj play the "dolls" Sierra and Victor on the show, while Harry J. Lennix plays Boyd Langton, Echo's previous "handler" who was promoted to head of security this year.

Fran Kranz plays Topher Brink, the troubled genius in charge of programming the Dollhouse operatives. Olivia Williams is Adelle DeWitt, the top official at the Dollhouse.

Amy Acker played the character of Dr. Saunders last season. At the end of the season it was revealed that Saunders was actually a "doll" named Whiskey. Acker appeared in the season premier this year and is likely to make a guest appearance before the show ends, but she left the main cast to star in the upcoming ABC series Happy Town.