Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Five years after Buffy the Vampire Slayer went off the air, the reunion panel at the William S. Paley Festival of Television sold out within two hours of tickets going on sale. Abbie Bernstein heard what the cast and creators had to say about the show.

Star Sarah Michelle Gellar, making her first appearance at a public Buffy event, joined series creator Joss Whedon, seasons one-three executive producer David Greenwalt, seasons six-seven showrunner Marti Noxon and fellow cast members Amber Benson (Tara), Nicholas Brendon (Xander), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Seth Green (Oz), James Marsters (Spike) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn) on stage at Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome.

Here’s just a selection of quotes from the Q& A session…

Michelle Gellar on the character of Buffy:

“I always looked up to her. When I was younger, I would have loved to have had a role model like that.”

Joss Whedon, on Gellar:

“David [Greenwalt] and I would crow when we realised what Sarah could do. We called her Jimmy Stewart – the greatest American in pain ever.”

Michelle Trachtenberg, on the episode where Buffy and Dawn’s mother dies:

“When I read the episode, it was like I was losing a part of myself. [Although there was originally dialogue where Buffy tells Dawn their mother is gone], in the end, there was no sound, and that was one of the most brilliant ideas [Whedon] ever had, because it allows everyone to attach their own emotional plugs.”

Gellar, on the show’s lack of Emmys:

“We had the fans – that’s better than any award. And we got all the fan awards.”

Whedon, on what he misses most:

“With all the love in my heart for the people I’m sitting here with, I miss the writers room. I’ve never been around a group like that, and I don’t think I ever will be again.”

Gellar, on Buffy the show:

“We were constantly doing things that had never been done – we were constantly challenging our audiences and ourselves.”