It's False Hope Friday! There are tiny bits of hopeful news about sci-fi series. So we have to stew in it all weekend until the official network slap-down comes next week.

Dollhouse Renewed?
Really?

Dollhouse has been renewed, according to Entertainment Weekly.

And a Hollywood Reporter Reporter also said it. So let's cling to it desperately.

No takesy-backsies, Fox.

With every one of these items, I'll wait to count my renewed chickens until the cancellations fail to hatch.

The deal-breaker is that Dollhouse costs money to make, and Fox doesn't care for that. So Joss Whedon agreed to make it not cost so much.

The Dolls could sleep with no pillows or blankets. Wait, he already did that! Now how will they go night-night comfortably in their holes?

Reaper Renewed?
Really?

Reaper may be back, in syndication.

Except Sock has a new job on a new show already, and the show's makers flew the coop. But other than that, it would be exactly the same.

Chuck Renewed?
Really?

The Entertainment Weekly guy says Chuck is a "safe bet."

It could be on a new night, and only 13 episodes. But 13 of Chuck is better than no Chuck.

But now we must live with the incursion of Jay Leno into our wakeful hours, for encroaching on five hours of TV that for many years was a Leno-free zone that contained a remarkable lack of Leno.

We'll see next week if this is the sweet cinnamon roll of a new season of neat shows. Or if it's the lukewarm corned beef of cancellation.