Whedon's 'Horrible' an Online Hit

Evil genius is too good for his own good, and so is his show

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 16, 2008 11:19 AM CDT

(Newser) – Hollywood’s Internet video forays have mostly been failures—remember Quarterlife?—but none of them starred a dorky singing mad scientist. Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog thankfully features just such a character, and it’s almost too successful for its own good. The first episode had been online less than 24 hours when demand crashed its site, sending Whedon scrambling for more bandwidth.

Whedon may be a famous and powerful producer, and Dr. Horrible has a star-studded cast—including Neil Patrick Harris in the title role—and a 6-figure budget. But it’s not a studio production, and bears no evidence of corporate meddling. “There were no rules—and there still aren’t,” one co-writer tells the LA Times. Whedon himself thinks Horrible’s a success because, like all Internet hits, it’s “truly, transcendently goofy.”

[Images (2)]

[Videos (2)]

In this screenshot the good, er, bad doctor works on his evil laugh. (Dr. Horrible)

In this screenshot Hammerman (Nathan Fillion) pushes around Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris). (Dr. Horrible)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog - Trailer (doctorhorrible)

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog: Act I (dragonzxx)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

In a Decade, 'TV Became Art'

The Wire , The Sopranos , Six Feet Under , Mad Men —get the picture?

(NEWSER) - For television, the past decade has been “as the sixties are to music and the seventies to movies”—some of the worst content ever was produced, but the cream of the crop rose to the level of art, Emily Nussbaum writes. Sure, “you could easily memorialize the aughts as the Decade of Reality TV,” but then you’d be leaving out The Sopranos, Mad Men, and, most important, The Wire. The best of the best dared audiences to take them seriously and didn’t have time for those who wouldn’t. More»

Profs to Buffy : You Slay Me

Slayer fans meet to share scholarly insights

(NEWSER) - Buffy the Vampire Slayer started out lowbrow, but don’t tell that to the academics converging on Henderson State University today for a 3-day conference on the campy TV classic. The cheerleader-turned-monster fighter has inspired the kind of study usually reserved for major philosophers, the AP reports. The Arkansas university boasts a 15-foot bookshelf lined with Buffy books. More»

Buffy 's Back! But Just for 1 Night

Whedon says a return to the air is unlikely

(NEWSER) - Fans of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer got a shot of the old magic last night when the cast reunited for a panel discussion at the William Paley TV Festival, the AP reports. But Joss Whedon dampened devotees' hopes of resurrecting the cult favorite. “So many stars would have to align," the show's creator said. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Whedon's 'Horrible' an Online Hit