Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs

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DVDs of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer were produced by 20th Century Fox and released beginning in 2000. These sets contained not only the episodes, but extra features such as: audio commentaries by the show's producers, documentary features, blooper reels, and shooting scripts.

Contents

[edit] Release dates

DVD Release Date
US UK Australia
The Complete First Season 15 Jan 2002 27 Nov 2000 20 Nov 2000
The Complete Second Season 11 Jun 2002 21 May 2001 15 Jun 2001
The Complete Third Season 7 Jan 2003 29 Oct 2001 22 Nov 2001
The Complete Fourth Season 10 Jun 2003 13 May 2002 20 May 2002
The Complete Fifth Season 9 Dec 2003 28 Oct 2002 29 Nov 2002
The Complete Sixth Season 25 May 2004 12 May 2003 20 Apr 2003
The Complete Seventh Season 16 Nov 2004 5 Apr 2004 15 May 2004

[edit] Differences between versions

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD sets were released in at least three encoding formats:

Aside from the region encoding (and the packaging), the Region 2 and Region 4 DVDs are identical. However, there are several content differences between the Region 1 DVDs and the Region 2 / 4 DVDs.

[edit] Scenes from previous episodes

The Region 2 and 4 DVDs include the scenes from previous episodes ("Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer") at the beginning of each episode; the Region 1 DVDs do not.

This even applies to the final episode of season five, The Gift (Buffy episode), in which the "previously" scenes were designed to form a montage leading into the episode itself. This montage was deleted from The Gift on the Region 1 DVDs. This montage was later included as an easter egg on the Season 7 DVD set, even in Regions 2 and 4.

[edit] Widescreen

Beginning in season four, the Region 2 and 4 DVDs include a widescreen (16:9) version of the television show. The Region 1 DVDs include the standard format (4:3) version, which is identical to the broadcast version.

The reason for this difference is that the Region 2 and 4 DVDs were released before the Region 1 DVDs, with less oversight from Mutant Enemy Productions. When the Region 1 DVDs were released, Joss Whedon decided that they should not have the widescreen version, because the show was directed and filmed for a 4:3 ratio. The extra material in the widescreen versions is never important for the plot, although it gives additional views of the sets and backgrounds.

[edit] 4% speed difference

The Region 2 and 4 DVDs play the episodes at 4% faster than the Region 1 DVDs. This reduces the running time of each episode by about two minutes (not counting the "scenes from previous episodes"). It also causes the sound to be raised by two-thirds of a semitone. For example, a C note is raised to a note two-thirds of the way from C to C♯.

The speeds of the different region DVDs match the speeds used during the original television broadcasts in the respective countries. Thus the Region 1 DVD plays the video at the same speed as the American broadcasts (which is the speed at which the show was taped), while the Region 2 and 4 DVDs plays the video at the slightly faster speed that was used during the original British broadcasts. This effect is not particular to the Buffy DVDs but affects all television shows, because film that uses 24 frames per second is sped up for PAL that uses 25 (in the NTSC standard it is telecined and there is no speed variation). But since the signal from a DVD player is ultimately analog, the Region 2 and 4 DVDs will still play at the faster speed when played on an American television with a multi-region DVD.

[edit] Subtitles

In the Region 2 and 4 releases, episodes with commentaries include two English subtitles: the show itself, and the commentary. The Region 1 releases do not offer subtitles for the commentaries.

The Region 1 DVDs also offer a smaller choice of non-English languages subtitles than the Region 2 and 4 DVDs.

[edit] Season 1

[edit] Disc 1

Special features

  • Commentary by creator Joss Whedon on "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest"
  • Interview with Joss Whedon and David Boreanaz
  • Buffy trailer
  • DVD-ROM content, screensavers and Buffy weblinks
  • Pilot script

[edit] Disc 2

Episodes

Special features

  • "I Quit" music video
  • Photo gallery

[edit] Disc 3

Episodes

Special features

  • Cast biographies

[edit] Season 2

[edit] Disc 1

Episodes

[edit] Disc 2

Episodes

Special features

  • Audio commentary on "Reptile Boy" by David Greenwalt
  • Text/photo galleries
  • Screenplay for "Reptile Boy"

[edit] Disc 3

Episodes

Special features

  • Audio commentary by co-screenwriter Marti Noxon on "What's My Line, Parts 1 and 2"
  • Screenplay for "What's My Line, Parts 1 and 2"

[edit] Disc 4

Episodes

Special features

  • Audio commentary by director/writer/creator Joss Whedon on "Innocence"
  • Interview with creator Joss Whedon on "Surprise" and "Innocence" (Region 1 only)
  • Text/photo galleries
  • Screenplay for "Innocence"

[edit] Disc 5

Episodes

Special features

  • Interview with creator Joss Whedon on "Passion" and "I Only Have Eyes for You" (Region 1 only)

[edit] Disc 6

Episodes

Special features

  • "Designing Buffy" featurette (13 mins)
  • "A Buffy Bestiary" featurette (29 mins)
  • "Beauty and the Beasts" featurette (20 mins)
  • Interview with creator Joss Whedon on "Becoming, Parts 1 and 2" (Region 1 only)
  • Trailers (UK TV spots, U.S. TV spots, Season 2 DVD trailer, Angel series)
  • Cast biographies
  • Stills/photos (set designs, monsters, additional photos)

[edit] Season 3

[edit] Disc 1

Episodes

Special features

  • Script for episode "Faith, Hope & Trick"

[edit] Disc 2

Episodes

Special features

  • Script for episode "Band Candy"
  • Script for episode "Lovers Walk"

[edit] Disc 3

Episodes

Special features

  • Script for episode "The Wish"
  • "Season 3 Overview" featurette
  • "Buffy Speak" featurette
  • Photo stills gallery
  • Cast biographies

[edit] Disc 4

Episodes

Special features

  • Audio commentary for episode "Helpless" by David Fury
  • Audio commentary for episode "Bad Girls" by Doug Petrie
  • Audio commentary for episode "Consequences" by Michael Gershman

[edit] Disc 5

Episodes

Special features

  • Audio commentary for "Earshot" episode by Jane Espenson
  • Interview with Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, and Doug Petrie on "Enemies" and "Earshot"

[edit] Disc 6

Episodes

Special features

  • "Special Effects" featurette
  • "Weapons" featurette
  • "Wardrobe" featurette
  • Interview with Joss Whedon on "Graduation Day, Part One"

[edit] Season 4

[edit] Disc 1

Episodes

Special features

  • Script for "Fear, Itself"

[edit] Disc 2

Episodes

Special features

[edit] Disc 3

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary for "Hush" by Joss Whedon
  • "Spike Me" featurette
  • "Oz Revelations: A Full Moon" featurette
  • "Buffy, Inside Sets of Sunnydale" featurette
  • "Buffy, Inside the Music" featurette
  • "Hush" featurette
  • Script for "Hush"
  • Cast biographies
  • Still gallery

[edit] Disc 4

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by writer Doug Petrie on "This Year's Girl"

[edit] Disc 5

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by Jane Espenson on "Superstar"
  • Script for "Who Are You"

[edit] Disc 6

Episodes

Special features

[edit] Season 5

[edit] Disc 1

Episodes

Special features

[edit] Disc 2

Episodes

Special features

  • Script for "Fool For Love"
  • Commentary by writer Doug Petrie on "Fool for Love"

[edit] Disc 3

Episodes

Special features

  • Script for "Into the Woods"
  • "Buffy Abroad" featurette (5 mins)
  • "Demonology: A Slayer's Guide" featurette (10 mins)
  • "Casting Buffy" featurette (10 mins)
  • "Action Heroes!: The Stunts of Buffy" featurette (10 mins)
  • Buffy series outtakes

[edit] Disc 4

Episodes

Special features

  • Script for "Checkpoint"
  • Commentary by writer Jane Espenson on "I Was Made to Love You"

[edit] Disc 5

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by writer/director Joss Whedon on "The Body"

[edit] Disc 6

Episodes

Special features

  • "The Story of Season 5" featurette (30 mins)
  • "Natural Causes" featurette (10 mins)
  • "Spotlight on Dawn" featurette (10 mins)
  • Still gallery (approximately 50 static images)
  • "Buffy Videogame Trailer" interactive game trailer
  • DVD-ROM Buffy demon guide

[edit] Season 6

[edit] Disc 1

Episodes

Special features

[edit] Disc 2

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by writer/director Joss Whedon on "Once More, with Feeling"
  • Behind the scenes featurette on "Once More, with Feeling"
  • Easter egg
  • "I've Got a Theory/Bunnies/If We're Together" music video
  • "I'll Never Tell" music video
  • "Walk Through the Fire" music video

[edit] Disc 3

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by Drew Greenberg on "Smashed"
  • Academy of Television Arts and Sciences panel discussion

[edit] Disc 4

Episodes

Special features

  • Behind the scenes featurette

[edit] Disc 5

Episodes

Special features

[edit] Disc 6

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by James Contner and David Fury on "Grave"
  • "Buffy Gets a Job"
  • "Life is the Big Bad – Season Six Overview:"
  • Outtakes
  • Interactive game trailer
  • DVD-ROM

[edit] Season 7

[edit] Disc 1

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by Joss Whedon and David Solomon on "Lessons"
  • "Willow Demon Guide" ROM content

[edit] Disc 2

Episodes

Special features

[edit] Disc 3

Episodes

Special features

  • "Buffy: It's Always Been About the Fans" featurette

[edit] Disc 4

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by David Solomon and Drew Greenberg on "The Killer in Me"

[edit] Disc 5

Episodes

Special features

[edit] Disc 6

Episodes

Special features

  • Commentary by Joss Whedon on "Chosen"
  • "Season 7 Overview - 'Buffy: Full Circle'" featurette
  • "Buffy 101: Studying the Slayer" featurette
  • "Generation S" featurette
  • "The Last Sundown" featurette
  • Outtakes reel
  • Buffy wraps
  • Easter egg

[edit] Collections

The Chosen Collection Region 1 (Seasons 1 - 7)
The Chosen Collection Region 1 (Seasons 1 - 7)
DVD Release Date
U.S. UK Australia
The Chosen Collection (Seasons 1 – 7) 15 Nov 2005 --
The Complete DVD Collection (Seasons 1 – 7) -- 31 Oct 2005 23 Nov 2005

The Region 1 Buffy 40-disc boxed set includes an extra disc (the 40th) with all-new interviews, including a round table discussion that was recorded in August 2005. It features participation from Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Jane Espenson, and such actors as Charisma Carpenter, Nicholas Brendon and Emma Caulfield. It also comes with a letter from Joss Whedon.

[edit] Slimmer versions

The entire series was re-released on DVD in 2006, in a "slimmer" package with the same bonus materials that were featured in the original fold out versions.

[edit] Thematic releases

Two special Region 1 DVD releases contain assorted episodes from various seasons:

  • Spike: Love is Hell (October 2005)
This single-disc release includes four Spike-related episodes: "School Hard", "Lie to Me", "Lovers Walk" and "Fool for Love", as well as a special feature on the character.
  • The Curse of the Hellmouth (September 2006)
A two-disc set that contains eight Sunnydale-related episodes: "The Pack", "Halloween", "Passion", "The Wish", "Helpless", "Fear, Itself", "Hush" and "Same Time, Same Place", as well as a short supplemental featurette.

In Region 2, there have been several single-disc releases named after individual characters from the show, under the overarching title of "The Slayer Collection". Each contains four episodes and a character profile. The Spike-centric DVD contains the same episodes as the R1 "Love is Hell" collection. Other discs focus on Willow, Xander, Giles, Cordelia, Dawn, Angel, and Faith.

Two other single-disc Region 2 DVDs have been released. The first is entitled "The Very Best Of...". It contains these four episodes: "Becoming, Part One", "Graduation Day, Part Two", "Hush", and "The Gift". The second contains the episode "Once More, with Feeling" and a number of special features including a featurette on season 1 of Angel and a featurette entitled "Buffy Inside the Music".

[edit] References

Languages