FOX is so taking the piss with Dollhouse.

[Guy Gardener]

I read this on Wikipedia and couldn't stop laughing for about 3 minutes

producer Tim Minear explained that the missing 13th episode would be on the DVD. The reason Minear gave for the episode's being dropped was that Fox was counting a pilot that was reshot as part of the original 13-episode order. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollhouse_(TV_series)#cite_note-The_Live_Feed-19

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollhouse_(TV_series)#cite_note-The_Live_Feed-19

Oh my stars and garters! They speak Orwell! Doubleplusungood goodfacts!

"I'm sorry, did we accidentally let you spend an extra 3 million dollars to film an extra episode you were not contracted for and we did not want? My bad. Sorry. Tell you what how about since we didn't actually order it and you're like forcing this appendix on us, why don't we just go dutch on the costs?"

This is ridiculous.

Do you think the Producers of 24 would ever make 25 episodes by mistake one season?

It's like the new idiots at FOX are playing NOT IT.

 

[Hermiod]

^IIRC, there was money for the additional episode because some of the early episodes re-used footage from the unaired pilot.

 

[Colin Xavier]

The production company ordered an extra episode because they wanted a 13 episode dvd set. FOX TV network had nothing to do with it.

Same thing happened with Prison Break.

 

[Guy Gardener]

if so in theory, then they could make direct to DVD episodes forever?

 

[Hermiod]

^If the money is there, yes.

 

[Michael Chris]

It wasn't a mistake. It was to fulfill a contractual obligation (not with the network).

 

[MrPointy]

if so in theory, then they could make direct to DVD episodes forever?

You know, I wonder if one could make a decently budgeted ($1-2 million US per ep) long (at least 12 eps) serial just for DVD and make bulk profit on it.

I know the Japanese do it with OVAs, but they're usually not more than 4 episodes on average and the budgets aren't generally huge. I did hear a rumour that FLCL's 6 episodes had the budget of a 26 episode TV series.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^^ They charged the price of a 26-episode series for those DVD's as well.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

You know, I wonder if one could make a decently budgeted ($1-2 million US per ep) long (at least 12 eps) serial just for DVD and make bulk profit on it.

If it made financial sense, I'd expect someone to be doing it already. The closest thing I can think of is Stargate and Futurama direct to DVD movies, but the fanbase has already been built off TV. I don't think an original series could survive from direct to DVD because how do you market it and build more than just a niche fanbase?

I think the real problem with direct to DVD TV shows is that suddenly you need a much bigger marketing budget because you're losing the inherent advertising that naturally happens by being on TV and being able to advertise the show to other viewers of the same network or cable channel. You'd need an even bigger potential audience to support the increased marketing budget but the audience is likely to be smaller regardless of what you do.

 

[Dream]

if so in theory, then they could make direct to DVD episodes forever?

You know, I wonder if one could make a decently budgeted ($1-2 million US per ep) long (at least 12 eps) serial just for DVD and make bulk profit on it.

TV shows that air on tv reach millions of viewers and get the much needed exposure that direct to dvd shows would never get. It's easy to see why they would sell better. Imagine if LOST never aired it's first season on ABC would people even know it exists? Most of the people that buy LOST on dvd are the diehard fans.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Or they could just hire a couple guys who worked on Doctor Who in the 70s to handle the sfx and props... Seriously, they used to be able to produce half a season of quality TV for no more than 15 pounds.

(Legend has it that the American made Doctor Who Movie produced inside the 16 year hiatus cost the same amount of money as the last 5 years of the regular show. Eric Roberts alone cost June through November 1987.)

Yeah I'm thinking bring this thing down to a cowboy Ed Wood level of production...

If you liked Felecia Day in Doctor Horrible, then you should try her in The Guild, a web series which seems to be finally making her money hand over fist after Microsoft suckled up to the girl and bleeped all her wonderfully positioned swears.

 

[Cutter John]

Should've saved us all a lot of heartache and just made this thing a 13-episode miniseries.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I don't know about you but if I don't get to see this failed pilot after it's been scapegoated with the loss of my precious Felica's episode, I am going to spit my dummy.

 

[Lindley]

You've seen it, mostly. Aside from the parking garage scene which was online like a year ago, most other scenes from the original pilot have appeared in episodes already.

 

[firehawk12]

^^ They charged the price of a 26-episode series for those DVD's as well.

In America, they just need to package it as a movie.
I have no idea, but I assume that the SG movies must make money.

 

[William Leisner]

You know, I wonder if one could make a decently budgeted ($1-2 million US per ep) long (at least 12 eps) serial just for DVD and make bulk profit on it.

If it made financial sense, I'd expect someone to be doing it already. The closest thing I can think of is Stargate and Futurama direct to DVD movies, but the fanbase has already been built off TV. I don't think an original series could survive from direct to DVD because how do you market it and build more than just a niche fanbase?

I think the real problem with direct to DVD TV shows is that suddenly you need a much bigger marketing budget because you're losing the inherent advertising that naturally happens by being on TV and being able to advertise the show to other viewers of the same network or cable channel. You'd need an even bigger potential audience to support the increased marketing budget but the audience is likely to be smaller regardless of what you do.

With the right people behind it, who could make the publicity (e.g. Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Stephen King), plus a deal with Hulu or iTunes, and I think it could work. Frankly, I think for an outside-the-mainstream project (which describes a lot of SF), it could make more sense from a creative POV to contract with Fox Home Video to create a 12-hour project that tells an entire story, rather than to contract with the Fox Network for a 5-episode commitment with an option for another 7 (plus plenty of network notes on how to "fix" the show along the way), and then just hope it doesn't get scheduled opposite Heroes or dumped on Friday night.

 

[roguephoenix]

I read this on Wikipedia and couldn't stop laughing for about 3 minutes

producer Tim Minear explained that the missing 13th episode would be on the DVD. The reason Minear gave for the episode's being dropped was that Fox was counting a pilot that was reshot as part of the original 13-episode order. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollhouse_(TV_series)#cite_note-The_Live_Feed-19

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollhouse_(TV_series)#cite_note-The_Live_Feed-19

Oh my stars and garters! They speak Orwell! Doubleplusungood goodfacts!

"I'm sorry, did we accidentally let you spend an extra 3 million dollars to film an extra episode you were not contracted for and we did not want? My bad. Sorry. Tell you what how about since we didn't actually order it and you're like forcing this appendix on us, why don't we just go dutch on the costs?"

This is ridiculous.

Do you think the Producers of 24 would ever make 25 episodes by mistake one season?

It's like the new idiots at FOX are playing NOT IT.

my stand on fox is that they really can't help it so there's not much point in being angry at them. it's like being mad at someone retarded because they can't understand simple things. fox has a history of destroying things that have potential, in movies and tv. that's what they're known for. so yea, they're like that retarded person that does something wrong. you can't really get mad because you can't expect too much out of them, you know? >_<

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Or they could just hire a couple guys who worked on Doctor Who in the 70s to handle the sfx and props... Seriously, they used to be able to produce half a season of quality TV for no more than 15 pounds.

(Legend has it that the American made Doctor Who Movie produced inside the 16 year hiatus cost the same amount of money as the last 5 years of the regular show. Eric Roberts alone cost June through November 1987.)

Yeah I'm thinking bring this thing down to a cowboy Ed Wood level of production...

If you liked Felecia Day in Doctor Horrible, then you should try her in The Guild, a web series which seems to be finally making her money hand over fist after Microsoft suckled up to the girl and bleeped all her wonderfully positioned swears.

It's possible to survive going the cheapo route, sure. Skiffy already does that with their terrible Sat nite monster movies - they're cheap and what audience they get pays the bills - but it won't do me any good because one of my non-negotiable demands for TV series is that they look good. Plus bad production values do tend to go hand in hand with bad writing and acting - if you're operating on a small budget, all the departments have to economize.

They can pinch pennies, but they better be able to disguise it well enough that I can't tell unless I'm really looking for it - BSG is a good example of this. However, I'd prefer everything be on par with Lost for production values - huge cast, pricey Hawaii location and all.

With the right people behind it, who could make the publicity (e.g. Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Stephen King), plus a deal with Hulu or iTunes, and I think it could work.

Interesting idea - the barrier certainly is marketing, not content. But what would get a big name interested in marketing some little direct to DVD type show, when they have the clout to get financial backing for some huge extravaganza and put it on HBO? If the idea is good enough to interest Tom Hanks, why toss it onto the internet and force it to fight for attention? HBO and Showtime aren't afraid of weird, outside-the-mainstream ideas.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I thought the show was moved to Saturday this week, but nothing is airing tonight and IMDB shows it's on Friday next week. Did I misread about the day switch?

 

[Mr Light]

It was Kings and Pushing Daisies that have been exiled to Saturday nights. Kings at 8pm, Daisies at 10pm starting on 5/30.