Buffy the Animated Series
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| Buffy the Animated Series | |
|---|---|
 Promo artwork |
|
| Format | Animated TV series |
| Created by | Joss Whedon |
| Starring | Giselle Loren Alyson Hannigan Nicholas Brendon Anthony Stewart Head Charisma Carpenter Michelle Trachtenberg |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | Single 4-minute pilot Six+ scripts completed but unproduced |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 minutes (30 including commercial time) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Fox/Other |
| Picture format | N/A |
| Original run | N/A – N/A |
Buffy the Animated Series was an undeveloped animated TV show based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Initially greenlit by 20th Century Fox in 2002, it went ultimately unproduced and unaired when no network was willing to buy the series.
Contents |
[edit] Production details
Development began on the show in 2001. Whedon and Jeph Loeb were to be Executive Producers for the show, and most of the cast from Buffy would return to voice their characters. However the series soon ran into problems. 20th Century Fox were going to produce the show, and it was initially planned that the show would air on Fox Kids, possibly as early as February 2002 [1]. However Fox decided they would not air the show and instead shop it to other networks. When no network was willing to purchase the series, production halted.
Two years later, in 2004, Fox once again showed an interest in developing and selling the show to another network. Various key actors/actresses including Anthony Stewart Head, did voice work, and artwork was produced to make a four-minute presentation. That pilot was used to try to sell the series to a network[2]. However once again no network was willing to take the risk of purchasing the show. Loeb has pointed out that networks find the show difficult since it would be too adult to air with children's television, but not suitable to many people in a prime-time slot.
- Whedon revealed to Hollywood Reporter: "We just couldn't find a home for (it). We had a great animation director, great visuals, six or seven hilarious scripts from our own staff -- and nobody wanted it. I was completely baffled. I felt like I was sitting there with bags of money and nobody would take them from me. It was a question of people either not wanting it or not being able to put up the money because it was not a cheap show. One thing I was very hard-line about was, I didn't want people to see it if it looked like crap. I wanted it to be on a level with "Animaniacs" or "Batman: The Animated Series." And that's a little pricier. But I just don't think it's worth doing unless it's beautiful to look at as well as fun." [3]
In an interview with TV Guide in September 2005, Whedon announced that that the series was effectively dead.
[edit] Writing and acting
[edit] Writing staff
- Jeph Loeb said that the series would have begun with the episode, "A Day in the Life" for which the script was completed by Loeb with Whedon which "introduces the characters, sets up their dynamics and the show's premise".[4]
- Loeb mentioned that one of the episode revolved around "Buffy getting her driver's license but dealing with a demon driver's ed teacher."[5]
- Jane Espenson wrote three scripts for the show: One of which was called "The Back Room", one was called "Lunch is Revolting!", and another called "Teeny". "Teeny" would have been about a shrunken Buffy.[6]
- Espenson revealed that "Steve DeKnight and Drew Greenberg wrote episodes, if I recall. And I believe Doug Petrie did too. I think there was a story set aside for Rebecca Kirshner that she never got to start.". Joss Whedon and Jeph Loeb wrote the pilot. She said there had been eight scripts written in all, although two were incomplete [7].
[edit] Episodes
- "A Day in the Life" (by Jeph Loeb and Joss Whedon)
- "Teeny" (by Jane Espenson)
- "Lunch is Revolting!" (by Jane Espenson)
- "The Back Room" (by Jane Espenson)
- Completed episode script (by Steve DeKnight)
- Completed episode script (by Drew Greenberg)
- Completed episode script (by Doug Petrie)
- Unstarted episode script (story set aside for Rebecca Kirshner)
[edit] Cast
-
- Sarah Michelle Gellar was not interested in returning to the role, since she was busy, she had not seen a script, and she was afraid of jumping the shark[8].
- Giselle Loren had already voiced 'Buffy Summers' for the Buffy video games, Buffy (Xbox) and Chaos Bleeds
- Giselle Loren as 'Buffy Summers'
- Alyson Hannigan as 'Willow Rosenberg'
- Nicholas Brendon as 'Xander Harris'
- Anthony Stewart Head as 'Rupert Giles'
- Charisma Carpenter as 'Cordelia Chase'
- Michelle Trachtenberg as 'Dawn Summers'
- Kristine Sutherland as 'Joyce Summers'
- Armin Shimerman as 'Principal Snyder'
- David Boreanaz as 'Angel'
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- The four minute unaired pilot has only been seen within the entertainment industry.
[edit] Quotes
Jane Espenson has revealed only two short extracts from the scripts on her weblog:
- Quote 1
- Buffy realizes she's eaten her Mother's breakfast by mistake. She holds up the last bite of bagel and, instead of saying, "there's a bite left," she says:
- BUFFY
-
- There's a remnant.
- Quote 2
- Buffy has just inappropriately used her Slayer-Strength on the volleyball court, so she vows to restrain herself:
- BUFFY
-
- Sure. Okay. I can hold back. Call me Dairy Queen, 'cuz here comes a soft serve.
- (then)
-
- Sorry, that was kinda lame.
- Quote 3 (from the script, "Teeny")[citation needed]
- Buffy has been shrunk down to about 6 inches tall. She's trying to climb a staircase, and reacting to what she sees.
- BUFFY
-
- Boy. Everything's so tall. And... textured.
[edit] Continuity
[edit] Canonical issues
- The potential canonical status of the series is unknown. It can be seen that changes were to be made to what had been established. For example, the Sunnydale High School library was radically changed in initial artwork (see image on right)
Library concept art.
[edit] Timing
- The series would have taken place late in Buffy Season 1. Loeb described the continuity as "Episode 7.5"[9] It was also confirmed that the series would be set in the altered continuity that the characters remembered due to the introduction of Dawn Summers into their lives, meaning Dawn would have a role in the story.
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: Spring 1996 - Spring 1997 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles, spring 1992* | Film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
| Los Angeles, spring 1996 | Buffy graphic novel: The Origin |
| Los Angeles, summer 1996 | Buffy graphic novel: Viva Las Buffy |
| Los Angeles, summer 1996 | Buffy graphic novel: Slayer Interrupted |
| Los Angeles, summer 1996 | Buffy graphic novel: A Stake to the Heart |
| Various locations, 1845-1997 | WB Buffy promo: History of the Slayer |
| Sunnydale, January 1997 | B1.00 Unaired Buffy the Vampire Slayer pilot |
| Sunnydale, January 1997 | B1.01 Welcome to the Hellmouth |
| Sunnydale, January 1997 | B1.02 The Harvest |
| Sunnydale, January 1997 | B1.03 Witch |
| Sunnydale, February 1997 | B1.04 Teacher's Pet |
| Sunnydale, February 1997 | B1.05 Never Kill a Boy on the First Date |
| Sunnydale, spring 1997 | B1.06 The Pack |
| Sunnydale, spring 1997 | B1.07 Angel |
| Sunnydale, spring 1997 | Buffy the Animated Series unaired four-minute pilot |
| Sunnydale, spring 1997 | B1.08 I, Robot... You, Jane |
| Sunnydale, spring 1997 | B1.09 The Puppet Show |
| Sunnydale, spring 1997 | B1.10 Nightmares |
| Sunnydale, spring 1997 | Buffy book: Night of the Living Rerun |
| Sunnydale, spring 1997 | B1.11 Out of Mind, Out of Sight |
| Sunnydale, May 1997 | B1.12 Prophecy Girl |
| Sunnydale, summer 1997 | Buffy book: Coyote Moon |
| Sunnydale, & L.A., summer 1997 | Buffy anthology book: How I Survived My Summer Vacation |
* Because the 1992 motion picture Buffy the Vampire Slayer is not considered to be canon, its date in the chronology reflects its release date. Because The Origin graphic novel adjusts the events of the movie to fit in-line with the series, its place in the chronology reflects those events having occurred approximately one year prior to Welcome to the Hellmouth.
[edit] Footnotes and references
- ^ Eonline.com - News on the show from March 2001
- ^ Slayonline.co.uk - Anthony Stewart Head Talks About Ripper and Buffy Animated
- ^ Hollywoodreporter.com - Whedon comments on the series.
- ^ Cairns, Bryan, "An Animated Guy", from Cult Times Special #27 (September 2003), page 44.
- ^ Cairns, Bryan, "An Animated Guy", from Cult Times Special #27 (September 2003), page 44.
- ^ Mikejozic.com
- ^ Mikejozic.com
- ^ Scifi.com - Sarah Michelle Gellar talks about the series, October 2004
- ^ "Jeph Loeb Spills News, Not Blood, About Buffy The Animated Series... ", FanBoyPlanet.com (2004). Jeph Loeb said regarding continuity, "For the fans, we've always seen it as Episode 7.5. Buffy has met Angel."
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Information
- Aintitcoolnews.com - Brief news on the show, March 2004
- Ericwight.com - Art work related to the halted project, 2004
- Moviehole.net - David Fury revealed that the show might have gone to DVD, October 2004
- Scifi.com - Sarah Michelle Gellar talks about the series, October 2004
- Whedonesque.com - Whedonesquers discuss Gellar's interview with "scifi.com", October 2004
[edit] Interviews
- Bbc.co.uk - Interview with Espenson, 2002
- Smgfan.com - Interview with Eric Wight, March 2003.
- Fanboyplanet.com - Interview with Jeph Loeb, 2004.
- Bbc.co.uk - Interview with Jeph Loeb, June 2004
- Mikejozic.com - Interview with Espenson and Eric Wight, 2004
[edit] Quotes and trivia
- Janeespenson.com - Espenson's web log contains some extracts from Buffy Animated scripts and also here
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