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'''''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''''' is a ] ] ] that first aired from ], ] until ], ]. Writer-director ] created the concept and TV series under his personal production tag, ]. The series follows the life of ], the latest in a line of young women chosen to battle against ], ] and the forces of darkness. Like previous ], Buffy is aided by a ] who guides and trains her. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy surrounds herself with a circle of loyal friends who become known as the "]". ] starred as the title character. '''''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''''' is a ] ] ] that first aired from ], ] until ], ]. Writer-director ] created the concept and TV series under his personal production tag, ]. The series follows the life of ] (played by ]), the latest in a line of young women chosen to battle against ], ] and the forces of darkness. Like previous ], Buffy is aided by a ] who guides and trains her. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy surrounds herself with a circle of loyal friends who become known as the "]".


The series reached between two and four million viewers on its original run, achieving lower ratings than successful shows on the "big four" networks (], ], ] and ]).<ref>Wahoske, Matthew J., "", ''Insightbb.com'' (]).</ref><ref>"", ''Federal Communications Commission'' (May 15, 2001): "the four major broadcast networks are unique among the media in their ability to reach a wide audience"</ref> However reviews were overwhelmingly positive,<ref>For example: Various DVD reviewers, ''Buffy'': "", "", "", "", "", "", ''Rotten Tomatoes'' (updated 2006). The series has overwhelmingly positive reviews from numerous reviewers.</ref> and the ] were a success for the relatively new ].<ref>Kaiser Family Foundation "", ''Kff.org'' (], ]). The article says that "Mr. Levin was a key player in establishing The WB’s distinct brand and youth appeal through programming such as “],” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “],” “],” “],” “],” “],” “]” and “].”". Also see Littleton, Cynthia "", ''Hollywoodreporter.com'' (], ]). Article associates ''Buffy'' with the success of ''WB''.</ref> The WB network closed on ], ], after airing a "homage" to their "most memorable series", including the ] episodes of ''Buffy'' and its spin-off, '']''.<ref>Schneider, Michael & Adalian, Josef, "", ''Variety.com'' (], ]).</ref> The series usually reached between two and four million viewers on original airings.<ref>Wahoske, Matthew J., "", ''Insightbb.com'' (]).</ref> Although such ] are lower than successful shows on the "big four" networks (], ], ] and ]),<ref>"", ''Federal Communications Commission'' (May 15, 2001): "the four major broadcast networks are unique among the media in their ability to reach a wide audience"</ref> reviews were overwhelmingly positive,<ref>For example: Various DVD reviewers, ''Buffy'': "", "", "", "", "", "", ''Rotten Tomatoes'' (updated 2006). The series has overwhelmingly positive reviews from numerous reviewers.</ref> and the ratings were a success for the relatively new and smaller ].<ref>Kaiser Family Foundation "", ''Kff.org'' (], ]). The article says that "Mr. Levin was a key player in establishing The WB’s distinct brand and youth appeal through programming such as “],” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “],” “],” “],” “],” “],” “]” and “].”". Also see Littleton, Cynthia "", ''Hollywoodreporter.com'' (], ]). Article associates ''Buffy'' with the success of ''WB''.</ref> The WB network closed on ], ], after airing a "homage" to their "most memorable series", including the ] episodes of ''Buffy'' and its spin-off, '']''.<ref>Schneider, Michael & Adalian, Josef, "", ''Variety.com'' (], ]).</ref>


''Buffy'''s success also led to hundreds of tie-in products, including ], ] and ]. The series has received attention in ], ] and ], and has been called influential by commentators on the entertainment industry.<ref>For example: Dillard, Brian J., "</nowiki>]"], ''All Movie Guide'' (2003 or after): "wildly influential cult hit". Harrington, Richard, "", ''Hollywood Reporter'' (September 30, 2005): "One of the best, most influential, genre-defining television series in decades". Kit, Borys, "", ''The Sunday Times'' (March 17, 2005): "the influential WB Network/UPN drama series".</ref> ''Buffy'''s success also led to hundreds of tie-in products, including ], ] and ]. The series has received attention in ], ] and ], and has influenced the direction of other television series.<ref>For example: Dillard, Brian J., "</nowiki>]"], ''All Movie Guide'' (2003 or after): "wildly influential cult hit". Harrington, Richard, "", ''Hollywood Reporter'' (September 30, 2005): "One of the best, most influential, genre-defining television series in decades". Kit, Borys, "", ''The Sunday Times'' (March 17, 2005): "the influential WB Network/UPN drama series".</ref>


==Production== ==Production==
=== Origins=== === Origins===


Writer Joss Whedon developed "Buffy" to invert the pervasive ] formula of "the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie."<ref name=blondegirl>Billson, Anne, '']''. ] (], ]), pp24–25.</ref> Whedon instead hoped "to subvert that idea and create someone who was a hero."<ref name=blondegirl /> He has said that: Writer Joss Whedon developed "Buffy" to invert the Hollywood formula of "the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every ]."<ref name=blondegirl>Billson, Anne, '']''. ] (], ]), pp24–25.</ref> Whedon wanted "to subvert that idea and create someone who was a hero."<ref name=blondegirl /> He explained:


{{cquote|The very first mission statement of the show, was the joy of female power: having it, using it, sharing it.<ref>Gottlieb, Allie, "", ''Metroactive.com'' (], ]).</ref>}} {{cquote|The very first mission statement of the show, was the joy of female power: having it, using it, sharing it.<ref>Gottlieb, Allie, "", ''Metroactive.com'' (], ]).</ref>}}


The concept was first visited through Whedon's script for the ], which featured ] in the title role. However, the director saw it as a "pop culture comedy about what people think about vampires."<ref>Havens, Candace, '']'' Benbella Books (], ]), p51. Fran Kuzui also discussed ''Buffy'' in Golden, Christopher, & Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), pp247–248.</ref> Whedon said of the result, "I had written this scary film about an empowered woman, and they turned it into a broad comedy. It was crushing."<ref>Havens, Candace, '']'' Benbella Books (], ]), p23.</ref> The script was recognised within the industry,<ref>Brundage, James, . ''Filmcritic.com'' (1999). An example of the praise given to the script and dialogue behind the ''Buffy'' movie.</ref> but the movie was not.<ref></ref> The concept was first visited through Whedon's script for the ], which featured ] in the title role. The director saw it as a "pop culture comedy about what people think about vampires."<ref>Havens, Candace, '']'' Benbella Books (], ]), p51. Fran Kuzui also discussed ''Buffy'' in Golden, Christopher, & Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), pp247–248.</ref> Whedon disagreed; "I had written this scary film about an empowered woman, and they turned it into a broad comedy. It was crushing."<ref>Havens, Candace, '']'' Benbella Books (], ]), p23.</ref> The script was recognised within the industry,<ref>Brundage, James, . ''Filmcritic.com'' (1999). An example of the praise given to the script and dialogue behind the ''Buffy'' movie.</ref> but the movie was not.<ref></ref>


Several years later, ], a Sandollar Productions executive, believed that the concept might make a good TV show, and approached Joss Whedon to develop it.<ref>Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), pp249–250</ref> Whedon explained that "They said, ‘Do you want to do a show?’ And I thought, ‘High school as a horror movie.’ And so the metaphor became the central concept behind ''Buffy'', and that’s how I sold it."<ref>'Said, SF', "", ''Shebytches.com'' (2005).</ref> The supernatural elements in the series stood as metaphors for personal anxieties relating to ] and young adulthood.<ref>Wilcox, Rhonda, and Lavery, David, '']'' ''Rowman & Littlefield'' (April 2002), "In the world of ''Buffy'' the problems that teenagers face become literal monsters…", page xix</ref> Whedon wrote and partly funded a 25-minute presentation, sometimes called the ],<ref>Topping, Keith ]. ], (], ]), p7</ref> and showed it to various networks. Eventually, the WB Network bought the show and promoted the premiere with a series of ].<ref>"" ''Tvobscurities.com'' (], ]).</ref> The ] aired on ], ]. Several years later, ], a Sandollar Productions executive approached Joss Whedon to develop his ''Buffy'' concept into a television series.<ref>Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), pp249–250</ref> Whedon explained that "They said, ‘Do you want to do a show?’ And I thought, ‘High school as a horror movie.’ And so the metaphor became the central concept behind ''Buffy'', and that’s how I sold it."<ref>'Said, SF', "", ''Shebytches.com'' (2005).</ref> The supernatural elements in the series stood as metaphors for personal anxieties associated with ] and young adulthood.<ref>Wilcox, Rhonda, and Lavery, David, '']'' ''Rowman & Littlefield'' (April 2002), "In the world of ''Buffy'' the problems that teenagers face become literal monsters…", page xix</ref> Whedon went on to write and partly fund a 25-minute ].<ref>Topping, Keith ]. ], (], ]), p7</ref> This was shown to networks and eventually sold to the WB Network who promoted the premiere with a series of ].<ref>"" ''Tvobscurities.com'' (], ]).</ref> The ] aired on ], ].


===Executive producers=== ===Executive producers===
Joss Whedon was credited as ] throughout the run of the series.<ref name="whedonimdb">Various authors, "", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> The ] is more important on a daily basis, serving as head writer and being responsible for every aspect of production. Whedon was show runner for the first five seasons (1997-2001). He put ] into the role for seasons six and seven (2001-2003), but continued to be involved with writing and directing ''Buffy'' alongside other projects such as '']'', '']'' and '']''.<ref name="whedonimdb" /> ] and her husband, ] were credited as executive producers<ref>Various authors, "" and "", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> but were not heavily involved in the show. Their credit, rights and royalties over the franchise relate to their funding, producing and directing the original movie version of ''Buffy''.<ref>Morgan, David, "" ''Aol.com'' (], ]); "''Buffy'' was a film that I owned, this was the first time I owned a film". Also see Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), "Gail Berman and Fran Kuzui came to to ask if he wanted to do the TV series" (p241). Also see ''Watcher's Guide Vol. 1'', pp246–249.</ref> Joss Whedon was credited as ] throughout the run of the series.<ref name="whedonimdb">Various authors, "", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> For the first five seasons (1997-2001) he also was the ]. This role involves serving as head writer and being responsible for every aspect of production. ] took on the role for seasons six and seven (2001-2003), but Whedon continued to be involved with writing and directing ''Buffy'' alongside projects such as '']'', '']'' and '']''.<ref name="whedonimdb" /> ] and her husband, ] were credited as executive producers<ref>Various authors, "" and "", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> but were not heavily involved in the show. Their credit, rights and royalties over the franchise relate to their funding, producing and directing of the original movie version of ''Buffy''.<ref>Morgan, David, "" ''Aol.com'' (], ]); "''Buffy'' was a film that I owned, this was the first time I owned a film". Also see Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), "Gail Berman and Fran Kuzui came to to ask if he wanted to do the TV series" (p241). Also see ''Watcher's Guide Vol. 1'', pp246–249.</ref>


===Writing=== ===Writing===
⚫ The writing was undertaken by ], created by Whedon in 1997. The writing team went through changes every year. The writers with the most writing credits include: ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>Various authors, ''Internet Movie Database'' entries: , , , , , , . ''Internet Movie Database'' (2006).</ref>


⚫ Script-writing was done by ], a production company created by Whedon in 1997. The writers with the most writing credits include: ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>Various authors, ''Internet Movie Database'' entries: , , , , , , . ''Internet Movie Database'' (2006).</ref>
⚫ Jane Espenson has explained in interviews how the writing process worked on ''Buffy''.<ref name="espensonwriting">Espenson, Jane, "", ''Fireflyfans.net'' (2003).</ref> First, the writers discussed the emotional issues facing Buffy Summers at each point in the story, and how she would confront them. Then the episode's story was 'broken'. Espenson explained, "Breaking the story means organizing it into acts and scenes". Events at act breaks needed to intrigue viewers about how events would unfold. The writers then collectively "filled in" scenes surrounding the actbreaks with a more fleshed out story. A whiteboard marked their progress with brief descriptions of each scene. Once breaking was complete, the credited author then wrote an outline for the episode, which was later checked by Whedon or Marti Noxon. The credited writer wrote the full script using that outline. The draft then went through a quick rewrite from Whedon or Noxon, producing the final article, the shooting script.

⚫ Jane Espenson has explained in how scripts came together.<ref name="espensonwriting">Espenson, Jane, "", ''Fireflyfans.net'' (2003).</ref> First, the writers talked about the emotional issues facing Buffy Summers and how she would confront them through her battle against evil supernatural. Then the episode's story was 'broken' into acts and scenes. Act breaks were designed as key moments to intrigue viewers so that they would stay with the episode through advertisements. The writers collectively "filled in" scenes surrounding these actbreaks for a more fleshed out story. A whiteboard marked their progress by mapping brief descriptions of each scene. Once 'breaking' was done, the credited author wrote an outline for the episode, which was checked by Whedon or Noxon. The writer wrote a full script which went through a quick rewrite from the show runner. The final article was used as the shooting script.


===Casting=== ===Casting===


Four roles were cast as series regulars prior to the premiere episode. The title role went to ], who had appeared as Sydney Rutledge in '']'' and ] in '']''.<ref name="smgimdb">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> In 1995, Gellar had won a ] for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series at age 18.<ref name="smgawards">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006)</ref> She was initially cast as ] during a week of auditioning.<ref name="smgauditions">Havens, Candace, '']'' Benbella Books (], ]), p35–36.</ref> Four roles were cast as series before the series aired. The title role went to ], who had appeared as Sydney Rutledge in '']'' and ] in '']''.<ref name="smgimdb">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> At age eighteem in 1995, Gellar had already won a ] for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series.<ref name="smgawards">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006)</ref> In 1996 she was initially cast as ] during a week of auditioning.<ref name="smgauditions">Havens, Candace, '']'' Benbella Books (], ]), p35–36.</ref>


] had already a prolific acting and singing career<ref name="headimdb">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> but remained best known for a series of twelve ] coffee commercials with ] for ] Gold Blend.<ref>Golden, Christopher, & Holder, Nancy ]. ] (], ]), "His long-lasting fame as the romantic and intriguing coffee guy is gradually being replaced by his new image as librarian in ''Buffy'', p210 (], ]).</ref> He accepted the role of ]. ] had already led a prolific acting and singing career<ref name="headimdb">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> but remained best known for a series of twelve ] coffee commercials with ] for ] Gold Blend.<ref>Golden, Christopher, & Holder, Nancy ]. ] (], ]), "His long-lasting fame as the romantic and intriguing coffee guy is gradually being replaced by his new image as librarian in ''Buffy'', p210 (], ]).</ref> He accepted the role of ].


Unlike other ''Buffy'' regulars, ] had little acting experience,<ref name="brendonimdb">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> instead working various jobs — including production assistant, plumber's assistant, veterinary janitor, food delivery, script delivery, day care counselor and waiter — before deciding to break into acting to help him overcome a stutter.<ref>Anonymous, "" ''Nickbrendon.com'' (updated 2006).</ref><ref>Kappes, Serena, Unlike other ''Buffy'' regulars, ] had little acting experience,<ref name="brendonimdb">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> instead working various jobs — including production assistant, plumber's assistant, veterinary janitor, food delivery, script delivery, day care counselor and waiter — before deciding to break into acting to help him overcome a stutter.<ref>Anonymous, "" ''Nickbrendon.com'' (updated 2006).</ref><ref>Kappes, Serena,
"", ''Nickbrendon.com'', originally from ''People.com'', (May 2001).</ref> He landed his ] role following only four days of auditioning.<ref>Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), Brendon said "Four days. That's fast.", p199.</ref> "", ''Nickbrendon.com'', originally from ''People.com'', (May 2001).</ref> He landed his ] role following only four days of auditioning.<ref>Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), Brendon said "Four days. That's fast.", p199.</ref>


] was the last of the original four to be cast. Following her role in '']'',<ref name="hanniganimdb">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> she appeared in commercials and supporting roles on television shows.<ref name="hanniganimdb" /> On ''Buffy'' the role of ] was initially given to Riff Regan for the ] but Hannigan auditioned when the role was recast for the series proper. She described her approach to auditions in an interview through her approach to a particular moment: Willow tells Buffy that her ] doll was taken from a her as a child, and Buffy asks if she ever got her Barbie back. "Willow's line was 'Most of it.' And so I thought I'm gonna make that a really happy thing. I was so proud that she got most of it back. And then that clued in on how I was going to play the rest of the scene. It defines the character."<ref>Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), p202.</ref> Hannigan subsequently won the role. ] was the last of the original four to be cast. Following her role in '']'',<ref name="hanniganimdb">Various authors, "" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> she appeared in commercials and supporting roles on television shows throughout the early 1990s.<ref name="hanniganimdb" /> In 1996 the role of ] was initially given to Riff Regan for the ] but Hannigan auditioned when the role was recast for the series proper. She described her approach to auditions in an interview through her approach to a particular moment: Willow tells Buffy that her ] doll was taken from her as a child, and Buffy asks if she ever got the Barbie back. "Willow's line was 'Most of it.' And so I thought I'm gonna make that a really happy thing. I was so proud that she got most of it back. That clued in on how I was going to play the rest of the scene. It defines the character."<ref>Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, ]. ] (], ]), p202.</ref> Her approach subsequently helped her win the role.


===Broadcasting=== ===Broadcasting===
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' first aired on ], ] on the ] network and played a key role in the growth of the ] ] in its early years.<ref>See: Kaiser Family Foundation "", ''Kff.org'' (], ]), Littleton, Cynthia "", ''Hollywoodreporter.com'' (], ]), Schneider, Michael & Adalian, Josef, "", ''Variety.com'' (June 30, 2006).</ref> ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' first aired on ], ] on the ] network and played a key role in the growth of the ] ] in its early years.<ref>See: Kaiser Family Foundation "", ''Kff.org'' (], ]), Littleton, Cynthia "", ''Hollywoodreporter.com'' (], ]), Schneider, Michael & Adalian, Josef, "", ''Variety.com'' (June 30, 2006).</ref>
After five seasons, it transferred to the United Paramount Network (]) for its final two seasons. The show went into syndication in the U.S. on ]. In the United Kingdom, the series aired on ]. The BBC gave the show two time slots, an early-evening slot for an edited family-friendly version with some violence and bad language cut out and a late-night uncut version.<ref>Burr, Vivien, "" ''Slaye.tv'' (March 2003), p1.</ref> From the fourth season onwards, the BBC aired the show in anamorphic 16:9 widescreen format. Whedon later said that ''Buffy'' had not been intended for widescreen viewing.<ref>"" ''Video Store Mag'' (August 28, 2003).</ref> After five seasons, it transferred to the United Paramount Network (]) for its final two seasons. The show went into syndication in the U.S. on ]. In the United Kingdom, the entire series aired on ]. The BBC gave the show two time slots, an early-evening slot for a family-friendly version with violence and bad language cut out and a late-night uncut version.<ref>Burr, Vivien, "" ''Slaye.tv'' (March 2003), p1.</ref> From the fourth season onwards, the BBC aired the show in anamorphic 16:9 widescreen format, but Whedon later said that ''Buffy'' had never intended to be viewed this way.<ref>"" ''Video Store Mag'' (August 28, 2003).</ref>


===Opening sequence=== ===Opening sequence===
The ''Buffy'' opening sequence provides credits near the start of each show. The music used with the images is a ] version of a German pop song from the Eighties by Döf, called "Codo". It was played by punk rock band ], formed in 1994. In the DVD commentary for ], Whedon explained that part of his decision to go with Nerf Herder's theme was that cast member ] had made him listen to the band's music.<ref>''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' first season DVD set. ''20th Century Fox'' (region 2, 2000), disc one.</ref> Janet Halfyard, in her essay "Music, Gender, and Identity in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel''", describes the opening: The ''Buffy'' opening sequence provides credits early in each show. The music used is a ] version of a German pop song from the Eighties by Döf, called "Codo". It was covered by punk rock band ]. In the DVD commentary for the ], Whedon said his decision to go with Nerf Herder's theme was influenced by cast member ] who had made him listen to the band's music.<ref>''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' first season DVD set. ''20th Century Fox'' (region 2, 2000), disc one.</ref> Janet Halfyard, in her essay "Music, Gender, and Identity in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel''", describes the opening:


{{cquote|It begins with the sound of an organ, accompanied by a wolf’s howl, with a visual image of a flickering night sky overlaid with unintelligible archaic script, the associations with both the silent era and films such as ] and with the conventions of the ] and horror in general are unmistakable.<ref name="halfyard">Halfyard, Janet K. "", '''' (December 2001).</ref>}} {{cquote|It begins with the sound of an organ, accompanied by a wolf’s howl, with a visual image of a flickering night sky overlaid with unintelligible archaic script, the associations with both the silent era and films such as ] and with the conventions of the ] and horror in general are unmistakable.<ref name="halfyard">Halfyard, Janet K. "", '''' (December 2001).</ref>}}


But the theme then changes, as instrumental rock music kicks in. " removes itself from the sphere of 1960s and 70s horror by replaying the same motif, the organ now supplanted by an aggressively strummed electric guitar, relocating itself in modern youth culture".<ref name="halfyard" /> This music is heard over images of a young cast involved in the action and turbulence of adolescence. The sequence provides a post-modern twist on the horror genre.<ref name="halfyard" /> But the theme changes; " removes itself from the sphere of 1960s and 70s horror by replaying the same motif, the organ now supplanted by an aggressively strummed electric guitar, relocating itself in modern youth culture".<ref name="halfyard" /> This music is heard over images of a young cast involved in the action and turbulence of adolescence. The sequence provides a post-modern twist on the horror genre.<ref name="halfyard" />


===Music=== ===Music===
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''Buffy'' features a mix of ], ] and ] music. The composers spent around seven days scoring between fourteen to thirty minutes of music for each episode.<ref name="dvdfeature">"Buffy: Inside the Music" from "] ''20th Century Fox'' (] ]), disc three</ref> ] revealed that the composers used computers and synthesizers and were limited to recording one or two 'real' samples. Despite this, their goal was to produce "dramatic" orchestration that would stand up to film scores.<ref name="dvdfeature">"Buffy: Inside the Music" from "] ''20th Century Fox'' (] ]), disc three</ref> ''Buffy'' features a mix of ], ] and ] music. The composers spent around seven days scoring between fourteen to thirty minutes of music for each episode.<ref name="dvdfeature">"Buffy: Inside the Music" from "] ''20th Century Fox'' (] ]), disc three</ref> ] revealed that the composers used computers and synthesizers and were limited to recording one or two 'real' samples. Despite this, their goal was to produce "dramatic" orchestration that would stand up to film scores.<ref name="dvdfeature">"Buffy: Inside the Music" from "] ''20th Century Fox'' (] ]), disc three</ref>


Alongside the score, most episodes featured indie rock music, most often at the characters' venue of choice, ]. ''Buffy'' Music Supervisor John King explained that "we like to use unsigned bands", that "you would believe would play in this place."<ref name="dvdfeature">"Buffy: Inside the Music" from "] ''20th Century Fox'' (] ]), disc three</ref> For example, the group ] were portrayed on screen by the fictional front ]. ] by famous artists were rarely featured prominently, but several episodes spotlighted the sounds of more famous artists such as ] ("Full of Grace" and "]") and ] ("Goodbye to You"). The popularity of ] has led to three soundtrack albums: '']'', '']'' and '']''. Alongside the score, most episodes featured indie rock music, usually at the characters' venue of choice, ]. ''Buffy'' Music Supervisor John King explained that "we like to use unsigned bands", that "you would believe would play in this place."<ref name="dvdfeature">"Buffy: Inside the Music" from "] ''20th Century Fox'' (] ]), disc three</ref> For example, the group ] were portrayed on screen by the fictional front ]. ] by famous artists were rarely featured prominently, but several episodes spotlighted the sounds of more famous artists such as ] ("Full of Grace" and "]") and ] ("Goodbye to You"). The popularity of ] has led to three soundtrack albums: '']'', '']'' and '']''.


==Storylines== ==Storylines==
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]", a key setting during the series' early years.]] ]", a key setting during the series' early years.]]


{{spoiler}}
⚫ Most scenes of ''Buffy'' were shot on location in and around ], ].<ref name="INSERT NAME">Various authors, "", ''The Ultimate Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide'' (updated 2006).</ref> The show is set in the fictional Californian town of ] (roughly analogous to ]), whose suburban ] sits on top of a "]", a gateway to demon realms. The Hellmouth serves as a ] for a wide variety of evil creatures and supernatural phenomena, and lay beneath the ] before the building was demolished. In addition to being an open-ended plot device, Joss Whedon has cited the Hellmouth and "High school as Hell" as one of his primary metaphors in creating the series.<ref>Yovanovich, Linda, "", ''Smgfan.com'', originally from ''OnSat'' (], ]), Whedon said: " was always the basis of the show. When they said, 'Do you want to turn it into a show?' The character was not enough alone to sustain it. But you know when I thought of the idea of the horror movies as a metaphor for high school, okay this is something that will work week to week."</ref>

⚫ Most of ''Buffy'' was shot on location in ], ].<ref name="INSERT NAME">Various authors, "", ''The Ultimate Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide'' (updated 2006).</ref> The show is set in the fictional Californian town of ] (roughly analogous to ]), whose suburban ] sits on top of a "]", a gateway to demon realms. The Hellmouth serves as a ] for a wide variety of evil creatures and supernatural phenomena, and lay beneath the ]. In addition to being an open-ended plot device, Joss Whedon has cited the Hellmouth and "High school as Hell" as one of his primary metaphors in creating the series.<ref>Yovanovich, Linda, "", ''Smgfan.com'', originally from ''OnSat'' (], ]), Whedon said: " was always the basis of the show. When they said, 'Do you want to turn it into a show?' The character was not enough alone to sustain it. But you know when I thought of the idea of the horror movies as a metaphor for high school, okay this is something that will work week to week."</ref>


The high school used in the first three seasons is actually ], in ].<ref name="torrence">Various authors, "", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> The school exterior is frequently used in other television shows and movies, most notably '']'', '']'', '']'' (explaining Sarah Michelle Gellar's appearance in the cafeteria scene of that movie), and the ], '']''.<ref name="torrence" /> In addition to the high school and its library, scenes frequently take place in the town's cemeteries, a local nightclub (]), and Buffy's home, where many of the characters live at various points during the series. The high school used in the first three seasons is actually ], in ].<ref name="torrence">Various authors, "", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> The school exterior is used in other television shows and movies, most notably '']'', '']'', '']'' (explaining Sarah Michelle Gellar's appearance in the cafeteria scene of that movie), and the ], '']''.<ref name="torrence" /> In addition to the high school and its library, scenes take place in the town's cemeteries, a local nightclub (]), and Buffy's home, where many of the characters live at various points in the series.


] regularly battles against supernatural evil.]] ] regularly battles against supernatural evil.]]
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{{spoiler}} {{spoiler}}


The series narrative revolves around Buffy and her friends (collectively dubbed the ']') who struggle to negotiate the battle against ] evils with their complex social lives. ''Buffy'' is told in a dual-arc ] format, with each episode telling a story while contributing to a larger ], which on Buffy is broken down into season-long narratives marked by the rise and defeat of a powerful ], commonly referred to as the "]". The series narrative revolves around Buffy and her friends (collectively dubbed the ']') who struggle to blance the fight against ] evils with their complex social lives. ''Buffy'' is told in a ] format, with each episode telling a self-containing story while contributing to a larger ], which on Buffy is broken down into season-long narratives marked by the rise and defeat of a powerful ], commonly referred to as the "]".


A typical ''Buffy'' episode contains one or more ]s, ], or supernatural phenomena that is thwarted or defeated. Though elements and relationships are explored and ongoing subplots are included, the show focused primarily on Buffy and her role as an ] ]. The show blends different ], including ], ], ], ], ], ], and even (in ]) ]. A typical episode contains one or more ]s, or supernatural phenomena that is thwarted or defeated. Though elements and relationships are explored and ongoing subplots are included, the show focused primarily on Buffy and her role as an ] ]. The show blends different ], including ], ], ], ], ], ], and even (in ]) ].


=== Inspirations and metaphors === === Inspirations and metaphors ===
During the first year of the series, Whedon often described the show as "'']'' meets '']''."<ref>"", ''Cityofangel.com'' (2006). Also see Flowers, Phoebe, "", ''Tvshows.nu'' (] ]). Executive Producer ] stated: "I'm basically trying to write ''My So-Called Life'' with vampires".</ref> ''My So-Called Life'' provided a sympathetic portrayal of teen anxieties, in contrast, ''The X-Files'' delivered a supernatural "monster of the week" storyline. Alongside these series, Whedon has cited cult film '']'' as a "big influence",<ref>P., Ken, "", ''Ign.com'' (], ]), web-page 6.</ref> and credited the '']'' character ] as a significant influence on the character of Buffy.<ref>Whedon, Joss "" ''Whedonesque.com'' (], ]).</ref> The authors of unofficial guidebook '']'' point out that the series was often a ], borrowing elements from previous horror novels, movies and short stories and from such common literary stock as folklore and mythology.<ref>Miles, Lawrence, '']'', ''Mad Norwegian Press'' (November 2003).</ref> Nevitt & Smith describe ''Buffy'''s use of pastiche as "post modern Gothic".<ref>"", Nevitt, Lucy, & Smith, Andy William ''Refractory: a Journal of Entertainment Media'' Vol. II (March, 2003): Nevitt and Smith bring attention to ''Buffy''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s use of pastiche: "Multiple pastiche without enabling commentary is doubtless self-cancelling, yet, at the same time, each element of pastiche calls into temporary being what and why it imitates"</ref> For example, the ] character parallels the '']'' monster, the episode "]" parallels '']'', and so on. During the first year of the series, Whedon described the show as "'']'' meets '']''."<ref>"", ''Cityofangel.com'' (2006). Also see Flowers, Phoebe, "", ''Tvshows.nu'' (] ]). Executive Producer ] stated: "I'm basically trying to write ''My So-Called Life'' with vampires".</ref> ''My So-Called Life'' provided a sympathetic portrayal of teen anxieties, in contrast, ''The X-Files'' delivered a supernatural "monster of the week" storyline. Alongside these series, Whedon has cited cult film '']'' as a "big influence",<ref>P., Ken, "", ''Ign.com'' (], ]), web-page 6.</ref> and credited the '']'' character ] as a significant influence on the character of Buffy.<ref>Whedon, Joss "" ''Whedonesque.com'' (], ]).</ref> The authors of unofficial guidebook '']'' point out that the series was often a ], borrowing elements from previous horror novels, movies and short stories and from such common literary stock as folklore and mythology.<ref>Miles, Lawrence, '']'', ''Mad Norwegian Press'' (November 2003).</ref> Nevitt & Smith describe ''Buffy'''s use of pastiche as "post modern Gothic".<ref>"", Nevitt, Lucy, & Smith, Andy William ''Refractory: a Journal of Entertainment Media'' Vol. II (March, 2003): Nevitt and Smith bring attention to ''Buffy''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s use of pastiche: "Multiple pastiche without enabling commentary is doubtless self-cancelling, yet, at the same time, each element of pastiche calls into temporary being what and why it imitates"</ref> For example, the ] character parallels the '']'' monster, the episode "]" parallels '']'', and so on.


''Buffy'' episodes often include a deeper meaning or ] as well. Whedon explained, "We think very carefully about what we're trying to say emotionally, politically, and even philosophically while we're writing it… it really is, apart from being a pop-culture phenomenon, something that is deeply layered textually episode by episode."<ref>Shuttleworth, Ian, "" ''Financial Times'', citing interview from ''New York Times'' (], ]).</ref> Academics Wilcox and Lavery provide examples of how a few episodes deal with real life issues turned into supernatural metaphors: ''Buffy'' episodes include a deeper meaning or ] as well. Whedon explained, "We think very carefully about what we're trying to say emotionally, politically, and even philosophically while we're writing it… it really is, apart from being a pop-culture phenomenon, something that is deeply layered textually episode by episode."<ref>Shuttleworth, Ian, "" ''Financial Times'', citing interview from ''New York Times'' (], ]).</ref> Academics Wilcox and Lavery provide examples of how a few episodes deal with real life issues turned into supernatural metaphors:


{{cquote|In the world of ''Buffy'' the problems that teenagers face become literal monsters. A mother can take over her daughter's life ("]"); a strict stepfather-to-be really is a heartless machine ("]"); a young ] fears that her nature is demonic ("]" and "]"); a girl who has sex with even the nicest-seeming guy may discover that he afterwards becomes a monster ("]").<ref>Wilcox, Rhonda, and Lavery, David, '']'' ''Rowman & Littlefield'' (April 2002), page xix.</ref> {{cquote|In the world of ''Buffy'' the problems that teenagers face become literal monsters. A mother can take over her daughter's life ("]"); a strict stepfather-to-be really is a heartless machine ("]"); a young ] fears that her nature is demonic ("]" and "]"); a girl who has sex with even the nicest-seeming guy may discover that he afterwards becomes a monster ("]").<ref>Wilcox, Rhonda, and Lavery, David, '']'' ''Rowman & Littlefield'' (April 2002), page xix.</ref>
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=== Monsters and dark forces === === Monsters and dark forces ===
The most prominent monsters in the ] are ]s, which are based on traditional myths, lore, and literary conventions. Buffy and her companions fight a wide variety of ]s, as well as ]s, ], ]s, and ], and even ]. They frequently save the world from complete destruction. Buffy and company use a combination of physical combat, ], and detective-style investigation, guided by an extensive collection of ancient and mystical reference books. Hand-to-hand combat is chiefly undertaken by Buffy, Angel and later, Spike. Willow eventually becomes an adept ], while Giles contributes his extensive knowledge of demonology and supernatural lore. The most prominent monsters in the ] are ]s, which are based on traditional myths, lore, and literary conventions. Buffy and her companions fight a wide variety of ]s, as well as ]s, ], ]s, and ]. They frequently save the world from complete destruction. Buffy and company use a combination of physical combat, ], and detective-style investigation, guided by an extensive collection of ancient and mystical reference books. Hand-to-hand combat is chiefly undertaken by Buffy, Angel and later, Spike. Willow eventually becomes an adept ], while Giles contributes his extensive knowledge of demonology and supernatural lore.


===Plot=== ===Plot===
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{{main|Buffy the Vampire Slayer plot summary|List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes}} {{main|Buffy the Vampire Slayer plot summary|List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes}}
{{spoiler-about|the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer}} {{spoiler-about|the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}
] exemplifies the "high school as hell" concept. Buffy Summers has just moved to ] and hopes to escape her ] duties. Her plans for a normal life are complicated by ], her new ], who reminds her of the inescapable presence of evil. ] is built atop a ], a portal to demon dimensions that attracts supernatural phenomena to the area. At school, Buffy quickly meets two friends who will help fight evil through the series. They must prevent ], an ancient vampire, from opening the Hellmouth and unleashing Hell on Earth. ] exemplifies the "high school as hell" concept. Buffy Summers has just moved to ] and hopes to escape her ] duties. Her plans for a normal life are complicated by ], her new ], who reminds her of the inescapable presence of evil. ] is built atop a ], a portal to demon dimensions that attracts supernatural phenomena to the area. At school, Buffy meets two friends who will help fight evil through the series. They must prevent ] from opening the Hellmouth and unleashing Hell on Earth.


The emotional stakes are raised in the ]. Two deadly vampires arrive in town. Buffy consummates her relationship with her vampire lover ], unknowingly completing a curse and taking away his soul. He once more becomes a sadistic killer and sets out to destroy the world. Buffy is forced to kill him. The emotional stakes are raised in the ]. Buffy consummates her relationship with her vampire lover ], unknowingly completing a curse and taking away his soul. He once more becomes a sadistic killer and sets out to destroy the world. Buffy is forced to kill him, and leaves Sunnydale depressed.


After attempting a new life in ], Buffy returns to town in the ]. She is soon confronted with an ], Angel (again), and the ]'s plans for Graduation Day. After attempting a new life in ], Buffy returns to town in the ]. She is soon confronted with an ], Angel (again), and the ]'s plans for Graduation Day.
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Buffy receives guidance from her ], ] (played by ]). Giles, rarely referred to by his first name, is a member of the ], whose job is to train the Slayers. Giles researches the supernatural creatures that Buffy must face, offering insights into their origins and advice on how to kill them. Buffy receives guidance from her ], ] (played by ]). Giles, rarely referred to by his first name, is a member of the ], whose job is to train the Slayers. Giles researches the supernatural creatures that Buffy must face, offering insights into their origins and advice on how to kill them.


Buffy is also helped by friends she meets at ]: ] (]) and ] (]). Willow is originally a bookish wallflower; she provides a contrast to Buffy's outgoing personality, but shares the social isolation Buffy suffers after becoming a Slayer. As the series progresses, Willow becomes a more assertive character, a powerful witch, and a lesbian. In contrast Xander, with no supernatural skills, provides comic relief as well as a grounded, everyman perspective. (Buffy and Willow are the only characters who appear in all 144 episodes; Xander is missing in ].) Buffy is also helped by friends she meets at ]: ] (]) and ] (]). Willow is originally a bookish wallflower; she provides a contrast to Buffy's outgoing personality, but shares the social isolation Buffy suffers after becoming a Slayer. As the series progresses, Willow becomes a more assertive character, a powerful witch, and a lesbian. In contrast Xander, with no supernatural skills, provides comic relief and a grounded perspective. (Buffy and Willow are the only characters who appear in all 144 episodes; Xander is missing in ].)


=== Supporting, recurring and minor characters === === Supporting, recurring and minor characters ===
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The vampire ] (portayed by ]) is Buffy's love interest throughout the first three seasons. He leaves Buffy to make amends for his sins and search for redemption in his own spin-off, '']''. The vampire ] (portayed by ]) is Buffy's love interest throughout the first three seasons. He leaves Buffy to make amends for his sins and search for redemption in his own spin-off, '']''.


At Sunnydale High, Buffy meets several other students willing to join her fight for good (alongside her friends Willow and Xander). ] (]), the archetypal popular, shallow cheerleader, reluctantly becomes involved, and ] (]), a part-time rock guitarist, joins the ] through his relationship with Willow even after he becomes a ]. ] (]), a former ] (Anyanka) who specialized in avenging scorned women, becomes Xander's lover after losing her powers, and joins the ] in the fourth season. At Sunnydale High, Buffy meets several other students willing to join her fight for good (alongside her friends Willow and Xander). ] (]), the archetypal shallow cheerleader, reluctantly becomes involved, and ] (]), a part-time rock guitarist, joins the ] through his relationship with Willow. ] (]), a former ] (Anyanka) who specialized in avenging scorned women, becomes Xander's lover after losing her powers, and joins the ] in the fourth season.


In Buffy's senior year at school, she meets ] (]), the second current-slayer who was brought forth when ] was killed by ]. Although she initially she fights on the side of good with Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang, she comes to stand against them after accidentally killing a human. In Buffy's senior year at school, she meets ] (]), the second current-slayer who was brought forth when ] was killed by ]. Although she initially she fights on the side of good with Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang, she comes to stand against them after accidentally killing a human.


During the series, Buffy gathers other allies: ] (]), a vampire, is an old companion of Angelus and one of Buffy's major enemies in early seasons, although they later become allies and lovers. Spike is known for his ]-style ] hair and his black leather duster, stolen from a ]. ] (]) is a fellow member of Willow's ] group during the fifth season, and their friendship eventually turns into an ongoing love affair. Buffy also allies herself (personally and professionally) with ] (]), who is initially an operative in a military organization called "]" that uses science and military technology to hunt demons. Buffy gathers other allies: ] (]), a vampire, is an old companion of Angelus and one of Buffy's major enemies in early seasons, although they later become allies and lovers. Spike is known for his ]-style ] hair and his black leather duster, stolen from a ]. ] (]) is a fellow member of Willow's ] group during the fifth season, and their friendship eventually turns into an ongoing love affair. Buffy also allies herself (personally and professionally) with ] (]), who is initially an operative in a military organization called "]" that uses science and military technology to hunt demons.


During its seven seasons, ''Buffy'' featured dozens of recurring characters, both major and minor. For example the ] characters were often featured for at least one season (e.g., ] was a character that appeared in 13 episodes, spanning much of Season 5).<ref>"" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> Similarly, characters that allied themselves to the ] and characters which attended the same institutions sometimes featured in multiple episodes. ''Buffy'' featured dozens of recurring characters, both major and minor. For example the ] characters were featured for at least one season (e.g., ] was a character that appeared in 13 episodes, spanning much of Season 5).<ref>"" ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2006).</ref> Similarly, characters that allied themselves to the ] and characters which attended the same institutions sometimes featured in multiple episodes.


== Spinoffs == == Spinoffs ==
''Buffy'' has inspired a wide range of official and unofficial works, including television shows, books, comics and games. A timeline listing when these stories take place in relation to each other can be traced in a ]. This expansion of the series encouraged fan-use of the term ']' to describe the fictional universe in which ''Buffy'' and related stories take place.<ref>", '']'' (updated daily).</ref> ''Buffy'' has inspired a range of official and unofficial works, including television shows, books, comics and games. This expansion of the series encouraged fan-use of the term ']' to describe the fictional universe in which ''Buffy'' and related stories take place.<ref>", '']'' (updated daily).</ref> A timeline listing when these stories take place in relation to each other can be traced in a ].


The franchise has inspired ] and other merchandise such as ] and ]. Eden Studios has published a ], while ] has released a ]. The franchise has inspired ] and merchandise such as ] and ]. Eden Studios has published a ], while ] has released a ].


=== ''Angel'' === === ''Angel'' ===
{{main|Angel (TV series)}} {{main|Angel (TV series)}}


Buffy's perpetual love for the vampire-with-a-soul, ], played by ], is a recurrent theme in the first three seasons of the show. After three seasons of ''Buffy'', the ] series ''Angel'' was introduced in October, 1999. The series was created by ''Buffy'''s creator ] in collaboration with ]. Like ''Buffy'', it was produced by Whedon's production company, ]. At times, the show, which has a darker tone than ''Buffy'', performed better in the ] than its parent series.<ref>Wahoske, Matthew J., "", ''Insightbb.com'' (2004).</ref> Buffy's perpetual love for the vampire-with-a-soul, ], played by ], is a recurrent theme in the first three seasons of the show. At the start of ''Buffy'''s fourth season, the ] ''Angel'' was introduced in October, 1999. The series was created by ''Buffy'''s creator ] in collaboration with ]. Like ''Buffy'', it was produced by the production company, ]. At times it performed better in the ] than its parent series.<ref>Wahoske, Matthew J., "", ''Insightbb.com'' (2004).</ref>


The series details the ongoing trials of ] in Los Angeles. The return of his soul, punishment after more than a century of murder and torture, leaves him tormented by guilt and remorse. During the first four seasons of the show, he works as a ] in a fictionalized version of ], where he and his motley associates work to "help the helpless" and to restore the faith and "save the souls" of those who had lost their way. Typically, this involves doing battle with evil demons or demonically-allied humans (primarily the law firm ]), although Angel must also contend with his own violent nature. In the fifth season, the Senior Partners of Wolfram and Hart take a bold gamble in their campaign to corrupt Angel, giving him control of their Los Angeles office. Angel accepts the deal as an opportunity to fight evil from the inside. The series was given a darker tone focussing on the ongoing trials of ] in Los Angeles. The character is tormented by guilt following the return of his soul, punishment for more than a century of murder and torture. During the first four seasons of the show, he works as a ] in a fictionalized version of ], where he and his associates work to "help the helpless" and to restore the faith and "save the souls" of those who had lost their way. Typically, this involves doing battle with evil demons or demonically-allied humans (primarily the law firm ]), Angel must also contend with his own violent nature. In the fifth season, the Senior Partners of Wolfram and Hart take a bold gamble in their campaign to corrupt Angel, giving him control of their Los Angeles office. Angel accepts the deal as an opportunity to fight evil from the inside.


In addition to Boreanaz, ''Angel'' inherited ''Buffy'' regulars ] as ] and ] as ], followed later by ] as ] and ] as ]. Angel continued to appear occasionally on ''Buffy'' and several actors whom played ''Buffy'' characters (including ] as ],] as ], ] as ], ] as ], and ] as ]) made guest appearances on ''Angel.'' In addition to Boreanaz, ''Angel'' inherited ''Buffy'' regulars ] (]) and ] (]), followed later by ] (]) and ] (]). Several actors whom played ''Buffy'' characters made guest appearances on ''Angel''. This included ] (]), ] (]), ] (]), ] (]), and ] (]). Angel continued to appear occasionally on ''Buffy''.


=== Expanded universe=== === Expanded universe===
{{Main|Buffyverse canon|Buffyverse chronology|Buffyverse novels|Buffyverse comics}} {{Main|Buffyverse canon|Buffyverse chronology|Buffyverse novels|Buffyverse comics}}


Outside of the TV series, the Buffyverse has been officially expanded and elaborated on by various authors and artists in the so-called "Buffyverse ]". The creators of these works are generally free to tell their own stories set in the Buffyverse and may or may not keep to established continuity. Similarly, writers for the TV series were under no obligation to use information which had been established by the Expanded Universe, and sometimes contradicted such continuity. Outside of the TV series, the Buffyverse has been officially expanded and elaborated on by authors and artists in the so-called "Buffyverse ]". The creators of these works may or may not keep to established continuity. Similarly, writers for the TV series were under no obligation to use information which had been established by the Expanded Universe, and sometimes contradicted such continuity.


The ] are published by ], which has retained the right to produce from 1998 onwards.<ref>Anonymous, "" ''Dark Horse Comics'' ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1" released ], ]).</ref> In ] Whedon wrote a eight-issue miniseries for ] entitled '']'', about a Slayer in the future. In 2004, ''Dark Horse Comics'' halted publication on Buffyverse-related comics and graphic novels, following the publication of '']''. The company has recently announced that Whedon will be producing another comic series with 20 issues beginning in March 2007, to pick up where the television show left off — taking the place of an eighth canonical season.<ref>See Brown, Scott, "", ''Entertainment Weekly'' (July 18, 2006), "" ''Comics Continuum'' (], ]).</ref> The ] are published by ], which has retained the right to produce from 1998 onwards.<ref>Anonymous, "" ''Dark Horse Comics'' ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1" released ], ]).</ref> In ] Whedon wrote an eight-issue miniseries for ] entitled '']'', about a Slayer in the future. Following the publication of '']'' in 2004, ''Dark Horse Comics'' halted publication on Buffyverse-related comics and graphic novels. The company has recently announced that Whedon will be producing another comic series with 20 issues beginning in March 2007, to pick up where the television show left off — taking the place of an eighth canonical season.<ref>See Brown, Scott, "", ''Entertainment Weekly'' (July 18, 2006), "" ''Comics Continuum'' (], ]).</ref>


] hold the license to produce ]. Since 1998, they have published more than 60 ''Buffy'' novels. These sometimes flesh out background information on characters; for example, '']'' provides lots of information about ]. The most recent novels include '']'' and '']''. They continue to be released approximately every two months with upcoming books scheduled for ]<!--"Portal Through Time" should be released October 2006--> and ]<!--"Bad Bargain" should be released December 2006--> 2006. ] hold the license to produce ]. Since 1998, they have published more than 60 ''Buffy'' novels. These sometimes flesh out background information on characters; for example, '']'' provides lots of information about ]. The most recent novels include '']'' and '']''. They continue to be released approximately every two months with upcoming books scheduled for ]<!--"Portal Through Time" should be released October 2006--> and ]<!--"Bad Bargain" should be released December 2006--> 2006.


Five official ] have been released on various portable and home consoles. The most recent, '']'', was released in 2003 for ], ] and ]. This was the first game that allowed players to take control of characters other than Buffy Summers. Five official ] have been released on portable and home consoles. The most recent, '']'', was released in 2003 for ], ] and ]. This was the first game that allowed players to take control of characters other than Buffy Summers.


=== Undeveloped spinoffs === === Undeveloped spinoffs ===
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The popularity of ''Buffy'' and ''Angel'' has led to attempts to develop more on-screen ventures in the fictional 'Buffyverse'. These projects remain undeveloped and may never be greenlighted. In 2002, two potential spinoffs were in discussion: ] and ]. ''Buffy the Animated Series'' was a proposed animated TV show based on ''Buffy''. Whedon and ] were to be Executive Producers for the show and most of the cast from ''Buffy'' were to return to voice their characters. 20th Century Fox showed an interest in developing and selling the show to another network. A three minute pilot was completed in 2004 but never picked up. Whedon revealed to ]: "We just couldn't find a home for . We had six or seven hilarious scripts from our own staff — and nobody wanted it."<ref>Hockensmith, Steve, "", ''Hollywoodreporter.com'' (], ])</ref> Neither the pilot nor the scripts have been seen outside of the entertainment industry, though writer ] has teasingly revealed small extracts from some of her scripts for the show.<ref>Espenson, Jane, "", ''Janeespenson.com'' (May 9, 2006) & "", ''Janeespenson.com'' (], ])</ref> The popularity of ''Buffy'' and ''Angel'' has led to attempts to develop more on-screen ventures in the fictional 'Buffyverse'. These projects remain undeveloped and may never be greenlighted. In 2002, two potential spinoffs were in discussion: ] and ]. ''Buffy the Animated Series'' was a proposed animated TV show based on ''Buffy''. Whedon and ] were to be Executive Producers for the show and most of the cast from ''Buffy'' were to return to voice their characters. 20th Century Fox showed an interest in developing and selling the show to another network. A three minute pilot was completed in 2004 but never picked up. Whedon revealed to ]: "We just couldn't find a home for . We had six or seven hilarious scripts from our own staff — and nobody wanted it."<ref>Hockensmith, Steve, "", ''Hollywoodreporter.com'' (], ])</ref> Neither the pilot nor the scripts have been seen outside of the entertainment industry, though writer ] has teasingly revealed small extracts from some of her scripts for the show.<ref>Espenson, Jane, "", ''Janeespenson.com'' (May 9, 2006) & "", ''Janeespenson.com'' (], ])</ref>


] was originally a proposed ] based upon the character of ]. More recent information has suggested that if ''Ripper'' were ever made it would be a TV-movie or a DVD-movie.<ref>'']''. Titan Magazines, Issue 80, (December 2005), p19.</ref> ], there are still no concrete plans for ''Ripper.'' ] was originally a proposed ] based upon the character of ]. More recent information has suggested that if ''Ripper'' were ever made it would be a TV-movie or a DVD-movie.<ref>'']''. Titan Magazines, Issue 80, (December 2005), p19.</ref> ], there are still no concrete plans.


In 2003, a year after the first public discussions on ''Buffy the Animated Series'' and ''Ripper'', ''Buffy'' was nearing its end. ] has said that during this time other spin-offs were discussed, "I think ] talked with ] about ''Slayer School'' and Tim Minear talked with him about Faith on a motorcycle. I assume there was some back-and-forth pitching."<ref>"" (spoilers!), ''BBC.co.uk'' (], ]).</ref> In 2003, a year after the first public discussions on ''Buffy the Animated Series'' and ''Ripper'', ''Buffy'' was nearing its end. Espenson has said that during this time spin-offs were discussed, "I think ] talked with ] about ''Slayer School'' and ] talked with him about Faith on a motorcycle. I assume there was some back-and-forth pitching."<ref>"" (spoilers!), ''BBC.co.uk'' (], ]).</ref>
Espenson has revealed that ] might have used some of the new slayers and potentially ], but Whedon did not think that such a spinoff felt right.<ref>'Hercules', "", ''Aintitcool.com'' (], ]). Also see "", ''BBC.co.uk'' (], ])</ref> Espenson has revealed that ] might have used new slayers and potentially included ], but Whedon did not think that such a spinoff felt right.<ref>'Hercules', "", ''Aintitcool.com'' (], ]). Also see "", ''BBC.co.uk'' (], ])</ref>


Dushku declined the pitch for a Buffyverse ] and instead agreed to a deal to produce '']''. Dushku explained to ''IGN'' why she declined: "It would have been a really hard thing to do, and not that I wouldn't have been up for a challenge, but with it coming on immediately following , I think that those would have been really big boots to fill."<ref>Kuhn, Sarah, "", ''Ign.com'' (], ]), web-page 2.</ref> Tim Minear explained some of the ideas behind the aborted series: "The show was basically going to be Faith meets Kung Fu. It would have been Faith, probably on a motorcycle, crossing the earth, trying to find her place in the world."<ref>], (May–June 2003). Details archived online: Matt (transcriber), "", ''Spoiledrotten.tvheaven.com'' (], ]). Also see "", ''BBC.co.uk'' (], ]) and .</ref> Dushku declined the pitch for a Buffyverse ] and instead agreed to a deal to produce '']''. Dushku explained to ''IGN'': "It would have been a really hard thing to do, and not that I wouldn't have been up for a challenge, but with it coming on immediately following , I think that those would have been really big boots to fill."<ref>Kuhn, Sarah, "", ''Ign.com'' (], ]), web-page 2.</ref> Tim Minear explained some of the ideas behind the aborted series: "The show was basically going to be Faith meets Kung Fu. It would have been Faith, probably on a motorcycle, crossing the earth, trying to find her place in the world."<ref>], (May–June 2003). Details archived online: Matt (transcriber), "", ''Spoiledrotten.tvheaven.com'' (], ]). Also see "", ''BBC.co.uk'' (], ]) and .</ref>


Finally, during the summer of 2004 after the end of ''Angel'', a ] about ] was proposed.<ref>, ''Whedonesque.com'' (May 9, 2004). Marsters is indirectly quoted about the possibility of a Spike movie, May 2004.</ref> The movie would have been directed by Tim Minear and starred Marsters and ] and featured ].<ref>Saney, Daniel, "", ''Digitalspy.co.uk'' (], ]). Originally reported by ''Tvguide.com''.]</ref> Outside the 2006 Saturn Awards, Whedon announced that he had pitched the concept to various bodies but had yet to receive any feedback from those bodies.<ref>"", ''Whedonesque.com'' (] ]). Originally reported by ''Iesb.net''. Also see video download: Whedon, Joss, , (February 2006).</ref> Finally, during the summer of 2004 after the end of ''Angel'', a ] about ] was proposed.<ref>, ''Whedonesque.com'' (May 9, 2004). Marsters is indirectly quoted about the possibility of a Spike movie, May 2004.</ref> The movie would have been directed by Tim Minear and starred Marsters and ] and featured ].<ref>Saney, Daniel, "", ''Digitalspy.co.uk'' (], ]). Originally reported by ''Tvguide.com''.]</ref> Outside the 2006 Saturn Awards, Whedon announced that he had pitched the concept to various bodies but had yet to receive any feedback.<ref>"", ''Whedonesque.com'' (] ]). Originally reported by ''Iesb.net''. Also see video download: Whedon, Joss, , (February 2006).</ref>


==Cultural impact== ==Cultural impact==
''Buffy'' has had a cultural impact in various ways. It has impacted ], through fan-made films, it has been parodied and referenced in various mediums and it has even influenced the development of some other fiction. ''Buffy'' has had a cultural impact on a number of mediums. It has impacted ], fan-made films, it has been parodied and referenced, and has even influenced other television series.


=== Academia === === Academia ===
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{{main|Buffyverse parodies}} {{main|Buffyverse parodies}}


The show has been spoofed by several comedy sketch shows. For example '']'' featured a "Buffy the Umpire Slayer" sketch, in which Buffy slew ] in high school baseball games.<ref>"Buffy the Umpire Slayer" on '']'', Season 3, episode 8 (aired November 1997). See:, .</ref> Sometimes ''Buffy'' cast members have been involved in spoofs. ] has participated in several sketches parodying ''Buffy'', including a '']'' sketch in which the Slayer is relocated to the '']'' universe,<ref>] Season 24, episode 19, (aired ] ]) see: . Also see 'doggans' (transcriber) , ''Snltranscripts.jt.org'' (1997).</ref> and adding her voice to an episode of '']'' that parodied a would-be eighth season of ''Buffy'' (], who played Oz on ''Buffy'', is a co-creator of ''Robot Chicken'').<ref>"Buffy Season 8" from '']'' Season 1, episode 4 (aired ] ]). See: , .</ref> The show has been spoofed by several comedy sketch shows. For example '']'' featured a "Buffy the Umpire Slayer" sketch, in which Buffy slew ] in high school baseball games.<ref>"Buffy the Umpire Slayer" on '']'', Season 3, episode 8 (aired November 1997). See:, .</ref> Sometimes ''Buffy'' cast members have been involved in spoofs. ] has participated in several sketches parodying ''Buffy'', including a '']'' sketch in which the Slayer is relocated to the '']'' universe,<ref>] Season 24, episode 19, (aired ] ]) see: . Also see 'doggans' (transcriber) , ''Snltranscripts.jt.org'' (1997).</ref> and adding her voice to an episode of '']'' that parodied a would-be eighth season of ''Buffy'' (], who played Oz on ''Buffy'', is a co-creator of this series).<ref>"Buffy Season 8" from '']'' Season 1, episode 4 (aired ] ]). See: , .</ref>


'']'' 2005 episode, "]" contained four segments, the last of which was entitled, "I've Grown a Costume on Your Face" and parodied the Buffy episode "]" (which had aired eight years earlier). '']'' 2005 episode, "]" contained four segments, the last of which was entitled, "I've Grown a Costume on Your Face" and parodied the Buffy episode "]" (which had aired eight years earlier).
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=== Impact on television === === Impact on television ===
Commentators of the entertainment industry have cited ''Buffy'' as "influential",<ref>For example: Dillard, Brian J., "</nowiki>]"], ''All Movie Guide'' (2003 or after): "wildly influential cult hit". Harrington, Richard, "", ''Hollywood Reporter'' (September 30, 2005): "One of the best, most influential, genre-defining television series in decades". Kit, Borys, "", ''The Sunday Times'' (March 17, 2005): "the influential WB Network/UPN drama series".</ref> and ''BellaOnline.com'' chose ''Buffy'' as the second "Most Influential SciFi Shows of the ’90s" (behind '']'') and commented: "Without , we wouldn’t have '']'' or '']'', heck, there’s a question as to whether '']'' would have made it on the air without ''Buffy'' having made an example that others could emulate."<ref>Lee, Helen Angela, Commentators of the entertainment industry have cited ''Buffy'' as "influential",<ref>For example: Dillard, Brian J., "</nowiki>]"], ''All Movie Guide'' (2003 or after): "wildly influential cult hit". Harrington, Richard, "", ''Hollywood Reporter'' (September 30, 2005): "One of the best, most influential, genre-defining television series in decades". Kit, Borys, "", ''The Sunday Times'' (March 17, 2005): "the influential WB Network/UPN drama series".</ref> and ''BellaOnline.com'' chose ''Buffy'' as the second "Most Influential SciFi Shows of the ’90s" (behind '']'') and commented: "Without , we wouldn’t have '']'' or '']'', heck, there’s a question as to whether '']'' would have made it on the air without ''Buffy'' having made an example that others could emulate."<ref>Lee, Helen Angela,
"" ''Bellaonline.com'' (2006).</ref> Autumn 2003 saw several new shows going into production in the U.S. that featured strong females forced to come to terms with some supernatural power or destiny while trying to maintain a normal life.<ref>Salem, Rob, "", ''Thestar.com'', transcribed to ''Whedon.info'' (], ]).</ref> These post-''Buffy'' shows include '']'' and '']''. ], the creator of ''Dead Like Me'' said that " showed that young women could be in situations that were both fantastic and relatable, and instead of shunting women off to the side, it put them at the center.<ref>Salem, Rob, "", ''TheStar.com'', transcribed to ''Whedon.info'' (], ]).</ref> ''Buffy'' was used as a blueprint for the current British series of '']'' (2005-),<ref>B, KJ, "", ''Ign.com'' (March 11, 2005): "Producer Steve Moffat admits that the blueprint for the new series was Buffy the Vampire Slayer."</ref> and executive producer ] has said "" ''Bellaonline.com'' (2006).</ref> Autumn 2003 saw several new shows going into production in the U.S. that featured strong females forced to come to terms with supernatural power or destiny while trying to maintain a normal life.<ref>Salem, Rob, "", ''Thestar.com'', transcribed to ''Whedon.info'' (], ]).</ref> These post-''Buffy'' shows include '']'' and '']''. ], the creator of ''Dead Like Me'' said that " showed that young women could be in situations that were both fantastic and relatable, and instead of shunting women off to the side, it put them at the center."<ref>Salem, Rob, "", ''TheStar.com'', transcribed to ''Whedon.info'' (], ]).</ref> ''Buffy'' was used as a blueprint for the current British series of '']'' (2005-),<ref>B, KJ, "", ''Ign.com'' (March 11, 2005): "Producer Steve Moffat admits that the blueprint for the new series was Buffy the Vampire Slayer."</ref> and executive producer ] has said


{{cquote|“ showed the whole world, and an entire sprawling industry, that writing monsters and demons and end-of-the world isn’t hack-work, it can challenge the best. Joss Whedon raised the bar for every writer—not just genre/niche writers, but every single one of us.”<ref>Moore, Candace, "", '''' (May 19, 2005).</ref>}} {{cquote|“ showed the whole world, and an entire sprawling industry, that writing monsters and demons and end-of-the world isn’t hack-work, it can challenge the best. Joss Whedon raised the bar for every writer—not just genre/niche writers, but every single one of us.”<ref>Moore, Candace, "", '''' (May 19, 2005).</ref>}}
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{{main|Buffy the Vampire Slayer awards and nominations}} {{main|Buffy the Vampire Slayer awards and nominations}}


''Buffy'' has received various awards and nominations.<ref name="awards">Various authors, ", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2005).</ref> These include an ] nomination for the 2000 episode "]", which featured an extended sequence with no character dialogue.<ref name="awards" /> The 2001 episode "]" revolved around the death of Buffy's mother. It was filmed with no musical score, only ]; it was nominated for a ] in 2002.<ref name="awards" /> The fall 2001 musical episode "]", received plaudits, but was omitted from Emmy nomination ballots by accident. It has since featured on '']'s "100 Greatest Musicals".''<ref>"", '']'' (Autumn 2003).</ref> ''Buffy'' has received awards and nominations.<ref name="awards">Various authors, ", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2005).</ref> These include an ] nomination for the 2000 episode "]", which featured an extended sequence with no character dialogue.<ref name="awards" /> The 2001 episode "]" revolved around the death of Buffy's mother. It was filmed with no musical score, only ]; it was nominated for a ] in 2002.<ref name="awards" /> The fall 2001 musical episode "]", received plaudits, but was omitted from Emmy nomination ballots by accident. It has since featured on '']'s "100 Greatest Musicals".''<ref>"", '']'' (Autumn 2003).</ref>


==Footnotes and references== ==Footnotes and references==

Revision as of 01:38, 5 October 2006

This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation)
1997 American TV series or program
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
File:Buffy logo 0001.jpg
Created byJoss Whedon
StarringSarah Michelle Gellar
Alyson Hannigan
Nicholas Brendon
Anthony Stewart Head
James Marsters
Emma Caulfield
Amber Benson
Michelle Trachtenberg
Charisma Carpenter
David Boreanaz
Seth Green
Marc Blucas
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes144
Production
Running time42 minutes
Original release
NetworkThe WB (1997–2001)
UPN (2001–2003)
ReleaseMarch 10, 1997 –
May 20, 2003

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a cult American television series that first aired from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. Writer-director Joss Whedon created the concept and TV series under his personal production tag, Mutant Enemy. The series follows the life of Buffy Anne Summers (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar), the latest in a line of young women chosen to battle against vampires, demons and the forces of darkness. Like previous slayers, Buffy is aided by a Watcher who guides and trains her. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy surrounds herself with a circle of loyal friends who become known as the "Scooby Gang".

The series usually reached between two and four million viewers on original airings. Although such ratings are lower than successful shows on the "big four" networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox), reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and the ratings were a success for the relatively new and smaller Warner Brothers Network. The WB network closed on September 17, 2006, after airing a "homage" to their "most memorable series", including the pilot episodes of Buffy and its spin-off, Angel.

Buffy's success also led to hundreds of tie-in products, including novels, comics and video games. The series has received attention in fandom, parody and academia, and has influenced the direction of other television series.

Production

Origins

Writer Joss Whedon developed "Buffy" to invert the Hollywood formula of "the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie." Whedon wanted "to subvert that idea and create someone who was a hero." He explained:

The very first mission statement of the show, was the joy of female power: having it, using it, sharing it.

The concept was first visited through Whedon's script for the 1992 movie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which featured Kristy Swanson in the title role. The director saw it as a "pop culture comedy about what people think about vampires." Whedon disagreed; "I had written this scary film about an empowered woman, and they turned it into a broad comedy. It was crushing." The script was recognised within the industry, but the movie was not.

Several years later, Gail Berman, a Sandollar Productions executive approached Joss Whedon to develop his Buffy concept into a television series. Whedon explained that "They said, ‘Do you want to do a show?’ And I thought, ‘High school as a horror movie.’ And so the metaphor became the central concept behind Buffy, and that’s how I sold it." The supernatural elements in the series stood as metaphors for personal anxieties associated with adolescence and young adulthood. Whedon went on to write and partly fund a 25-minute unaired Buffy pilot. This was shown to networks and eventually sold to the WB Network who promoted the premiere with a series of History of the Slayer clips. The first episode aired on March 10, 1997.

Executive producers

Joss Whedon was credited as executive producer throughout the run of the series. For the first five seasons (1997-2001) he also was the show runner. This role involves serving as head writer and being responsible for every aspect of production. Marti Noxon took on the role for seasons six and seven (2001-2003), but Whedon continued to be involved with writing and directing Buffy alongside projects such as Angel, Fray and Firefly. Fran Rubel Kuzui and her husband, Kaz Kuzui were credited as executive producers but were not heavily involved in the show. Their credit, rights and royalties over the franchise relate to their funding, producing and directing of the original movie version of Buffy.

Writing

Script-writing was done by Mutant Enemy, a production company created by Whedon in 1997. The writers with the most writing credits include: Steven S. DeKnight, Jane Espenson, David Fury, Drew Goddard, Drew Greenberg, Rebecca Rand Kirshner, Marti Noxon and Doug Petrie.

Jane Espenson has explained in how scripts came together. First, the writers talked about the emotional issues facing Buffy Summers and how she would confront them through her battle against evil supernatural. Then the episode's story was 'broken' into acts and scenes. Act breaks were designed as key moments to intrigue viewers so that they would stay with the episode through advertisements. The writers collectively "filled in" scenes surrounding these actbreaks for a more fleshed out story. A whiteboard marked their progress by mapping brief descriptions of each scene. Once 'breaking' was done, the credited author wrote an outline for the episode, which was checked by Whedon or Noxon. The writer wrote a full script which went through a quick rewrite from the show runner. The final article was used as the shooting script.

Casting

Four roles were cast as series before the series aired. The title role went to Sarah Michelle Gellar, who had appeared as Sydney Rutledge in Swan's Crossing and Kendall Hart in All My Children. At age eighteem in 1995, Gellar had already won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series. In 1996 she was initially cast as Cordelia Chase during a week of auditioning.

Anthony Stewart Head had already led a prolific acting and singing career but remained best known for a series of twelve 1980s coffee commercials with Sharon Maughan for Nescafé Gold Blend. He accepted the role of Rupert Giles.

Unlike other Buffy regulars, Nicholas Brendon had little acting experience, instead working various jobs — including production assistant, plumber's assistant, veterinary janitor, food delivery, script delivery, day care counselor and waiter — before deciding to break into acting to help him overcome a stutter. He landed his Xander Harris role following only four days of auditioning.

Alyson Hannigan was the last of the original four to be cast. Following her role in My Stepmother Is an Alien, she appeared in commercials and supporting roles on television shows throughout the early 1990s. In 1996 the role of Willow Rosenberg was initially given to Riff Regan for the unaired Buffy pilot but Hannigan auditioned when the role was recast for the series proper. She described her approach to auditions in an interview through her approach to a particular moment: Willow tells Buffy that her Barbie doll was taken from her as a child, and Buffy asks if she ever got the Barbie back. "Willow's line was 'Most of it.' And so I thought I'm gonna make that a really happy thing. I was so proud that she got most of it back. That clued in on how I was going to play the rest of the scene. It defines the character." Her approach subsequently helped her win the role.

Broadcasting

Buffy the Vampire Slayer first aired on March 10, 1997 on the WB network and played a key role in the growth of the Warner Brothers television network in its early years. After five seasons, it transferred to the United Paramount Network (UPN) for its final two seasons. The show went into syndication in the U.S. on FX. In the United Kingdom, the entire series aired on BBC2. The BBC gave the show two time slots, an early-evening slot for a family-friendly version with violence and bad language cut out and a late-night uncut version. From the fourth season onwards, the BBC aired the show in anamorphic 16:9 widescreen format, but Whedon later said that Buffy had never intended to be viewed this way.

Opening sequence

The Buffy opening sequence provides credits early in each show. The music used is a punk metal version of a German pop song from the Eighties by Döf, called "Codo". It was covered by punk rock band Nerf Herder. In the DVD commentary for the first Buffy episode, Whedon said his decision to go with Nerf Herder's theme was influenced by cast member Alyson Hannigan who had made him listen to the band's music. Janet Halfyard, in her essay "Music, Gender, and Identity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel", describes the opening:

It begins with the sound of an organ, accompanied by a wolf’s howl, with a visual image of a flickering night sky overlaid with unintelligible archaic script, the associations with both the silent era and films such as Nosferatu and with the conventions of the Hammer House of Horror and horror in general are unmistakable.

But the theme changes; " removes itself from the sphere of 1960s and 70s horror by replaying the same motif, the organ now supplanted by an aggressively strummed electric guitar, relocating itself in modern youth culture". This music is heard over images of a young cast involved in the action and turbulence of adolescence. The sequence provides a post-modern twist on the horror genre.

Music

Main articles: Music in Buffy and Angel and List of songs featured in Buffy and Angel

Buffy features a mix of original, indie and pop music. The composers spent around seven days scoring between fourteen to thirty minutes of music for each episode. Christophe Beck revealed that the composers used computers and synthesizers and were limited to recording one or two 'real' samples. Despite this, their goal was to produce "dramatic" orchestration that would stand up to film scores.

Alongside the score, most episodes featured indie rock music, usually at the characters' venue of choice, The Bronze. Buffy Music Supervisor John King explained that "we like to use unsigned bands", that "you would believe would play in this place." For example, the group Four Star Mary were portrayed on screen by the fictional front Dingoes Ate My Baby. Pop songs by famous artists were rarely featured prominently, but several episodes spotlighted the sounds of more famous artists such as Sarah McLachlan ("Full of Grace" and "Prayer of St. Francis") and Michelle Branch ("Goodbye to You"). The popularity of music used in Buffy has led to three soundtrack albums: Buffy: The Album, Radio Sunnydale and "Once More, with Feeling" Soundtrack.

Storylines

Setting and filming locations

Main articles: Sunnydale, Hellmouth and Filming locations
File:Sunnydale High School.jpg
"Sunnydale High", a key setting during the series' early years.

Template:Spoiler

Most of Buffy was shot on location in Los Angeles, California. The show is set in the fictional Californian town of Sunnydale (roughly analogous to Santa Barbara), whose suburban Sunnydale High School sits on top of a "Hellmouth", a gateway to demon realms. The Hellmouth serves as a nexus for a wide variety of evil creatures and supernatural phenomena, and lay beneath the school library. In addition to being an open-ended plot device, Joss Whedon has cited the Hellmouth and "High school as Hell" as one of his primary metaphors in creating the series.

The high school used in the first three seasons is actually Torrance High School, in Torrance, California. The school exterior is used in other television shows and movies, most notably Beverly Hills 90210, Bring It On, She's All That (explaining Sarah Michelle Gellar's appearance in the cafeteria scene of that movie), and the spoof, Not Another Teen Movie. In addition to the high school and its library, scenes take place in the town's cemeteries, a local nightclub (The Bronze), and Buffy's home, where many of the characters live at various points in the series.

File:Buffypage1.jpg
Buffy regularly battles against supernatural evil.

Format

Template:Spoiler

The series narrative revolves around Buffy and her friends (collectively dubbed the 'Scooby Gang') who struggle to blance the fight against supernatural evils with their complex social lives. Buffy is told in a serialized format, with each episode telling a self-containing story while contributing to a larger storyline, which on Buffy is broken down into season-long narratives marked by the rise and defeat of a powerful antagonist, commonly referred to as the "Big Bad".

A typical episode contains one or more villains, or supernatural phenomena that is thwarted or defeated. Though elements and relationships are explored and ongoing subplots are included, the show focused primarily on Buffy and her role as an archetypal hero. The show blends different genres, including horror, martial arts, romance, melodrama, farce, comedy, and even (in one episode) musical comedy.

Inspirations and metaphors

During the first year of the series, Whedon described the show as "My So-Called Life meets The X-Files." My So-Called Life provided a sympathetic portrayal of teen anxieties, in contrast, The X-Files delivered a supernatural "monster of the week" storyline. Alongside these series, Whedon has cited cult film Night of the Comet as a "big influence", and credited the X-Men character Kitty Pryde as a significant influence on the character of Buffy. The authors of unofficial guidebook Dusted point out that the series was often a pastiche, borrowing elements from previous horror novels, movies and short stories and from such common literary stock as folklore and mythology. Nevitt & Smith describe Buffy's use of pastiche as "post modern Gothic". For example, the Adam character parallels the Frankenstein monster, the episode "Bad Eggs" parallels Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and so on.

Buffy episodes include a deeper meaning or metaphor as well. Whedon explained, "We think very carefully about what we're trying to say emotionally, politically, and even philosophically while we're writing it… it really is, apart from being a pop-culture phenomenon, something that is deeply layered textually episode by episode." Academics Wilcox and Lavery provide examples of how a few episodes deal with real life issues turned into supernatural metaphors:

In the world of Buffy the problems that teenagers face become literal monsters. A mother can take over her daughter's life ("Witch"); a strict stepfather-to-be really is a heartless machine ("Ted"); a young lesbian fears that her nature is demonic ("Goodbye Iowa" and "Family"); a girl who has sex with even the nicest-seeming guy may discover that he afterwards becomes a monster ("Innocence").

The love affair between the vampire Angel and Buffy was fraught with metaphors. Their night of passion cost the vampire his soul. Sarah Michelle Gellar said: "That's the ultimate metaphor. You sleep with a guy and he turns bad on you."

Monsters and dark forces

The most prominent monsters in the Buffy bestiary are vampires, which are based on traditional myths, lore, and literary conventions. Buffy and her companions fight a wide variety of demons, as well as ghosts, werewolves, zombies, and ethically unsound humans. They frequently save the world from complete destruction. Buffy and company use a combination of physical combat, magic, and detective-style investigation, guided by an extensive collection of ancient and mystical reference books. Hand-to-hand combat is chiefly undertaken by Buffy, Angel and later, Spike. Willow eventually becomes an adept witch, while Giles contributes his extensive knowledge of demonology and supernatural lore.

Plot

Main articles: Buffy the Vampire Slayer plot summary and List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes

Template:Spoiler-about The first season exemplifies the "high school as hell" concept. Buffy Summers has just moved to Sunnydale and hopes to escape her slayer duties. Her plans for a normal life are complicated by Rupert Giles, her new Watcher, who reminds her of the inescapable presence of evil. Sunnydale High is built atop a Hellmouth, a portal to demon dimensions that attracts supernatural phenomena to the area. At school, Buffy meets two friends who will help fight evil through the series. They must prevent an ancient and especially threatening vampire from opening the Hellmouth and unleashing Hell on Earth.

The emotional stakes are raised in the second season. Buffy consummates her relationship with her vampire lover Angel, unknowingly completing a curse and taking away his soul. He once more becomes a sadistic killer and sets out to destroy the world. Buffy is forced to kill him, and leaves Sunnydale depressed.

After attempting a new life in Los Angeles, Buffy returns to town in the third season. She is soon confronted with an unstable slayer, Angel (again), and the evil mayor's plans for Graduation Day.

The fourth season sees Buffy and Willow enroll at UC Sunnydale while Xander joins the workforce. Willow explores her sexuality with another witch, while Buffy begins dating a student who is a member of The Initiative, a top-secret military installation based beneath the UC Sunnydale campus. They appear to be a well-meaning anti-demon operation, but a secret project goes horribly wrong.

During the fifth season, an exiled Hell-God searches for a 'key' that will allow her to return to her home dimension. The 'key' has been turned into human form as Buffy's younger sister. The Hell-God eventually discovers the truth and kidnaps Dawn. Buffy sacrifices herself to save Dawn and the world.

Buffy's friends resurrect her through a powerful spell in the sixth season. Buffy returns from Heaven and finds a job at a fast food restaurant. Her friends are unaware of her inner turmoils as they face their own troubles: Xander leaves his fiancée at the altar and Willow becomes addicted to magic. When Willow's girlfriend is killed by a deranged murderer, Willow descends into darkness and begins a rampage.

The instability caused by Buffy's revival enables the First Evil to amass an army of powerful vampires against humankind during the final season. Willow invokes a magical spell that activates all potential Slayers in the world as the Scooby Gang defeats evil once more.

Characters

Main characters

Buffy Anne Summers (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) is "the Slayer," one in a long line of young women chosen by fate to battle evil forces. This mystic calling endows her with a limited degree of clairvoyance, usually in the form of prophetic dreams, as well as dramatically increased physical strength, endurance, agility, intuition and ease of healing.

Buffy receives guidance from her Watcher, Rupert Giles (played by Anthony Stewart Head). Giles, rarely referred to by his first name, is a member of the Watchers' Council, whose job is to train the Slayers. Giles researches the supernatural creatures that Buffy must face, offering insights into their origins and advice on how to kill them.

Buffy is also helped by friends she meets at Sunnydale High: Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon). Willow is originally a bookish wallflower; she provides a contrast to Buffy's outgoing personality, but shares the social isolation Buffy suffers after becoming a Slayer. As the series progresses, Willow becomes a more assertive character, a powerful witch, and a lesbian. In contrast Xander, with no supernatural skills, provides comic relief and a grounded perspective. (Buffy and Willow are the only characters who appear in all 144 episodes; Xander is missing in only one.)

Supporting, recurring and minor characters

Main articles: List of Buffy characters and Buffy minor characters
From left to right: Tom Lenk, Emma Caulfield, Alexis Denisof, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Joss Whedon, Michelle Trachtenberg

The cast of characters grew over the course of the series. Buffy first arrives in Sunnydale with her mother, Joyce Summers (portrayed by Kristine Sutherland) who functions as an anchor of normality in the Scoobies' lives, even after she learns of Buffy's role in the supernatural world ("Becoming II"). Buffy's teenage sister Dawn Summers (Michelle Trachtenberg) does not appear until the fifth season.

The vampire Angel (portayed by David Boreanaz) is Buffy's love interest throughout the first three seasons. He leaves Buffy to make amends for his sins and search for redemption in his own spin-off, Angel.

At Sunnydale High, Buffy meets several other students willing to join her fight for good (alongside her friends Willow and Xander). Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter), the archetypal shallow cheerleader, reluctantly becomes involved, and Daniel "Oz" Osbourne (Seth Green), a part-time rock guitarist, joins the Scooby Gang through his relationship with Willow. Anya (Emma Caulfield), a former vengeance demon (Anyanka) who specialized in avenging scorned women, becomes Xander's lover after losing her powers, and joins the Scooby Gang in the fourth season.

In Buffy's senior year at school, she meets Faith (Eliza Dushku), the second current-slayer who was brought forth when a previous slayer was killed by a vampire. Although she initially she fights on the side of good with Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang, she comes to stand against them after accidentally killing a human.

Buffy gathers other allies: Spike (James Marsters), a vampire, is an old companion of Angelus and one of Buffy's major enemies in early seasons, although they later become allies and lovers. Spike is known for his Billy Idol-style platinum blond hair and his black leather duster, stolen from a previous Slayer. Tara Maclay (Amber Benson) is a fellow member of Willow's Wicca group during the fifth season, and their friendship eventually turns into an ongoing love affair. Buffy also allies herself (personally and professionally) with Riley Finn (Marc Blucas), who is initially an operative in a military organization called "the Initiative" that uses science and military technology to hunt demons.

Buffy featured dozens of recurring characters, both major and minor. For example the Big Bad characters were featured for at least one season (e.g., Glorificus was a character that appeared in 13 episodes, spanning much of Season 5). Similarly, characters that allied themselves to the Scooby Gang and characters which attended the same institutions sometimes featured in multiple episodes.

Spinoffs

Buffy has inspired a range of official and unofficial works, including television shows, books, comics and games. This expansion of the series encouraged fan-use of the term 'Buffyverse' to describe the fictional universe in which Buffy and related stories take place. A timeline listing when these stories take place in relation to each other can be traced in a Buffyverse chronology.

The franchise has inspired Buffy action figures and merchandise such as official Buffy/Angel magazines and Buffy companion books. Eden Studios has published a Buffy role-playing game, while Score Entertainment has released a Buffy Collectible Card Game.

Angel

Main article: Angel (TV series)

Buffy's perpetual love for the vampire-with-a-soul, Angel, played by David Boreanaz, is a recurrent theme in the first three seasons of the show. At the start of Buffys fourth season, the spin-off Angel was introduced in October, 1999. The series was created by Buffys creator Whedon in collaboration with David Greenwalt. Like Buffy, it was produced by the production company, Mutant Enemy. At times it performed better in the Nielsen Ratings than its parent series.

The series was given a darker tone focussing on the ongoing trials of Angel in Los Angeles. The character is tormented by guilt following the return of his soul, punishment for more than a century of murder and torture. During the first four seasons of the show, he works as a private detective in a fictionalized version of Los Angeles, California, where he and his associates work to "help the helpless" and to restore the faith and "save the souls" of those who had lost their way. Typically, this involves doing battle with evil demons or demonically-allied humans (primarily the law firm Wolfram and Hart), Angel must also contend with his own violent nature. In the fifth season, the Senior Partners of Wolfram and Hart take a bold gamble in their campaign to corrupt Angel, giving him control of their Los Angeles office. Angel accepts the deal as an opportunity to fight evil from the inside.

In addition to Boreanaz, Angel inherited Buffy regulars Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase) and Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Price), followed later by Mercedes McNab (Harmony Kendall) and James Marsters (Spike). Several actors whom played Buffy characters made guest appearances on Angel. This included Seth Green (Oz), Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy Summers), Eliza Dushku (Faith Lehane), Tom Lenk (Andrew Wells), and Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg). Angel continued to appear occasionally on Buffy.

Expanded universe

Main articles: Buffyverse canon, Buffyverse chronology, Buffyverse novels, and Buffyverse comics

Outside of the TV series, the Buffyverse has been officially expanded and elaborated on by authors and artists in the so-called "Buffyverse Expanded Universe". The creators of these works may or may not keep to established continuity. Similarly, writers for the TV series were under no obligation to use information which had been established by the Expanded Universe, and sometimes contradicted such continuity.

The Buffy comics are published by Dark Horse, which has retained the right to produce from 1998 onwards. In 2003 Whedon wrote an eight-issue miniseries for Dark Horse Comics entitled Fray, about a Slayer in the future. Following the publication of Tales of the Vampires in 2004, Dark Horse Comics halted publication on Buffyverse-related comics and graphic novels. The company has recently announced that Whedon will be producing another comic series with 20 issues beginning in March 2007, to pick up where the television show left off — taking the place of an eighth canonical season.

Pocket Books hold the license to produce Buffy novels. Since 1998, they have published more than 60 Buffy novels. These sometimes flesh out background information on characters; for example, Go Ask Malice provides lots of information about Faith Lehane. The most recent novels include Carnival of Souls and Blackout. They continue to be released approximately every two months with upcoming books scheduled for October and December 2006.

Five official Buffy video games have been released on portable and home consoles. The most recent, Chaos Bleeds, was released in 2003 for GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation 2. This was the first game that allowed players to take control of characters other than Buffy Summers.

Undeveloped spinoffs

Main article: Undeveloped Buffyverse productions

The popularity of Buffy and Angel has led to attempts to develop more on-screen ventures in the fictional 'Buffyverse'. These projects remain undeveloped and may never be greenlighted. In 2002, two potential spinoffs were in discussion: Buffy the Animated Series and Ripper. Buffy the Animated Series was a proposed animated TV show based on Buffy. Whedon and Jeph Loeb were to be Executive Producers for the show and most of the cast from Buffy were to return to voice their characters. 20th Century Fox showed an interest in developing and selling the show to another network. A three minute pilot was completed in 2004 but never picked up. Whedon revealed to Hollywood Reporter: "We just couldn't find a home for . We had six or seven hilarious scripts from our own staff — and nobody wanted it." Neither the pilot nor the scripts have been seen outside of the entertainment industry, though writer Jane Espenson has teasingly revealed small extracts from some of her scripts for the show.

Ripper was originally a proposed television show based upon the character of Rupert Giles. More recent information has suggested that if Ripper were ever made it would be a TV-movie or a DVD-movie. As of 2006, there are still no concrete plans.

In 2003, a year after the first public discussions on Buffy the Animated Series and Ripper, Buffy was nearing its end. Espenson has said that during this time spin-offs were discussed, "I think Marti talked with Joss about Slayer School and Tim Minear talked with him about Faith on a motorcycle. I assume there was some back-and-forth pitching." Espenson has revealed that Slayer School might have used new slayers and potentially included Willow Rosenberg, but Whedon did not think that such a spinoff felt right.

Dushku declined the pitch for a Buffyverse TV series based on Faith and instead agreed to a deal to produce Tru Calling. Dushku explained to IGN: "It would have been a really hard thing to do, and not that I wouldn't have been up for a challenge, but with it coming on immediately following , I think that those would have been really big boots to fill." Tim Minear explained some of the ideas behind the aborted series: "The show was basically going to be Faith meets Kung Fu. It would have been Faith, probably on a motorcycle, crossing the earth, trying to find her place in the world."

Finally, during the summer of 2004 after the end of Angel, a movie about Spike was proposed. The movie would have been directed by Tim Minear and starred Marsters and Amy Acker and featured Alyson Hannigan. Outside the 2006 Saturn Awards, Whedon announced that he had pitched the concept to various bodies but had yet to receive any feedback.

Cultural impact

Buffy has had a cultural impact on a number of mediums. It has impacted television studies, fan-made films, it has been parodied and referenced, and has even influenced other television series.

Academia

Main article: Buffy studies

BtVS is notable for attracting the interest of scholars of popular culture. Academic settings increasingly include the show as a topic of literary study and analysis. It has inspired several books and essays, including Reading the Vampire Slayer, edited by Roz Kaveney, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy, edited by James B. South. An online refereed journal, Slayage, dedicated to critical studies of the show, continues to build an expansive list of essays and articles from professors, critics and students. The creators of Slayage coined the now commonly accepted term Buffy studies.

The overall analysis of Buffy frequently focuses on its relevance to contemporary feminism. The show is sometimes used as a textual example of third wave feminism, a field which encourages the development of scholarship and courses exploring Girl Power in popular culture. Others have referred to Buffy as post feminist, while some take issue with Buffy being identified as a feminist work. Other topics associated with Buffy are issues of sexuality (particularly lesbianism) and its representation and issues of race, class and otherness metaphorically represented through supernatural creatures. Australian academia, in particular, devotes a significant amount of time studying the program, as evinced in its inclusion in several highschool Media Studies curricula and it's continual airing out in the media journal Screen. Since the show's demise, broader research into the origins and nature of the vampire slayer is coming to the fore, for example, Bruce McClelland's Slayers and Their Vampires: A Cultural History of Killing the Dead.

Fandom and fan films

See also: Buffyverse (Fan made productions)

The popularity of Buffy has led to websites, online discussion forums, works of Buffy fan fiction and several unofficial fan-made productions. Buffy fan films have been created for distribution on the internet. In 2001 "Fluffy the English Vampire Slayer" was released and became "one of the first widely watched Whedonverse fan films". The computer-animated series Consanguinity, following the non-canonical vampires Damien and James, was released from 2004 onwards. Most recently Cherub, a parody of Angel, has completed its second and final season. The upcoming Forgotten Memories will provide a direct continuation of Buffy (with all roles recast), set 2–3 months after "Chosen".

Parodies

Main article: Buffyverse parodies

The show has been spoofed by several comedy sketch shows. For example MADtv featured a "Buffy the Umpire Slayer" sketch, in which Buffy slew umpires in high school baseball games. Sometimes Buffy cast members have been involved in spoofs. Sarah Michelle Gellar has participated in several sketches parodying Buffy, including a Saturday Night Live sketch in which the Slayer is relocated to the Seinfeld universe, and adding her voice to an episode of Robot Chicken that parodied a would-be eighth season of Buffy (Seth Green, who played Oz on Buffy, is a co-creator of this series).

The Simpsons 2005 episode, "Treehouse of Horror XVI" contained four segments, the last of which was entitled, "I've Grown a Costume on Your Face" and parodied the Buffy episode "Halloween" (which had aired eight years earlier).

There are several Buffy adult parodies, web comic parodies include Muffin the Vampire Baker on the Sluggy Freelance webcomic, and several musical spoofs including: Once More With Hobbits, which rewrites the lyrics of Buffy's musical episode Once More, with Feeling and the filk song "Angel's Lament".

Cultural references

The series, which employed pop-culture references as a frequent humorous device, has itself become a frequent pop-culture reference in video games, comics and television shows. For example, in the Friends episode entitled "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry", Phoebe's sister Ursula stars in a movie entitled Buffay the Vampire Layer. Similarly, in the Supernatural episode "Hell House", two amateur ghost hunters ask themselves "What would Buffy do?"

In 2005, a Trans-Neptunian object 2004 XR190 was unofficially named "Buffy", after the main character of the series.

Impact on television

Commentators of the entertainment industry have cited Buffy as "influential", and BellaOnline.com chose Buffy as the second "Most Influential SciFi Shows of the ’90s" (behind The X-Files) and commented: "Without , we wouldn’t have Charmed or Smallville, heck, there’s a question as to whether Alias would have made it on the air without Buffy having made an example that others could emulate." Autumn 2003 saw several new shows going into production in the U.S. that featured strong females forced to come to terms with supernatural power or destiny while trying to maintain a normal life. These post-Buffy shows include Dead Like Me and Joan of Arcadia. Bryan Fuller, the creator of Dead Like Me said that " showed that young women could be in situations that were both fantastic and relatable, and instead of shunting women off to the side, it put them at the center." Buffy was used as a blueprint for the current British series of Doctor Who (2005-), and executive producer Russell T. Davies has said

“ showed the whole world, and an entire sprawling industry, that writing monsters and demons and end-of-the world isn’t hack-work, it can challenge the best. Joss Whedon raised the bar for every writer—not just genre/niche writers, but every single one of us.”

In addition, Buffy alumni have gone on to write for or create other shows, some of which bear a notable resemblance to the style and concepts of Buffy. Such endeavors include Tru Calling (Douglas Petrie, Jane Espenson and even lead actress Eliza Dushku), Wonderfalls (Tim Minear), Point Pleasant (Marti Noxon), Jake 2.0 (David Greenwalt), The Inside (Tim Minear) and Smallville (Steven S. DeKnight).

Series information

The first season was introduced as a mid-season replacement, and therefore was made up of only 12 episodes. Each subsequent season was built up of 22 episodes. Discounting the Unaired Buffy pilot, the seven seasons make up a total of 144 Buffy episodes aired between 1997 and 2003.

DVD releases

Main article: Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs
DVD Release Date
U.S. U.K. Australia
The Complete First Season 15 January 2002 27 November 2000 20 Nov 2000
The Complete Second Season 11 June 2002 21 May 2001 15 Jun 2001
The Complete Third Season 7 January 2003 29 October 2001 22 Nov 2001
The Complete Fourth Season 10 June 2003 13 May 2002 20 May 2002
The Complete Fifth Season 9 December 2003 28 October 2002 29 Nov 2002
The Complete Sixth Season 25 May 2004 12 May 2003 20 Apr 2003
The Complete Seventh Season 16 November 2004 5 April 2004 15 May 2004
The Chosen Collection (Seasons 1–7) 15 November 2005 — —
The Complete DVD Collection (Seasons 1–7) — 31 October 2005 23 November 2005

Awards and nominations

Main article: Buffy the Vampire Slayer awards and nominations

Buffy has received awards and nominations. These include an Emmy Award nomination for the 2000 episode "Hush", which featured an extended sequence with no character dialogue. The 2001 episode "The Body" revolved around the death of Buffy's mother. It was filmed with no musical score, only diegetic music; it was nominated for a Nebula Award in 2002. The fall 2001 musical episode "Once More, with Feeling", received plaudits, but was omitted from Emmy nomination ballots by accident. It has since featured on Channel 4's "100 Greatest Musicals".

Footnotes and references

All links retrieved and checked as of September 15, 2006 or after.
  1. Wahoske, Matthew J., "Nielsen Ratings For Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, And Firefly", Insightbb.com (2004).
  2. "The Dual Network Rule.", Federal Communications Commission (May 15, 2001): "the four major broadcast networks are unique among the media in their ability to reach a wide audience"
  3. For example: Various DVD reviewers, Buffy: "First season reviews", "Third season reviews", "Fourth season reviews", "Fifth season reviews", "Sixth season reviews", "Seventh season reviews", Rotten Tomatoes (updated 2006). The series has overwhelmingly positive reviews from numerous reviewers.
  4. Kaiser Family Foundation "Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8–18 Year Olds", Kff.org (March 9, 2005). The article says that "Mr. Levin was a key player in establishing The WB’s distinct brand and youth appeal through programming such as “Dawson's Creek,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “7th Heaven,” “Charmed,” “Felicity,” “Smallville,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Everwood” and “One Tree Hill.”". Also see Littleton, Cynthia "A tale of two networks", Hollywoodreporter.com (January 11, 2005). Article associates Buffy with the success of WB.
  5. Schneider, Michael & Adalian, Josef, "WB revisits glory days", Variety.com (June 30, 2006).
  6. For example: Dillard, Brian J., "Buffy the Vampire Slayer "], All Movie Guide (2003 or after): "wildly influential cult hit". Harrington, Richard, "Joss Whedon's New Frontier", Hollywood Reporter (September 30, 2005): "One of the best, most influential, genre-defining television series in decades". Kit, Borys, "Whedon lassos 'Wonder' helm for Warners", The Sunday Times (March 17, 2005): "the influential WB Network/UPN drama series".
  7. ^ Billson, Anne, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (BFI TV Classics S.). British Film Institute (December 5, 2005), pp24–25.
  8. Gottlieb, Allie, "Buffy's Angels", Metroactive.com (September 26, 2002).
  9. Havens, Candace, Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy Benbella Books (May 1, 2003), p51. Fran Kuzui also discussed Buffy in Golden, Christopher, & Holder, Nancy, Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), pp247–248.
  10. Havens, Candace, Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy Benbella Books (May 1, 2003), p23.
  11. Brundage, James, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" film review. Filmcritic.com (1999). An example of the praise given to the script and dialogue behind the Buffy movie.
  12. Buffy the Vampire Slayer at Rottentomatoes.com
  13. Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), pp249–250
  14. 'Said, SF', "Interview with Joss Whedon by SF Said", Shebytches.com (2005).
  15. Wilcox, Rhonda, and Lavery, David, Fighting The Forces Rowman & Littlefield (April 2002), "In the world of Buffy the problems that teenagers face become literal monsters…", page xix
  16. Topping, Keith "Slayer". Virgin Publishing, (December 1, 2004), p7
  17. "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, Forgotten Premiere Trailer" Tvobscurities.com (July 16, 2003).
  18. ^ Various authors, "Joss Whedon", Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  19. Various authors, "Fran Kuzui" and "Kaz Kuzui", Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  20. Morgan, David, "Wide Angel Closeup: Director, Producer and Film Distributor Fran Rubel Kuzui" Aol.com (June 10, 1992); "Buffy was a film that I owned, this was the first time I owned a film". Also see Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), "Gail Berman and Fran Kuzui came to to ask if he wanted to do the TV series" (p241). Also see Watcher's Guide Vol. 1, pp246–249.
  21. Various authors, Internet Movie Database entries: "Steven S. DeKnight", "Jane Espenson", "David Fury", "Drew Goddard", "Rebecca Rand Kirshner", "Marti Noxon", "Doug Petrie". Internet Movie Database Internet Movie Database (2006).
  22. Espenson, Jane, "The Writing Process", Fireflyfans.net (2003).
  23. Various authors, "Sarah Michelle Gellar" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  24. Various authors, "Awards for Sarah Michelle Gellar" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006)
  25. Havens, Candace, Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy Benbella Books (May 1, 2003), p35–36.
  26. Various authors, "Anthony Head" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  27. Golden, Christopher, & Holder, Nancy Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), "His long-lasting fame as the romantic and intriguing coffee guy is gradually being replaced by his new image as librarian in Buffy, p210 (October 1, 1998).
  28. Various authors, "Nicholas Brendon" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  29. Anonymous, "NickBrendon.com; biography" Nickbrendon.com (updated 2006).
  30. Kappes, Serena, "Xander Slays His Demon", Nickbrendon.com, originally from People.com, (May 2001).
  31. Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), Brendon said "Four days. That's fast.", p199.
  32. ^ Various authors, "Alyson Hannigan" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  33. Golden, Christopher, and Holder, Nancy, Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), p202.
  34. See: Kaiser Family Foundation "Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8–18 Year Olds", Kff.org (March 9, 2005), Littleton, Cynthia "A tale of two networks", Hollywoodreporter.com (January 11, 2005), Schneider, Michael & Adalian, Josef, "WB revisits glory days", Variety.com (June 30, 2006).
  35. Burr, Vivien, "Buffy vs the BBC: Moral Questions and How to Avoid Them" Slaye.tv (March 2003), p1.
  36. "Angel Creator Joss Whedon Sees Evolution of TV Shows on DVD" Video Store Mag (August 28, 2003).
  37. Buffy the Vampire Slayer first season DVD set. 20th Century Fox (region 2, 2000), disc one.
  38. ^ Halfyard, Janet K. "Love, Death, Curses and Reverses (in F minor): Music, Gender, and Identity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel", Slayage.tv (December 2001).
  39. ^ "Buffy: Inside the Music" from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Complete Fourth Season DVD set 20th Century Fox (13 May 2002), disc three
  40. Various authors, "Sets and Locations", The Ultimate Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide (updated 2006).
  41. Yovanovich, Linda, "Young Blood", Smgfan.com, originally from OnSat (July 14, 1997), Whedon said: " was always the basis of the show. When they said, 'Do you want to turn it into a show?' The character was not enough alone to sustain it. But you know when I thought of the idea of the horror movies as a metaphor for high school, okay this is something that will work week to week."
  42. ^ Various authors, "Titles with locations including Torrance High School", Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  43. "Joss Whedon: Executive Producer of Angel", Cityofangel.com (2006). Also see Flowers, Phoebe, "Sixth season was last great one for Buffy - Dvd Review", Tvshows.nu (16 June 2004). Executive Producer Marti Noxon stated: "I'm basically trying to write My So-Called Life with vampires".
  44. P., Ken, "An Interview with Joss Whedon", Ign.com (June 23, 2003), web-page 6.
  45. Whedon, Joss "Kitty Pryde influenced Buffy" Whedonesque.com (February 27, 2004).
  46. Miles, Lawrence, Dusted, Mad Norwegian Press (November 2003).
  47. "Family Blood is always the Sweetest: The Gothic Transgressions of Angel/Angelusby", Nevitt, Lucy, & Smith, Andy William Refractory: a Journal of Entertainment Media Vol. II (March, 2003): Nevitt and Smith bring attention to Buffy's use of pastiche: "Multiple pastiche without enabling commentary is doubtless self-cancelling, yet, at the same time, each element of pastiche calls into temporary being what and why it imitates"
  48. Shuttleworth, Ian, "Bite me, professor" Financial Times, citing interview from New York Times (September 11, 2003).
  49. Wilcox, Rhonda, and Lavery, David, Fighting The Forces Rowman & Littlefield (April 2002), page xix.
  50. "Bye-Bye Buffy", Cbsnews.com (May 20, 2003).
  51. "Clare Kramer; TV Episode Filmography By Series" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  52. 'Buffyverse' Googled", Google (updated daily).
  53. Wahoske, Matthew J., "Nielsen Ratings For Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, And Firefly", Insightbb.com (2004).
  54. Anonymous, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1" Dark Horse Comics ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1" released September 23, 1998).
  55. See Brown, Scott, "First Look: The new 'Buffy' comic", Entertainment Weekly (July 18, 2006), "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Update" Comics Continuum (September 18, 2006).
  56. Hockensmith, Steve, "Dialogue with 'Buffy' creator Joss Whedon", Hollywoodreporter.com (May 16, 2003)
  57. Espenson, Jane, "Reading what's been written to sound written as it's spoken", Janeespenson.com (May 9, 2006) & "Sorry, JVC, but it's simply true", Janeespenson.com (May 11, 2006)
  58. UK Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Magazine. Titan Magazines, Issue 80, (December 2005), p19.
  59. "Dear Jane" (spoilers!), BBC.co.uk (July 3, 2003).
  60. 'Hercules', "Way Interesting Buffy Bits (Courtesy Jane E & Others)", Aintitcool.com (March 21, 2003). Also see "Spin-offs stop spinning", BBC.co.uk (March 24, 2003)
  61. Kuhn, Sarah, "An Interview with Eliza Dushku", Ign.com (May 28, 2003), web-page 2.
  62. Femme Fatale, (May–June 2003). Details archived online: Matt (transcriber), "Eliza Talks Faith Spinoff", Spoiledrotten.tvheaven.com (April 11, 2003). Also see "Kung Fu Faith", BBC.co.uk (April 14, 2003) and Whedonesque.com.
  63. Spike TV movie on the cards?, Whedonesque.com (May 9, 2004). Marsters is indirectly quoted about the possibility of a Spike movie, May 2004.
  64. Saney, Daniel, "Whedon eyes Willow for Spike movie", Digitalspy.co.uk (September 28, 2005). Originally reported by Tvguide.com.]
  65. "Video interview with Joss from the Saturn Awards", Whedonesque.com (February 15 2006). Originally reported by Iesb.net. Also see video download: Whedon, Joss, Discussion on Spike movie at Saturn awards, (February 2006).
  66. Hornick, Alysa, "Buffyology an Academic Buffy Studies and Whedonesque Bibliography", Alysa316.com (updated 2006).
  67. 'Darin', Buffy the Patriarchy Slayer, Daringivens.com (2003).
  68. Gottlieb, Allie, "Buffy's Angels", Metroactive.com (September 26, 2002).
  69. "The Buffy Effect", Bitchmagazine.com (August 2001).
  70. For example see the Buffy writers comments on lesbianism: "Official Quotes on the Willow/Tara Storyline", archived by Buffyguide.com (2000).
  71. Alderman, Naomi & Seidel-Arpaci, Annette, "Imaginary Para-Sites of the Soul: Vampires and Representations of ‘Blackness’ and ‘Jewishness’ in the Buffy/Angelverse", Slayage.tv (November 2003).
  72. Newitz, Annalee, "Fan Films Reclaim the Whedonverse", Wired.com (June 8, 2006).
  73. "Buffy the Umpire Slayer" on MadTV, Season 3, episode 8 (aired November 1997). See:Madtv.com entry, Restlessbtvs.com entry.
  74. SNL Season 24, episode 19, (aired May 15 1999) see: IMDb entry. Also see 'doggans' (transcriber) SNL Transcripts: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", Snltranscripts.jt.org (1997).
  75. "Buffy Season 8" from Robot Chicken Season 1, episode 4 (aired 13 March 2005). See: IMDb entry, Whedonesque.com.
  76. "Angel's Lament" by "Brobdingnagian Bards". See the song and the lyrics
  77. Examples: Anarchy Online (June 27, 2001) features a decorative statue called the "Marble Statue of the Goddess Buffy Summers". The X-Files: Resist or Serve (March 14, 2004), see "Memorable Quotes from Resist or Serve", Internet Movie Database. Max Payne (July 25, 2001) a secret room contains a staked corpse with "Buffy" smeared on the wall in blood.
  78. Examples: Archie Comics the character Betty Cooper dresses up as Bunny the Vampire Slayer for a Halloween costume party. The Wotch - Thewotch.com web comic frequently references Buffy.
  79. Examples: Charmed episode "The Power Of Two"; Alyssa Milano's character asks "Where's Buffy when you need her?". Also House of Mouse episode "Gone Goofy", when Donald Duck is watching TV, there is a show on called "Goofy the Vampire Slayer".
  80. Various authors, Friends: "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry"; allusions TV.com (episode aired February 10, 2000).
  81. Various authors, "Supernatural: "Hell House"; trivia" Tv.com (episode aired March 30, 2006).
  82. "Strange new object found at edge of Solar System" New Scientist (13 December 2005).
  83. For example: Dillard, Brian J., "Buffy the Vampire Slayer "], All Movie Guide (2003 or after): "wildly influential cult hit". Harrington, Richard, "Joss Whedon's New Frontier", Hollywood Reporter (September 30, 2005): "One of the best, most influential, genre-defining television series in decades". Kit, Borys, "Whedon lassos 'Wonder' helm for Warners", The Sunday Times (March 17, 2005): "the influential WB Network/UPN drama series".
  84. Lee, Helen Angela, "The 5 Most Influential SciFi Shows of the ’90s" Bellaonline.com (2006).
  85. Salem, Rob, "Whedon.info The season to talk to dead people", Thestar.com, transcribed to Whedon.info (August 25, 2003).
  86. Salem, Rob, "The season to talk to dead people", TheStar.com, transcribed to Whedon.info (August 25, 2003).
  87. B, KJ, "Doctor Who Report: New Theme Music?; Buffy a Template for New Doctor Who?", Ign.com (March 11, 2005): "Producer Steve Moffat admits that the blueprint for the new series was Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
  88. Moore, Candace, "John Barrowman Plays Bisexual Time Traveler on New Dr. Who", ' (May 19, 2005).
  89. ^ Various authors, "Awards for Buffy the Vampire Slayer", Internet Movie Database (updated 2005).
  90. "100 Greatest Musicals: The Results", Channel4.com (Autumn 2003).

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