MandyMy Buffy Will Go On
April 16th 2008 10:51
Like its titular heroine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer endures against all odds. The final episode aired in 2003, however the series lingered in the cultural consciousness. Rumours popped up like mushrooms, proclaiming spin-offs and television movies that have yet to see the light of day. Fans twittered and muttered amongst themselves before the God known as Joss Whedon smiled upon them. And with the eagerly awaited advent of the season eight comic books, Buffy lives again. The none-too modest success of the continuation of the series is yet another raspberry in the face of Buffy’s surely baffled detractors. Point: the March 10th Buffy reunion at the Paley Festival had tickets going on eBay for $1000 a pop. Phew! Just what is it about this show that refuses to die?
The Lament of the Buffy Fan (with apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein)
How do you define a TV show like Buffy?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that sums up Buffy?
It’s “philosophical”, it’s “got lots of fights”, it’s… “awesome”?
Many a time a fan will try to say this
Many a time a fan will get shot down
But how do you make them stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand?
Oh, how do you define the Vampire Slayer?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
It has long been the thorn in the side of any Buffy fan-- the need to defend the show, and by association, themselves, from the unwashed masses who dismiss Buffy outright because of its outlandish title. It doesn’t help matters that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is nigh indescribable. It has its fingers in all the genre pies, from horror to comedy and drama to action. It transcends cultural boundaries and barriers, deftly using metaphor to connect with viewers from all walks of life. It breaks all the molds of standard television with its brilliance, innovation and originality. One reviewer from The Independent newspaper attempted the practically impossible, thusly:
An accurate if not too concise summary. Let’s see what the merciless staff of Television Without Pity have to say:
A rather admiring summary for a website that prides itself on being hatefully honest, don’t you think?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was, and curiously remains, the darling of many critics worldwide since its premiere in 1997. And yet it was snubbed by the Academy of Television Arts and Science year after year, in large part due to its indefinability. The show was nominated for five Emmy awards over the course of its seven year run, and won a grand total of none. To add insult to injury, the show was given a handful of consolation nominations in the categories of special effects, make-up (including prosthetics) and hairstyling. And while I’m sure creator Joss Whedon was grateful the Academy threw him a pity bone to gnaw on, Buffy continued to be ignored in the most important categories each year when the Emmys rolled around.
Yet the series continued to astound with truly innovative developments. The fourth season episode “Hush” featured twenty-nine minutes of mime, as the characters found their voices stolen by demonic heart-thieves. The episode depicting the death of Buffy’s mother was completely devoid of music, while the sixth season episode “One More With Feeling” found the characters singing rather than speaking, thanks to a jazz-singing demon’s spell. One of the greatest risks the show took was the introduction of Dawn, Buffy’s little sister. Considered by some to be the moment Buffy ‘jumped the shark’, the previously unheard-of sister was suddenly there in Buffy’s life. In typical Whedon storytelling fashion, the reason for Dawn’s existence was revealed slowly over the course of the season, culminating in our beloved heroine’s sacrifice of herself in order to save the only family she had left. What other show has gotten away with killing off its titular character (twice, Buffy having drowned and been revived back in the first season) with two seasons left to go?
Frankly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer refused to be pigeon-holed, and this confused people who were trained in the ways of paint-by-numbers television. This confusion was reflected in the weekly ratings for the show, with audience numbers in the US peaking at around five million. Compare this to the ratings for current fan favourite Grey’s Anatomy, which averages around twenty million viewers per episode. The small but devoted fan base, niche genre and stubborn indescribability of Buffy the Vampire Slayer earned it a reputation as a cult favourite, much like the status The X-Files achieved in the early nineties. And it is on this reputation that Joss Whedon staked the success of the continuation of the series—in comic book form.
Once again, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is bulldozing expectations and precedents with its indefinable quality. The first issue of the season eight comics sold out on the first day, and is now onto a fifth reprinting. Each subsequent issue has remained in the top ten of all comics sold during their respective months of release. The fan response has been universally positive, hailing the new series as a return to the whimsy and purity of the earlier seasons of Buffy. It doesn’t seem to matter to these fans that the story is being told in a different medium, for that indescribable quality inherent in Joss Whedon’s series has translated faultlessly to the written and excellently drawn page. The intensely loyal fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are still fierce in their devotion to the show, and that is the real reason Buffy endures.
The latest issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 (#14) is due for release on May 7, 2008. Check out TFAW.com.
The only way Bangel and Spuffy shippers will ever make peace
The Lament of the Buffy Fan (with apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein)
How do you define a TV show like Buffy?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that sums up Buffy?
It’s “philosophical”, it’s “got lots of fights”, it’s… “awesome”?
Many a time a fan will try to say this
Many a time a fan will get shot down
But how do you make them stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand?
Oh, how do you define the Vampire Slayer?
It has long been the thorn in the side of any Buffy fan-- the need to defend the show, and by association, themselves, from the unwashed masses who dismiss Buffy outright because of its outlandish title. It doesn’t help matters that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is nigh indescribable. It has its fingers in all the genre pies, from horror to comedy and drama to action. It transcends cultural boundaries and barriers, deftly using metaphor to connect with viewers from all walks of life. It breaks all the molds of standard television with its brilliance, innovation and originality. One reviewer from The Independent newspaper attempted the practically impossible, thusly:
“With astonishing bravura, Buffy succeeded in blending the conventions of teenage soap-opera with smart, dialogue-driven comedy, a phantasmagoria of supernatural motifs and knotty theological debate.”
An accurate if not too concise summary. Let’s see what the merciless staff of Television Without Pity have to say:
“Completely improbably, this little WB offering about a blonde teenaged girl fighting vampires and saving the world turned out to be one of the best and most original shows on television. Just as improbably, the show's precipitous drop in quality in the last three seasons made us want to jam stakes in our eyes as well as our hearts. It was the best of shows, it was the worst of shows, but after seven seasons, Sarah Michelle Gellar had had enough, and so had we.”
A rather admiring summary for a website that prides itself on being hatefully honest, don’t you think?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was, and curiously remains, the darling of many critics worldwide since its premiere in 1997. And yet it was snubbed by the Academy of Television Arts and Science year after year, in large part due to its indefinability. The show was nominated for five Emmy awards over the course of its seven year run, and won a grand total of none. To add insult to injury, the show was given a handful of consolation nominations in the categories of special effects, make-up (including prosthetics) and hairstyling. And while I’m sure creator Joss Whedon was grateful the Academy threw him a pity bone to gnaw on, Buffy continued to be ignored in the most important categories each year when the Emmys rolled around.
Yet the series continued to astound with truly innovative developments. The fourth season episode “Hush” featured twenty-nine minutes of mime, as the characters found their voices stolen by demonic heart-thieves. The episode depicting the death of Buffy’s mother was completely devoid of music, while the sixth season episode “One More With Feeling” found the characters singing rather than speaking, thanks to a jazz-singing demon’s spell. One of the greatest risks the show took was the introduction of Dawn, Buffy’s little sister. Considered by some to be the moment Buffy ‘jumped the shark’, the previously unheard-of sister was suddenly there in Buffy’s life. In typical Whedon storytelling fashion, the reason for Dawn’s existence was revealed slowly over the course of the season, culminating in our beloved heroine’s sacrifice of herself in order to save the only family she had left. What other show has gotten away with killing off its titular character (twice, Buffy having drowned and been revived back in the first season) with two seasons left to go?
Two Buffys? Joss Whedon, what are you smoking?
Frankly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer refused to be pigeon-holed, and this confused people who were trained in the ways of paint-by-numbers television. This confusion was reflected in the weekly ratings for the show, with audience numbers in the US peaking at around five million. Compare this to the ratings for current fan favourite Grey’s Anatomy, which averages around twenty million viewers per episode. The small but devoted fan base, niche genre and stubborn indescribability of Buffy the Vampire Slayer earned it a reputation as a cult favourite, much like the status The X-Files achieved in the early nineties. And it is on this reputation that Joss Whedon staked the success of the continuation of the series—in comic book form.
Once again, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is bulldozing expectations and precedents with its indefinable quality. The first issue of the season eight comics sold out on the first day, and is now onto a fifth reprinting. Each subsequent issue has remained in the top ten of all comics sold during their respective months of release. The fan response has been universally positive, hailing the new series as a return to the whimsy and purity of the earlier seasons of Buffy. It doesn’t seem to matter to these fans that the story is being told in a different medium, for that indescribable quality inherent in Joss Whedon’s series has translated faultlessly to the written and excellently drawn page. The intensely loyal fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are still fierce in their devotion to the show, and that is the real reason Buffy endures.
The latest issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 (#14) is due for release on May 7, 2008. Check out TFAW.com.
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Comment by Jose
Orb of Insight
Political Writing
Comment by Nathan 1
that was a good piece and I enjoyed reading it. As far as a Buffy film is concerned, the green light has been given and I think once Joss Whedon has wrapped up production on Goners then he'll begin work on Buffy. Lots of fans seem bewildered as to why the Buffyverse and Firefly remain only cult favorites and are still relatively poorly received. I think it's because the shows do try and cross too many boundaries which makes people feel uncomfortable. It's that and the same old "Buffy is such a whiney B***h". Considering the show's premise I don't think it could have been executed without a complaint here or there or a few tears from the chosen one. Most dramas have people upset because that's what creates the drama, so I don't get why people continue to bash the show using this reasoning. In any case, it's the haters that are missing out so it's their problem, right.
Comment by Johnny Come Lately
Jack's Back
As for Firefly, I loved it!
Comment by Bianca S
Great post!
Comment by Bianca S
Great post!
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I'm a bit of an anomaly because I liked the Buffy movie, hated the series (I know Joss didn't like the film)....Buffy starts off as an empty vessel and ends up the same, learns nothing. All the cast bugged the hell out of me too and SMG is just a waste of screen space.
Seems redundant to do a new movie too.
I am a Whedon fan though and absolutely worship Firefly and really enjoyed Titan A.E.
I'm looking forward to his new Eliza Dushku series too.
Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability
And although it's the witty dialogue I love the most my favourite episode was Hush. It was brilliant.
I always thought the writing was whip smart and the characters engaging and likeable (for the most part). The series did lose it toward the end. I was so glad when the comics were released. I also love Firefly, Serenity and have you seen the other comic series Fray?
As much as I am a fan of the show I have to agree with John Doe that a new movie would be redundant.
Comment by Anonymous
I'm just about to start Firefly, but I have a slight prejudice towards it because I think its creation was a big factor in the decline in the quality of Buffy in season 6-7. But, since it's Whedon, I'm willing to try it. I loved the Serenity movie at any rate, even if the dialogue was near impossible to understand in some parts
Comment by Anonymous
Wow, there's going to be a Buffy movie? From what I heard I thought that was a lost hope. There were a lot of times I disliked Buffy for being angry and cold but really her life was pretty messed up. Ther first time I watched season 7 I was furious at her, but second time around I was more tolerant. Less emotionally involved, kinda.
And you're right, the haters don't know what they're missing out on haha.
Comment by Anonymous
Thanks for reading
Comment by Anonymous
I also loved the Buffy movie, I think it stands alone from the series as a witty, campy fun horror flick. And I know what you mean about the cast grating on your nerves- by the end of the series I wanted to shove something down Alyson Hannigan's throat and make her talk properly!
Joss Whedon is a brilliant writer and a talented director, but he isn't infallible. Some of the more rabid fans would do well to realise this haha. I personally like Atlantis
I'm looking forward to Dollhouse too. Don't know when it's coming to Australia though...
Mandy
Comment by Anonymous
Hooray for obsessive fans! Me, I have a hand-whittled stake which was a birthday present, and I got a plasticine Tabula Rasa Buffy for Christmas last year
I haven't read Fray, but I got a tiny glimpse in the graphic novel Tales of the Slayers. I loved Sugarshock, Joss's comic on Myspace and of course the season 8 comics.
Yeah, another Buffy movie would be pushing it.
Mandy
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Angel/Buffy/Spike is not at all a bad idea... I went through a Angel/Spike phase a few years ago, but found most of it far too dark for my liking.
Thanks for writing this blog, it brought back some happy memories of the show.
I haven't read any of the comics, something to look into...
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Love that comic pic above!
I agree that there was a dip in quality with Dawn's arrival, even with the spooky premonitions there are that warn you she is coming. If you watch carefully you can tell its all planned very presicely. However, I believe they deliberately dropped quality to get us interested in Angel. By season 6, they've saved it. By this stage, they have grown with the audience and season 6 is that much more mature.
But Im a FAN.....I love dark themes, intelligent dialouge, fight scenes and VAMPIRES......When all those themes come together in anything Im entranced.
As for defending myself, for gods sake, Im a Xena fan. When you watch tongue in cheek stuff that demolishes history lines and crosses themes like changing rooms, I dont think theres anything to defend. Cant we just enjoy quality, fun programming?
Comment by Anonymous
SO IS THERE GOING TO BE A MOVIE???
Comment by Mandy
Love of Pop
If you go watch Angel season 5, there will be a huge revelation in store regarding Spike. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. And I'm pretty sure the movie idea has been officially nixed. SMG has said she's not interested so I guess that's that.
Mandy
Comment by Anonymous