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The large number of viewers who prefer to watch "Dollhouse" virtually commercial-free on their DVRs rather than watch it live Friday nights may have helped keep the show on the air through at least the end of its current 13-episode season season, but one Fox executive says the Joss Whedon show has a guardian angel.

And its name is "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."

In his revelation that the network has no plans to pull "Dollhouse" off the air despite its dismal ratings, Fox scheduling head Preston Beckman told The Hollywood Reporter that the Whedonverse fanbase was just too loud to ignore, and the last thing the network needed was a repeat of the "Firefly" fiasco.

"With some shows, you have to look at the bigger picture," Beckman said.

That means keeping a close eye on how that small, but vocal audience, would react to Whedon being handed another pink slip by the network.

"If you cancel it, you're an asshole," Beckman said. "If you renew it and then don't put it back on, you're an asshole. 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."

But Beckman might have to accept the title of "asshole" at some point. After three episodes, "Dollhouse" is averaging a 1.5 rating/3 share in the overnight ratings, down significantly from its already bad ratings in its first season. In fact, Fox's entire Friday lineup is forcing the network to finish behind NBC in the weekly ratings for the last two weeks, chalking up numbers more common on a netlet like The CW, rather than Fox.

"Dollhouse" is tied for having the smallest audience on Fox for the year with its lead-in show Friday night, "Til Death." Before Friday's lineup, Fox is averaging a 4.7/7 for the week. If its Friday shows repeat last week's ratings, Fox would likely fall to a 4.1/7, tying it with the 4.1/7 NBC has before its Friday shows.