Buffy: The Animated Series
An unaired animated series set in Buffy's first season.
Buffy: The Animated Series is an unproduced animated television series concept based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon. It was initially greenlit by 20th Century Fox in 2002 but never aired when no network purchased it. The series would have been set during the middle of Buffy season 1, retroactively including the character Dawn Summers.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 4 minutes (pilot)
- Creator
- Joss Whedon
- Starring
- Giselle Loren
- Alyson Hannigan
- Nicholas Brendon
- Charisma Carpenter
- Anthony Stewart Head
- Country
- United States
- Network
- Fox (developed for)
- Episodes
- Single 4-minute pilot; Six+ scripts completed but unproduced
Facts from the source article.
Production details
Development began in 2001, with Joss Whedon and Jeph Loeb as executive producers. Most of the original cast was set to voice their characters. 20th Century Fox planned to produce the show for Fox Kids, possibly as early as February 2002, but Fox Kids ceased operations. Fox then shopped the series to other networks, but none purchased it, halting production. In 2004, Fox again showed interest, and some actors, including Anthony Stewart Head, recorded voice work. A four-minute presentation was produced to sell the series, but again no network bought it. Loeb noted that networks found the show difficult because it was too adult for children's television yet unsuitable for prime time. In a Q&A with The Hollywood Reporter on May 16, 2003, Whedon commented on the situation. In a September 2005 interview with TV Guide, Whedon stated the series was effectively dead.
Writing and acting
Jeph Loeb said the series would have begun with the episode 'A Day in the Life,' written by Loeb and Joss Whedon, which introduces the characters and premise. Loeb mentioned an episode about Buffy getting her driver's license while dealing with a demon driver's ed teacher. Jane Espenson wrote three scripts: 'The Back Room,' 'Lunch is Revolting!,' and 'Teeny,' the latter about a shrunken Buffy. Espenson recalled that Steve DeKnight and Drew Greenberg wrote episodes, and Doug Petrie likely did as well, with a story set aside for Rebecca Kirshner that she never started. Whedon and Loeb wrote the pilot. Espenson said eight scripts were written, two incomplete, while Loeb stated there were thirteen scripts. Completed scripts include 'A Day in the Life,' 'Teeny,' 'Lunch is Revolting!,' 'The Back Room,' 'Say Yo' by Steve DeKnight, and untitled scripts by Drew Greenberg and Doug Petrie. The voice cast included Giselle Loren as Buffy, Alyson Hannigan as Willow, Nicholas Brendon as Xander, Anthony Stewart Head as Giles, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia, Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn, Kristine Sutherland as Joyce, Armin Shimerman as Principal Snyder, and David Boreanaz as Angel. Sarah Michelle Gellar did not return; Loren had voiced Buffy in video games.
Leak
On August 1, 2008, the four-minute unaired presentation was leaked online via YouTube. Nicholas Brendon commented on his audiolog on August 20, 2008. Jeph Loeb gave an interview to MTV on August 26, 2008. During a Buffy EW reunion in 2017, the cast remarked that they might consider returning for the animated series, and Sarah Michelle Gellar expressed interest, but all agreed a revival depended on Joss Whedon, who said he had moved on from producing Buffy media for television.
More in Television Series by Fox Television Animation
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