a la recherche du temps Buffy/how long will Buffy's influence last?

[Ravynnia]

The Buffy/Angel magazine, always pretty shallow and commercial, has published its last issue; the cable channel F/X used to broadcast two eps each day, and now broadcasts one. Without any tv or film deals extending Buffyverse, the show appears to have its future solely in the graphix field.

But Buffy references turn up in all sorts of scripts. In "Sex & the City", Big's action/adventure tv star was named "Willow Summers". I can't recall all the little side nods to the show that I've caught in the past couple of years. And literature & philosophy teachers & students dote on BtVS.

Will Buffy wind up being a very temporary phenomenon that addressed a particular moment in pop culture, whose references & humor are quickly outdated, or will it remain a fixture, something that people draw on for years and continues to look better & burn brighter as its run recedes?

[LRae12]

That's a good question. I think to the die-hard fans, the show will live on forever, or at least a very long while. Btvs is mentioned a lot more than most pop-icon shows of the recent decade. I even find it mentioned fairly often in books written by Nora Roberts! I think especially when mentioned in other genres of art, that Buffy will be legendary for a time to come.

[tangent]

To me it's things like reading the term 'big bad' in relation to another program that show me just what influence the program continues to have. It's not just the homages and mentions but the way the mechanics of shows are decribed. BTVS might not have been the first show to use overall arcs and foreshadowing but but it's certainly a show that frequently seems to get name checked in relation to these devices.

To me the fact that we're here talking about it now shows that the show will always have an influence with a lot of people.

[Ravynnia]

Most fans of the shows are eager for others to see it; and it takes people so by surprise & hits so deeply that it becomes one of those islands of experience & memory. Last night I said to my sister "It'd be so much easier to talk to you if you watched Buffy all the way through -- so many situations in life are easier to explain with Buffy references."

I doubt NBC would've listened to Tim Kring for a moment if he had pitched "Heroes" in a Buffyless environment. Conventional wisdom would've seen "Heroes" as the one season shot and "Studio 60" as the sure-fire long-term winner; but "Heroes" was renewed & Studio 60 wasn't.

Still, there are many Muggles & Calebs who are immune, or seem to be . . .

[digitalMindy]

I think that the shows staying power is due in large part to the strength of the story-lines.

Even though us die-hard fans like to pick apart continuity issues and plot holes, the stories were more than the typical sci-fi adventure.

If we had been watching a weekly monster show, we likely would have had less than two seasons. But the fact that the characters had dramatic personal struggles that viewers could identify with is what gives Buffy such a long lasting impact.

And I think that the impact of Buffy will last for a long time because of these facts. It gives other sci-fi shows something to aspire to.

[ThePoet's<3]

Buffy will be around as long as the fans love Buffy.

My re-newal in Buffy interest has been with the comics. And I guess because I was never "big" into comics I'm now fascinated by all things comics! As I usually do I've just thrown myself into Buffy full-force again!

[Wolfie Gilmore]

The New Who wouldn't exist without Buffy. And the Doctor lives practically forever, so...he can carry the flame a long way

I must dig out a hilarious article I found the other day on buffyology...well, didn't find it exactly, it was sent round.

Buffy lives on in its influence, and namechecking Buffy has become and continues to be a pretty mainstream thing. Just as Buffy quoted Xena (a show that'd been over for a while, right?), other shows quote Buffy...and I'm sure Buffy's "children" will be quoted in other ways. So, the influence of Buffy will be felt indirectly even if people aren't watching it much any more.

[Vyse]

I hope the Buffyverse lasts. Though the fact that the mag closed is not a good sign in my eyes (besides, I didn't know about this until I found this thread). I'm actually sorry to see Buffy Mag go... I only have 3 issues, but I think it wasn't that bad.

[ykickamoocow]

Call me a optimist but im still hoping for a Buffy movie

[KingofCretins]

Right now, the biggest obstacle to a Buffy movie is the star. I think Sarah has said she wouldn't do a movie if it was going to be a Spuffy story, and it would have to be a great script to get her to do it at all.

With "Southland Tales" languishing in post-production without money to finish the effects and no distributor, I thought she might be jammed up, but she's got a rom-com or something with Alec effin' Baldwin (I don't think I can watch her make out with that tool... at least not for a ticket price). She's also possibly doing "The Grudge 3".

Joss still has two pictures left on his Universal deal, I think, one of which is supposed to be "Goners", but I could imagine a Buffy movie being possible from his side. I think the studios would be more comfortable with it because they know Buffy has a built-in fanbase and mainstream appeal that "Firefly" didn't. You wouldn't make a Buffy movie expecting a $200 million grosser in the US, but you could give Joss the budget that "Serenity" had and it would stretch a *lot* farther. You could make that movie and see a $75 million to $100 million grossing movie. I think market it for a Halloween release.

[Ravynnia]

For a Buffy film to happen, the others would want to work with SMG again, an experience most of them didn't sound eager to repeat at the close of the show.

And SMG's never shown much real interest in the show, and absolutely none in the people who love it; she got what she needed from us, and we've gotten what we needed from her.

It'd be interesting to see Joss take on a Fray film/tv pilot project, now that he's been away from latex for a decent interval, but the winds would have to shift quite drastically for any studio to say yes (even in the unlikely event that he would want to . . .)

[ykickamoocow]

For a Buffy film to happen, the others would want to work with SMG again, an experience most of them didn't sound eager to repeat at the close of the show.

And SMG's never shown much real interest in the show, and absolutely none in the people who love it; she got what she needed from us, and we've gotten what we needed from her.

It'd be interesting to see Joss take on a Fray film/tv pilot project, now that he's been away from latex for a decent interval, but the winds would have to shift quite drastically for any studio to say yes (even in the unlikely event that he would want to . . .)

You dont work with a group of people for 7 years without getting along. They seemed to get along during the daillies that i saw so i dont think that will be a problem.

[KingofCretins]

I think he would have a hard time selling "Fray" as a movie, much as he did "Firefly". "Serenity" was, unfortunately, not a commercial success. People aren't going to come running up to give another feature budget to a project with a very small audience. Far fewer people have read "Fray" than read the Season 8 comics, and both figures are much smaller than the number of people who consumed Buffy on TV.

I don't think they'd have a hard time getting any of the cast other than possibly Alyson if SMG was on board. Nick Brendan, Tony Head, probably Marsters, Michelle Trachtenberg, I don't think any of them would hesitate for a wide-release motion picture.

[ferdy-m]

You dont work with a group of people for 7 years without getting along. They seemed to get along during the daillies that i saw so i dont think that will be a problem.

Funny that JW went from BtVS to a group of individuals on "Serenity" still fighting a war against the Big Bad of Benign(!) Imperialism in "Firefly."

Cos I think from JM has put it best, strictly in proportion, better than the gossipmags and who's snogging who ... whom (let's keep the fight against poor grammar going). In interview he says they more than got along, they were family, and in a "war." Fighting to work 12-14 hours days against time and budget for seven years, he says they saw the best of each other and the worst of each other.

From the sound of it, quite apart from the personal casualties thrown up by the pressures (alcohol dependency, rehab, that wounded look on JW's face as they pulled the plug on his show AGAIN), it would be a bit like Mal and Co. clambering aboard Serenity to keep fighting, after the Battle of Serenity Valley. Like losing rep points because a forum goes down - but, people ...

much, much worse

The bigger the challenge, the better the wicked shiny telly/film at the end, but it would be asking everyone to go back into the war zone - and the expectations would be massive. Personally I'd probably expect a cross between Revelations and my First Time (watching BtVS)

[sherrilina]

That's a good question. I think to the die-hard fans, the show will live on forever, or at least a very long while. Btvs is mentioned a lot more than most pop-icon shows of the recent decade. I even find it mentioned fairly often in books written by Nora Roberts! I think especially when mentioned in other genres of art, that Buffy will be legendary for a time to come.

I think that the fact that BW and BF are still so active 4 years after the show ended is a testament to that fact! The thign is, with Buffy on DVD now, people can always discover it at anytime--I myself, and many others missed Buffy while it was on (well I caught some at the very end, but not much), and only watched it and became die-hard fans after it was over--and so when you have new people to the Buffyverse eager to talk about it every year, the BTVS fandom rejuvenates itself in a way it couldn't if there were no DVDs, or internet websites and forums. So I think it will last for at least a while....(That is why, though, I think you can't say TV ratings speak for the fandom these days...b/c there are so many people here who weren't around watching when those ratings happened!)

And lol, I always love Buffy references! I've seen at least 4 books in one series referencing it, as well as some references in two other random books...one of which I only caught when I was looking at it years after reading it, since I wasn't a Buffy fan then....I figured out it was season 4 when the people in the book were watching!

I don't think they'd have a hard time getting any of the cast other than possibly Alyson if SMG was on board. Nick Brendan, Tony Head, probably Marsters, Michelle Trachtenberg, I don't think any of them would hesitate for a wide-release motion picture.

Well David Boreanaz has already said he wasn't interested in reprising his role as Angel in any movie (and hey, I'd rather have him working on Bones right now! ;P ), though I suppose he's not really necessary...My main thing is canon issues--would it take place after season 7? And then there are the comics...it would all be very confusing...

[ykickamoocow]

Well David Boreanaz has already said he wasn't interested in reprising his role as Angel in any movie (and hey, I'd rather have him working on Bones right now! ;P ), though I suppose he's not really necessary...My main thing is canon issues--would it take place after season 7? And then there are the comics...it would all be very confusing...

They deffenately dont need Agel to make a Buffy movie. I would imagine the movie would take place at least 5 years after season 7 and it has already been stated that the comics are canon and are set about 2 years after season 7. I know many people will disagree with me but another reason i want Bander is because SMG liked the pairing so if Bander is Buffy's new relationship in a potential movie SMG might be more willing to do the movie.

[KingofCretins]

You'd have to make a movie set either into or after the immediate time frame of Season 8, or a movie about the transition into what is now Season 8.

And, I agree, Sarah wouldn't do it unless it was not 'shippy or it was Buffy/Xander.

[ykickamoocow]

You'd have to make a movie set either into or after the immediate time frame of Season 8, or a movie about the transition into what is now Season 8.

Given those options i would prefer after season 8.

And, I agree, Sarah wouldn't do it unless it was not 'shippy or it was Buffy/Xander.

One thing is for certain is we wont see Spuffy or Bangel in a potential Buffy movie. Bander does seem like the logical choice.

[Ravynnia]

I don't think they'd have a hard time getting any of the cast other than possibly Alyson if SMG was on board. Nick Brendan, Tony Head, probably Marsters, Michelle Trachtenberg, I don't think any of them would hesitate for a wide-release motion picture

Michelle's had good work since the show ended, included a plum stint on "Six Feet Under" and a single-ep role as a webcam star -- named "Willow", speaking of tributes -- on Law & Order SVU. JM's 45 this year, and no film is in the works as yet, so 47 years old is a bit much to be playing an eternally youthful vampire (unless they worked it into script). Alyson and Michelle have both broken out of cult tv, but NB's still trying to gain some traction outside, so his situation's opposite theirs.

A piece reprising cult fan success isn't necessarily where actors want to go. An old catch-22 -- if you do it, it proves that casting directors are right not to want you for something different; if you don't, it tells them you're a fussy artiste who will be a pain on-set because you want to break out of type.

[Risa]

For the fans, Buffy and Angel will never be forgotten. They were shows that broke the mold. Even now, years after they ended people are finding the dvds and becoming fans. So I think the influence will last a while. And I think for many years to come it will be referenced in other movies and shows, because, even if they haven't watched it, I think by now everyone has heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Its known, its likeable, and it has so much stuff for other entertainment to make fun of...lol.