AVC: The show has gone through its share of delays and retooling. What was going on with it before, and what was done to work it out?
ED: We shot the first pilot, Joss did, in sort of a noir style, and I think first and foremost,Fox didn’t like that feel. So there were a few things they wanted different, and they wanted the story to unfold in different ways. It was a big deal for Fox, and they have a lot invested in the show, so absolutely their opinion matters. So we retooled it, and instead of doing a cut-and-paste job with the pilot and doing reshoots, Joss just sort of went, “I have an idea that I think that you’re looking for, so let me just reshoot a new pilot.”
AVC: It isn’t like Joss is some new kid on the block, though. He has a lot of shows under his belt, and he’s got this large cult following. Is it frustrating when you get that kind of feedback?
ED: Honestly, yes. I understand it from a business perspective, and from Fox’s view, but at the same time, we’ve now done 13 episodes, and people have said that the show took off once they finally realized that Joss is best off left alone to do his thing. That happens around episode six—six through 13 are just extraordinary. I love one, two, three, four, and five, but Joss’ first script that he did after the pilot is number six, which is called “Man On The Street,” and it is just unbelievable. From that point on, the world unfolds in Joss’ way, with Joss’ speed, and it’s really remarkable.