Buffy turns 20

[Ethros]

^ Why though out of interest? I just mean it's not like the original was a classic. Cut all the hamming it up and cheese factor you could actually to a decent job making it more in tone with Joss originally envisoned it. Granted I doubt he'd be involved and that may upset the fanbase, and even I wouldn't really want it, but just sayin. I think someone could make a pretty decent movie out of it if they wanted.

 

[DigificWriter]

The Kuzuis at one point wanted to reboot the movie simply because they own the rights to it, which is why it's a monumentally bad idea, and also why it'll never happen, because if they were actually ever able to get the funding for it, it'd flop hard because fans of the television series would boycott it due to the lack of involvement from Joss.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Even when it was terrible, Buffy could sucker-punch you with its brilliance:

Hugo - Dead Man's Party

 

[JD]

Rebooting Buffy in LA over Sunnydale might not go over well the the fanbase. I don't think we need a reboot of the Buffy character, I would more prefer to expand the universe we already know which a new TV show with new characters. I like the idea of a half human/demon female lead, one who walks both worlds (if you get me) and why not even have the whole demon thing known to the entire world (I guess Alien Nation in a way or even the CW Supergirl show).

I've only read about it online, but I believe they did eventually reveal the demons, slayers, vampire ect to the public in the comics. At one point Harmony had her own reality show, which I think is where the reveal happened, and Buffy and some of other slayers hired themselves out as private security.

 

[tafkats]

In season 5 she was only a few years younger than they were in season 1 but they treated her like she was 10. It was odd.

That may be a effect of some of the episodes having been written before Michelle Trachtenberg was cast. If I remember right, Dawn originally was supposed to be about 10, but Sarah Michelle Gellar recommended Trachtenberg for the role, and when she got the part, the character was quickly rewritten to be 14. But because her early episodes had been written with a 10-year-old in mind, and because the writers didn't succeed 100% in updating them, Dawn's characterization ended up wacky and inconsistent for a while...

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

^ I didn't know that. Thanks.

 

[DigificWriter]

It's always been my understanding that Dawn's Canonical DOB as far as everyone's memories were concerned, was always 1986, making her 14 in Season 5, so the gang's overprotectedness had nothing to do with the character's age.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Even when it was terrible, Buffy could sucker-punch you with its brilliance:

Hugo - Dead Man's Party

Buffy was never terrible.

Speaking of DMP, I've always wondered if, at any point during early production, Joss rang up Elfman about doing a piece for the episode.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Buffy happily sits in my top 15 TV shows of all time. But there are many, many dreadful episodes of the show, DMP included.

Still, even in utter dreck like Beer Bad you have a little gem to hold onto:

Willow (about Xander's fake ID): I don't believe this is entirely on the up-and-up.
Xander: What gives it away?
Willow: Looking at it.

Hugo - foamy

 

[Skywalker]

I'd still rather watch bad Buffy than most any other TV shows out there.

 

[Mudd]

I don't recall ever watching an episode of Buffy and then thinking "Well, that was a disappointment."

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I don't recall ever watching an episode of Buffy and then thinking "Well, that was a disappointment."

The end of "Seeing Red" comes to mind.

 

[Mudd]

Nah, that was great drama. Whedon will kill what you love.

 

[DonIago]

I made the mistake of trying to get a friend into BtVS by showing her that evening's episode. Unfortunately, that evening's episode was "Gingerbread". Sigh.

 

[Mudd]

Oh, that one's pretty good really - whenever the parents get wrongheadedly into asserting themselves in this show, trouble ensues. It's almost The Simpsons in that respect.

"Ted" may actually be the show's weakest episode.

 

[LJones41]

The Kazuis trying to reboot the Buffy movie - which is the only thing they can do - is a monumentally bad idea that is never going to go anwhere.

If they reboot the series several years from now, they could probably get away with it.

 

[Ethros]

I had a list somewhere of the Top 10 Buffy episodes that scored the worst when I did that rewatch years ago and I graded each episode. I'd still rather watch any of those "bad Buffy episodes" over an average/dull/forgettable episode of another average/dull/forgettable show.

I Robot, You Jane is pretty stupid, cheesy and very dated looking episode, but it's still got plenty of good jokes and full of the characters I love.

 

[USS Firefly]

I am watching Buffy with my wife and we are at the beginning of season 6.
The show is way better than I remembered and we really enjoy it, although I prefer Angel.
The biggest mistake they make was to let Cordelia go, I mean she is beautiful, funny, beautiful, honest and beautiful

 

[Mudd]

Yeah, Carpenter was great. Moving to Angel gave her more opportunities to develop the character though, at least for the couple of seasons that she hung on while the producers floundered around trying to figure out what the show as about this year.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

There are a few Buffy episodes I would consider unwatchable. The early one with the insectoid teacher is the only one I can think of offhand. Maybe the swim team one.

Agree Cordelia was great but I thought Anya was a perfect replacement for her in terms of disinterested comedic commenting and I love the way they evolved Cordelia in Angel. I think Anya's an underrated character. Not a 'suspiciously similar replacement' but was able to slip into the same beat in the conversation that Cordelia occupied.

Dawn was 14 in season 5? If she started high school in season 7 she was in 7th grade in season 5, wouldn't being in 7th grade make her 12-13?

I don't think Buffy needs a direct reboot, but I'd love to see a spiritual reboot. I wouldn't want the writers of the show to be bound by twelve seasons of mythology which among other things broke the balance permanently, but I would want them to write a new series with the same intelligence and same combination of comedy, fantasy and dark character driven drama.