Buffy: The Animated Series came very close to becoming a reality, but here’s why it didn’t happen. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer first arrived in the form of a 1992 movie starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry. The movie wasn’t a pleasant experience for screenwriter Joss Whedon, as much of the darkness and humor of his original script were removed during filming. He also famously disliked Donald Sutherland’s - who played Buffy’s mentor Merrick - constant improvising of his dialogue.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer did average box-office business, but Whedon would later revisit the concept to much acclaim with the TV series, which debuted in 1997. Sarah Michelle Gellar inherited the title role and the show’s mix of witty dialogue, likable characters, and a rich mythology saw it become hugely popular. Buffy The Vampire Slayer ran for seven seasons in total, and also spawned numerous spinoffs, including TV show Angel - following David Boreanaz’s titular vampire - a number of video games and a canon comic series.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer has also had a number of spinoffs not come to fruition, including Ripper, a show that would have focused on Buffy’s mentor Rupert. One project that seemed like a given was Buffy: The Animated Series, which began development in 2001. This show would have taken place during Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s first season and was set to appear on Fox Kids sometime in 2002. Those plans came unglued, however, when Fox Kids ceased operations. Fox then tried to shop the series to other networks, but surprisingly, nobody wanted it.
Another attempt was made to sell Buffy: The Animated Series to other networks in 2004, with a four-minute animated promo being put together. Most of the cast - bar Sarah Michelle Gellar, who wanted to move on to other projects - returned to voice their characters. This clip featured the same quippy dialogue Whedon is famous for with a blend of action, though obviously the darker edges have been sanded off for younger viewers. Whedon was also determined that the show look good, and be comparable to something like Batman: The Animated Series.
Again, despite the promo, the commitment of Whedon and most of the cast and seven scripts already being penned, networks weren’t interested. Whedon cited the potential price tag of producing Buffy: The Animated Series, alongside it being a little too adult for children, as the reason it didn’t happen. It’s a shame, as the brief promo alone showed great potential, but the project is now very unlikely to be revived. Whedon and co-writer Jeph Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween) would later pay homage to the unmade Buffy: The Animated Series in Buffy comic “After These Messages… We’ll Be Right Back!”
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