Buffy the Animated Series

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Buffy the Animated Series was an undeveloped animated TV show based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Initially greenlit by 20th Century Fox in 2002, it went ultimately unproduced and unaired when no network was willing to buy the series.

Production details

Development began on the show in 2001. Whedon and Jeph Loeb were to be Executive Producers for the show, and most of the cast from Buffy would return to voice their characters. However the series soon ran into problems. 20th Century Fox were going to produce the show, and it was initially planned that the show would air on Fox Kids, possibly as early as February 2002 ^{[#endnote_foxkids]}. However Fox decided they would not air the show and instead shop it to other networks. When no network was willing to purchase the series, production halted.

Two years later, in 2004, Fox once again showed an interest in developing and selling the show to another network. Various key actors/actresses including Anthony Stewart Head, did voice work, and artwork was produced to make a four-minute presentation. That pilot was used to try to sell the series to a network ^{[#endnote_voices]}. However once again no network was willing to take the risk of purchasing the show. Loeb has pointed out that networks find the show difficult since it would be too adult to air with children's television, but not suitable to many people in a prime-time slot.

• Whedon revealed to Hollywood Reporter: "We just couldn't find a home for (it). We had a great animation director, great visuals, six or seven hilarious scripts from our own staff -- and nobody wanted it. I was completely baffled. I felt like I was sitting there with bags of money and nobody would take them from me. It was a question of people either not wanting it or not being able to put up the money because it was not a cheap show. One thing I was very hard-line about was, I didn't want people to see it if it looked like crap. I wanted it to be on a level with "Animaniacs" or "Batman: The Animated Series." And that's a little pricier. But I just don't think it's worth doing unless it's beautiful to look at as well as fun." ^{[#endnote_hollywoodreporter]}

In an interview with TV Guide in September 2005, Whedon announced that that the series was effectively dead.

Writing and acting

Writing staff

• Jane Espenson wrote three scripts for the show: One of which was called "The Back Room", one was called "Lunch is Revolting!", and another called "Teeny". "Teeny" would have been about Buffy being shrunk. ^{[#endnote_espensonscripts]}
• Espenson revealed that "Steve DeKnight and Drew Greenberg wrote episodes, if I recall. And I believe Doug Petrie did too. I think there was a story set aside for Rebecca Kirshner that she never got to start.". Joss Whedon and Jeph Loeb wrote the pilot. She said there had been eight scripts written in all, although two were incomplete ^{[#endnote_writers1]}.

Cast

• Giselle Loren as 'Buffy Summers'

:-Sarah Michelle Gellar was not interested in returning to the role, since she was busy, she had not seen a script, and she was afraid of jumping the shark ^{[#endnote_sarah]}.

:-Giselle Loren had already voiced 'Buffy Summers' for the Buffy video games, Buffy (Xbox) and

• Alyson Hannigan as 'Willow Rosenberg'
• Nicholas Brendon as 'Xander Harris'
• Anthony Stewart Head as 'Rupert Giles'
• Charisma Carpenter as 'Cordelia Chase'
• Michelle Trachtenberg as 'Dawn Summers'
• Kristine Sutherland as 'Joyce Summers'
• Armin Shimerman as 'Principal Snyder'
• David Boreanaz as 'Angel'

Trivia

• The four minute unaired pilot has only been seen within the entertainment industry.

Quotes

Jane Espenson has revealed only two short extracts from the scripts on her weblog:

• Quote 1

Buffy realizes she's eaten her Mother's breakfast by mistake. She holds up the last bite of bagel and, instead of saying, "there's a bite left," she says:

BUFFY

:There's a remnant.

• Quote 2

Buffy has just inappropriately used her Slayer-Strength on the volleyball court, so she vows to restrain herself:

BUFFY

:Sure. Okay. I can hold back. Call me Dairy Queen, 'cuz here comes a soft serve.

(then)

:Sorry, that was kinda lame.

• Quote 3 (from the script, "Teeny")^{[#endnote_hiddenquote]}

Buffy has been shrunk down to about 6 inches tall. She's trying to climb a staircase, and reacting to what she sees.

BUFFY

:Boy. Everything's so tall. And... textured.

Continuity

Canonical issues

• The potential canonical status of the series is unknown. It can be seen that changes were to be made to what had been established. For example the Sunnydale High School library was radically changed in initial artwork (see image on right)