Joss started directing Dollhouse this morning. While the cool-ass sets are housed on the Fox lot, today they are shooting in downtown Los Angeles.

Harry Lennix is an ex-cop who is Echo’s “handler” and bodyguard.

Amy Acker is “Dr. Claire Saunders,” a doctor at the Dollhouse.

Miracle Laurie is “November,” a character who will be recurring but does not appear in the pilot.

In an interview with E!’s Watch With Kristin, Joss provides his own description of Dollhouse:

The idea is those with the money or connections can access this secret highly illegal facility where they can basically fulfill their greatest fantasies. Most people assume that means sex - and on an occasion it does, because that is a lot of people’s fantasies - but it’s basically scenarios. They can basically reenact scenarios of romance, adventure or anything perfectly, because they become the person that you want them to be — they become that person. They don’t act like that person, they are not a robot pretending, they become that person, and then they forget all about it. The problem is the character of Echo, Eliza Dushku’s character, stops forgetting. She doesn’t completely remember, but she does realize she is a person, and that she might have been a person before she did this, and she doesn’t know what that is.

Just a quick rundown of the show. It’s from Joss Whedon – the mastermind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

This show already received an order of seven episodes, so it’s likely to air.

Summary
A group of young men and women called “Dolls” are imprinted with different personalities and talents for assignments. This state is considered “active.” They are housed in a complex called the Dollhouse where their minds are wiped clean, which is when they are considered “inactive.” The Dolls have no independent consciousness of their own and no memories of their previous lives. A Doll named Echo begins to try to find out who she really was.

Actors and Characters
Eliza Dushku is “Echo,” the Doll who begins to have memories of her previous life.

Olivia Williams is “Adelle DeWitt,” the ruthless and protective woman who runs the Dollhouse.

Tahmoh Penikett is “Paul Smith,” an FBI field agent obsessed with the urban myth of Dollhouse and a twisted romantic foil for Echo.

Fran Kranz is “Topher Brink,” a twenty-something genius programmer responsible for imprinting the Dolls.

Dichen Lachman is “Sierra,” a Doll like Echo and her friend, who has every personality in the world but her own.

Enver Gjokaj is “Victor,” also a Doll and a friend of Echo’s. He is childlike when he’s inactive, and everything from Errol Flynn to young DeNiro when he’s active.

Fan sites already up and running!
The Dollhouse
Dollrific!
Dollhouse TV Forum