Joss Whedon

I’ve said this in the past, and I don’t mind saying it again: Television without Joss Whedon is like popcorn without butter. There’s just no point. I’m one of those loyal Whedon junkies that follows him from show to show. I first got hooked on his work about half way through the debut season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Admittedly, it took a little while for friends to get me to tune in (thanks to the debacle of a movie that Whedon ultimately wasn’t responsible for), but after a single episode, that was that and I was hooked. So badly, in fact, I now own every episode of Buffy, Angel, Firefly, the Serenity movie, a ton of graphic novels and comic books, and a whole host of memorabilia to boot.

Yes, I’m a junkie. And, frankly, I’m proud of it.

So, what’s so great about Joss? He’s the Shrek of storytelling. His shows have layers - and lots of them. Take Buffy for example. Peel away the first layer and the show seems like nothing more than a good teen horror. Pull back another layer and you find fresh, funny, and almost always witty writing. Another layer removed reveals characters that are so three-dimensional they "feel" real. Skin that Shrek onion one last time and what you find hidden in that "teen horror" is a fantastic epic battle between good and evil that happens to also focus on very real, everyday problems, as well. Toss in a creepy monster or two and the charming English accent of Anthony Stewart Head and you’ve got a show that appeals to people of all ages.

The same mastery can be found in Firefly and Angel, too. All three of Whedon’s little screen productions stood on their own, even though Angel is technically a spin off.

It is for the above reasons I was thrilled to hear that iTunes was adding some of FOX’s old programming. Right now Buffy - Season One is available along with Firefly’s short but incredibly good single-season showing.

The iTune’s placement gives me hope that into each generation a Joss Whedon fan will be born, or more accurately, lots of them. Selfish on my part, I admit, but the more fans the merrier. Perhaps if the legion of loyal grows, Whedon’s work will continue many, many movies and shows beyond the upcoming release of Wonder Woman.

A world with a Whedon release always on the horizon would be shiny indeed.