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Eliza Dushku

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Such a complicated idea, and it was all hatched during one bathroom break. Last fall, Dushku invited Whedon — a close friend since he cast her as Buffy bad-girl slayer Faith — to lunch at the Ivy to discuss her desire to develop a smart and sexy TV role that would let her prove her range. During the meal, Whedon went to the john, where the Dollhouse premise suddenly struck him. He returned with a pitch, which she immediately ate up: ''It was the best lunch I ever splurged for,'' says Dushku. ''If I was going to do TV again, it had to be with Joss.''

Whedon quickly fleshed out the cast, bringing in Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense) as the Dollhouse CEO, Amy Acker (Alias) as the dolls' personal physician, Fran Kranz (Welcome to the Captain) as the geeky personality programmer, and Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) as an FBI agent investigating their bizarre business. Fox has committed to producing seven episodes of Dollhouse, which will feature largely stand-alone stories and an evolving subplot of an MIA doll. ''It was a fresh idea that didn't promise to become overwhelmed by mythology,'' says Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly. ''And it brought Eliza and Joss back to TV.'' Hardcore Whedonites will recall how their hero clashed with Fox over Firefly, which the network canceled after just 11 episodes. But Whedon says a new network regime has helped him forgive, if not forget. ''Everyone knows that my last experience here was devastating, and remains so. But the support for Dollhouse has been nothing short of amazing,'' says Whedon. ''The show is morally dark and strange, so it's fun for me, and it gives Eliza the chance to do the thing I've always wanted to see her do — which is everything.'' And fans can only hope that this show will last longer than Echo's memory.