Time for another exhumation of a long-dead TV series, and yes, I’m aware of the inherent punny-ness of doing an “exhumation” on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was not one of those that watched the show during its seven season run (1997-2003); I was unaware of it at first, and at any rate, it was on WB and then UPN, neither of which were networks I received at the time. Since some of the circles I hang out in consist of genre fans, I’ve occasionally been asked to “turn in my geek card” for not having seen the show. So I decided to humor people and find out what all the fuss was about.
Picking up just after and slightly acknowledging the movie of the same name, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was written and produced by Joss Whedon, who was reportedly displeased with the film. I haven’t seen the film, maybe he had his reasons, I don’t know. It starred Sarah Michelle Gellar in the title role, and sent Buffy to the town of Sunnydale, California, which sits atop a “Hellmouth”, a source of malevolent energy that attracts vampires and other demons. This, of course, provides the fodder for the show to have a different threat every week. Continue reading
