http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/10/fox-we-will-air-all-13-dollhouse-episodes.html
According to this article, all 13 episodes in production will be aired in order due to good DVR numbers. However, live rating means the likely hood of full 20+ episodes season is unlikely. Season 3 right now seems unlikely too.
Personally I think a goodly number of shows can only sustain themselves for 13 episode runs, some for only 6. Even if they dont renew at least Joss will be giving fans closure in the last episode.
What I found particularly awesome were the comments by Fox’s scheduling chief Preston Beckman:
“If you cancel it, you’re an asshole; if you renew it and then don’t put it back on, you’re an asshole,” he said. “I’m still paying for ‘Terminator.’ ‘Dollhouse’ has a small rabid fan base that in the world of social media seems bigger than it is. We gave them another season knowing full well we were going to burn in hell if we pulled it.”
In other words, World of Whedon fans are so diehard that executives will hold on to shows longer than they would like, just so they dont have the backlash from fans. Haha Fox, we win. 
Frak yeah!
In my mind I have always assumed they could have renamed Season 2 of Dollhouse, “Sorry we canceled Firefly.” Season 2 is atonement for sins so long as they could still make a buck or two. If Dollhouse’s numbers were dismal, well, they would have paved over the sins and called it a day.
Do not underestimate the Power of the Whedon fans!
They are waiting for Summer Glau to appear so she can be the scapegoat. Why ruin a trend? Cancel any show Summer Glau is on…
It’s worth it.
Um, I hate to be the sourpuss here, but I’ve found the current season (granted, I’ve yet to watch episode 3) rather underwhelming. I’m surprised they’re committing to airing the 13 episodes they already have.
Morena will gladly hand over that responsibility. She has had the touch of death as well.
She’s in V, isn’t she?
Morena? Yes, looking ever so deliciously evil.
That is true.
Yes.
You can say the same Ben Browder and Claudia Black too. Both came from Farscape to SG1 same time as Morena.
The trend used to be create as many “Reality” shows as possible and allow them to painfully squander. Now it’s launch as many sci-fi shows just to cancel them.
Do people write letter campaigns to bring back ‘The Bussey Bunch’, ‘Secret Talents of the Stars’, ‘Anchorwoman’, ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ or ‘Rosie Live’?
Granted the last one is not really a “Reality” show.
There are an awful lot of sci fi (or close equivalent like Flash Forward) series this year. I hadn’t thought about that. Any takers on how many will list until May?
I think SGU, Sanctuary, and Flash Forward will make it. Maybe V, but no one has seen it yet. I think Heroes, Dollhouse, and Smallville (last season if it makes it to May) will end.
Smallville is actually still kicking. It’s getting TSCC like numbers and that for CW is good news, plus it has more of the teenage girls buying power behind it’s demographics.
Plus… so far this season looks interesting. Brian Austin Green said right now Tom Wellings is pretty much calling the shots. And he is responsible for taking the show to a new direction. And so far it isn’t the greatest TV ever, but it’s enough to keep the fans coming back.
Heck, the fans didn’t leave after the horror that was season 6 and 7, they probably wouldn’t leave anyway.
Keep in mind, so did Nathan until Castle (which, apparently, is better than I remembered it having seen a more recent episode and liking it) and for years the cast of Seinfeld was cursed until Julia Louis Dreyfus got a hit. It passes. It shall pass here too and the cast of Firefly will get its due (it should just go to Saffron).
There are an awful lot of sci fi (or close equivalent like Flash Forward) series this year. I hadn’t thought about that. Any takers on how many will list until May?
I think SGU, Sanctuary, and Flash Forward will make it. Maybe V, but no one has seen it yet. I think Heroes, Dollhouse, and Smallville (last season if it makes it to May) will end.
Dollhouse is likely not long for this earth, alas. Smallville is still on? Heroes: we should be so lucky, but I have a feeling this show has two or three more seasons in it, just cause what else is NBC gonna do, program even MORE Jay Leno?
Isn’t Yo Saf Bridge on Madman?
SG:U has better numbers than Dollhouse. Considering one is on broadcast and the other on cable, that’s not a good sign for Dollhouse (or maybe a greadt sign for SG:U, could read that either way really) 
Castle is great if you like Nathan Fillion. He carries that show on his back, he has to really, because his supporting cast is completely one-dimensional.
I heard the new Leno show is abysmal; no surprise, that guy hasnt been funny in 20yrs. I think you are right, Heroes will likely stay on, it has a great deal of cultural cache from the first season propping it up.
She sure is and that show is very popular with fans and critics alike.
Probably both. I think Fox is trying to build a base in that Friday 8-10 block, get people accustomed to staying home and watching. That, coupled with low production costs for Dollhouse is why that show is still around despite poor reviews. SGU, last I checked, was coming out the winner but only by a nose. If it was on Fox, they would cancel it, unlikely they would continue to pay 2mil per episode. Good thing Syphillis/SyFy has much lower expectations.
If they are trying to get people used to staying home and watching TV wouldn’t they try to do that with a show that people are staying home and watching?
ETA: SG:U had 10% more viewers than Dollhouse. Link