Buffy the Vampire Slayer

What is the lasting appeal of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Why do fans keep quoting and discussing episodes five years old? Was it the fine cast of actors and actresses? Yes, the acting was all you could hope for in a TV show, usually better. Was it the great production and direction of each episode? Yes, each consecutive episode and season raised the bar for what you came to expect from television as a visual medium. These things made for a good television show but what made BtVS great was the superb writing, the attention to character development on a week to week basis. Episodic television had never seen anything like this. A show that could be accurately described as a fantasy-comedy-drama. The subject matter was engaging enough. Buffy, with her close friends and allies Willow, Giles, and Xander, would battle the forces of evil across the town of Sunnydale CA. Vampires, demons, werewolves, and monsters of all shapes and sizes would be stopped week-in and week-out. An interesting premise alone isnt gonna keep people comming back every week. The jokes helped. Pop culture was laughed at and with each week. Buffy's writers were as good with a subtle one liner as they were with elaborate visual gags. Thats what you hear most people discussing when the subject of BtVS is brought up. How funny and how witty this show was. They are correct of course the show was laugh out loud funny and sly, with a knowing wink, kinda funny all at the same time. Of course there was the dramatic element as well. The ability to tell an interesting story and to have it filled with monsters and fighting, yet at the center of that story have very human content was at times breathtaking. Now we come to it. Why I wrote this review. Why I think BtVS is such a great show. The writers, though putting the characters in fantastic situations, never let the action dictate the characters responses. The characters became so well devolped because it was as if they were making their own realistic decisions when facing a problem. The show to me was about choices. Not the kind we were accustomed to seeing in most television, choices without the fear of consequenses. No, these problems the characters faced and how they solved them could have unforseen consequenses that stretched for the rest of an episode or season, even for many seasons. With each new episode the characters grew as a direct result of previous decisions. They made good choices, and best of all, they made bad choices. They were human, or nearly so. The writers allowed the characters to live, not to be contained by formula, even when Buffy saved the world for the third time or another of her close friends switched teams and became evil. That is why Buffy the Vampire Slayer continues to surprise and impress after all these years. The characters of BtVS, though fictional, were still the sum of all their past experiences and choices. Just as you the reader have been shaped and influenced by the countless choices you have made in your life.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the kinda show that makes you want to defend television even after its near death at the hands of "reality" programming. Well thats it, my first posted review here at tv.com. I'm sorry if i didnt spend enough time on the cast and crew, or the debt BtVS probably owes to other shows like Twin Peaks or the X-Files but those are subjects that can be considered on their own in the future.

Despite being a spin-off from a rather sub-standard movie, this TV series was definitely one of my all-time favourites. Not only was the acting always top quality, but the humour in the writing made it addictive.

Some of the lines that were written for the scooby gang were simply hilarious, with the best often coming from Giles, but if you lost concentration for a moment you'd miss them.

Sarah Michelle Gellar really did a great job giving the Buffy character some real depth; it would be easy for this to just have been a two dimensional charactiture (as per the movie)

Great series with a spin-off that was pretty good too.

Love this show, goes to show how good it is that even 5,6,7 are good when they have shitty characterslike dawn, riley and tara in them. Those are probably the only bad things you can say about the whole 7 series

Buffy is THE coolest slayer I've ever encountered. For a young actress, she plays her role VERY VERY well. Better yet, she is a good role model for young women around the world when she goes head to head with vampires. She is fearless, a sweetheart, a great martial artist, and compassionate. What more can you ask more in a hero?

I've always been a die-hard fan of Charmed and one day when I turned on the tv i saw that Buffy was on. I started to watch and I found it quite enjoyable. But for some reason (can't remeber what) I stopped watching after a few episodes. Later that year I decided to give the show another go, this time from the very beginning. So I strarted to watch and the show just grew in my eyes. I can't imagine my life without this series.



The thing that makes Buffy so great is that it has everything. It has humour, excitement, emotion, and most importantly, great acting and writing. Joss is a genius, we all knew that, but he also has a talent for hiring the best actors and writers out there. There is no episode I don't like, and that's mainly because of the greatness of Joss. What's also so astonishing is the wonderfulness of the characters. Admittedly, there are some characters that go on my nerves, but over-all, the characters are great, and it's almost impossible to say who's the best.



If you've never watched Buffy, I suggest you start now, because you won't regret it.

probably one of the most painful moments in my life was when this show ended, im a guy, and i remember being very teary eyed. It was painful to watch such a fantastic show end, but i guess "all good things.." and all that...



this show was groundbreaking, it decided to flip the, genre based series on its head, give it the finger, and say, we can do whatever we want BITCA! :P



it was a comedy, a drama, a farce, a horror, a mystery, a sci fi, and at times a musical piece of silent film! this show did it all, and did it all in spectacular fashion. very rarely did they lay an egg, and even the not so good episodes had their moments.



shows like smallville, charmed, alias, dawsons creek, felicity, roswell, dark angel and many many many more owe their popularity to this show. all i can say is, if you havent watched it. go out, and PURCHASE the dvds TODAY. you wont be sorry.

The word iconic tends to jump out whenever this show is mentioned, and with good reason. Joss Whedon brought vampires, werewolves etc back to the masses and made it cool. Combining mild horror with Joss's unique humour was a masterstroke, geniuinely affecting peoples lives. It started off innocently enough, with the typical freak of the week episodes, but quickly changed into something completely different. Heavily scripted with smart, fresh, quirky dialogue and storylines. The show also had truly amazing characters, from the main cast to the secondary cast, who were just perfect in every way.

Buffy literally opened the flood gates for other vamp shows but they will never (even though some of them are pretty darn good themselves) reach the pinnacle that Buffy did.

I write this review confident in the knowledge that I have watched every episode numerous times, not just the odd one, which some people find is sufficient to review a show as a whole, well it isn't. The later seasons are every bit as good as the earlier ones, in fact the show probably peaked season 4-6, with season 6 widely considered the best. My personal faves are 4 and 5, but the rest are still brilliant. Heck the show deserves 10/10 for the musical episode alone. Bottom line, this show is a top 10 most iconic show of the last 20 years...Fact!

Never before has any other show ever been so flawless this t.v. show is literally the best to date. The characters are fantastically written you can love them next minute and then hate them the next, the casting has been brillaint, especially from the likes of Michelle Tratchentberg, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Eliza Dushku, James Marsters and David Boreanaz.

Each season of Buffy just got better and the finale episode was fantastic, however i am filled with a great loss and in great hope of Joss Whedon returning to write another Season of Buffy or even a spin-off to the hit show.

Seeing as Whedon has failed to have success with other shows such as Dollhouse and Firefly maybe it is a brillaint idea for him to stick to what he knows and what people want.Not saying that they were both rubbish as I was a great fan of Dollhouse. God What I'd do to see Buffy or any of the characters back to life on the telly again. The other bad thing I could say about this show is that it's ended ! Bring it Back !!!!

Yeah sure, there were bad episodes, over 7 season that was inevitable, but the lows were few and far between. The highs, wow, the highs would leave you soaring. The characters develop so well over the seasons and not one of them survive the series untouched by the events that happen.

From the laughs of Doppelgangland, to the tears of Passion, the emotions range through other standout episodes, Innocence, Becoming, Helpless. Watch and feel as people fall in love and then have their hearts ripped out as they lose the ones they love and understand the things they do to cope with it.

Watch, without the distraction of sound the fabulous episode Hush, and sing along with Once More with Feeling.

Along with providing strong female role models, look slightly deeper and find the serious issues dealt with, or just watch for some vampire dusting action. Either way you will enjoy this serious.

Back in the time when syndicates were more interested in good storytelling then reality tv, the greatest tv show ever was created. It was called Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I admire Buffy so much. I love the direction in realistic themes. Its explored vividly and realistic. I love how I can connect to this show then any other. I just adore the characters and their development. Every character development grew with time, realistic themes to show understanding of the responsibilities of true life.This show is so inspirational to me. The light moments are great, but the show can be considerably dark at times but that's why I admire it for because life is not a walk in a park.

Top 3 fav seasons are 5,6,7. 10+/10 Buffy as a character is so relatable throught out the seasons. Buffy to me is my top fav character. Champion of the people. And if you are wondering I think Buffys better then Angel. :)

This show is fantastic. Joss Whedon is a genius. I've watched all his shows (though I must say I like Buffy the best). The characters are hard to dislike, they are just so loveable. The actors are awesome and sooo talented. Sarah Michelle Gellar really brings it. She can be funny, sexy, dramatic, romantic, etc. I love how Joss uses many of the same actors from his other shows that have ended and puts them on his new shows. It's great to see them again as different characters (example: NF from firefly then on Buffy season 7). I would recommend this show to everyone!

The greatest show on TV! With great fight scenes, Great characters, a great theme, a great creator, and everything is just, well... GREAT!!!! The show is way better than the movie that proceeded it. as proof of how awesome it is, it has its own spin of series, novels, comic books, Seven wonderfully awesome seasons, a comic book continuation, video games, a board game, and action figures. This all proves that it is by far the greatest show on television. Every Single season that it has had has been filled with sheer epicness. Watch just one episode of it and you will be hooked

I really loved the show from whem I was young, but strangely just the season that I saw back then which are 1 to 3. The rest are okey but really the Dawn seasons weren't as good as the first seasons, or maybe it's just because I did not like that Buffy was saving the world on a daily basis but she flunked out of college, why? The last seasons are sometimes not very good, but I really enjoyed the last few episodes of the finale season, espicialy the potential slayers they were so cool and a nice touch for Buffy fans in a way that says hey girls you can be your own Buffy, the power is in you already you just have to wake it!

Hands down the best show in the history of television. My personal favorite. I can't ever get enough of this show. If I was stuck on an island and could only bring one tv show it would have to be Buffy. I can watch every episode over and over. This show starts out good and gets better and better. Joss Whedon is one of the greatest writers working today. The way he mixes the horror and comedy with drama in with the show is masterful. Buffy will and always be one of the best shows in tv history. Love Love Love it!

After hearing all the great things about the show, I decided to purchase season 1 on DVD. I don't know what I'm missing, but man was I disappointed! I watched the first six episodes before giving up. The plots are ridiculous, the acting is amateurish with being forced and unnatural expressions. And one of worst things about the show is that the plots are all the same. Every episode has the same lame redundant ending. Every show has Buffy defeating some sort of evil vampire or villain with her fake looking stunts. She almost never runs into any sort of difficulties.



The dialog is bland and the acting jobs subpar. The cast members have great deal of difficulty expressing emotion and getting their audiences to feel for them - particularly with respect to Xander. Another thing that bothers me is that with all the principals, teachers, and students getting killed, you'd think there would be some kind of social unrest at school. But apparently it's a regular day at Sunnydale as usual. Truly, you have to be a kid to enjoy this show.

I watch a few episodes of'''Buffy - The Vampire Slayer''' when it was still going on FOX, and kept my opinion the series is really well nag and spend much time with a silly novels and dramas that do not lead anywhere and Buffy - The Vampire Slayer makes Style Teen Movie and also because I do not even like some of these series of Vampire Lovers in addition to being very sick, I hate that style, and themes of the Supernatural Series I do not like and still have silly novels and dramas that ruin the series even more and become Buffy - The Vampire Slayer: in one of the worst series of all, I would not recommend to anyone



PS: Note 1 goes to Sarah Michelle Gellar that besides being a great actress she plays very well to Buffy, who wasted talent in this series boring, and besides being Sarah's a hottie, which must have helped the series bringing many fans men for the series, and also because it has a mark of 0.

I guess the reason Buffy is my fave television show of all time, and always will be, is because it was the first show I ever watched religiously. I can't exactly remember what age I started watching it, but it would have had to be about the age of nine or ten. I know that's young to start watching such an adult show, but as I've grown and continued to watch Buffy, every now and then I get a joke or something from the episode(s) that I didn't get before. Although I knew of Buffy's presence, because I was young I didn't get a chance to start watching it on T.V before season five (although I had seen season one on tape). From then until the end I watched it, and in the meantime I collected all the other seasons on DVD. Words can't express how much I like this show, and I will probably continue to watch it so many times over until I am very old.

the show is about buffy who learn she is a slayer.she comes from a long line of mystic warriors who have been chosen to destory vampires,demons and anything that threatens the world.



with buffy superstrength she can take on demons have her size and strength.she also as superhuman reflexes so she can react faster than a human so she can avoide getting hit with whatever her enemy may have such as a gun.this power also gives slayers the ability to run real fast and fight for hours without getting tired.she also a accelerated healing so when she is hurt she can heal and get back out there and keep the world safe(from what ive seen slayers only heal fast when they get to sleep).slayers have this thing call sensing where bascially they can find demons where abouts.if tehy focus they can find a demon in a crowded room.they also can sense attacks or if they become unable to see b/c their enemy blinds them this power helps them fight without seeing.she also as profecy dreams and its basically informs slayers of what they are and it also tells them what big threat is coming.with buffy slayer powers she is a big threat to the demon world.she always unfolds demons plans..



the show has characters that have depth and have alot personlity.the differnce between this show and angel is more characters on buffy the vampire slayer i like the characters more.



each season joss whedon keep the show fresh by bringing in a big bad who seems more powerful than buffy.this helps buffy b/c it helps her to a better slayer.each big bad as a good reason for being in sunnydale(the town buffys in) and this big bads always want something different.and it always caused buffy to try stop this big bads.she usely falls and gets back up and destory everything that stand sin her way.i love how joss makes buffy human but a superheroe at the same time.



sarah michelle gellar portarys buffy very well in the action scenes.sarah is trained in martial arts so she is very good with stunts but when the show got to season 2 the fights became very long.so sarah couldnt always do them her stunt woman had to do them.i will say sarah when she did do the fights she was perfect.she is very known for her kicks she do on the show which she seem to always do.and when she wasnt doing the fights she can sale a fight.



sarah acting ability grows over the course of the show 7 year run.when it first started her acting was good but as the show goes on she becomes a very good actress.by the end she is perfect.



i also love the show not just b/c of sarah and the action but i love how joss(creaotr) always make his shows very balanced with horror,comedy,and drama he is good at that.



the monsters in this show look so real.



this is probbley the only show that is very high on my list.i would have given it a 10 but i dont like how the show sometimes goes off this good fights scenes and then to a talking scene that got very annoying.it also bother me how the first slayer was made buts thats not a real big issue,for me.



the show is very good with good action,good scary monsters,good acting,and i love seeing how every season buffy learns that saving the world is bigger than anything and she always have to draw that line to stop evil or what not but her friends couldnt really see that b/c they werent not a slayer,they saw it as she was cutting herself off.buffy only stops things that are evil.she learns just b/c something looks bad doesnt mean it is.buffy learns and accpets she as to be a leader and she is the thing thats standing in front of the world from being destoryed by demons.i love buffy struggle as a slayer..

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a Perfect show because it blended everyday issues that we all face with an incredible mythology. The writers of this show were brilliant because they followed the Classic Hero's quest pattern found in most Ancient Mythologies. There were larger than life characters, dramatic circumstances, great word play and punning! I watched the show faitfully since middle school when it first came out. This show has the ability to get into the minds of its viewers and really become a part of them. This review hardly does the show the justice and consideration it deserves. I am so glad this show had the run it did. All to often great shows get cut short and don't end properly. This series had a Classic Begining paying homage to the original movie, while the series ending really wrapped every thing up quite perfectly in a Grand and Spectacular kind of way. Buffy is one of the greatest hero's of all time, and one of the baddest kickass broads ever to fight for Good.

Sorry fellas but i hated Buffy!!!! I don't understand how did it make so much success here in italy like it did in the states...



It was stupid ! Vampires aren't like that! You can't just squeeze your eyes and show fake pointy teeth to pretend to be a vampire!



Sorry but i got to give it 1.5... and Gellar is ridicolous!

Well ..We have one pice of american cute honey who fights vampieres like a MORTAL KOMBAT character,and a lot of poor plots,acting and scenary..



So..we're in U.S.there is at least one piece of vampire in every high school, and our hero, the popular american girls kicks the ass of every evil spawn monster from every episode.

So she's the chosen one ,and she got to fight with demons,wich,wow,they all are teenagers at highschool..



Maybe I'm very sarcastic,but this is a show ,wich build his popularity on good looks, not on great scripts,acting or ideeas...





PS: Xena...sounds familar too...no?

I didn't watch this show all that much and had only heard of it as a little kid and didn't take to the story line.. I like vampire stories like Salems Lot but I don't care for this one all that much. i'm just voicing my opinion so i'm not going to get all huffy at anyone who does and say stuff like"Why would anyone watch this stupid show it sucks!' and stuff like that. If I was a HUGE vampire fan then maybe I would like it more. My sister's friend used to want to play it with us all the time. I didn't mind but she was ALWAYS Buffy.

This show could have been so much better ,however it is still enjoyable and fast paced action that any guy could love.I say guy because even though the main character is female and is portrayed in a strong and dominant manner,its quite clear to me she was dressed to send mien wild.It has somthing for everyone love,violence and vampires sucking blood from helpless humans and who cant enough of that.I loved this show alot more when i was younger but then i grew up and lerned what greatness is.I dont mean this show is so far under par i just mean i lacks the depth that could have made it a greta show untill then i will be average

Is it just me or does Buffy bug anyone else? I find her SO irritating. That whiny voice.. she seems to show off. I don't like the way she treats spike either. Using him. She was especially annoying in the series when Riley Finn had his appearances. Everything about her.. the way she acts, the way she talks.. just so annoying. And some things she said just seemed to sent an embarrassed chill up my spine arrgg like in one episode they were having a barbecue on the beach and she went running over to xander saying "where's my burger!" in such an annoying childish voice. Does anyone else agree? Also the way she seems to not need anyone else around her. She doesn't seem to show any gratitude. Like when her friends bring her back from the dead she complains.

So our gorgeous, crypic, possible love-interest is a vampire- the only one in the world with a soul. With our heroine being a vampire slayer, this can only mean one thing....MAJOR EMOTIONAL ANGST!!! After alot of crossed wires and misunderstandings, Angel explains his story to Buffy. After hearing his explanations and along with some information that Giles has managed to uncover, she realises that she can never have what she wants. While at the Bronze they agree, that despite their strong feelings for each other, it's not realistic for them to pursue any kind of relationship. The intense farewell kiss at the end of the episode shows, that when Buffy walks away, the imprint of her cross has been seared into Angel's chest, he doesn't even flinch and all he can do is watch her walk away.



We all know that this relationship can't, shouldn't and won't work- but unfortunately, thats exactly what makes us want it too! Beautiful story, beautiful words and beautiful acting, its an A+ in my book.

Wow. Well, what can one say about the greatest tv show to ever hit our screens? This show has absolutely everything any one could ever ask for in viewing pleasure. From ass kicking action to soft romantic moments to terrifying thrills to times of sadness. Let's start with the characters of the show first. Now, can anyone honestly say they could see any other person playing the role of Buffy other than Sarah Michelle Gellar? She was born to play the role of the superhero teenager. Just as Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Seth Green, Charisma Carpenter and Anthony Head were made to play her friends. Even David Boreanaz himself could not be replaced in the role of Angel or James Marsters in the role of Spike. Each individual character was chosen so carefully and delicately so that we the viewers could enjoy the show as much as possible.



Now, moving onto the special effects. During the show you could definitely see the special effects growing stronger alongside the actors talents and strengths. From decapitated heads of demons to a 100 foot snake monster to Dracula to the hideous monstrosity of Adam to evil with Willow. I have to admit though, the greatest special effects achievement and also the saddest was in the very final episode "Chosen" of Buffy where the whole of Sunnydale collapsed into itself.



Angel and Buffy...need I say anymore? These two characters could not have been more in love if they were Romeo and Juliet themselves. Their relationship on screen was carried out so beautifully and also so sadly. I believe their collaboration is what kept most Buffy viewers watching. This storyline definitely gave the highs and lows of the show and resounds throughout the whole of the 7 seasons, even when Angel is no longer in Sunnydale. Making Angel a vampire cursed with a soul and Buffy the vampire slayer herself was just the most phenomenal and crazy idea I had ever heard...and yet it worked magnificently and created THE greatest love storyline ever written. Their story was written so well in fact that the viewer themselves would feel ever tinge of heartache and every lift of joy between them.



Now that Buffy is over all I can think of is wanting it back! I have no idea how the writers could ressurrect the show now that it's setting has gone but perhaps they could send the Scooby Gang to LA with Angel and start a new show with all the characters again? :D. That would be amazing. I would also love to know that now if Buffy is not the only Slayer could she herself start to have a normal life with Angel? But could this even happen now that Angel is in love with Cordelia? It's all very confusing but I'm sure the most talented writers could think of something...please...because I do miss it so.



The best tv show on earth!

Buffy herself always irritated me, it was so unrealistic that she was able to solve almost every problem by herself. She loved Angel but she used Spike. i know the show was named after her, but her problems were always what mattered most. Her best friend, Willow complained to her at one point, that everything seemed to be about Buffy's preoblems and she was never really there for her (Willow) when she needed her. When she came back from Heaven, she blamed her friends for pulling her out, when they really needed her back with them. She always tried to rely on Giles, which forced him to return to England, because he knew that she needed to take responsibility. Or maybe i just have problems with lead females.

Look, I'm not going to go on and on here. I know from being a die hard BtVS fan than some people (i.e. my GF) just won't give this show a shot. For all you intellectuals, I could outline a fairly solid political and philosophical argument that this is the best thing humankind has ever produced, but most of you wouldn't listen. So here's the deal: This show is super entertaining. That should be enough to get you in the door. And if its not, well, then that's your loss. I'm tired of defending this show to all you noobs. Honestly, I kinda hope you don't get into it because I like the rare experience of meeting another true fan who can relate to me on this primal level. Joss Whedon, you are a god. END.

Yes yes, okay, fine, I hear you. Calm yourself down, it\'s gonna be alright. Really, just stop. Take a deep breath. Loosen that strangulatingly tight collar of yours. *Relax*. There. Now it doesn\'t seem quite so bad, does it? There\'s really no need to get yourself all in a fluster. \'Buffy the Vampire Slayer\' is quite simply the best thing to have ever graced our television screens and you know it. Being as such, it is therefore more than worthy of being ascribed the coveted accolade of \'classic\'. All you have to do is accept it.



Yes yes, okay, I\'m playing with you, but the sad truth of the matter is that there will be those that read the above classification and reel back in horror, nay disgust. Regardless of their personal opinion of \'Buffy\', be it positive or negative, the notion that a television show of this kind, a pop-culture-teen-science-fiction-fantasy-romp (please, add your own meaningless generic demarcations here) could ever be considered a \'classic\' will revile them; they will see it as a besmirching of the very principles of such a concept. We can call \'The West Wing\' a classic, \'M*A*S*H*\' a classic, hell even \'Friends\' a classic. We can shower them all with critical accolade after critical accolade. But as soon as the eye turns on programming that deals with issues outside the boundaries of \'reality\', well there\'s just no room for the word anymore. Especially not for some little upstart overblown teenage soap opera with vampires and demons and all sorts of other things inbetween. \'Good in its own right, good *for what it is*, but not a classic\'.



Oh you couldn\'t be more wrong. Blind, you are if you don\'t recognise this show\'s genius. Insane, you are if you dismiss it as \'beneath you\'. You\'ll see more realistic character development, groundbreaking production and thought-provoking stories in a single episode of this show than you would in an entire three seasons of \'Friends\'. It may have an off-putting title (although I\'ve never understood why it puts people off myself), but it is never anything other than thoroughly engrossing.



The show\'s principal concept - girl with a secret identity - forms the groundwork for its use of sf-concepts as metaphor for teenage (and later, adult) life. Place yourself in any one of Buffy and co.\'s situations, sans monsters, demons etc., and see whether you can honestly tell yourself you haven\'t experienced the emotions they\'re going through. Whether it be ex-boyfriend turning bad (in Buffy\'s case, literally), feeling like no-one notices you (for the show, read actual disappearance) or finding out that the Biology teacher you have a crush on is really a praying mantis (okay, maybe not that one), there was always a sense of identification intrinsic to the show. For all the fantasy of Buffy\'s world, the feelings are always very real and never in a forced, hokey way. One needs only to look to Buffy\'s revelation to her mom that she is a Slayer after two years of keeping it secret for evidence of this. The sequence is a coming out, complete with all the expected cliched parental responses. But for anyone

who has had to go through such a moment, it is cathartic, enthralling and eminently enjoyable. It would be all to easy for Joss Whedon to lose himself in the monsters of the Buffyverse. Instead, he makes it all achingly human.



But \'Buffy\' is also so much more than that. The principal cast are never anything short of fantastic; Sarah Michelle Gellar more often than not astounds in her ability to play whatever emotion, however strongly. Nick Brendon plays the affectionate, blundering dork to absolute perfection and is so damn good at what he

does that when Xander takes a turn for the mature in later seasons, Nick conveys it without evoking a single shred of disbelief. Anthony Stewart Head is simply marvellous as Giles, working with comedy and tragedy equally beautifully. And really, could you honestly imagine anyone other than Alyson Hannigan

as Willow? More than any other cast member, she *is* her role and has you eating out of the palm of her hand whenever she wants. Perhaps what is most unique, and refreshing, about this show though is that there is rarely a poor secondary player. The list of guest-recurring characters throughout the seasons is endless but the actors are all so excellent and the characters so well-rounded that not a one feels like a Charlie from \'Friends\' or an Eddie from \'Dawson\'s Creek\'. You don\'t want a single one to go away and stop cluttering up our Buffy-time (well, with the possible exception of Riley Finn). Angel, Spike (my, what a beautiful development of a character), Faith, Cordelia, Johnathan, Wesley Wyndham-Price, Andrew, Drusilla, The Mayor, Oz, Glory... I could go on. And on. Every single one is a joy to watch, and not a one is a carbon copy of the other.



The same can be said of the shows themselves. Each season of Buffy is drastically different from the next, choosing the tricky but ultimately highly rewarding path of the on-going season arc as its template. This allows for the spectacularly complex mystery, intrigue and postmodernism of season five\'s Glory/Key plot (come on... what other show introduces a 12-year-old sister for its principal character five seasons in, without having mentioned her at all before, and *gets away with it*? Of course, this is due to the delightful lack of constraints in sf/fantasy and it all makes perfect, logical sense but still...), the Shakesperian uber-drama of the Angel/Spike/Dru tale of season two (Joss Whedon produced one of TV\'s most shocking twists when Angel turned evil midway through the year... and stayed that way til its end) and

the highly intelligent ennui of season six\'s \'oh grow up\' motif. In fact, I would like to stick my neck out and say \'Buffy\' is one of a select few TV shows that never, ever jumped the shark. In fact, it only got better with age. While the first two seasons undoubtedtly had their classics, there is also a sense of \'finding our feet\' in both; Whedon and co. appear to be testing the waters, seeing what they can do, what they can get away with, just what stories they really can tell. It leads to some unfortunate dross that would be best forgotten - episodes such as \'Bad Eggs\', \'I Robot, You Jane\', \'Teacher\'s Pet\', \'Reptile

Boy\' and \'Inca Mummy Girl\' spring to mind here. But come the third, these problems are well ironed out and the show matures into something far greater. Sure, there are occasional lapses (season four\'s \'Beer Bad\' is a noteable one), but the sheer volume of simply outstanding television is enough to forgive these. By the seventh season, \'Buffy the Vampire Slayer\' had developed into the most intelligent and consistently well made programme on TV. Period.



It has \'Restless\'. An episode that takes place almost entirely in the dreams of our principal characters. It is mind-boggingly complex, rich with metaphor, self-reflexivity and downright weirdness. It is also outstanding. It has

\'Hush\', an episode in which over half of the screen-time has no dialogue; as a treatise on communication, it works beautifully. And it has some of the scariest monsters, and one of the most terrifying concepts, you\'ll ever see. It has \'Storyteller\', a quite simply astonishing piece of work about redemption, from its seventh season no less, that marries fantastical hilarity with poignant emotion. It has \'The Body\', an episode that deals with death so vividly and believably that I can barely bring myself to watch it again. And, of course, it has \'Once More, With Feeling\', the musical episode. Oh you may laugh at the notion, but after approximately fifteen minutes of watching, I defy anyone not to recognise it as one of the best things ever made. Words can\'t express how amazing it is. Just go watch it and be converted instantly. And this is only a very minute selection of the show\'s best work. \'Innocence\', \'The Zeppo\', \'Selfless\',

\'Superstar\', \'Tabula Rasa\', \'Passion\', \'The Wish\', \'Who Are You?\', \'The Gift\', \'Fool For Love\', \'School Hard\', \'Seeing Red\', \'Lies My Parents Told Me\', \'Becoming parts 1 and 2\', \'Wild At Heart\', \'Band Candy\'.... do I really need to go on?



No, I thought not. With writing that never once dared to patronise its audience, production that challenged and experimented at every opportunity, with beautiful results, characterisation that was always consistent and believable and a cast of seemingly unending talent, \'Buffy the Vampire Slayer\' was never anything other than a joy to watch. It

rarely wavered and when it did, it inevitably picked itself up, dusted itself down and got back on with trying something else it had never attempted before. Standing at a highly respectable seven seasons, it still doesn\'t feel like it was quite enough. For once, we had a show we didn\'t want to hang up its shoes quickly before it all got too depressing (X-Files producers, are you reading this?) And if all of that doesn\'t earn the show the accolade of \'classic\', then really, I just don\'t know what will. Put quite simply, it\'ll slay ya. (Oh I\'m so sorry, I really am).

I remember when this show first began (in 1997). I had only just begun High School at the time, so the initial concept of "trying to fit in" within the School environment was also appealing to me.

I loved the show instantly - but I had a fear that it may have gotten canned at any moment. Luckily that was not the case!



Buffy is a fantastic show - in fact, I will go as far as to say that I think it is one of the best shows of all time. Everyone knew how much I loved this show - and it brings back so many memories for me.

This is a show about a Vampire Slayer - but don't be fooled by the name. It is not just about Vampires - there is a huge and vast selection of other supernatural elements within the show (witchcraft / werewolves / monsters / demons etc. etc. etc.)



The really great thing about this show is that it is hardly ever boring. It blends horror / sci-fi / comedy and great storylines superbly into the space of just 40 minutes (per episode).



Some of the best episodes I have ever seen come from this show (such as "Hush" [so creepy]) and even when I watch some of the episodes I have seen many times before, I still laugh at the comedy involved (like when Willow was trying to distract someone and started screaming "FROGS! Get Them Off Me!" - or the time when she turned into a ghost and walked through the wall, almost scaring poor Giles to death).



All the characters in this show are appealing - and like all the other guys who watched or grew up with this show - of course I also had a crush on Sarah Michelle Gellar! Her posters used to be all over my bedroom walls (yeah, maybe embarrasing now, but I really don't care).



The only season which I didn't really care much for was Season 7 (not that I didn't like it) - I just thought that they tried to cram too much of a storyline into one season. Glad Faith and Giles returned - but there wasn't nearly enough comedy or mixture of different themes involved as with the previous seasons.



Anyway, if you have never watched this show before - you have seriously missed out. This show gets a 10 / 10 from me - and if I could rate it any higher, I would. Buffy forever!