"[Dollhouse] became just a scoach too whore-y. Never had a better meeting, everything was great, then they [FOX] said "so they're kinda like prostitutes and that's not ok" Word came down that it wasn't ok. I wanted to make a show that's about feeling bad about feeling good or good about feeling bad. Fantasy is just that, fantasy. FOX wanted to back away from these implications. Every episode [of the first season] is ridiculously hard, because the central core has been ripped out just enough, that we're constantly dancing around our own premise." - Steven Perez from Bookmarklet

Bumped for podcast research purposes. - Steven Perez

Why does he keep going back to FOX? - Glenn Slaven

My guess? The money is good. - Steven Perez from IM

In this case I believe he was kind of tied to fox because Eliza Dushku was still contracted to them, and as he wrote the show for her it was the place to be. - Joe "Looptid" Pierce

I think that's part of it. Look at it this way: you're Joss Whedon. You want to make cool stuff, but you keep getting screwed due to low ratings/bad timeslots/shitty studio execs. So, in order to make what you want (like, fer instance, DR. HORRIBLE), you take the money and the grief that accompanies a show on Fox. Because now you have a bit of breathing room, a few more contacts, and a bit more experience and cash to make what you want. - Steven Perez

I'm sure that is a big part of it. Though I would be shocked if Whedon or Minear worked for Fox again anytime soon. (which is almost exactly the same thing I said right after Drive got the axe). - Joe "Looptid" Pierce

God why can't Whedon find someone other than Fox to hitch his wagon to? He would be so much better on a premium cable net. - Eric

their own premise still blew dick tho - Richard Lawler

No, it didn't. - Steven Perez

I really wish he'd go to a cable net after this. How many times does Fox have to screw him before they both decide to call it a day with each other? But really, as much as we love them, his shows are niche shows, and the broadcast nets are always going to expect a mainstream audience for them. It's a fundamental problem, because Fox is the most edgy of the broadcast nets, honestly. - Jandy

I think the premise for Dollhouse had a lot of room for thematic growth and exploration. From a writer's point of view, exploring the issues in the dollhouse'verse would have been quite a fun task. - Jonathan Hardesty

I really do hope AMC or HBO would hire Whedon. Letting Whedon be Whedon would unleash the awesome. - Spidra Webster