Whedon explains 'Dollhouse' pilot axe

Joss Whedon has explained the reasons behind the decision to scrap the original Dollhouse pilot.

"Basically, the [Fox] network and I had different ideas about what the tone of the show would be," the showrunner wrote on his website Whedonesque. "They bought something somewhat different than what I was selling them, which is not that uncommon in this business... [but] once it became clear what paradigm the network was shooting for, it just didn't fit at all, even after I'd reshot more than half of it."

However, although he branded the experience "frustrating as hell", Whedon affirmed that he still has high hopes for the future of Dollhouse. "Nothing essential has changed about the universe," he stated. "The ideas and relationships that intrigued me from the start are all there and the progression of the first 13 eps has me massively excited."