Amy Acker: back kicking butt for JossI really like the sound of Dollhouse, Joss Whedon's new US television series starting in the autumn. It's all about a group of secret agents who are implanted with memories, skills and personalities that allow them to undertake various missions. Once they complete their mission, they're wiped of the experience and put back into secret facility "The Dollhouse", to await another crisis. Unfortunately, the lead "doll" Echo (Eliza Dushku) starts retaining memories of her experiences...
For Whedon, the show is something of a Buffy/Angel reunion, with the aforementioned Dusku in the lead role as Echo, and Amy Acker has joined the cast as the physically scarred Dr Claire Saunders. Behind the scenes, "Buffyverse" writers Tim Minear, Elizabeth Craft, Kelly Manners, Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt and Sarah Fain are on the writing staff.
Dollhouse co-stars Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense) as Dollhouse facility manager Adelle DeWitt, Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) as FBI Agent Paul Smith, Fran Krantz (Donnie Darko) as computer genius Topher Brink, Harry Lennix (The Matrix sequels) as Echo's "handler" Boyd Langton, Dichen Lachman (TVs Neighbours) as multiple-personality doll Sierra, Enver Gjokaj (The Path to 9/11) as Echo's doll friend Victor, and Miracle Laurie (Medical Investigation) as doll November.
It sounds very promising, and I'm guessing Whedon was inspired by an aspect of The Matrix -- where characters can download skills into their minds once they're plugged into the virtual world -- as that's one of his favourite films. And he's obviously a proven talent when it comes to writing smart scripts for TV shows with strong, ass-kicking, female characters.
Here's hoping this has Buffy's longevity and not Firefly's... but it's on the notoriously impatient, ratings-hungry FOX network... so good luck!
