It had been years since I last saw a series by Joss Whedon. In college, I lived and breathed “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” I still remember watching the finale and rewinding it over and over to watch as Buffy and the rest of her surviving crew, battered but victorious, stood over the town that used to be Sunnydale.

In the time since its cancellation, I had forgotten how dedicated I was once to a petite warrior and her ragtag group of friends. That is, until earlier this year.

It was the season for TV reruns and I was looking for something to bridge the gap. While perusing the Apple Itunes selections, I found myself staring at Eliza Dushku, the second “slayer“! It was the first season of Dollhouse. I had heard mixed reviews, but hell, why not?

After my weekend Marathon of back-to-back episodes, I was hooked. Yet, even after I waited for months for season 2 to begin, I just couldn’t get into this season’s episodes. I knew its ratings were bad, but that DVR and online viewing of the series were relatively high. Was it possible that Fox would continue to give the series time to convert those viewers to actual TV ratings? We got our answer during sweeps week and just after the best episode this season, “Belonging,” aired. It was an episode that really encapsulated the complex areas that have still yet to be explored with the “dolls” and possibly signaled that the show had found its groove…

Instead, Fox announced they had canceled “Dollhouse.” The Internet went nuts with the news and everyone monitored Whedon and its stars for reactions. Whedon’s came through first:

“I don’t have a lot to say. I’m extremely proud of the people I’ve worked with: my star, my staff, my cast, my crew. I feel the show is getting better pretty much every week, and I think you’ll agree in the coming months. I’m grateful that we got to put it on, and then come back and put it on again.”

Then, Dushku’s response: “Hear it here. Hey, that’s really why I started [on] twitter, the rumors/news is true: Dollhouse will not cont. past these 13 eps…But… There’s always a but… I can’t express enough — this has been one of the Most rewarding experiences of my career. Thank you guys!”

“Buffy” actually almost met the same end, but the viewers fought back and won. It’s obvious that Fox gave this series more time to find an audience than most networks allow (ABC on “Dirty Sexy Money,” perhaps?), so I ain’t mad at them. Fox says that they will follow through with its original 13-episode order and feels that will give Whedon a chance to wrap up the show appropriately. I am sad that, yet again, I have to continue my probably impossible search for a new “Buffy.”

Here’s how the episodes of “Dollhouse” will air on Fox: Two episodes each night on 12/4, 12/11 and 12/18 from 8-10PM. The last three episodes will air 1/8, 1/15 and 1/22 at 9PM.

I’m watching:
“Survivor: Samoa” (CBS)

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Photos, from top: Eliza Dushku as Echo and the rest of the cast of “Dollhouse.” Credit: AssumeCrashPositions; Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy and her vamp-hunting team on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Credit: BuddyTV