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Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
File:Buffy Logo.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 an American television series that originally ran from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. The concept and TV series were created by writer-director Joss Whedon under his personal production tag, Mutant Enemy. Sarah Michelle Gellar starred as the title character whilst the ensemble cast around her grew.

The series follows the life of Buffy Anne Summers, 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 her Watcher, but unlike her predecessors, she also surrounds herself by a circle of friends who join her cause (and eventually dub themselves the "Scooby Gang").

The series had relatively low ratings compared to shows on major networks.[1], However the ratings were great for the Warner Brothers Network, and Buffy is one of the key series associated with the early success of the network,[2] During it's seven years the series gathered critical acclaim[3] and reviews for the series are overwhelmingly positive.[4] Just before the WB network closed forever on September 17, 2006, as part of a "homage" to their "most memorable series" , the pilot episodes of Buffy, and Dawson's Creek, were the final shows ever seen on that network.[5]

The cult success of the series, has led to a spin-off series, Angel, and attempts to produce more. There are currently hundreds of tie-in products including novels, comics, and video games. The series has also received attention in fandom, parody and academia. Furthermore the series has exerted a marked influence on TV and film, with many shows and movies owing something in their themes, devices, and verbal style to the show.[6]

Production

Origins

File:Buffy unaired pilot (promotional image).jpg
Promotional photograph taken during the filming of the Unaired Buffy pilot.

Writer Joss Whedon developed the Buffy concept as an inversion of the pervasive horror film formula; "the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie."[7] Whedon's concept instead hoped "to subvert that idea, and create someone who was a hero".[7]

The very first mission statement of the show, was the joy of female power: having it, using it, sharing it[8]

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 had a different interpretation, and viewed the script as a "pop culture comedy about what people think about vampires"[9]. 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."[10] The script was recognised within the industry [11], but the movie was not a critical success.[12]

Several years later, Gail Berman, a Sandollar Productions executive, believed that the concept might make a good TV show, and approached Joss Whedon to develop it.[13]. 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"[14] The supernatural elements in the series stood as metaphors for personal anxieties relating to adolescence and young adulthood.[15]

Whedon wrote and partly funded a 25-minute presentation, sometimes called the unaired Buffy pilot[16], and showed it to various networks. Eventually, the WB Network bought the show and promoted the premiere with a series of History of the Slayer clips.[17] The first episode aired on March 10, 1997 on the WB network.

File:Joss whedon screenshot.jpg
Joss Whedon interviewed on Buffy Fourth Season DVD featurette.

Executive producers

Joss Whedon was credited as executive producer during the entire run of the series.[18] The 'show runner' position is in some ways more important on a day to day basis, since it involves responsibility as head writer and also responsibility over every aspect of production. Whedon held the position of show runner for the first five seasons of Buffy (1997-2001). Marti Noxon took on the role for seasons six and seven (2001-2003). However Whedon continued to be involved with writing and directing during this period alongside other projects such as Angel, Fray, and Firefly.[18]

Fran Rubel Kuzui, and her husband, Kaz Kuzui were also credited as executive producers,[19] however their credit, rights and royalties over the franchise relate to their involvement funding, producing and directing the original movie version of Buffy on which the TV series was based, and neither were heavily involved in production of the television series.[20]

Inspirations

File:Buffypage2.jpg
Kitty Pryde from the X-men series is one of Buffy's greatest influences.

During the first year of the series, Whedon often described the show as "My So-Called Life meets The X-Files"[21]. My So-Called Life provided a sympathetic portrayal of teen anxieties, whilst The X-Files delivered supernatural "monster of the week" storylines. Whedon has also cited cult film Night of the Comet as a "big influence" on Buffy. [22]

Whedon's Buffy has also been influenced by comic books: He has credited the X-Men character, 'Kitty Pryde' (whom he now handles in Astonishing X-Men), as a significant influence on the character of Buffy and some of his other female characters.[23] In addition, comics such as Superman and Spider-Man explore similar themes to Buffy, particularly those relating to the tension between the duties of a superhero and the more mundane concerns of their "ordinary" alter ego.[24]

As the authors of Dusted point out the series was often pastiche, borrowing elements from previous horror novels, movies and short stories and from such common literary stock as folklore and myths.[25] Many episodes put a postmodern spin on these elements. For example the Adam character parallels the Frankenstein monster, the episode “Bad Eggs” parallels Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and so on.

File:Mutant Enemy Inc.JPG
Logo for Mutant Enemy Inc.

Writing

The writing was undertaken by Mutant Enemy Productions. Whedon created the company in 1997, naming it after a line in the song "And You And I" by prog rock band Yes, of whom he is a confessed fan.[26] It was also the name Whedon had given to his first typewriter.[26]

The writing team went through many changes over the course of seven years. Some of 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.[27]

During interviews Jane Espenson has explained how the writing process worked on Buffy.[28] To begin with the writers collectively discuss what emotional issues the character Buffy Summers is facing at that point in the story, how she would face such issues, and what change might have occurred on the journey. Once this is made clear, the episode's story is 'broken'. "Breaking the story means organizing it into acts and scenes"[28]. This is first done by deciding on events in the story that occur at act breaks (where the commercials are shown). These typically aim to intrigue the viewer, and make them curious about how events will unfold. The writers then collectively fill in scenes surrounding the actbreaks using a whiteboard and pen to write brief descriptions of each scene. Once breaking is complete, the credited author then writes an outline of the episode by themselves, which is checked over by Whedon or Marti Noxon. The credited author writes the full script using their outline. This draft then goes through a quick rewrite, once again from Whedon or Noxon. The result is the shooting script.[28]

Casting

File:All My Children (Sarah Michelle Gellar 1995).JPG
Sarah Michelle Gellar as 'Kendall' in All My Children prior to being cast as 'Buffy'.

Prior to the series premiere, four roles were cast as series regulars.

The title role went to Sarah Michelle Gellar. She had been acting since the age of four, mostly in parts in commercials, TV and film. Her major break came in 1992, when she starred in the teen soap opera Swan's Crossing, after which she starred in the soap opera All My Children, playing the conniving character Kendall Hart.[29] In 1995, at the age of 18, she had already won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series.[30] Gellar left All My Children in 1995.[29] Initially on Buffy she won the role of 'Cordelia Chase'.[31] However after many auditions, she won the role of 'Buffy Anne Summers'.[31]

Anthony Stewart Head had featured in a number of roles during his acting/singing career, and had found success on the stage (LAMDA), and on the screen and in a number of appearances on British and American television.[32] However he remained best known for a series of twelve 1980s coffee commercials with Sharon Maughan for Nescafé.[33] He accepted the role of 'Rupert Giles'.

Unlike the other Buffy regulars, Nicholas Brendon had not done much acting in the past.[34] He had worked a number of jobs, including production assistant, plumber's assistant, veterinary janitor, food delivery guy, script delivery guy, day care counselor and waiter[35] but finally decided to break into acting to help him overcome a stutter.[36] He landed his 'Xander Harris' role following only four days of auditioning.[37]

Alyson Hannigan was the last of the original four, to be cast as a series regular. Her first major film role was in My Stepmother Is an Alien, released in 1988.[38] Throughout most of the early 1990s, she appeared in commercials and supporting roles on television shows, including Picket Fences, Roseanne and Touched by an Angel.[38] On Buffy the role of 'Willow Rosenberg' was intially given to Riff Regan for the unaired Buffy pilot. However the role was recast for the series proper. Hannigan auditioned, and has since described her approach to the 'Willow' character during this period. In a scene where Willow tells Buffy how Xander had stolen her Barbie when Willow and Xander were young, Buffy asks Willow if she had got her Barbie back. Hannigan explains "And 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."[39] Subsequently Hannigan got the role of 'Willow'.


File:TheWB...logo.gif

Broadcasting

Buffy the Vampire Slayer first aired on March 10, 1997 on the WB network. Buffy is credited with playing a key role in the growth of the Warner Brothers television network in its early years.[40] 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 series aired on BBC2. 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.[41] From the fourth season onwards, the BBC aired the show in anamorphic 16:9 widescreen format. In contrast US networks used the aspact ratio 4:3. Whedon later publicly said that Buffy had not been intended for widescreen viewing.[42]

Music

File:Dingos Ate My Baby.jpg
Dingoes Ate My Baby play at The Bronze.
Main articles: Music in Buffy & Angel and List of songs featured in Buffy & 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.[43] Christophe Beck revealed that the composers used computers and synthesizers, and were limited to recording one or two 'real' samples. However their goal was to produce "dramatic" orchastration that would stand up to film scores.[43]

Alongside the score, most episodes featured indie rock music, most often 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".[43] For example the group Four Star Mary were portrayed on screen by the fictional front, Dingoes Ate My Baby.

The use of pop culture songs rarely featured beyond the background, however during the course of the show, some 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 also led to three soundtrack albums; Buffy: The Album, Radio Sunnydale, and "Once More, with Feeling Soundtrack".

The show

File:Buffy logo 0001.jpg
Screenshot from Buffy opening titles.

Opening sequence

The Buffy opening sequence provide credits near the beginning of each show. The music used alongside the images is played by Nerf Herder. The music is a punk-metal version of a German pop song from the Eighties called "Codo" by "Döf". The punk rock band, Nerf Herder, had formed in 1994. In the DVD commentary for first Buffy episode, Whedon explained that part of his decision to go with Nerf Herder's theme was that Alyson Hannigan had made him listen to the band's music.[44] In Janet Halfyard's essay, "Music, Gender, and Identity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel", she 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.[45]

However the theme theme changes as instrumental rock music kicks in "[The opening sequence] 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".[45] This music is heard alongside images of a young cast involved in the action and turbulence of adolescence. The sequence provides a post-modern twist on the horror genre.[45]

File:Buffypage1.jpg
Buffy in a typical stance, which is anything but helpless.

Format

Template:Spoiler

The series tells the story of Buffy and her friends, sometimes referred to as the Scooby Gang or the Scoobies, as they battle demons and other supernatural evils while negotiating their own complicated social and romantic lives. Buffy is told in a dual arc serialized format, with each episode both telling a single story and contributing to a larger overall storyline, which on Buffy is broken down into distinct season-long narratives marked by the rise and defeat of a powerful antagonist (commonly referred to as the "Big Bad"). Individual episodes usually contain one or more villains, monsters, or supernatural phenomena which are defeated, or merely survived, by the episode's end. Though many elements and relationships are explored and many ongoing subplots are included, the show's primary focus throughout is on Buffy and her role as an archetypal hero.

The show blends different genres, including horror, martial arts, romance, melodrama, farce, screwball comedy, and even (in one memorable episode) musical comedy.

File:Sunnydale High School.jpg
"Sunnydale High", a key setting during the series' early years.

Setting and filming locations

Main articles: Sunnydale, Hellmouth, and Filming locations

Many scenes of Buffy were shot on locations in and around Los Angeles, California.[46] The show is set in the fictional Californian town of Sunnydale (roughly analogous to Santa Barbara), whose suburban Sunnydale High School rests on the site of a "Hellmouth", a gateway between our world and the realm of demons. The Hellmouth serves as a nexus for a wide variety of evil creatures and supernatural phenomena, and lies directly beneath the school library (later, in a reconstructed school, beneath the Principal's office).

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,[47]

The high school used in the first three seasons is actually Torrance High School, in Torrance, California.[48] The school exterior is frequently used in other television shows and movies, most notably Beverly Hills 90210, Bring It On, and the spoof, Not Another Teen Movie.[48]

In addition to the high school and its library, scenes frequently take place in many of the town's cemeteries, local nightclub The Bronze, and Buffy's home, where many of the characters also live at various points during the series.

File:Buffy Spike2.jpg
James Marsters as the vampire Spike.

Monsters and dark forces

The most prominent monsters in the Buffy bestiary are vampires, who are presented in the show in a variety of ways, selectively following traditional myths, lore, and literary conventions. Buffy and her companions also fight (and fight alongside) a wide variety of demons, as well as ghosts, gods, werewolves, zombies, and evil humans, and are frequently called upon to save the world from complete destruction. The mythology of the show is often inspired by classical supernatural tales and other cultural, fictional, and religious sources.

Buffy and her friends battle dark forces using a combination of physical combat, magic, and detective-style investigation, guided by the extensive research 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.

File:Buffyep33.jpg
Angel seems like a different person to Buffy after they sleep together.

Metaphorical nature

Each episodes plot also included an intentional sense of deeper meaning and metaphor; 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."[49] 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 ("The 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")[50]

The tragic love affair between the vampire Angel and Buffy was fraught with metaphorical elements, the most noteworthy of which occurred when their having sex resulted in the vampire losing his soul and becoming a murderous villain. As Sarah Michelle Gellar puts it: "That's the ultimate metaphor. You sleep with a guy and he turns bad on you."[51]

Plot

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

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At the start of Season One, Buffy Summers has moved from L.A. to Sunnydale in the hopes of leaving her slayer duties behind, Buffy inevitably comes into contact with her Watcher, the librarian Rupert Giles, and the two friends who would fight demons alongside her through the series. They soon realize that their school, Sunnydale High is located on a Hellmouth, a portal to demon dimensions, which attracts supernatural phenomena to the area.The Master a 600 year old vampire intends on opening the mouth thus relesing hell on earth.

The stakes get more serious in Season Two, along with the relationship between Buffy and her vampire lover, Angel. Buffy loses her virginity to Angel.Unbeknownst to characters, Angel's moment of happiness took away his soul and he became a vicious killer once more. After having no choice but to kill Angel, Buffy leaves Sunnydale.

Buffy returns in Season Three after trying to begin a new life in L.A. for a few months and Angel returns from hell. Mayor Richard Wilkins III emerges as the major villain and the story is complicated by the arrival of an unstable slayer named Faith.

File:Buffyep55.jpg
The slayers; Buffy and Faith tussle.

In Season Four, Buffy and Willow enroll at UC Sunnydale, whilst Xander begins his working life. Willow explores her sexuality with another witch Tara while Buffy discovers Riley Finn, a student and secretly a member of a government agency. UC Sunnydale sits on a top-secret military installation called The Initiative. Special-ops soldiers pose as teachers, students and fraternity brothers. The Initiative intends to be a well-meaning anti-demon operation, however tests performed on supernatural beings create a prototype super-creature, Adam, that may prove difficult to handle.

During Season Five an exiled God named Glory is looking for a 'key' to return home to her demon dimension. That 'key' is Dawn Summers, mystical energy made human and forced into reality through manipulation the memories of Buffy and everyone around her. Glory eventually discovers the Key's new form and kidnaps her for a ritual that would bring total chaos on Earth in the process. Buffy sacrifices herself to save her sister, Dawn and the rest of the world.

Buffy's friends resurrect her through a powerful spell in Season Six. Buffy returns from Heaven back to Earth and soon finds a job at a fast food restaurant. Unhappy with the return to her life she finds herself reluctantly going through the motions of her life. Meanwhile Willow grows to abuse magic, and Xander leaves his fiance at the altar. When Willow's girlfriend is shot and killed, Willow descends into darkness and begins a destructive rampage.

The First Evil, attempts to amass an army of primitive vampires in the Hellmouth to outnumber humans during the course of Season Seven. However Willow invokes a magical spell that activates all potential Slayers in the world. An ally, Spike, and the new slayers defeat the evil plans and "The Hellmouth is officially closed for business".

Characters

File:Buffy Cast1.jpg
The core cast of Buffy in season one, 1997. From left to right: Xander, Buffy, Willow, Giles.

Main characters

See: Buffy main characters

Buffy Anne Summers (portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar) is "the Slayer," one in a long line of young girls chosen by fate to battle evil forces. This calling mystically 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 (portayed by Alyson Hannigan) and Xander Harris (portrayed Nicholas Brendon). Willow was originally a nerdy girl who contrasted Buffy's cheerleading personality but also shared the social isolation Buffy suffered after becoming a Slayer. As the series progressed, Willow became a more assertive and even sensual character; in particular, she became a powerful Wiccan and a lesbian. In contrast Xander possesses no supernatural skills, Xander provided comic relief as well as a grounded, everyman perspective in the supernatural Buffyverse. In another departure from the usual conventions of television, Xander was notable for being an insecure and subordinate male in a world dominated by powerful females.

Buffy and Willow are the only characters to appear in every episode of all seven seasons. Xander did not appear in Conversations with Dead People.

Supporting characters

See: Buffy supporting 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). Joyce functions as an anchor of normality in the Scoobies' lives, even after she learns of Buffy's role in the supernatural world ("Becoming, Part Two"). Buffy's sister, 'Dawn Summers' (Michelle Trachtenberg) does not appear until Season 5.

'Angel' (portayed by David Boreanaz), the tall, dark and handsome vampire, 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 (TV series).

At Sunnydale High, Buffy also meets several other students willing to join her fight for good alongside her friends Willow and Xander. 'Cordelia Chase' (Charisma Carpenter), the archetypal popular, shallow, mean-spirited cheerleader, only reluctantly becomes involved. 'Daniel "Oz" Osbourne' (Seth Green), a part-time rock guitarist, joins the Scooby Gang through his relationship with Willow even after he becomes a werewolf. 'Anya' (Emma Caulfield), a former 1,120 year old vengeance demon (Anyanka) who specialized in avenging scorned women. After she is stripped of her demonic powers she becomes involved with Buffy and her friends.

In Buffy's senior year at school, she meets 'Faith' (Eliza Dushku), the second slayer who was brought forth when the previous slayer was killed by a vampire. Initially she fights on the side of good with Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang, but she is soon drawn to the dark side after accidentally killing a human.

During the series, Buffy gathers other allies: 'Spike' (James Marsters) the vampire, an old companion of Angel and one of Buffy's major enemies in early seasons. Known for his Billy Idol platinum hair, his catch-phrase "bloody hell", and his black leather duster, stolen from a previous Slayer in the 1970s. 'Tara Maclay' (Amber Benson), a fellow member of a Wicca group during Willow's first year of college. Their friendship eventually turns into an ongoing love affair. Finally 'Riley Finn' (Marc Blucas) a seemingly ordinary student by day, Riley is initially an operative in a military organization called "The Initiative" that uses science and military technology to hunt down demons.

Recurring and minor characters

See: Buffy recurring characters and Buffy minor characters

During its seven seasons, Buffy featured dozens of recurring characters, and even minor roles were sometimes able to appear repeatedly. For example the Big Bad characters often featured for at least one season, e.g. Glorificus was a character that appeared in 13 episodes.[52] 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 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 Buffyverse chronology. 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.[53] The franchise has also inspired a number of Buffy action figuress and other merchandise.

File:Buffypage3.jpg
Angel the souled vampire.

Angel

Main article: Angel (TV series)

Buffy's perpetually tragic, doomed, yet true love for the vampire-with-a-soul, Angel, played by David Boreanaz, was a recurrent theme in the first three seasons of the show.

After three seasons of Buffy, the spin-off series Angel was introduced in October of 1999. The show has a darker tone than Buffy, and at times performed better in the Nielsen Ratings than its parent series.[54] The series was created by Buffy's creator Joss Whedon in collaboration with David Greenwalt. Like Buffy, it was produced by Whedon's production company, Mutant Enemy.

The series details the ongoing trials of the vampire, Angel, who has his human soul restored to him as a punishment after more than a century of murder and torture of innocents, leaving him tormented by guilt and remorse. 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 a variety of associates works to "help the helpless" and to restore the faith and "save the souls" of those who had lost their way. Typically, this involved doing battle with evil demons or demonically-allied humans (primarily the law firm Wolfram and Hart) as well as battling his own violent nature. In a departure to this the fifth season saw Angel taking over as the head of the law firm Wolfram and Hart in an attempt to fight evil from the inside.

In addition to Boreanaz, Angel inherited Buffy regulars Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase and Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Price, followed later by Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall and James Marsters as Spike. Angel continued to appear occasionally on Buffy and several Buffy characters made guest appearances on Angel.

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 various authors and artists in the so-called "Buffyverse Expanded Universe". 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.

File:Buffycomic.jpg
Issue #1 of the new Buffy comic book series written by Joss Whedon.

The Buffy comics are published by Dark Horse who has retained the right to produce from 1998 onwards.[55] Joss Whedon also later wrote an eight-issue miniseries for Dark Horse Comics entitled Fray, about a futuristic vampire slayer. Its final issue came out in August 2003. In 2004, Dark Horse Comics halted publication on Buffyverse-related comics and graphic novels following the publication of Tales of the Vampires. The company has recently announced that Whedon will be producing another comic series with 20 issues beginning in March 2007 that will pick up where the television show left off and be an 8th season of sorts.[56]

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 the character, 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

Five official Buffy video games have been released on a number of diferent 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/Angel has led to attempts to develop more on-screen ventures in the fictional 'Buffyverse'. However these projects remain undeveloped, and may never be greenlighted:

File:Buffy the Animated Series-04.jpg
Promotional artwork for the series, Buffy the Animated Series.

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. However the show was never picked up. Whedon revealed to Hollywood Reporter: "We just couldn't find a home for [it]. We had six or seven hilarious scripts from our own staff -- and nobody wanted it."[57]. 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.[58]

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.[59] As of 2006, there are still no concrete plans for Ripper.

In 2003 A year after the first public discussions on Buffy the Animated Series and Ripper, Buffy was nearing its end. Jane Espenson has said that during this time other 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."[60]

Espenson has revealed that "Slayer School" might have used some of the new slayers, and potentially Willow Rosenberg, however Whedon did not think that such a spinoff felt right.[61]

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 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 [Buffy], I think that those would have been really big boots to fill."[62] 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."[63]

File:Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sunnydale Lobby.jpg
Sample Buffy the Vampire Slayer CCG card

Finally follwing the end of Angel in 2004, there was a proposed Spike movie based upon the character of Spike from Buffy & Angel. It began being discussed during the summer of 2004.[64] The movie would have been directed by Tim Minear and starred Marsters and Amy Acker, and featured Alyson Hannigan.[65] 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.[66]

Merchandise

The series has inspired several Buffy action figures, official Buffy/Angel magazines and Buffy companion books. Eden Studios have published a Buffy role-playing game, whilst Score Entertainment have released a Buffy Collectible Card Game.

Cultural impact

Buffy has had a cultural impact on television studies, through fan-made films, it has been parodied and referenced in a number of mediums, and it has even influenced the development of some other television shows.


File:BtVS and Philosophy (Buffyverse).jpg
Cover of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy

Academia

Main article: Buffy studies

BtVS is notable for attracting the interest of scholars of popular culture.[67] 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. There is also an online refereed journal, Slayage, dedicated to critical studies of the show, which has an expansive list of essays and articles from professors, critics, and students. The creators of Slayage coined the now commonly accepted term Buffy Studies. 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.

The overall analysis of Buffy frequently focuses on its relevance to contemporary feminism. [68] 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[69], while some take issue with Buffy being identified as a feminist work [70].

Other topics associated with Buffy are issues of sexuality (particularly lesbianism) and its representation[71] and issues of race, class, and otherness metaphorically represented through supernatural creatures.[72] 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.

File:Muffin the Turtle Killer 01.JPG
Screenshot from Muffin the Turtle Killer

Fandom

See also: Buffyverse (Fan made productions)

The popularity of the Buffy has led to countless websites, online discussion forums, and works of Buffy fan fiction.

The series has also inspired several unofficial fan-made productions. For example, in recent years 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".[73] The computer-animated series Consanguinity following the fictional vampires 'Damien' and 'James', was released from 2004 onwards. Currently Cherub, a parody of Angel is already in its second season. Furthermore the upcoming Forgotten Memories will provide a direct continuation of Buffy (with all roles recast), the story will takes place 2-3 months after "Chosen".

File:Robot Chicken (Buffy Season 8).JPG
Screenshot from Robot Chicken segment parodying a potential eigth season of Buffy.

Parodies

Main articles: Buffyverse parodies and Buffy the Vampire Slayer adult parodies

The show has been spoofed by a number of comedy sketch shows. A Saturday Night Live sketch first aired on May 15, 1997, in which the Slayer was relocated to the Seinfeld universe, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as an Elaine Benes version of Buffy Summers.[74] MADtv featured a "Buffy the Umpire Slayer" sketch, in which Buffy slew umpires in high school baseball games.[75] Sarah Michelle Gellar lent her voice to an episode of Robot Chicken, co-created by Seth Green, who played Oz on Buffy, that parodied a would-be eighth season of Buffy.[76] There are also a number of Buffy adult parodies.

Web comic parodies include Muffin the Vampire Baker on the Sluggy Freelance webcomic.

There are also 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".[77]

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,[78] comics[79] and television shows.[80]

For example in the Friends episode entitled "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry", Phoebe's sister, Ursala stars in a movie entitled Buffay the Vampire Layer.[81] Similarly in the series, Supernatural, in the episode, "Hell House" two amateur ghost hunters ask themselves "What would Buffy do?"[82]

In 2005, a Trans-Neptunian object 2004 XR190 was unofficially named "Buffy", after the main character of the series.[83]

File:VM 1x01 Pilot 024.jpg
Screenshot from Veronica Mars, a series influenced by Buffy.

Impact on fiction

Buffy has exerted a marked influence on TV and film, with many shows and movies owing something in their themes, devices, and/or verbal style to the show. Bellaonline.com chose Buffy as the second "Most Influential SciFi Shows of the ‘90s" (behind The X-Files) and commented: "Without [Buffy], 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."[84] Some other shows reflective of Buffy's influence include Roswell, Ghost Whisperer, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Hex and Veronica Mars.[85] Moreover, Autumn 2003 saw a number of new shows going into production in the US that featured strong females forced to come to terms with some supernatural power or destiny while trying to maintain a normal life.[86] These post-Buffy shows include Dead Like Me and Joan of Arcadia. In the words of Bryan Fuller, the creator of Dead Like Me:

[Buffy] really turned a corner for series storytelling. It 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.[87]

In addition, many 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)

The series has also had an impact on print. The author of a new historical novel series titled The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, Colleen Gleason describes her work as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Pride & Prejudice[88] The first in the series, about a "chosen" female vampire hunter is set in Jane Austen's England and will be released in January 2007.

Series information

Episodes

Main article: List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes

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 episodes aired between 1997 and 2003.

DVD releases

Main article: Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs
File:Buffyausdvdcollection.jpg
The Extremely Limited Edition (UK) Complete DVD Collection (Seasons 1 - 7)
DVD Release Date
US UK Australia
The Complete First Season 15 Jan 2002 27 Nov 2000 20 Nov 2000
The Complete Second Season 11 Jun 2002 21 May 2001 15 Jun 2001
The Complete Third Season 7 Jan 2003 29 Oct 2001 22 Nov 2001
The Complete Fourth Season 10 Jun 2003 13 May 2002 20 May 2002
The Complete Fifth Season 9 Dec 2003 28 Oct 2002 29 Nov 2002
The Complete Sixth Season 25 May 2004 12 May 2003 20 Apr 2003
The Complete Seventh Season 16 Nov 2004 5 Apr 2004 15 May 2004
The Chosen Collection (Seasons 1–7) 15 Nov 2005 -- --
The Complete DVD Collection (Seasons 1–7) -- 31 Oct 2005 23 Nov 2005

Awards and nominations

Main article: Buffy the Vampire Slayer awards and nominations

Buffy has received a number of awards and nominations.[89] These include an Emmy Award nomination for the 2000 episode "Hush", which featured an extended sequence with no character dialogue.[89] The 2001 episode "The Body" revolved around the death of Buffy's mother, and was filmed with no musical score, only diegetic music; it was nominated for a Nebula Award in 2002.[89] The fall 2001 musical episode "Once More, with Feeling", also received many plaudits, but was omitted from Emmy nomination ballots by accident.[90] All three episodes were written and directed by Joss Whedon.

Footnotes and references

All links retrieved and checked as of September 15, 2006.
  1. ^ Wahoske, Matthew J., "Nielsen Ratings For Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, And Firefly", Insightbb.com (2004).
  2. ^ 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,” “7thHeaven,” “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.
  3. ^ Annonymous, "Slayer Slang Book description" Amazon.com (July 1, 2003), "In its seven years on television, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has earned critical acclaim and a massive cult following among teen viewers."
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Schneider, Michael & Adalian, Josef, "WB revisits glory days", Variety.com (June 30, 2006).
  6. ^ Lee, Helen Angela, "The 5 Most Influential SciFi Shows of the ‘90s" Bellaonline.com (2006).
  7. ^ a b 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. ^ Various authors, Buffy the Vampire Slayer at Rottentomatoes.com (2006). The film gets 33% positive reviews as of September 2006, however many of the 'red' reviews have issues with the movie).
  13. ^ Golden, Christopher, & 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. ^ a b 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, & Holder, Nancy Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), "Gail Berman and Fran Kuzui came to [Whedon] to ask if he wanted to do the TV series" (p241). Also see Watcher's Guide Vol. 1, pp246-249.
  21. ^ "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".
  22. ^ P., Ken, "An Interview with Joss Whedon", Ign.com (June 23, 2003), web-page 6.
  23. ^ Whedon, Joss "Kitty Pryde influenced Buffy" Whedonesque.com (February 27, 2004).
  24. ^ Various authors, "- Superman" and "Spider-Man", The Ultimate Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide (2004-2006).
  25. ^ Miles, Lawrence, Dusted, Mad Norwegian Press (November 2003).
  26. ^ a b Various authors, "Mutant Enemy", The Ultimate Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide (2004-2005).
  27. ^ Various authors, Imdb.com entries: "Steven S. DeKnight", "Jane Espenson", "David Fury", "Drew Goddard", "Rebecca Rand Kirshner", "Marti Noxon", "Doug Petrie". Imdb.com Internet Movie Database (2006).
  28. ^ a b c Espenson, Jane "The Writing Process", Fireflyfans.net (2003).
  29. ^ a b Various authors, "Sarah Michelle Gellar" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  30. ^ Various authors, "[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001264/awards Awards for Sarah Michelle Gellarr]" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  31. ^ a b Havens, Candace Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy Benbella Books (May 1, 2003), p35-36.
  32. ^ Various authors, "Anthony Head" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  33. ^ 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 libraian in Buffy, p210 (October 1, 1998).
  34. ^ Various authors, "Nicholas Brendon" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  35. ^ Annonymous, "NickBrendon.com; biography" Nickbrendon.com (updated 2006).
  36. ^ Kappes, Serena, "Xander Slays His Demon", Nickbrendon.com, originally from People.com, (May 2001).
  37. ^ Golden, Christopher, & Holder, Nancy Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), Brendon said "Four days. That's fast.", p199.
  38. ^ a b Various authors, "Alyson Hannigan" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  39. ^ Golden, Christopher, & Holder, Nancy Watcher's Guide Vol. 1. Simon & Schuster (October 1, 1998), p202.
  40. ^ 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).
  41. ^ Burr, Vivien, "Buffy vs the BBC: Moral Questions and How to Avoid Them" Slaye.tv (March 2003), p1.
  42. ^ "Angel Creator Joss Whedon Sees Evolution of TV Shows on DVD" Video Store Mag (August 28, 2003).
  43. ^ a b c "Buffy: Inside the Music" from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Complete Fourth Season DVD set 20th Century Fox (13 May 2002), disc three
  44. ^ Buffy the Vampire Slayer first season DVD set. 20th Century Fox (region 2, 2000), disc one.
  45. ^ a b c 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).
  46. ^ Various authors, "Sets and Locations", The Ultimate Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide (updated 2006).
  47. ^ Yovanovich, Linda, "Young Blood", Smgfan.com, originally from OnSat (July 14th, 1997), Whedon said: "[High school as hell] 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, [I said] okay this is something that will work week to week."
  48. ^ a b Various authors, "[http://imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Torrance%20High%20School,%20Torrance,%20California,%20USA&&heading=18;with+locations+including;Torrance%20High%20School,%20Torrance,%20California,%20USA Titles with locations including Torrance High School]", Imdb.com (updated 2006).
  49. ^ Shuttleworth, Ian, "Bite me, professor" Financial Times, citing interview from New York Times (September 11, 2003 ).
  50. ^ Wilcox, Rhonda, and Lavery, David Fighting The Forces Rowman & Littlefield (April 2002), page xix.
  51. ^ "- Bye-Bye Buffy", Cbsnews.com (May 20, 2003).
  52. ^ "Clare Kramer; TV Episode Filmography By Series" Internet Movie Database (updated 2006).
  53. ^ 'Buffyverse' Googled", Google (updated daily).
  54. ^ Wahoske, Matthew J., "Nielsen Ratings For Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, And Firefly", Insightbb.com (2004).
  55. ^ Annonymous, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1" Dark Horse Comics ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1" released Sep 23, 1998).
  56. ^ See Brown, Scott, "- First Look: The new 'Buffy' comic", Entertainment Weekly (July 18, 2006), "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER UPDATE" Comics Continuum (September 18, 2006).
  57. ^ Hockensmith, Steve, "Dialogue with 'Buffy' creator Joss Whedon", Hollywoodreporter.com (May 16, 2003)
  58. ^ Espenson, Jane, "Reading what's been written to sound written as it's spoken", Janeespenson.com (May 9, 2006) & "[http://www.janeespenson.com/archives/00000097.php Sorry, JVC, but it's simply true ]", Janeespenson.com (May 11, 2006)
  59. ^ UK Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Magazine. Titan Magazines, Issue 80, (December 2005), p19.
  60. ^ "Dear Jane - Spoilers!", Bbc.co.uk (July 3, 2003).
  61. ^ '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)
  62. ^ Kuhn, Sarah, "An Interview with Eliza Dushku", Ign.com (May 28, 2003), web-page 2.
  63. ^ 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.
  64. ^ Spike TV movie on the cards?, Whedonesque.com (May 9, 2004). Marsters is indirectly quoted about the possibility of a Spike movie, May 2004.
  65. ^ Saney, Daniel, "Whedon eyes Willow for Spike movie", Digitalspy.co.uk (September 28, 2005). Originally reported by Tvguide.com.]
  66. ^ "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)..
  67. ^ Hornick, Alysa, "Buffyology an Academic Buffy Studies and Whedonesque Bibliography", Alysa316.com (updated 2006).
  68. ^ 'Darin', Buffy the Patriarchy Slayer, Daringivens.com (2003).
  69. ^ Gottlieb, Allie, "Buffy's Angels", Metroactive.com (September 26, 2002).
  70. ^ "The Buffy Effect", Bitchmagazine.com (August 2001).
  71. ^ See: Various authors "The Death of Tara, the Fall of Willow and The Dead/Evil Lesbian Cliché FAQ", Stephenbooth.org (2002) and "Official Quotes on the Willow/Tara Storyline", archived by Buffyguide.com (2000).
  72. ^ 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).
  73. ^ Newitz, Annalee, "Fan Films Reclaim the Whedonverse", Wired.com (June 8, 2006).
  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 the Umpire Slayer" on MadTV, Season 3, episode 8 (aired November 1997). See:Madtv.com entry, Restlessbtvs.com entry.
  76. ^ "Buffy Season 8" from Robot Chicken Season 1, episode 4 (aired 13 March 2005). See: IMDb entry, Whedonesque.com.
  77. ^ "Angel's Lament" by "Brobdingnagian Bards". See the song and the lyrics
  78. ^ 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 Imdb.com - "Memorable Quotes from Resist or Serve". Max Payne (July 25, 2001) a secret room contains a staked corpse with "Buffy" smeared on the wall in blood.
  79. ^ Examples: Archie Comics the character Betty Cooper dresses up as Bunny the Vampire Slayer for a Halloween costume party. The Wotch - [http://www.thewotch.com/ Thewotch.com - The Wotch web comic frequently references Buffy.
  80. ^ Examples: Charmed episode "The Power Of Two"; Alyssa Milano's character asks "Where's Buffy when you need her?". Also House of Mouseepisode "Gone Goofy", when Donald Duck is watching TV, there is a show on called "Goofy the Vampire Slayer".
  81. ^ Various authors, Friends: "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry"; allusions Tv.com (episode aired February 10, 2000).
  82. ^ Various authors, "Supernatural: "Hell House"; trivia" Tv.com (episode aired March 30, 2006).
  83. ^ "Strange new object found at edge of Solar System" New Scientist (13 December 2005).
  84. ^ Lee, Helen Angela, "The 5 Most Influential SciFi Shows of the ‘90s" Bellaonline.com (2006).
  85. ^ Whedon, Joss, "Joss Luvs Veronica", Whedonesque.com (August 12, 2005).
  86. ^ Salem, Rob, "Whedon.info The season to talk to dead people", Thestar.com, transcribed to Whedon.info (August 25, 2003).
  87. ^ Salem, Rob, "Whedon.info The season to talk to dead people", Thestar.com, transcribed to Whedon.info (August 25, 2003).
  88. ^ Gleason, Colleen, Blog, Colleengleason.blogspot.com (August, 2006).
  89. ^ a b c Various authors, "Awards for Buffy the Vampire Slayer", Imdb.com (updated 2005).
  90. ^ "100 Greatest Musical: The Results", Channel4.com (Autumn 2003).
All links retrieved and checked as of September 15, 2006.


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