Whedonesque Mobile : Comments on 17508 : Dollhouse pilot to be shown to overseas buyers in London.

September 04 2008

Dollhouse pilot to be shown to overseas buyers in London. According to Variety, 20th Century Fox will be having 5 days of screenings starting September 15th. Looks like Toronto and Sao Paulo will be getting in on the act too.

Simon | 20:51 CET | 57 comments total | tags: 20th century fox, dollhouse

Um I live in Toronto, Ontario. I wonder if theres any way I can get in to see said screening.

Unless they mean Toronto,London. (Is there a Toronto in London?)

Lockescythe | September 04, 21:09 CET

I'm guessing it's Toronto in your neck in the woods. I'd love to go to the one in London (hello Easyjet) but I think I might have to own my own network to qualify for entry.

Simon | September 04, 21:12 CET

San Paulo? Maybe Sao Paulo?

cabri | September 04, 21:14 CET

Thankfully the internet can mask my blushes.

Simon | September 04, 21:15 CET

Being neither a buyer nor overseas, I gather they won't be showing it at my apartment.

The One True b!X | September 04, 21:16 CET

Sao Paulo? SAO PAULO?!!!!!

Ok, time to dig up old contacts, and check if I can get myself into the said screening.

And, would this be the most awesome birthday present, to attend one of these screenings.

[ edited by Numfar PTB on 2008-09-04 22:24 ]

Numfar PTB | September 04, 21:18 CET

Being neither a buyer nor overseas, I gather they won't be showing it at my apartment.

Maybe if you offer chips and dips or those wee sausages on sticks ?

I'm an overseas buyer (not of TV shows but I definitely buy stuff, why only the other day I bought ... stuff) so I think I may qualify. I'll take my grappling hook along just in case though.

Saje | September 04, 21:39 CET

I'm overseas! And I buy stuff!! Technically I qualify!

Where do I get my ticket?

Dammit, Saje got in first. Well, I'm closer to London!
Unless Saje lives in London in which case I should get preferential treatment for living out in the sticks.

[ edited by zz9 on 2008-09-04 21:46 ]

zz9 | September 04, 21:43 CET

Hey, how about a Whedonesque screening ;)?
That sure would be exclusive. ;)

Donnie | September 04, 21:52 CET

Sao Paulo? SAO PAULO?!!!!!

Ok, time to dig up old contacts, and check if I can get myself into the said screening.

I could never get in to it.
I don't live in S�o Paulo.
But for some reason just reading that they are doing one of those screenings here already makes me happy.

But I don't quite understand it. I mean, at least here in Brazil the channel that airs the series is usually the same one from the US producer. If it is produced by Fox on the US, Fox Brasil will air it. So why do they need to do screenings for buyers? O.o

[ edited by maxsummers on 2008-09-04 22:02 ]

maxsummers | September 04, 22:01 CET

I volunteer to host a viewing in my apartment! ...in January. Actually that's not a bad idea.

Sunfire | September 04, 22:02 CET

Unless Saje lives in London in which case I should get preferential treatment for living out in the sticks.

Nope, i'm out in the provinces zz9 so rest assured, whatever you do it'll be better just by its London adjacency. This is a known thing throughout the land ;).

(still, it's a US network and show, and on a US scale everywhere in England is near London. Big country ;)

Saje | September 04, 22:11 CET

But I don't quite understand it. I mean, at least here in Brazil the channel that airs the series is usually is the same one from the US producer. If it is produced by Fox on the use, Fox Brasil will air it. So why do they need to do screenings for buyers? O.o

maxsummers, basically by setting it in Sao Paulo, it's being worked towards all Latin America Markets. The buyers in question, will include other networks that might consider acquiring the properties for their line-up (for instance Globo would do it, just so their competition won't get it - are they still showing 24?). The most profitable side though, might be possible endorsement deals with local brands (or international brands, through local products). Branding the products seems to be a very common move lately. Warner did it with Seda to "Gossip Girl", and there are other examples.

Fox current marketing strategy with the the premiere of "Lipstick Jungle", make the second case quite clear.

Calming down now, and analyzing the choice of Sao Paulo (instead of Rio or even Buenos Aires, which were quite common some years ago), it makes sense. Their marketing department, have been investing with some quite aggressive (I won't call it creative, cause I still find it questionable) guerrilla marketing action in Sao Paulo in recent few months.

Numfar PTB | September 04, 22:14 CET

Ohhhh, ok... now I get it. Thanks Numfar!

And I have no idea if Globo still airs 24. I know they're airing Bones...

maxsummers | September 04, 22:21 CET

So, is there any viable way of breaking in, in a catsuit and being OH SO INCONSPICUOUS and actually getting to see the Pilot?

So near, and yet so far. And I love London, too.

brynmars | September 04, 22:49 CET

omg Simon, you should be blushing. Look at your tags.

cabri | September 04, 22:55 CET

So, is there any viable way of breaking in, in a catsuit and being OH SO INCONSPICUOUS and actually getting to see the Pilot?

My plan involves a comedy moustaches, the Dummies Guide to Variety Speak and a clipboard. This could turn out to be the Whedonesque equilavalent of "Wacky Races". May the best Brit win.

Simon | September 04, 22:56 CET

Everybody loves dolhouse, cabri.

gossi | September 04, 22:56 CET

omg Simon, you should be blushing. Look at your tags.

Bollocks.

Simon | September 04, 22:57 CET

Everybody loves dolhouse, cabri.

Yes, series about St. Samson's early childhood in Dol are the very meat & potatoes of network TV.

cabri | September 04, 23:00 CET

Don't you mean bolocks.

The One True b!X | September 04, 23:02 CET

My plan involves a comedy moustaches, the Dummies Guide to Variety Speak and a clipboard. This could turn out to be the Whedonesque equilavalent of "Wacky Races". May the best Brit win.

I approve of this plan. I want video though.

Sunfire | September 04, 23:11 CET

Speaking of which, who thinks they should screen the Dollhouse pilot online, on Hulu and iTunes and the like? I've been campaigning for that to happen for a while now.

gossi | September 04, 23:16 CET

Works for me.

The One True b!X | September 04, 23:17 CET

Yes yes and yes. Who do I ~~spam~~ email?

Actually I take that back. (Immediately!) The cleverest thing to do would be to screen some awesome short prequel-like thing online. Maybe in 3 pieces even, all Horrible-like. Minus the singing. Get the buzz going online, help the online fandom have something to buzz for you about, and then cue the network debut of the pilot for all.

Sunfire | September 04, 23:22 CET

Like a Session 416 for Dollhouse?

The One True b!X | September 04, 23:24 CET

Wasn't that kind of enigmatic though? I was picturing less puzzle pieces, more narrative hook. Something more straightforward.

Which uh, actually sounds impossible for a Whedon project now that I think about it. It'd need to have not so many layers.

Sunfire | September 04, 23:27 CET

Like maybe surveillance camera footage of prospective Dollhouse clients' preliminary interviews.

ETA that this is me thinking out loud about my version, but I was posting at the same time so it ended up looking incongruous posted after your last.

[ edited by theonetruebix on 2008-09-04 23:39 ]

The One True b!X | September 04, 23:27 CET

Hmm.

Tha sounds cool.maybe there is still hope that someone from here might go to London or something to view it and then buy it and show it here next year. :D

A girl can hope, they said 400 people.

druzilla | September 04, 23:29 CET

I actually think the best thing they can do to get people to watch Dollhouse is to put it in front of peoples' faces. The full pilot. Then let the buzz build from the product.

gossi | September 04, 23:29 CET

I'm for it.

nutterbudgie | September 04, 23:30 CET

Maybe something like using unknowns as new dolls to show the nuts and bolts of the process, with Echo and the other main dolls seen only in glimpses. That would keep the cost down and feed into the main story without actually spoiling it. Of course, that's assuming they have more than a few dolls at a time which I don't know.

cabri | September 04, 23:33 CET

Like maybe surveillance camera footage of prospective Dollhouse clients' preliminary interviews.

I was thinking more like something set up as a short story with a problem but ending with a twist when you find out someone's a Doll. They have a goal, they have obstacles, we identify with them. Make it interesting, make it a bit heroic, and then at the end, the person walks into the Dollhouse and gets simply wiped away. That would totally intrigue me, if I hadn't known that was coming. Especially if I knew a bit of the premise and it wasn't the person I thought it would be.

ETA: Basically I think they need to attract the attention of people who are not reading Buffy and Firefly blogs or maybe scifi anything online. People who've never heard of Joss Whedon, or just don't flock to his shows, but who would like the kind of tv Dollhouse will be.

[ edited by Sunfire on 2008-09-04 23:40 ]

Sunfire | September 04, 23:35 CET

cabri, I think the problem with filming 'alternative content' like that is... well, it appeals to us. People tracking it. Not them. Viewers. I honestly think viral marketing clips would be absolutely pointless.

Dr Horrible turned into this massive iTunes success, and there's absolutely nothing stopping Dollhouse doing the same. Networks have put pilots online before, but none have been successful. Yet. Joss can redefine that. If Dollhouse is good, FOX can only benefit from a big online event.

gossi | September 04, 23:38 CET

I agree with gossi, into showing the pilot, instead of alternative / complementary content.
A lot of complementary material may end up into the "Why should I care" category, for general public or people who are not really aware of this.

Numfar PTB | September 04, 23:53 CET

I think that Joss has announced that there will be webisodes and that they will start streaming before the show is aired. The then-current plan being to have as many webisodes as episodes. And I'm calling it Tollhouse.

ETA "then-" to "current plan"

[ edited by Pointy on 2008-09-05 00:32 ]

Pointy | September 05, 00:20 CET

Cabri, when I score tickets to this, you and gorramsister want to head up to Toronto?
I mean I have to figure out how I will get tickets but that small snag aside, I'm sure it will be a great time.

Lioness | September 05, 00:50 CET

Wow, you're a major Canadian network distributor? I had no idea! We'll hop on the next train! :D

cabri | September 05, 01:48 CET

I did mention the "have to figure out how to get tickets" thing, didn't I?

edited 'cause I can't type too good.

[ edited by Lioness on 2008-09-05 13:02 ]

Lioness | September 05, 04:15 CET

i live in london! how'd i get in on this? :)

lanceuppercut | September 05, 08:03 CET

Buy the BBC (i'll chip in a fiver).

Saje | September 05, 09:32 CET

Hey, how about a Whedonesque screening ;)?
That sure would be exclusive. ;)
Donnie | September 04, 21:52 CET

Now there's an idea that would break the internet possibly beyond repair. ;-)

[ edited by Shey on 2008-09-05 10:20 ]

Shey | September 05, 10:20 CET

Oooh, I'll chip in to buying the BBC! Where do I send my fiver?

NotMandatory | September 05, 10:26 CET

Oh send it to me (cash only) - as soon as we have enough i'll put in our bid. From Rio of course, that's the only place bids are accepted from unfortunately (i'll bear that cross for the good of the community though ;).

Saje | September 05, 10:36 CET

Speaking of which, who thinks they should screen the Dollhouse pilot online, on Hulu and iTunes and the like?

Or put it on a DVD and give to NetFlix customers for free. Didn't they do that with the Chuck premiere last year?

Simon | September 05, 10:49 CET

Buy the BBC (i'll chip in a fiver).

is that all, fair enough i'll chip in a fiver as well then..

lanceuppercut | September 05, 13:15 CET

Buy the BBC (i'll chip in a fiver).

Well, technically we all (in the UK) own the BBC anyway since it is a public service broadcaster and we pay the licence fee...

zz9 | September 05, 13:23 CET

And it's considerably more than a bloody fiver 'n' all.

Saje | September 05, 13:31 CET

BBC is awesome. I can throw in the USD equivalent (argh, $9 now?). Or I could start a counterbid pool to buy it from the British. Hrrrm. I do really like the BBC. But we'd need a lot more USD so this plan feels like fail.

Sunfire | September 05, 15:48 CET

Or we could just buy NewsCorp and own the damned thing ourselves. It can't be more than a couple hundred bucks, could it?

cabri | September 05, 17:59 CET

Yeah but I don't want NewsCorp. The BBC would be nice to have.

Sunfire | September 05, 18:10 CET

I'd like to own NewsCorp. If I owned NewsCorp I could get a discount on a new Sky+ box.

And I'd be richer than Rupert Murdock. 'Cos I'd do window cleaning on the side. (Old Ronnie Barker joke)

zz9 | September 05, 20:06 CET

When it's Ronnie Barker you're quoting it's not 'old', it's 'classic', pretty much without fail ;).

And I wouldn't mind owning NewsCorp either - bet i'd make a mint on eBay.

Saje | September 05, 20:20 CET

Ok, I'll buy NewsCorp and trade you for the BBC once you finish collecting all the currency over mail. My first act as new owner of the BBC will be to investigate this Ripper business.

Sunfire | September 05, 20:32 CET

Seems fair. My first act as owner of NewsCorp will be to up the order for 'Dollhouse' to "as many as Joss feels like doing" and to just give the BBC the money for 'Ripper' (OK, my very first act will probably be to use the executive bathroom cos I always wondered what they're like but 'Dollhouse'/'Ripper' would be right up there)

Saje | September 05, 20:46 CET

You people think so small. My first act would be to sell off all those pesky Brit and Aussie bits and invest all that money in a new Firefly set and exorbitant salary offers to our BDHs, and then I'll just alternate Dollhouse and Firefly on Sunday at 9pm until the end of time. :)

cabri | September 05, 21:08 CET

NewsCorp has a capitalisation of $37billion.

I've got sixpence. So that's a start. All I need now is another $36,999,999,999.97.

The BBC is owned by the UK government, which the way things are going could work out cheaper than NewsCorp.

zz9 | September 05, 22:41 CET