The bite is still there (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Member Name: pheobe_halliwell

Product:	Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Date:	22/11/01 (217 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: op

Disadvantages: op

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. An overview of the show and a more in depth look at series one.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the hit cult television show that made Sarah Michelle Gellar a household name and sex symbol. However, this show wasn’t always what creator Joss Whedon had in mind.

So, where did the idea for the television series ‘Buffy’ come from?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, written by Joss Whedon, was originally intended to be no more than a film.
Starring Kirsty Swanson and Luke Perry, the film was intended to be a cross between the horror and comedy genre. However the outcome of the film was different from Whedon’s original vision.

A huge advertising campaign was carried out in hope to make the film a success.

Billboards featuring Swanson and the words ‘She knows a sucker when she sees one’, was just one of the slogans. Nice!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer opened on July 31st 1992 and DIDNT break any box office records, grossing just $16 million in the box office.

From film to TV:

3 years later Whedon got another chance to make ‘Buffy’ a success, in the form of a television series.
The idea came in 1995 when an executive at the Sandollar Production Company approached Whedon with the idea of a series.

Now for the odd bit. When it came to casting, Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), was auditioned for the part of Buffy, and Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy) for the part of Cordelia. Confusing huh?
However, Gellar was determined to play the role as Buffy, and talked her way into reading the lead. Whedon didn’t need any more convincing.

Buffy became so successful that WB decided that starting on 20th January 1998, it would anchor Tuesday nights, followed by ‘Dawson’s Creek’.

So what is the show actually about?

“As long as there have been demons, there has been a Slayer. One girl in a
ll the world, a Chosen One, born with the strength and skill to hunt vampires and other deadly creatures…to stop the spread of their evil. When one Slayer dies, the next is called and trained by the Watcher”, or so it goes.

The show is set in the ‘Quiet’ American town of Sunnydale, which is situated on the Hellmouth, a demon magnet in other words.

The series follows the story of Buffy Summers, a 16-year-old girl with a destiny.
Through the day she goes to school, eats lunch, takes classes (one assumes). At night she is the Slayer, someone with superhuman strength and ability.

Like any normal teenager she finds it hard to fit in at school. Her close friends are fellow ‘outsiders’ Xander (Nicholas Brendon) Think of a younger Chandler from friends, and Willow (Alyson Hannigan – American Pie) Think of the stereotypical high school nerd.

Anthony Stewart Head, plays the part of Rupert Giles, the school librarian, and Buffy’s Watcher. It’s his job to help and guide Buffy, although she doesn’t always listen!

Charisma Carpernter plays Cordelia. Rich, shallow, and addicted to her mirror!. Cordelia adds a sense of comedy to the show, especially with lines such as ‘I’m the dip’ (Talking about party food of course).

Now for Buffy’s object of desire. Angel. Played by David Boreanaz, he is the person/vampire Buffy loves to dislike. His past is both dangerous and attractive to Buffy. Angel adds that little bit of romance needed to the show, and his dark good looks don’t go amiss!

So in short, what’s the show about?. Well as Whedon once put it ‘There’s death, maiming, and high school life in general’.

Now for the series information.

Series 1 contains 11 action packed episodes:

1 – Welcome to the Hellmouth
2 – The Witch
3 – Teachers Pet
4 – Nev
er kill a boy on the first date
5 – The pack
6 – Angel
7 – I robot – you Jane
8 – The puppet show
9 – Nightmares
10 – Invisible girl
11 – Prophecy girl

1 – Welcome to the Hellmouth was filmed as 2 different episodes. Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest. These episodes see the characters been introduced and we see how Buffy copes with not only been the Slayer but starting a new school.
The first episode picks up where the film left off. In the film Buffy burnt down the school gym. In this episode her and her Mum have come to Sunnydale to start a new life.

*** Blooper- from ‘The girls got bite’.
“The scene where Giles is piling ancient tomes in Buffy’s arms, the binding are 1st facing Buffy, then in the next shot, facing Giles”

2 – The witch
In this episode we get our first sight of a character who is featured in the show now and again. Amy, a witch. Her obsession to be a Cheerleader drives her to ‘get rid’ of any competition that stands in her way!

3 – Teachers pet
After a science teacher is killed Xander falls for the substitute. But she, or ‘it’ isn’t what she seems.
***Blooper – ‘The girls got bite’.
“When the substitute is 1st seen sitting at her desk, making her sandwich her sleeves are pushed up to her elbows. In the next shot her sleeves are clearly visible”.

4 – Never kill a boy on the first date
Buffy gets asked out on her 1st date since coming to Sunnydale. But romance is not in the air when her date is interrupted by a new prophecy.
***Blooper – ‘The girls got bite’
“When the shuttle bus is seen from far away the lights are on. When it is seen close up the lights are off”

5 – The pack
During a field trip the spirit of hyenas possesses X
ander and a gang of school bullies

6 - Angel.
Buffys feelings for Angel deepen. The bad news is he’s a 240 year old vampire.
Not really a blooper but have a look anyway. During the confrontation with Darla at the Bronze Darla never has to re-load her guns.

7 – I robot – you Jane
Willow scans a demon trapped in a book into the computer system. Once in the demon is free to take over the world’s computers and has plans to wreck havoc on the world.

8 – The puppet show
As the Sunnydale High School talent show gets underway, a student, with a rather ‘strange’ ventriloquist dummy is suspected of murder.
***Blooper – ‘The girls got bite’.
“Sid kills the demon by stabbing it through the heart with a knife. In the next shot Buffy carries the dummy away, but there is no knife in the demons chest”.

9 – Nightmares
A young boy’s spirit unleashes everyone’s worst nightmares making them come true.


10 – Invisible girl
An invisible girl attacks people she has grudges against, with Cordelia next on the list.

11 – Prophecy girl
A prophecy foretells of a battle between Buffy and the Master, resulting in Buffys death and the Masters rising.
***Blooper – ‘The girls got bite’
“When the Master pushes Buffy into the pool of water after biting her, she lands face down with her arms under her body. But when Xander and Angel show up, her arms are floating straight out from her body.

Ok I know this has been a long review to start with, but this really is my favourite episode out of the whole season.
We see some great acting from Gellar ‘Giles I’m 16 years old’, she sobs ‘I don’t want to die’.
We see the characters come together as a whole, and in some ways I feel this episode ties up any questions we might have about t
he characters personalities.
Action packed as always, this episode also adds more depth, and shows that ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ is more than just a ‘cheesy teenage’ show.

The show has now risen to totally new heights, with series 6 on its way to our screens. The introduction of new characters keep the show ‘fresh’, and the story lines give a great balance of comedy and action whilst still covering more serious issues, such as the recent story line, which deals with a serious illness.

We have also seen the characters come a very long way since season 1. We see the arrival of Spike, aka William the Bloody, the second vampire to fall in love with Buffy!.

Xander remains as insecure as in the first series, but we see him gain some ‘life’ experience as he moves into his parents basement, starts dating (Yes a demon), and gets a job.

Giles takes on a more ‘active’ role. In the recent series we see a change it attitudes. Giles realises there is only so much he can do for Buffy, as she no longer needs a Watcher. In the last series we frequently saw him trying to fight the demons himself to try and give Buffy more freedom.

Buffy, at first loved the thought of her freedom, until she started university. She then realised just how important her friends and family really were when they played a larger part in her life. We have seen her mature, but we still get to see just how much she needs the ‘Scooby Gang’ which means that although there are changes in the show we still have the basic original formula.

The biggest character change has to be Willow. No longer the shy, awkward girl we watched in high school. But now a powerful and confident witch. Her old boyfriend Oz is out of the picture and she now has a new partner, Tara, also a witch.

Series 1 is more of a ‘get to know the characters’ type of thing. If you haven’
t seen it I strongly suggest you watch series 1, however if you have seen later episodes first you may be a little disappointed, as the show just gets better and better each series.


Advantages:
Great story lines
Every episode has an action sequence
Each series has provided something new
It is easy to follow, and the characters are easy to 'get to know'.

Disadvantages:
My lack of will power when it comes to spending £30 on the box sets lol.

Summary: