The Show
Flash forward to 1997, and Joss Whedon has been attempting ways at bringing Buffy back to life on the small screen. Producing a pilot and putting together a cast of pretty young things (most of whom are in those same roles today), he force-fed TV companies the pilot until the teen-centric WB took note and commissioned a half-season to replace a show that had been cancelled. And so Buffy hit the screens, a quiet little cult phenomenon that was to break ground and shoot to huge international success!
Critics rated the show from the instant it hit the airwaves, claiming it to be a witty post-modern action/fun-fest with great dialogue and a remarkable cast. Who doesn't agree? But it wasn't until the show's second full season that the praise really flowed. The show began to play on a more arc-based season, using monsters and demons as metaphors to represent themes as diverse as dangers of sex, puberty, sibling rivalry, etc. The epic love story that was Buffy and Angel also left critics describing the show as a 'multi-layered gothic soap opera'.
The praise is still coming, Joss Whedon is becoming a very powerful Hollywood figure, and the actors are experiencing attention away from the Buffyverse. All in all, the show is a success in itself, and has made a name for some of the most talented people in the biz, seven seasons (and coutning) on. It's spawned spinoffs, T-shirts, annual sell-out conventions, soundtracks, Emmy nominations (but certainly not enough), and a whole host of memorabilia and happenings - so much so, it's hard to list them all. And if you don't know yet, here's how the story goes...

The Players
Buffy Summers comes to Sunnydale with her mother in early 1997, after being kicked out of her school in Los Angeles for burning down the gym. Cover story - aspestos. Real reason - vamps. But, of course, there's a whole secret identity clause and Buffy don't wanna end up in a mental hospital. As she suits up for her first day at Sunnydale High, she wants to put her slaying past behind her...

However, Rupert Giles puts a stop to that. He informs her of the whole Sunnydale deal - Hellmouth, vampires, mystical energy, bored now! So it's time for Buffy to put on her slayin' legwarmers again and get the dust rolling - she's gotta have a little help from new friends, nerdy Willow and schlub Xander, though! Aside from bitchy comments from Cordelia, regular cryptic visits from mystery man (?) Angel, and countless monsteriffic bad-asses, the Scooby Gang have got it going on! The rest is history - and a very detailed, entertaining, epic one of huge proportions. There have been tragic deaths, new sisters, God-like enemies, jobs to contend with, musical moments, silent moments, a Spike in the Slayer's side, and a whole host of other world-rocking but triumphant developments...

As I am writing this, it is October 2002. The show has just entered its seventh season in the States and there are doubts about the future. However, the quality is still there and so are the characters we love (even if some are over on Angel). Expect the usual villains, heros, luscious ladies, and brilliance galore! It's been a hell of a ride...