Joss Whedon

WHEN audiences last saw the cast of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in May 2003, Buffy and her friends had won a nearly apocalyptic battle between good and evil. Their hometown of Sunnydale, Calif. -- also known as the Hellmouth -- was a gargantuan pit as a result. After peering into the crater, Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, walked away with a smile, and the television series came to a close after seven seasons. On March 14, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" will return in comic book form.

The rocky road of Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" series has been well-documented, but Whedon is very excited about Friday's episode, "Man on the Street," which he wrote, and the fact that his audience grew by 21% last week to 4.3 million viewers. The following are excerpts from a conference call with reporters Wednesday. -- Viewers have complained of the "ick factor" of the premise.

Well, at least this time Joss Whedon fans can't retaliate against Fox. "Dollhouse" has been canceled. Fans can take heart in the fact that the network really did give the low-rated series, starring Eliza Dushku, a chance. All 13 episodes will air, and the advance notice has given Whedon a chance to give the series a satisfying ending, according to a Fox spokesperson. The remaining episodes of "Dollhouse" will air this way: Two episodes will air each night on Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 from 8 to 10 p.m. The last three episodes will air Jan. 8, Jan. 15 and Jan. 22 at 9 p.m. In a statement posted on whedonesque.

Joss Whedon, the scribe who birthed "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" and swore off the small screen after "Firefly" was canceled, is part of the Fox family again. Whedon's "Dollhouse" will be unveiled today as part of Fox's lineup at a presentation in Manhattan. The drama is about an illegal house of men and women whose memories and personalities have been wiped out so that they can be hired to be anyone and do anything. It stars Eliza Dushku (Faith from "Buffy"), who unintentionally served as the inspiration.

Joss Whedon: In some copies of Thursday's Calendar section, a caption on an article about Joss Whedon, the creator of Fox TV's new show "Dollhouse," misspelled his first name as Josh.

The Television Critics Assn. Press Tour, the semiannual gathering of television journalists from around the country that began July 8, continues at the Beverly Hilton. We offer these dispatches. -- Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly admitted Monday that the broadcast networks rushed to put a "smiley face" on the state of the industry when the writers strike ended in February, making it seem like little had been lost during the months-long labor stoppage. They were then proved wrong by viewers who did not return in the spring.

When Fox President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly first heard Joss Whedon's pitch for a series called "Dollhouse," he was so taken that he later told a reporter, "He had me at 'Hello.' I was kinda drunk with the surprise of it all." Reilly no longer appears to be in a love-drunk daze about the much-anticipated project, because Fox announced that "Dollhouse" will premiere in one of the worst time slots in all of television: Fridays at 9 p.m., beginning Feb. 13. "Dollhouse" has had its share of ups and downs in its short life.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was always a genre-busting anomaly, combining elements of horror, gothic romance, soap opera, satire, even slapstick. But "Buffy" went to show-stopping lengths in its Nov. 6, 2001, episode: "Once More With Feeling" featured the cult hit's assortment of slayers and demons breaking into song (11 in total), all composed and written by the show's Stephen Sondheim-worshiping creator, Joss Whedon. Heck, there's even an overture.

Joss Whedon's last experience with episodic TV left a bad taste in his mouth, but an old friend has coaxed him back. Whedon and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" buddy Eliza Dushku (Faith from the show) will be launching a series, "Dollhouse," with Fox. The actress' Boston Diva Productions and Whedon's Mutant Enemy will produce the show, which has gotten a seven-episode commitment. Though a writers' strike could delay production, it's scheduled for fall 2008.