News of the Day -- Monday, May 18

+ From Park Bench reader Kristin, we have a recap of a preview of Joss Whedon's new Fox series, "Dollhouse." Given that the clip has been pulled down from every site, it's been posted on, Kristin was kind enough to share a blow-by-blow account of what she saw:

My attempt to share the wealth...

Voiceover from woman:
The world is a very simple place at first. And as we grow up it grows around us, a dense thicket of complication and disappointment. I know you’ve heard colorful rumors about what an active is: robots, zombie, slaves. They are, of course, quite the opposite. An active is the truest soul among us.

Text on screen:
In a city of millions / Many Souls Get Lost / But there is a place / That wipes away / The regret / The pain / The memories / But everything has a price / They will be anyone you want / They will do anything you need.

Joss Whedon invites you to a world / Not far from our own / You can wipe away a memory / But can you wipe away a soul? / DOLLHOUSE

The clip is filled with images of actives jumping from planes, falling in love/dancing crazy, climbing mountains, being assassins, and living in the dollhouse facility.

The clip carries the implications of the probable illegality of what’s going on in the dollhouse. The two men who work in the dollhouse that aren’t actives seem to question whether the actives really did volunteer for the positions.

Separately, Tahmoh Penikett is seen investigating the idea of the dollhouse, but is told by his superior that it’s a myth and to drop it.

The dollhouse facility seems kind of like a dormitory for the actives. It looks like a swanky spa with medical type side rooms and beds reminiscent of the goo-filled Cylon resurrection chambers from BSG.

Questions of identity? Memories? Souls? Zombies? Yup, sounds like a Joss Whedon production to me. Can't wait!

+ Check out this very funny video by Jonathan Katz, Stephen Levinson and Joel Moss Levinson. It involves a bashful God and a kinda pissy Abraham. If all of the Bible were like this, I'd have made it through the scary chapters:



+ I picked up an X-Files 2 promotional movie poster at Detroit's Motor City Comic Con on Friday and am giving it away to whoever writes the best X-Files-themed haiku today and posts it in the comments.