Joss Whedon shooting a new, first episode of Dollhouse

Straight from Joss Whedon we get the somewhat interesting news that he is shooting a new, first episode for the new Fox series Dollhouse.

Apparently the original pilot they shot might have had a few items that could confuse viewers, and Whedon wanted to fix that. According to him, this was not a network decision (thank God), but his own.

Well, the idea to do a new first episode wasn’t the network’s. It was mine. I understood their consternation, and saw the gap between my style and their expectations, and I suggested I shoot a new ep and make the one I’d shot the second. It isn’t going to be buried, like the pilot of Firefly. It’s simply coming after another, slightly cleaner ep. And because unlike Firefly, it isn’t a two hour epic which introduces everyone to each other, the onus isn’t on the new ep to explain a million things.

The fact is, I’m very proud of the ep we shot and the series is making me crazy with the excitement. But I tend to come at things sideways, and there were a few clarity issues for some viewers. There were also some slight issues with tone – I was in a dark, noir kind of place (where, as many of you know, I make my home), and didn’t bring the visceral pop the network had expected from the script. The network was cool about it, but not sure how to come out of the gate with the ep.

This also means that there wont be a new teaser trailer at Comic-Con this week because shooting on the new episode doesn’t happen until afterwards.

People will have to settle for chatting with Eliza and Tahmoh. But they’re likeable folk. (Sadly, Tahmoh only speaks Canadian, though he has a lovely translator at his side, like Isabella Rosselini in “White Nights”.) We’ll still rock the panel, but showing clips is kind of a tradition, so my emoticon doth frown.

“My emoticon doth frown.” - That is gold.

The original pilot episode will have a few scenes re-shot, but will basically air the same.

He also spilled the beans on the showers in the Dollhouse, which are going to be co-ed. Yowsers.

You can read the entire interview over on Whedonesque.com.

What do you think? Does this worry you at all? Since it was Joss’ idea to do a new episode, I can’t imagine this is that big a deal.

The interesting parallel is what he mentions about Firefly above. I remember tuning in to watch the first episode and not even realizing that it wasn’t the real pilot. That was aired later in the season. And it never affected my enjoyment of one of the best, short-lived series ever.

This is the same type of thing…and it’s also Joss, so I’m not worried.