Buffy the Vampire Slayer – What’s it about, who’s in the cast and can I watch it on Netflix?
How to watch and stream seasons 1-7 of Joss Whedon's iconic show in the UK
It's time to crack open the crypt and 'resurrect' an old favourite. Dubbed one of the best TV shows of all time, Sarah Michelle Gellar led led Buffy the Vampire Slayer to greatness, and she still kicks just as much ass today.
Even with the Hellmouth closing back in 2003, Joss Whedon’s world has lived on in the Dark Horse comic series that serve as Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8-12. As well as this, there have been plenty of reunions between the stars and calls for a live-action continuation.
How can I watch and stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
All 144 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. Seasons 1-7 are also available on Sky Box Sets. You can also buy Buffy on iTunes - Buy now
What's Buffy the Vampire Slayer about?
An ironic play on the "high school is hell" concept, Buffy the Vampire Slayer focuses on Gellar's troubled teen, forced to move to a new town after burning down her old school gym. Buffy's big secret: she is the next in a long line of women known as Slayers. Along with her Watcher, Rupert Giles, Buffy takes on Sunnydale's hidden forces of evil.
Battling everything from vampires to cannibalistic teachers, bio-mechanical demonoids to a trio of nerds, Buffy even went to Hell itself in one season. Charting her trauma from trying to fit in at high school through to college and eventually adulthood, there was plenty of love and loss for the hardened heroine.
Helping Buffy along the way are the Scooby Gang: her dysfunctional group of friends who help her keep evil at bay. With a town built right on top of the Hellmouth, what else would people expect?
Who is in the cast of Buffy The Vampire Slayer?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, Nicholas Brendon as the bumbling Xander, Alyson Hannigan as the powerful Willow Rosenberg, and Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles. David Boreanaz played love interest Angel in early seasons and even appeared in his own spin-off show.
Elsewhere, James Masters starred as the vampiric Spike, Charisma Carpenter as popular cheerleader Cordelia, and Emma Caulfield as vengeance demon Anya. Later, Michelle Trachtenberg joined as Buffy's mysterious sister Dawn. Finally, Eliza Dushku was the equally damaged Slayer known as Faith and Seth Green was a major addition as Oz the werewolf.
What year did Buffy the Vampire Slayer start?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on March 10, 1997. The first episode was called 'Welcome to the Hellmouth' and was written by Joss Whedon.
Whedon also wrote the 2003 finale, which earned 4.9 million viewers when it originally aired. 'Chosen' was nominated for a 2003 Emmy Award in the category of Special Visual Effects for a Series and a 2004 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.
How many seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are there and which episodes are the best?
Running for seven seasons and 144 episodes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a pilot season of 12 episodes, followed by six more consisting of 22 episodes. The series usually featured a monster of the week idea and an overarching storyline that led to a dramatic season finale against a big bad.
Here's a rundown of the Top 10 Buffy episodes fans can't live without:
"The Wish" (season 3, episode 9): A great 'what if?' episode brings Anya the vengeance demon into the Buffyverse. When Cordelia wishes Buffy never came to Sunnydale, vampiric carnage descends on the town. It's a bizarre romp where Xander kills Angel, Buffy kills Xander, Oz kills Willow and the Master snaps Buffy's neck.
"Innocence" (season 2, episode 14): AKA the one with the bazooka, "Innocence" sees Buffy and Angel go all the way, reveals the tormented vamp's backstory, and sets the ball rolling for the emergence of Angelus. While Buffy doesn't dust her lover there and then, fans knew it wouldn't be long before the pair would be facing round two.
"Once More, With Feeling" (season 6, episode 7): It might be a late addition to the show, but "Once More, With Feeling" rightly deserves its status as a cult classic. The idea of a musical demon might be a shaky premise, but it's something that completely works in Buffy's favour. Whedon's musical number has had plenty of influence and is said to have inspired similar episodes in the likes of Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy.
"Graduation Day: Part 1&2" (season 3, episodes 22 and 23): Seeing the Scooby Gang grow up before everyone's eyes, "Graduation Day" ushers Buffy into a more adult chapter of its life. Pitching the series regulars against the sinister Mayor Wilkins, this episode makes the list based on the gown scene alone.
"Hush" (season 4, episode 10): When a group of pale monsters float onto campus, the Gentlemen steal the voices of everyone in town. Not only the one where Willow first met love interest Tara, "Hush" has been giving people nightmares for years. The silent shocker is still an acclaimed piece of television.
"Becoming: Part 1&2" (season 2, episodes 22-22): Giving the backstory of how Angel became the surprise big bad of Buffy's middle years, "Becoming" is a trip back to the 18th Century to expand the tragic vamp's history. Who can forget the iconic moment where Buffy has to pick between her true love and saving the world?
"Normal Again" (season 6, episode 17): Questioning whether Buffy is the saviour of the world or simply a madwoman locked in a psychiatric facility. The nerdy Trio summon a hallucinogenic demon to convince Buffy she's been in a catatonic state for the past six years. To this day, Whedon has never answered which reality is real.
"The Gift" (season 5, episode 22): Clearly set up as a possible finale for the entire show, season 5 rounds off with Buffy sacrificing herself and (quite literally) going to hell. The 100th episode delivers exactly what it's supposed to as Buffy goes above and beyond her Slayer duties to save her sister and the rest of the world.
"The Body" (season 5, episode 16): Buffy was filled with its fair share of death, but none hits home as hard as the tragic demise of Joyce Summers. Worse than being killed by one of the show's many big bads, Joyce passes away from natural causes. There are few TV deaths that have packed the same punch as seeing Joyce lying on that couch.
"Chosen" (season 7, episode 22): No list of Buffy episodes would be complete without a mention of the season 7 swansong. Rounding off the whole shebang, Whedon stakes Buffy in style. Losing plenty of fan-favourite characters and setting the scene for the future of the Slayers, there's been a bigger hole than the Sunnydale crater since Buffy the Vampire Slayer bowed out of everyone's lives.
Is there a Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie?
Even though the cast of the TV series didn't star in a live-action movie, Fran Rubel Kuzui directed 1992's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Starring Kristy Swanson as Buffy, the cast also included Donald Sutherland, Luke Perry, Hilary Swank, and David Arquette.
The movie was different from what creator Joss Whedon has imagined, so in 1997, he released the much darker TV series. There have been rumours over the years that the movie could be remade, but it looks like Whedon has other plans for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Will Buffy the Vampire Slayer return to TV?
While there are plenty of fans who want to see a revival show with the original cast, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is getting a 'contemporary' reboot. There's been a fair bit of backlash toward a Buffy reboot, but showrunner Monica Owusu-Breen has defended the decision and confirmed there's only one Buffy.
There's currently no news on the cast or when Buffy will return to our screens, but with talk about a push toward diversity with plans to cast an African American Slayer as the lead, and hints of some familiar faces making an appearance, the franchise hasn't been 'dusted' yet.
