Giving multiple orgasms to obsessive Joss Whedon fans the world over, The Hollywood Reporter is claiming that Dollhouse has been renewed.

The official announcement will not be made until Monday at the network's upfront presentation, but sources confirm a deal has been struck for another 13 episodes. Fox plans to continue the show on Fridays next fall.

The low-rated series was last seen given up for dead by the media in a field somewhere....

The move is tougher to explain than most, especially based on the show's ratings. A Dollhouse pickup is a shock, an underdog comeback that blows away NBC’s will-they-or-won’t-they hand-wringing over Chuck (psst, they almost certainly will). In fact, Dollhouse might very well be the lowest-rated in-season scripted drama to ever get a renewal on a major broadcast network....

Basically this is a case of a bunch of minor decision-making factors successfully ganging up on the biggest factor (ratings). In addition to DVD sales, streaming and DVR influences, Fox received some serious budget concessions from 20th TV and Whedon to continue the show, with 20th now shouldering a greater portion of the load.

Another factor was the show's unaired 13th episode, which Whedon shot on a shoestring budget for the Dollhouse first season DVD set. Whedon presented it to the network as an example of how Dollhouse can achieve a high-quality production with a lesser budget.

Kiala and I have previously blogged about Dollhouse (most recently here and here), and I have little doubt that both of us—along with a fair number of you, Blogtown denizens—will be watching the show's second season to see if it lives up to its potential or continues to flounder. Despite watching it religiously, I've really gone back and forth on liking Dollhouse over the past season—but I have to imagine that if Whedon, et al., have indeed been unexpectedly given 13 more episodes, they'll make the most out of 'em.

Via io9.