SEE THE “DOLLHOUSE” MARKET 

STRANGE TO THINK of the buzz last summer telling us “Dollhouse” would be one of the major shows of the fall. As with “Fringe,” actual results may vary. At least this time FOX played it safe, eschewing the colossal media blitz it gave to “Fringe” and taking a softly-softly approach, launching “Dollhouse” on Friday night with sci-fi counterpart “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” It’s a timeslot that only a cult show could thrive in – and cult seems to be what creator Joss Whedon and FOX are going for in this “Buffy”-like action serial. This might be a smart move. There’s no pressure to build big viewership (it’s Friday, folks). And if the show catches on, as “Buffy” did, perhaps FOX can move it to a better night and let the fever spread. But that approach will take time, FOX execs will know, and therefore expect to see “Dollhouse” back for Season Two. Buy.

SEE THE “KNIGHT RIDER” MARKET 

AS WITH THE SHORT-LIVED “Bionic Woman,” it’s looking as if retro is decidedly not the solution for NBC. Earlier this year a reboot of the “Knight Rider” franchise debuted to reviews so negative you wondered whether the nation’s reviewers, en masse, had all been dumped that week. And while last year’s TV-movie pilot drew a healthy 12 million viewers, this season’s episodes drew an average half as large. NBC promptly reduced this season’s order to 17 episodes, airing the finale on March 4. TV Series Finale mentions hopes of a TV movie to polish things off. Well, if so, it’s a heck of a lot more likely than a renewal. Sell!

SEE THE “CUPID” MARKET 

WE NOTICED THREE things when we first wrote about “Cupid.” We noticed the prior attempt on ABC, starring Jeremy Piven. We noticed similarities to the series “Eli Stone,” and to The CW’s recent “Valentine.” And then we noticed that all of those shows went down the tubes. This current incarnation seems destined to do the same. According to TV Series Finale, “Cupid” debuted in last place for its timeslot, attracting an average of 7.6 million viewers. And while “Dancing With the Stars” almost single-handedly made “Samantha Who?” into a success, “almost 50% of the people who were watching the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ lead-in decided not to watch ‘Cupid.’ ” Yeowch. Our TVSF friends are predicting an early end – and we recommend following their lead. Sell.