'Buffy' Will Rise From Graveness
UPN promises a return to a lighter and funnier Buffy the Vampire Slayer this fall, which begins with the re-opening of Sunnydale High, blown up three years ago by Buffy and her graduating friends. This more positive take follows a season widely criticized for being too grim for too long.
While creator Joss Whedon is looking forward to taking the show back to its wittier roots, he also believes Buffy accomplished what it set out to do last year: make a more solitary heroine face the inner demons that accompany maturity.
''Every year has its criticism,'' says Whedon, who will be more actively involved this season. ''I do think we hit a few of the same notes too many times. But I'm proud of many of the things we did.''
The return of a lighter tone also means a return, Whedon says, of many fan favorites. Look for appearances by Eliza Dushku as Faith; Clare Kramer, who played Glory; and Amber Benson, who played Willow's murdered girlfriend Tara -- though Whedon isn't saying how Benson returns.
You also can expect to see a spunkier, ''whine-less'' Dawn and the welcome return (for at least 10 episodes) of Anthony Stewart Head as Giles. ''I had underestimated his presence and what he brings to the show. The authority figure was lacking,'' Whedon says.
Buffy's future is uncertain after next season, the expiration of a high-priced two-year deal that brought the cult drama to UPN from WB. Leslie Moonves, president of UPN parent CBS, says he's hopeful the show will continue, but hasn't yet begun negotiations with producer Whedon or actors led by Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose contract is up in May. ''It was a high price tag, but it increased the overall image for UPN,'' Moonves says, and losing it would be like ''NBC losing Friends.''
Whedon says he, too, would like for the show to continue -- and thinks it could go on even if Gellar doesn't return. ''I think it could. I don't know if it would.''
Dawn's Second Thoughts
Michelle Trachtenberg, who plays the kid sister on UPN's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," is growing up and changing her mind a bit about her goals. She had set her sights set on going to Yale and studying theater and English. But when she turned 16 last month, she says, "I realized I wanted to consider other colleges and decide what subjects I really wanted to study. I know what to do before the cameras. Now I want to learn what to do behind them. I'm even thinking of taking a year off after I graduate high school -- I'm a junior now -- and maybe making a movie in a place like Italy, that would give me a chance to travel and work at the same time. Education is important to me. So is work. But the most important thing in my life is my family -- my mother, my sister, my father and my cat, Casey. I'm feeling particularly grateful for them now at Thanksgiving time."
Buffy Star's Wedding Worries
Aficionados of Anya on Buffy the Vampire Slayer suspect that like most TV weddings, the ex-demon's impending nuptials to Xander will hit a snag. "I really don't know if they will ever get to the altar," her portrayer, Emma Caulfield, tells TV Guide Online. "I don't know if [the writers] know, actually! But obviously, if Anya got her powers back, I would imagine domesticity would be out of the question."
Indeed, it is ironic that a man-hating demon whose full-time job was avenging spurned women could now crave marital bliss herself! Then again, such supernatural love matches have worked before. Think of Bewitched's Samantha and Darren or I Dream of Jeannie's bottle blonde and her Major Nelson!
"I think it could be fun," concedes Caulfield. "I don't think it would be normal... It would be [producer] Joss Whedon's version of domesticity, which would be just as skewed as everything else — [but] wonderfully so. And probably more accurate than anything else [on TV]. I just like working with [Nicholas Brendan, who plays Xander]."
Speaking of domestic drama, which show's cast has stirred up more of it — Buffy or her alma mater, Beverly Hills, 90210? "Oh, 90210," says Caulfield, rolling her eyes. "Well, I think, overall, people on Buffy are more happy to be there. On 90210, I think people were getting tired already... I don't want to say too much. It's just a friendlier place to be."
Buffy Ratings Sing
The special musical episode of UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer rated well in its Nov. 6 airing, the network reported. The all-singing, all-dancing episode, "Once More With Feeling," ranked No. 3 among persons 12-34, adults 18-34, teens and female teens, UPN reported.
The Buffy episode also ranked No. 2 in its 8-9 p.m. timeslot among males 12-34, men 18-34 and male teens, beating The WB's Gilmore Girls, ABC's Spin City, CBS' Jag and NBC's Three Sisters, UPN reported.