Buffy/True Blood question

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I have finished watching Buffy.

(I absolutely loved it.)

Prior to this I had watched all of True Blood and the whole time I was watching Buffy I was wondering if there was some kind of blowback from the blatant rip off (homage?) True Blood was to Buffy. It kind of shocked me and I'm wondering if when True Blood was airing people were all wtf about it.

I'm talking about, mainly, Spunky blonde human falls for brooding dark haired vampire stuffed shirt, then they break up, then she falls for hip flippant blonde vampire who is more dangerous to her than the dark one. Oh and there is possessed kinda sex with the blonde one. And in the end she has no one.

Just weird! Weren't the True Blood folk freaking out about such a detailed copy of Buffy?

Oh and as a by the way I loved Eric and loathed Bill and I loved Spike and found Angel utterly tedious. And I loved the hot affair of the blonde with the blonde in each series.

(I'm watching Angel now, only on season one. It is hard work so far. PLEASE NO SPOILERS.)

 

[DigificWriter]

^ Similarities in concept don't make Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire Mysteries) a rip-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

As far as ANGEL is concerned, the series starts out slightly slow but does get better, so be patient.

 

[AgentCoop]

Yeah, definitely stick with Angel. Season One is a little rough, but the show definitely finds it's footing. It's awesome. By the end you may even find yourself liking Tall, Dark and Forehead.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I said "rip off" and "homage" in the same sentence, they cancel each other out but the reality is still there.

Maybe a more neutral word would be parallels.

Oh screw it, it was a rip off OBVIOUSLY True Blood had it's own story going for it and just because the *cough* parallels were very much present doesn't mean it wasn't a world in its own right. I am not dissing, I'm just curious if there was any viewer reaction.

Yeah I have heard to stick with Angel. I have been hearing for years that people like it better than Buffy so don't worry, I have tenacity when it comes to television.

 

[Merlanthe]

The books series that True Blood is based off were written whilst Buffy was on air and popular but there are quite a few differences.

Most notably Buffy is a teenager with super strength in a world where the majority of peopel are unaware that vampires and werewolves and witches etcetera exist. The vampires in Buffy verse are soulless and mostly evil prefering to prey upon humans.

True Blood is about an adult woman with telpathic powers in a world where everyone is aware of vampires and suspicious about werewolves and trying to deal with it. The vampires in Sookies world are... not human anymore but are trying to coexist peacably with humans and follow a set of laws for the most part.

Apart from the spunky blondness and the dating habits that you mention i dont see any other similarities the setting are quite different but im more familiar with the books (in which Sookie does eventually settle down happily with someone who isnt a vampire). I know that the tv series (of which i only saw some of the first season) made quite a few changes to stuff so its possible they made it more Buffy like to appeal to viewers unfamiliar with the books but familiar with Buffy.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Really that is my whole point, what I mentioned. Not an iceberg tip, just a rather obvious parallel. I mean Eric and Spike make fun of Bill and Angel for the same broody stuffiness.

I want to read the books, or at least the first one. I almost bought it the other day at a rummage sale but then a friend of mine appeared at my elbow and I couldn't buy it because she is a super pentecostal person and I know she would fear for my soul. Which made me laugh because she is living in the very supernatural fantasy world she eschews.

 

[Merlanthe]

The books are ok one of my friends absolutely loves them but there were elements that annoyed me more and more as the series progressed. I dont recall any backlash when the series started not about it being similair to Buffy anyhow but when the tv series aired Buffy had been off the airwaves for awhile so maybe wasnt as fresh in peoples minds. I remember people grumbling about the changes made between tv series and book.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

Personally I much prefer the Sookie books to True Blood. I think the tv show tried a little too hard to be dangerous and sexy - it felt artificial. The books are light fun though.

Parallels between the series - I don't know. The rivalry of two lovers, one brunette, serious and brooding, the other blonde, snappy and dangerous - I think that's not particularly unique to either series. You can go back to Louis and Lestat for that contrast in vampire stories anyway...

 

[FPAlpha]

Apart from there being Vampires and other Supernaturals the thought never crossed my mind that there was some connection between the two shows.

Chances are that some main character will have brown hair as it's the most common hair color for caucasians, people break up for many reasons (especially in TV shows to create drama) and since they don't exchange casts for every season/book chances are also very high that a woman will have dated more than one guy from the regular cast/character group.

So no.. absolutely no connection there for me besides the obvious ones i already mentioned. The whole tone of True Blood is vastly different to Buffy and they share little, if any similarities.

 

[DevilEyes]

Personally I much prefer the Sookie books to True Blood. I think the tv show tried a little too hard to be dangerous and sexy - it felt artificial. The books are light fun though.

Parallels between the series - I don't know. The rivalry of two lovers, one brunette, serious and brooding, the other blonde, snappy and dangerous - I think that's not particularly unique to either series. You can go back to Louis and Lestat for that contrast in vampire stories anyway...

There wasn't really a rivalry of two vampire lovers for Buffy's heart on BtVS the show, except for some 10 minutes in the series finale (when they brought in Angel for a short appearance to please the Bangel shippers). Angel and Spike had their rivalry in general (and over Drusilla) and their pissing contests continue in AtS season 5 where they bring up Buffy, but in BtVS, those two relationships happened at completely different times in the show/Buffy's life. Buffy/Angel was the storyline in the high school seasons (1-3) and Buffy/Spike in the late seasons (5-7). Angel had long left for LA and his own spinoff show before Spike even started to realize his feelings for Buffy, and in between her two vampire love affairs, Buffy had had a serious relationship with a human man (seasons 4-5).

 

[gblews]

Yeah, definitely stick with Angel. Season One is a little rough, but the show definitely finds it's footing. It's awesome. By the end you may even find yourself liking Tall, Dark and Forehead.

True, true. And in addition, Cordelia, and two other former Buffy characters (who shall remain namless due to spoiler phobia), all come across MUCH better in Angel than they did in Buffy, IMO.

 

[Skellington]

(I'm watching Angel now, only on season one. It is hard work so far. PLEASE NO SPOILERS.)

Spoiler: Angel develops into one hell of a rollercoaster ride.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I never really felt True Blood was a Buffy clone. I think they setting and execution make them fairly distinct at all but the most high level breakdown.

 

[Kemaiku]

Until you mentioned it I really never saw it. But still, Sookie is older than Buffy and although a fae, way different to Buffy's Slayer lifestyle and attitudes to life. Bill/Eric are vastly different to Angel/Spike.

Eric was a Viking in mortal life, William was...nothing. Beneath the contempt of all sentient life and the plaything of demons who didn't even consider him worth killing.

Bill had a full life and family before being turned, by a rather insane female vampire (very different to Darla) whereas Liam was a drunken fool with daddy issues who would have died of an STD and even as a vampire gives Edward Cullen a run for his mopey, emo money.

All 3 characters and their lives are not at all like the love triangle of Buffy. For one thing, Buffy was the slayer, sworn to destroy all vampires. Sookie doesn't even known her history at first and the fae are not killers.

Everything about Angelus/Spike is this suicidal obsession with Buffy and a pathetic redemption arc. Bill and Eric just want to fuck a hot fairy that helps them walk in sunlight.

 

[Phoenix219]

The books series that True Blood is based off were written whilst Buffy was on air and popular but there are quite a few differences.

Most notably Buffy is a teenager with super strength in a world where the majority of peopel are unaware that vampires and werewolves and witches etcetera exist.

I am not trying to piss anyone off by necro'ing this thread.... but I thought it was worth pointing out...

Google quotes this post as the un-credited, bold, spotlighted answer to the question "Is true lies part of buffy."

then the TrekBBS link is the next/first thing in the list.

interesting that the search engine is smart enough to find and isolate a post in a thread, as an official answer.