Buffy the Animated Series
Encyclopedia
Buffy the Animated Series is an animated television series concept based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...

. Initially greenlit by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...

 in 2002, it went ultimately unproduced and unaired when no network was willing to buy the series. The series would have taken place in the middle of Buffy season 1, as writer Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...

 described the continuity as "Episode 7.5".

Whedon and Loeb would later revisit the style of the series in the Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...

 comic story "After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!
After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!
"After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!" is the twentieth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name...

".

Production details

Development began on the show in 2001. Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...

 and Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...

 were to be executive producers for the show, and most of the cast from Buffy would return to voice their characters. The series soon ran into problems. 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...

 were going to produce the show, and it was initially planned that the show would air on Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...

, possibly as early as February 2002. When Fox Kids ceased operations, Fox shopped 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. Once again no network was willing to take the risk of purchasing the show. Loeb explained 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.

In a Q&A with The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...

 on May 16, 2003, Whedon revealed:

In an interview with TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...

 in September 2005, Whedon announced that the series was effectively dead.

Writing staff

  • Jeph Loeb
    Jeph Loeb
    Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...

     said that the series would have begun with the episode, "A Day in the Life" for which the script was completed by Loeb with Joss Whedon
    Joss Whedon
    Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...

     which "introduces the characters, sets up their dynamics and the show's premise."
  • Loeb mentioned that one of the episodes revolved around "Buffy getting her driver's license but dealing with a demon driver's ed teacher."
  • Jane Espenson
    Jane Espenson
    Jane Espenson is an American script writer and television producer who has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and shared a Hugo Award for her writing on the episode "Conversations with Dead People"...

     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 a shrunken Buffy.
  • Espenson revealed that "Steve DeKnight
    Steven S. DeKnight
    Steven S. DeKnight is an American television screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for working on Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel. He has also written "Swell", a story in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer season eight comic series, and served as a consulting producer...

     and Drew Greenberg
    Drew Greenberg
    Drew Z. Greenberg is an American television producer and writer best known for working on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, The O.C., Dexter and Warehouse 13.-Career:...

     wrote episodes, if I recall. And I believe Doug Petrie
    Doug Petrie
    Doug Petrie is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. Best known as a writer, director, and co-executive producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He co-wrote the screenplays for the Fantastic Four film and Harriet the Spy. He has also written for the television shows Angel, The 4400 and Tru...

     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.

Episodes

Jeph Loeb revealed that there are thirteen scripts of the animated series.
  • "A Day in the Life" (by Jeph Loeb and Joss Whedon)
  • "Teeny" (by Jane Espenson)
  • "Lunch is Revolting!" (by Jane Espenson)
  • "The Back Room" (by Jane Espenson)
  • Untitled completed episode script (by Steve DeKnight)
  • Untitled completed episode script (by Drew Greenberg)
  • Untitled completed episode script (by Doug Petrie)
  • Untitled unstarted episode script (story set aside for Rebecca Kirshner)

Cast

  • Giselle Loren
    Giselle Loren
    Giselle Loren, sometimes credited as Giselle Achecar, is an actress most famous for her voice-over work in animation and video games. Her credits include an appearance in Happy Feet, a recurring role as Stargirl in Justice League Unlimited and a part as the wife of Curt Connors in the 1990s...

     as Buffy Summers
    Buffy Summers
    Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...

  • Alyson Hannigan
    Alyson Hannigan
    Alyson Lee Hannigan is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.-Early life:Hannigan was born in...

     as Willow Rosenberg
    Willow Rosenberg
    Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...

  • Nicholas Brendon
    Nicholas Brendon
    Nicholas Brendon , is an actor best known for his character Xander Harris in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer .-Early life:...

     as Xander Harris
    Xander Harris
    Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...

  • Anthony Stewart Head
    Anthony Head
    Anthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...

     as Rupert Giles
    Rupert Giles
    Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...

  • Charisma Carpenter
    Charisma Carpenter
    Charisma Lee Carpenter is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cordelia Chase in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel, for which she was nominated for four Saturn Awards. In her most recent film she starred opposite Sylvester Stallone and Jason...

     as Cordelia Chase
    Cordelia Chase
    Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...

  • Michelle Trachtenberg
    Michelle Trachtenberg
    Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...

     as Dawn Summers
    Dawn Summers
    Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every...

  • Kristine Sutherland
    Kristine Sutherland
    Kristine Sutherland is an actress best known for her role as Buffy Summers' mother Joyce Summers on the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer.-Early life:...

     as Joyce Summers
    Joyce Summers
    Joyce Summers is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Kristine Sutherland, Joyce is the mother of the main character, Buffy Summers . Joyce appears regularly from the first episode until the character's death in the fifth season episode "The...

  • Armin Shimerman
    Armin Shimerman
    Armin Shimerman is an American actor. Shimerman is best known for playing the Ferengi bartender Quark in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kramer's caddy Stan on Seinfeld, voicing Dr. Nefarious in the Ratchet & Clank series, and Andrew...

     as Principal Snyder
    Principal Snyder
    Principal R. Snyder is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Armin Shimerman. Shimerman originally auditioned for the role of Flutie, but lost that role to Ken Lerner...

  • David Boreanaz
    David Boreanaz
    David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....

     as Angel


Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...

 was not interested in returning to the role. Giselle Loren had already voiced Buffy in the Buffy video games, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a 2002 Xbox video game based upon the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. It is the second video game based on the franchise to be released, though the earliest in terms of setting and the first for a console...

and Chaos Bleeds
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds is a video game and the fourth video game based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. It is the first multiplatform game in the franchise as well as the first game in the franchise to allow players to control characters other than Buffy Summers and also...

.

Leak

On August 1, 2008, the four minute unaired presentation was leaked online via YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

.

Support of members of the cast

On August 20, 2008, Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon , is an actor best known for his character Xander Harris in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer .-Early life:...

 said on his audiolog:

On August 26, 2008, Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...

 declared in an interview to MTV:

Quotes

Jane Espenson
Jane Espenson
Jane Espenson is an American script writer and television producer who has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and shared a Hugo Award for her writing on the episode "Conversations with Dead People"...

has revealed only two short extracts from the scripts on her website:
  • 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.


Sorry, that was kinda lame.

Information


Interviews


Quotes and trivia

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