Television's jack of all trades Joss Whedon has risen to a level of respect among television viewers and studios that most professionals only dream of. Having helmed several smash series that feature powerful female protagonists, Whedon knows what works and pushes every envelope within reach. His shows frequently feature crossover appearances from his other work, creating an incredibly rare narrative tapestry in television.
To celebrate the upcoming second season of "Dollhouse" (premieres Friday Sept. 25 at 9pm!), we've put together a look into the fascinating and ever-expanding World of Joss Whedon.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
In 1996 Whedon was approached to adapt Buffy for television, something he'd been hoping would come to fruition since the campy big-screen adaptation he penned five years prior was anything but a symbol of pride for the young visionary. Given the opportunity to retell the story on his own terms, he moved to L.A., cast soap opera actress Sarah Michelle Gellar in the title role and shot a bevy of episodes in the spring of 1997 for the fledgeling network The WB.
Buffy’s demon-fighting antics and dramatic saturation, coupled with pop-culture references and a rare depth of character for most featured players, mirrored modern high school life and early adulthood in ways that resonated strongly with young audiences. The series caught on quickly, and though Whedon has said that it wasn’t until the show’s fourth season that he was confident in the show's renewal, the show was a can't-miss formula for success in the pre-Twilight era. In its seven season run (five on WB, two on UPN), Buffy never averaged more than 5.3 million viewers a season.
Angel
Before closing the door on Buffy by killing her off (and damn near everybody else) in the final episode, Whedo premiered the "Buffy" spin-off "Angel" in 1999, centering on the Slayer’s vampire boyfriend (David Boreanaz), who moves to L.A. to get away from Buffy and become a private investigator. With a much darker tone and slightly more realistic edge than "Buffy," the new show fared very well, eventually matching the viewership of its mother show. The WB axed "Angel" after five successful seasons, shocking Whedon, who believed in the show's ability to carry the "Buffy" legacy.
Firefly
A sci-fi western that Whedon personally wrote the theme song for, "Firefly" was a bit too ambitious for its own good. Fans and critics rapidly took to the complex "Firefly" universe, but the show’s network, Fox felt otherwise. The studio aired episodes out of order, ordered reshoots with more action than the overall tone called for and ultimately cancelled it before the full season had aired. Determined to tell his story, Whedon took the project - and nearly the entire cast of the show - to Universal for a feature film adaptation, Serenity, in 2005.
Dollhouse
Whedon’s latest and current TV series is brimming with stars of the man's previous efforts - a true testament to the man's work ethic and genuine gravity. Eliza Dushku, aka Faith on "Buffy," is the central character Echo, one of several “Dolls” working for an underground corporation that wipes their memories and implants them with specific personalities tailored to the desires of high-playing clients. "Angel" co-star Amy Acker plays a company doctor with secrets up her sleeve and skeletons in her closet, while "Firefly" regular Alan Tudyk showed up at the end of the first season as well.
After a near-cancellation and a slew of behind-the-scenes drama, "Dollhouse" has been renewed for a second season to the delight of Whedon fans worldwide. The first batch of episodes for Season Two are already in the can, and with a strong level of anticipation for its Sept. 25 season premiere, last seasons numbers may pale by comparison.
Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog
In this tragicomedy short-film series that aired in July of 2008, Neil Patrick Harris stars as Dr. Horrible, a wannabe supervillain with his own video blog and a "Ph.D in horribleness," whose dreams of joining the prestigious Evil League of Evil are shut down by egomaniacal superhero Captain Hammer. After falling in love with Penny, the gorgeous girl with a heart of gold, Horrible's worst nightmares become a reality when Penny begins dating Hammer after he saves her life (sort of). In addition to writing and directing the series, Whedon also enlisted his brothers Zack Whedon (a television writer) and Jed Whedon (a composer) to help produce the project.
