Buffyverse canon
Encyclopedia
The Buffyverse canon consists of materials that are thought to be genuine (or "official") and those events, characters, settings, etc., that are considered to have inarguable existence within the fictional universe established by the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Buffyverse
is expanded through other additional materials such as comics, novels, pilots, promos and video games which do not necessarily take place in exactly the same fictional continuity as the Buffy episodes and Angel episodes. Doctor Who
, Star Trek
, Star Wars
,Stargate
and other prolific sci-fi and fantasy franchises have similarly gathered complex fictional continuities through hundreds of stories told in different formats.
), things that are not canon are considered "apocryphal
." When a body of work is not specifically accepted or rejected by an authority, "canon" can be a fluid term that is interpreted differently by different people. This is the case with "Buffyverse canon," which has yet to be publicly defined by an authority to the satisfaction and consensus of all observers (see: links to canon debates). The creator of the Buffyverse, Joss Whedon
, has implied that additional materials he was not heavily involved in creating were separate from canon. When asked in an interview about canon, Whedon stated:
are considered canonical.
". The Buffyverse novels
, and Buffyverse comics
are licensed by 20th Century Fox
, but are generally considered 'less real' within the Buffyverse (apocryphal
).
Despite this, they have been licensed as official Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel merchandise. Furthermore, many authors have said that Whedon or his office have had to approve their overall outline for their novel or comic if not the final product. This was to prevent the stories venturing too far from the original intentions of Buffy/Angel stories (see below). These works are commonly considered non-canon. Jeff Mariotte
, author of Buffyverse novels and comics has said:
In a separate interview, Whedon spoke of the planning process for the series:
Whedon has also written the comic mini-series Long Night's Journey, as well as short stories for Tales of the Slayers
and Tales of the Vampires
.
Fray
is an eight-part comic series written by Whedon, about a vampire slayer of the future named Melaka Fray. In the Buffyverse, a powerful scythe used by Buffy is found in centuries to come by Melaka Fray. In 2001, whilst Whedon was still producing Buffy he spoke about his concern of implications of information established by Fray
(and Buffy comics generally) affecting the canon Buffyverse:
However, the Buffy series finale did not match continuity set by Fray. In Fray no mention is made of the Slayer
's essence being split amongst multiple women. When asked about the apparent contradictions between Buffy and Fray, Whedon responded:
In an interview with TV Guide, Whedon revealed that he considered TV tie-in comics to be "ancillary" unless written by the script-writers:
. Doug Petrie wrote comics, Ring of Fire
, Double Cross, and Bad Dog.
Jane Espenson has written comics, (Haunted
, Jonathan
, and Reunion
), as well as two Tales of the Slayer
prose shorts ("Again, Sunnydale" and "Two Teenage Girls at the Mall"). Rebecca Rand Kirshner also wrote a prose short story for Tales of the Slayer, "The War Between the States".
. James Marsters
who portrayed Spike
, co-authored "Paint the Town Red", whilst Amber Benson
co-authored Willow & Tara
. Benson also wrote the comic short story "The Innocent".
For example, according to Monster Island
, Spike and Gunn
meet in the Hyperion Hotel in Angel Season 3; however, the canonical Angel TV series later established that Spike and Gunn meet in the Wolfram and Hart L.A. offices in Angel Season 5.
Some of the licensed materials successfully avoid contradicting any information given in episodes. For example, How I Survived My Summer Vacation features short stories that take place after Buffy Season 1 but before Season 2.
Referring to Whedon, Christopher Golden said:
In a separate interview, Golden said:
Similarly, Peter David
, was asked about his comic, Spike: Old Times
, said:
Jeff Mariotte has revealed more detail of the approval process:
Mariotte implies that little input is given, only acceptance or rejection of general ideas:
When asked how much attention he pays to licensed works, Whedon said:
Elsewhere, Whedon has pointed out that he has never entirely read a single Buffy novel, and has little time to devote to such material. He therefore knows little of the final product, or of their quality control.
by Christopher Golden and Dan Brereton
, as canonical. An adaptation of the 1992 Buffy film
which was reworked to fit the television series' continuity, Whedon said this of the comic:
Brian Lynch, writer of Spike: Asylum and Spike: Shadow Puppets
, had no involvement in the production of the Buffy or Angel television series, but was charged by Joss Whedon with producing the canonical comic series Angel: After The Fall
. Betta George, a character created by Lynch, has since been brought into the official canon. Angel: After the Fall also makes explicit reference to Spike: Asylum within its pages. After After the Fall became an ongoing series penned by various writers, the canonicity of later stories is somewhat nebulous without the explicit say-so of those involved or Whedon himself.
, the 1992 comedy film starring Kristy Swanson
as Buffy, was written by Joss Whedon and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui
. In 2001, Whedon described his experience watching the film:
The film contradicts continuity established by the Buffy television series; for example, the nature of vampires differs in significant ways: in the film, vampires do not have "vamp" faces whilst feeding, and can fly. They also do not turn into dust when killed. As noted above, the canonicity of this film is superseded by The Origin
.
to help sell the series concept, but he was not happy with the final product (he has been quoted in an interview about the pilot, "It sucks on ass"). The story is nearly identical to the plot of the first Buffy episode, "Welcome to the Hellmouth
", which supersedes it in canon; there are minor canonical changes, including the recasting of some roles and slight personality changes for some characters.
The unaired Angel pitch tape was produced prior to that series. It features Angel speaking toward the camera (possibly breaking the Fourth wall
) and narrating action seen in clips.
s have been widely released, both of which are found on the Angel Season 3 DVD set (disc six): Amy Acker
's screen test for the role of Winifred Burkle
, and Vincent Kartheiser
's test for the role of Connor
. These are associated with Angel cast and crew. Acker's test involves a scene with the characters, Fred, Wesley and Gunn. Fred tries and fails to alert Wesley to an imminent danger but Wesley (and later Gunn) are struck by a love spell which causes them to profess their love for her. Kartheiser's test involves the characters Connor and Angel. Connor wishes to leave the Hyperion, but Angel attempts to stop him. It was noted that in this screen test, Connor was not Angel's son, but a boy who had come to live with him.
and UPN
featured Buffyverse actors portraying their characters in original material. For example, Sarah Michelle Gellar
appeared as Buffy for 1-800-COLLECT adverts. Similarly Nicholas Brendon
played Xander in Barq's
commercials. Some Buffy Season 6 UPN promos consisted of the Scooby Gang talking about Buffy. Whedon's degree of involvement in the making of such promotional clips is not publicly known.
do not contradict continuity established by the series. Furthermore, many of the actors from the shows have provided their voices for the games. Joss Whedon was involved in Chaos Bleeds
, and appears in the game's special features.
have at various times gone into the early stages of development with potential Buffyverse spinoffs that were ultimately unproduced. Faith the Vampire Slayer, Ripper, Slayer School, and the Spike movie would have taken place within the same fictional continuity. Buffy the Animated Series
may have followed a slightly alternative continuity since promotional artwork has shown that the Sunnydale High library would have looked dramatically different than it had in the Buffy episodes.
The David Fury-written script, "Corrupt", establishes an alternative continuity after the premiere Angel episode, "City of". Events that take place in the story are instead superseded by the continuity of the second Angel episode, "Lonely Hearts
", the episode which was written to replace "Corrupt".
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
is expanded through other additional materials such as comics, novels, pilots, promos and video games which do not necessarily take place in exactly the same fictional continuity as the Buffy episodes and Angel episodes. Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
,Stargate
Stargate
Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
and other prolific sci-fi and fantasy franchises have similarly gathered complex fictional continuities through hundreds of stories told in different formats.
Definition
Using the religious analogy of a canon of scripture (see Biblical canonBiblical canon
A biblical canon, or canon of scripture, is a list of books considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular religious community. The term itself was first coined by Christians, but the idea is found in Jewish sources. The internal wording of the text can also be specified, for example...
), things that are not canon are considered "apocryphal
Apocrypha (fiction)
In the context of fiction, apocrypha includes those fictional stories that do not belong within a fictional universe's canon, yet still have some authority relating to that fictional universe...
." When a body of work is not specifically accepted or rejected by an authority, "canon" can be a fluid term that is interpreted differently by different people. This is the case with "Buffyverse canon," which has yet to be publicly defined by an authority to the satisfaction and consensus of all observers (see: links to canon debates). The creator of the Buffyverse, 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...
, has implied that additional materials he was not heavily involved in creating were separate from canon. When asked in an interview about canon, Whedon stated:
Canon listing
This is an overview of what has been dubbed official Buffyverse canon by series creator Joss Whedon:- All 144 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- All 110 episodes of AngelAngel (TV series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
- The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season EightBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season EightBuffy 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 series - The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season NineBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season NineBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine is the sequel to the Season Eight comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
comic series - The Angel: After the FallAngel: After the FallAngel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
comic series and spin-off Spike: After the Fall (Spike and Angel continuing series) - The FrayFrayFray is an eight-issue comic book limited series, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time where vampires are returning to the slums of New York City, and the...
comic series - The Tales of the SlayersTales of the SlayersTales of the Slayers is a Dark Horse Comics Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novel that consists of multiple stories written by Joss Whedon, Amber Benson, and others which tell of different members of the Slayer line....
comic series - The Tales of the VampiresTales of the VampiresTales of the Vampires is a five issue American comic book limited series , published by Dark Horse Comics and set in the Buffyverse. It comprises an anthology of short stories written by Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, Ben Edlund, and Drew Goddard...
comic series - The OriginThe Origin (Buffy comic)The Origin is a series of comics set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe. It retells the events of the movie by adapting, and remaining faithful to, Joss Whedon's original script...
comic series
Television series
The events seen on-screen in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and AngelAngel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
are considered canonical.
Comics and novels
Outside of the TV series, the Buffyverse has been expanded and elaborated on by various authors and artists in the so-called "Buffyverse Expanded UniverseExpanded Universe
The term Expanded Universe is generally used to denote the 'extension' of a media franchise with other media...
". The Buffyverse novels
Buffyverse novels
Buffyverse novels include Buffy novels, Angel novels, Buffy/Angel novels and Tales of the Slayer.-History:-BS1:These Buffyverse tales take place around Buffy Season 1 .-BS2:...
, and Buffyverse comics
Buffyverse comics
This is a List of Buffyverse comics including different categories of different types of publications.-Categories:*Buffy comics. These were published by Dark Horse, originally in comic format but then gathered into volumes of trade paperbacks. They were published from 1998 until 2004. A small...
are licensed 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...
, but are generally considered 'less real' within the Buffyverse (apocryphal
Apocrypha (fiction)
In the context of fiction, apocrypha includes those fictional stories that do not belong within a fictional universe's canon, yet still have some authority relating to that fictional universe...
).
Despite this, they have been licensed as official Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel merchandise. Furthermore, many authors have said that Whedon or his office have had to approve their overall outline for their novel or comic if not the final product. This was to prevent the stories venturing too far from the original intentions of Buffy/Angel stories (see below). These works are commonly considered non-canon. Jeff Mariotte
Jeff Mariotte
Jeff Mariotte is an author who currently lives in Arizona with his wife, author Maryelizabeth Hart, and family. As well as his own original work, he is best known for writing novels and comic books based on licensed properties.-Biography:...
, author of Buffyverse novels and comics has said:
Joss Whedon
Work created with Joss Whedon's involvement has been described as canon by commentators, and by Whedon himself. For example he announced in 2005:In a separate interview, Whedon spoke of the planning process for the series:
Whedon has also written the comic mini-series Long Night's Journey, as well as short stories for Tales of the Slayers
Tales of the Slayers
Tales of the Slayers is a Dark Horse Comics Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novel that consists of multiple stories written by Joss Whedon, Amber Benson, and others which tell of different members of the Slayer line....
and Tales of the Vampires
Tales of the Vampires
Tales of the Vampires is a five issue American comic book limited series , published by Dark Horse Comics and set in the Buffyverse. It comprises an anthology of short stories written by Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, Ben Edlund, and Drew Goddard...
.
Fray
Fray
Fray is an eight-issue comic book limited series, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time where vampires are returning to the slums of New York City, and the...
is an eight-part comic series written by Whedon, about a vampire slayer of the future named Melaka Fray. In the Buffyverse, a powerful scythe used by Buffy is found in centuries to come by Melaka Fray. In 2001, whilst Whedon was still producing Buffy he spoke about his concern of implications of information established by Fray
Fray
Fray is an eight-issue comic book limited series, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time where vampires are returning to the slums of New York City, and the...
(and Buffy comics generally) affecting the canon Buffyverse:
However, the Buffy series finale did not match continuity set by Fray. In Fray no mention is made of the Slayer
Slayer (Buffyverse)
A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young female bestowed with mystical powers that originate from the essence of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness...
's essence being split amongst multiple women. When asked about the apparent contradictions between Buffy and Fray, Whedon responded:
In an interview with TV Guide, Whedon revealed that he considered TV tie-in comics to be "ancillary" unless written by the script-writers:
Mutant Enemy
Several of the comics have been written by the scriptwriters of Mutant Enemy ProductionsMutant Enemy Productions
Mutant Enemy Productions is the production company created in 1997 by Joss Whedon to produce Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The company also produced the Buffy spin-off, Angel, and his two short-lived science fiction series, the space western Firefly and his high-concept Dollhouse, produced by 20th...
. Doug Petrie wrote comics, Ring of Fire
Ring of Fire (Buffy comic)
Ring of Fire is a trade paperback collecting comic stories based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.-Story description:...
, Double Cross, and Bad Dog.
Jane Espenson has written comics, (Haunted
Haunted (Buffy comic)
Haunted is a trade paperback collecting comic stories based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. The story features the first appearance of Faith in Buffy comics -General synopsis:Faith tells Angel a story that takes place immediately after she was put into a coma...
, Jonathan
Jonathan (Buffy comic)
Jonathan is a comic, a story based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.-Story description:Only one person can save Sunnydale from Russian vampire mobsters, surprisingly that is Jonathan Levinson. Jonathan gets help from the Slayer and her pals. It seems Jonathan is quite the legend,...
, and Reunion
Reunion (Buffy comic)
Reunion is a comic based on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.-Story description:Willow recently called Angel and announced that Buffy was alive. Angel called Buffy and the two agreed to meet at a place between Sunnydale and LA...
), as well as two Tales of the Slayer
Tales of the Slayer
Tales of the Slayer are volumes containing prose short stories. Four volumes of this series have been released, all published by Pocket Books...
prose shorts ("Again, Sunnydale" and "Two Teenage Girls at the Mall"). Rebecca Rand Kirshner also wrote a prose short story for Tales of the Slayer, "The War Between the States".
Buffyverse cast
Two actors have co-authored comics with Christopher GoldenChristopher Golden
Christopher Golden is an American author of horror, fantasy, and suspense novels for adults, teens, and young readers.Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. He is a graduate of Tufts University...
. James Marsters
James Marsters
James Wesley Marsters is an American actor and musician. Marsters first came to the attention of the general public playing the popular character Spike, a platinum-blond yobbish English vampire in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel from 1997 to 2004...
who portrayed Spike
Spike (Buffyverse)
Spike, played by James Marsters, is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Spike is a vampire and played various roles on the shows, ranging from villain to anti-hero. For Marsters, the role as Spike began a career in science...
, co-authored "Paint the Town Red", whilst Amber Benson
Amber Benson
Amber Nicole Benson is an American actress, writer, film director, and film producer. She is best known for her role as Tara Maclay on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but has also directed, produced and starred in her own films Chance and Lovers, Liars & Lunatics...
co-authored Willow & Tara
Willow & Tara (Buffy comic)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow and Tara is a trade paperback anthology collection published by Dark Horse Comics in 2002 and based on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
. Benson also wrote the comic short story "The Innocent".
Works by other authors
All other Buffyverse comics and novels were written by authors that were not involved with any level of production of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel. The creators of these works are generally free to tell their own stories set in the Buffyverse, and may or may not keep to established continuity. Similarly, writers for the TV series were under no obligation to use continuity which has been established by the Expanded Universe, and sometimes contradicted it.Continuity problems
Usually the authors and editors of these licensed materials try not to contradict information that has been established by canon. However, many of the materials do directly contradict it. Jeff Mariotte has said:For example, according to Monster Island
Monster Island (Buffy/Angel novel)
Monster Island is an original novel based on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. The plot revolves around the Scooby Gang and the Angel Investigations team joining forces to defeat General Axtius, the father of Angel's deceased ally Doyle.-Plot summary:Doyle's pureblood...
, Spike and Gunn
Charles Gunn
Charles Gunn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, Angel. The character is portrayed by J. August Richards, and was named by Whedon after filmmaker James Gunn and actor Sean Gunn, both of whom had worked with Whedon...
meet in the Hyperion Hotel in Angel Season 3; however, the canonical Angel TV series later established that Spike and Gunn meet in the Wolfram and Hart L.A. offices in Angel Season 5.
Some of the licensed materials successfully avoid contradicting any information given in episodes. For example, How I Survived My Summer Vacation features short stories that take place after Buffy Season 1 but before Season 2.
Joss Whedon's involvement
A number of comments by Buffyverse writers have indicated that although they know they are not writing Buffyverse canon, overviews for their stories may still have been checked over by Whedon.Referring to Whedon, Christopher Golden said:
In a separate interview, Golden said:
Similarly, Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
, was asked about his comic, Spike: Old Times
Spike: Old Times (Angel comic)
Spike: Old Times is a comic based on the Angel television series.-Story description:Spike struggles to protect a man from Halfrek, a vengeance demon who has wronged Spike in the past; she in fact had been the object of his unrequited crush....
, said:
Jeff Mariotte has revealed more detail of the approval process:
Mariotte implies that little input is given, only acceptance or rejection of general ideas:
When asked how much attention he pays to licensed works, Whedon said:
Elsewhere, Whedon has pointed out that he has never entirely read a single Buffy novel, and has little time to devote to such material. He therefore knows little of the final product, or of their quality control.
Sanction by Joss Whedon
In one instance, Whedon has endorsed a comic neither written nor supervised by him, The OriginThe Origin (Buffy comic)
The Origin is a series of comics set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe. It retells the events of the movie by adapting, and remaining faithful to, Joss Whedon's original script...
by Christopher Golden and Dan Brereton
Dan Brereton
Dan Brereton is an American professional writer and illustrator who has produced notable work in the comic book field.-Biography:...
, as canonical. An adaptation of the 1992 Buffy film
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a 1992 American action/comedy/horror film about a Valley girl cheerleader named Buffy who learns that it is her fate to hunt vampires. The original script for the film was written by Joss Whedon, who later created the darker and more acclaimed TV series of the same name...
which was reworked to fit the television series' continuity, Whedon said this of the comic:
Brian Lynch, writer of Spike: Asylum and Spike: Shadow Puppets
Spike: Shadow Puppets
Spike: Shadow Puppets is a limited series comic book based on the Angel television series. The Spike centric comic was released by IDW Publishing from June 2007 through October 2007. The four issues were collected together in a single trade paperback in December, 2007.-Continuity:* The continuity...
, had no involvement in the production of the Buffy or Angel television series, but was charged by Joss Whedon with producing the canonical comic series Angel: After The Fall
Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
. Betta George, a character created by Lynch, has since been brought into the official canon. Angel: After the Fall also makes explicit reference to Spike: Asylum within its pages. After After the Fall became an ongoing series penned by various writers, the canonicity of later stories is somewhat nebulous without the explicit say-so of those involved or Whedon himself.
Other Buffyverse productions
Excluding the Buffy and Angel television episodes, novels, and comics, there have been a variety of other official productions set within the Buffyverse. They are largely regarded as apocryphal, and some are contradicted by other canonical works.Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992 film)
Buffy the Vampire SlayerBuffy the Vampire Slayer (film)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a 1992 American action/comedy/horror film about a Valley girl cheerleader named Buffy who learns that it is her fate to hunt vampires. The original script for the film was written by Joss Whedon, who later created the darker and more acclaimed TV series of the same name...
, the 1992 comedy film starring Kristy Swanson
Kristy Swanson
Kristen Nöel "Kristy" Swanson is an American actress best known for playing Buffy in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she also played Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger in the movie version of the V.C...
as Buffy, was written by Joss Whedon and directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui
Fran Rubel Kuzui
Fran Rubel Kuzui is an American movie director and producer. She received her Masters degree from New York University and was a script supervisor for a decade, prior to her first film, 1988's Tokyo Pop, which she co-wrote and directed...
. In 2001, Whedon described his experience watching the film:
The film contradicts continuity established by the Buffy television series; for example, the nature of vampires differs in significant ways: in the film, vampires do not have "vamp" faces whilst feeding, and can fly. They also do not turn into dust when killed. As noted above, the canonicity of this film is superseded by The Origin
The Origin (Buffy comic)
The Origin is a series of comics set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe. It retells the events of the movie by adapting, and remaining faithful to, Joss Whedon's original script...
.
Television pilots
Whedon wrote and partly funded a 25-minute unaired Buffy pilotUnaired Buffy pilot
The non-broadcast pilot episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was produced by 20th Century Fox in 1996 to pitch a series to networks. The twenty-five-and-a-half-minute production was written and directed by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, and was expanded upon and re-shot for the first episode of the series...
to help sell the series concept, but he was not happy with the final product (he has been quoted in an interview about the pilot, "It sucks on ass"). The story is nearly identical to the plot of the first Buffy episode, "Welcome to the Hellmouth
Welcome to the Hellmouth
"Welcome to the Hellmouth" is the series premiere of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This episode and "The Harvest" were originally aired as a two-part series premiere on The WB Television Network...
", which supersedes it in canon; there are minor canonical changes, including the recasting of some roles and slight personality changes for some characters.
The unaired Angel pitch tape was produced prior to that series. It features Angel speaking toward the camera (possibly breaking the Fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
) and narrating action seen in clips.
Screen tests
Two Buffyverse screen testScreen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable...
s have been widely released, both of which are found on the Angel Season 3 DVD set (disc six): Amy Acker
Amy Acker
Amy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria and on Alias as Kelly Peyton. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse.-Early life:Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she...
's screen test for the role of Winifred Burkle
Winifred Burkle
Winifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character history:...
, and Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Paul Kartheiser is an American actor known for playing Connor in Angel and Pete Campbell in Mad Men.-Early life:Kartheiser was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Janet Marie and James Ralph Kartheiser...
's test for the role of Connor
Connor (Buffyverse)
Connor is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and Tim Minear for the television series Angel. The character is portrayed as an infant by the triplets Connor, Jake and Trenton Tupen and as a teenager by Vincent Kartheiser...
. These are associated with Angel cast and crew. Acker's test involves a scene with the characters, Fred, Wesley and Gunn. Fred tries and fails to alert Wesley to an imminent danger but Wesley (and later Gunn) are struck by a love spell which causes them to profess their love for her. Kartheiser's test involves the characters Connor and Angel. Connor wishes to leave the Hyperion, but Angel attempts to stop him. It was noted that in this screen test, Connor was not Angel's son, but a boy who had come to live with him.
Promos
Some promotional material aired on WBThe WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
and UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
featured Buffyverse actors portraying their characters in original material. For example, 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...
appeared as Buffy for 1-800-COLLECT adverts. Similarly 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:...
played Xander in Barq's
Barq's
-External links:* - Official website* - The History of Root Beer...
commercials. Some Buffy Season 6 UPN promos consisted of the Scooby Gang talking about Buffy. Whedon's degree of involvement in the making of such promotional clips is not publicly known.
Video games
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer video gamesBuffy video games
Several official video game adaptations of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer have been released:-Buffy the Vampire Slayer :Released in 2000 for Game Boy Color. Set in the fourth season...
do not contradict continuity established by the series. Furthermore, many of the actors from the shows have provided their voices for the games. Joss Whedon was involved in 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...
, and appears in the game's special features.
Undeveloped productions
Mutant Enemy ProductionsMutant Enemy Productions
Mutant Enemy Productions is the production company created in 1997 by Joss Whedon to produce Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The company also produced the Buffy spin-off, Angel, and his two short-lived science fiction series, the space western Firefly and his high-concept Dollhouse, produced by 20th...
have at various times gone into the early stages of development with potential Buffyverse spinoffs that were ultimately unproduced. Faith the Vampire Slayer, Ripper, Slayer School, and the Spike movie would have taken place within the same fictional continuity. Buffy the Animated Series
Buffy the Animated Series
Buffy the Animated Series is an animated television series concept based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss Whedon. Initially greenlit by 20th Century Fox in 2002, it went ultimately unproduced and unaired when no network was willing to buy the series...
may have followed a slightly alternative continuity since promotional artwork has shown that the Sunnydale High library would have looked dramatically different than it had in the Buffy episodes.
The David Fury-written script, "Corrupt", establishes an alternative continuity after the premiere Angel episode, "City of". Events that take place in the story are instead superseded by the continuity of the second Angel episode, "Lonely Hearts
Lonely Hearts (Angel episode)
"Lonely Hearts" is the second episode of season one of the television show Angel. Written by David Fury and directed by James A. Contner, it was originally broadcast on October 12, 1999 on the WB network. In "Lonely Hearts", Angel Investigations looks into a series of killings linked to a trendy...
", the episode which was written to replace "Corrupt".