2. Dollhouse
Dollhouse is another Joss Whedon epic that should have been. Set in a world where there are institutions renting people (known as Actives) who can be endowed with particular sets of skills, Dollhouse follows an Active played by Eliza Dushku on the discovery of her own self-awareness. On the face of it, Dollhouse appeared to be an exciting, innovative, and interesting programme. The inclusion of Eliza Dushku on another Joss Whedon project inadvertently allowed for comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in which Dushku was a rollercoaster ride of TV enjoyment. Unfortunately for Dushku, Dollhouse was fated to run a similar path to Tru Calling. Attracting mixed reviews, Dollhouse seemed to promise much more than it delivered. A viral campaign in 2009 got many Whedon-ites prepared for an adventure unlike anything that had ever been seen, and the pilot episode was generally received well as a thought-provoking and accessible opener. The remainder of the series, however, did not live up to expectation and was cancelled after low ratings.