Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Zap2it.com :

Concluding months of Internet speculation, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar will indeed be hanging up her wooden stakes come May at the conclusion of the show’s seventh season.

While Gellar has given Entertainment Weekly an exclusive regarding her departure for its March 7 issue, sources close to the UPN series confirm to Zap2it.com that the actress will not be part of the cast should "Buffy" return in the fall.

Much about the fate of the show remains up in the air. Core cast members Alyson Hannigan and Nicholas Brendon have both said they believe it’s the final year for the show, but no official word has come down from "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon, UPN or producer 20th Century Fox.

Rumors of a possible spin-off still run rampant, although the most likely candidate — based on the character of Buffy’s fellow slayer Faith — now seems iffy at best since actress Eliza Dushku (who plays the recurring role on both "Buffy" and "Angel") has signed on for a drama pilot with FOX.

Making official what has been pretty much a foregone conclusion, UPN announced Thursday (Feb. 27) that "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" will end its seven-season run on Tuesday, May 20. Creator Joss Whedon will write and direct the final episode.

Earlier this week, Zap2it.com and other news outlets reported that star Sarah Michelle Gellar would leave the show at the end of the season. And while UPN, Whedon and 20th Century Fox, which produces the show, are talking about a spin-off, "Buffy" as we know it will end with Gellar’s departure.

"I’m just glad I can say we did our best on every single episode. We didn’t always succeed, but we never slacked, and I’m immensely proud of my writers, actors and crew for that," Whedon says.

Of course, the voluble and sometimes goofy Whedon has more. He jokingly adds, "I’m proud of what this show means (except for that whole weird ’Feminist’ thing people attached to it. What was that all about? Girls are stupid.) I truly believe that in years to come, people will look back and say ’That was a show that was on TV.’ Yessir. I truly do."

"Buffy" premiered in March 1997 on The WB, re-inventing and greatly deepening the character Whedon first wrote for a 1992 feature film. It moved to UPN last season.

Over the course of what will be 144 episodes, the show became the definition of a cult hit, developing an intensely loyal audience and having an impact on pop culture larger than its usually small viewership. Although it was usually overlooked by awards voters, it did earn a handful of Emmy nominations, winning twice in 1998 for makeup and music composition. Whedon was nominated for writing the 1999 episode "Hush."

The show is scheduled to be in repeats for the next several weeks. The final original episodes will show Buffy and Co. battling the ultimate evil known as The First.

Beyond that, no one is saying anything definite. "We’re still in discussions [with Whedon], and they’ve ranged in many different places, many different directions," UPN Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff says of spin-off discussions. "But we’re not prepared to announce anything yet."

The most prevalent rumor has concerned a new show built around rogue slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), who will appear in the final "Buffy" episodes. Dushku, however, has signed to star in the drama pilot "Heroine" for FOX that could quash the idea.

Yahoo.com :

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Put a stake in her — Sarah Michelle Gellar’s had enough of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

The actress has confirmed to producer Joss Whedon something most industry insiders have assumed for months — that this season will be her last with the UPN series, people connected to the show said.

Her departure also means "Buffy" — at least in its current incarnation — will finish in May, something that’s also not much of a surprise, given the show’s apocalyptic storylines this season.

Still to be decided: whether the producers and UPN will proceed with a new "Buffy" spin-off, or whether the franchise will simply end.

WB Entertainment president Jordan Levin said Tuesday he is hopeful but not certain that "Angel", a "Buffy" spin-off launched in 1999, will be back next autumn.

Variety.com :

Put a stake in her: Sarah Michelle Gellar’s done with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Thesp has confirmed to producer Joss Whedon something most industry insiders have assumed for months — namely, that this season will be her last with the UPN skein, according to insiders connected to the show. Her departure also likely means "Buffy," at least in its current incarnation, will wrap in May, something that’s also not much of a shocker, given the show’s apocalyptic storylines this season. Still to be decided: whether Whedon, 20th and UPN will proceed with a new "Buffy" spinoff, or whether the franchise will simply end. WB Entertainment prexy Jordan Levin said Tuesday he’s hopeful but not certain that "Angel," a "Buffy" spinoff launched in 1999, will be back next fall.

CNN.com :

HOLLYWOOD, California (Variety) — Sarah Michelle Gellar’s done with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

The actress has confirmed to producer Joss Whedon something most industry insiders have assumed for months — namely, that this season will be her last with the UPN series, according to people connected to the show.

Her departure also likely means "Buffy," at least in its current incarnation, will wrap in May, something that’s also not much of a shocker, given the show’s apocalyptic storylines this season.

Still to be decided: whether the producers and UPN will proceed with a new "Buffy" spinoff, or whether the franchise will simply end. WB Entertainment president Jordan Levin said Tuesday he’s hopeful but not certain that "Angel," a "Buffy" spinoff launched in 1999, will be back next fall.

TVguide.com :

The Chosen One has finally made her decision: Sarah Michelle Gellar will exit Buffy the Vampire Slayer at the end of the season, TV Guide Online has learned. Although UPN and 20th Century Fox declined to comment, sources confirm that the 25-year-old actress - whose Buffy contract expires in May - is leaving the cult-classic series to pursue her film career full time.

Talk of Gellar’s probable Buffy departure has been gathering steam for months. Adding fuel to the fire: the recent announcement that the Scooby-Doo star will begin shooting the feature Romantic Comedy in August, around the time she would have been returning to work on a new season of Buffy. As one Gellar confidante puts it, "You do the math."

And if Buffy fans think that bites, there’s more bad news. That rumored spinoff starring Eliza Dushku, who plays Buffy’s rival slayer Faith, is now occupying a plot at the Sunnydale Cemetery. Dushku, who had apparently been knee-deep in discussions to succeed Gellar in a Buffy offshoot, has instead signed on to headline the Fox pilot Heroine.

Still, not all hope is lost. As Buffy creator Joss Whedon told TV Guide Online in October, a Dushku-led series is "one of many" possibilities he’s considering. Among the others: a show revolving around Buffy’s kid sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) or sidekick Willow (Alyson Hannigan).

Incidentally, during an interview with TV Guide Online last year, Gellar said she believes Buffy could - and should - forge ahead, even if that means anointing a new Slayer. "Absolutely," she offered. "I don’t know if it would be Buffy the Vampire Slayer per se, because you kind of need Buffy for that. But it doesn’t mean that there’s not Dawn and [reformed vengeance demon] Anya. There are a lot of characters that could easily go on, and I’d hope that they would."

The silver lining in the clouds for Buffy fans? Gellar’s swan song will reunite her with TV soulmate David Boreanaz. As TV Guide Online reported earlier this month, the Angel leading man has agreed to cross over to his old haunt in May, so that the do-gooder vamp can bid farewell to his Chosen One at the same time as we do ours. - Michael Ausiello

Nypost.com

February 27, 2003 — ’BUFFY the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar has driven the last nail into the show’s coffin. "’Buffy,’ in this incarnation, is over," Gellar tells Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive interview. "This is so weird. This is like the first time I’ve really said it.

"You always worry about being the show that’s been on too long - especially when you’re a cult hit," Gellar says in the magazine’s March 7 issue. "Last year, a lot of people were ready to tear us down.

"[So when] we started to have such a strong year this year, I thought, ’This is how I want to go out - on top, at our best.’"

Gellar, who starred with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. in the big-screen version of "Scooby-Doo," says she’s getting older now and wants to spend more time with Prinze.

"I was 18 when I started the show; I’m 26. I’m married. I never see my husband . . . it feels right, and you have to listen to that," she says.

"The show, as we know it, is over."

Gellar’s pronouncement only confirms what "Buffy" fans and industry types have been buzzing about for months now - that the show has finally run its course after spending seven seasons on the air (five on The WB, two on UPN) and launching a spinoff ("Angel").

Gellar tells EW that "Buffy" will end with a five-part story arc in which fellow "slayer" Faith will return - with some surprise deaths and an appearance by Angel (David Boreanaz) in the final episode.

"We’re gearing up to tell a fabulous, huge, great arc," Gellar says. "It’s going to be pretty spectacular."

"Buffy" creator Joss Whedon is planning yet another spinoff, on which Gellar has promised to make some guest-starring turns.

"I would love to come back [for some episodes] - assuming, of course, that they don’t kill [Buffy]," she says. "I love this job, I love the fans. This isn’t about leaving for a career in movies or in theater - it’s more of a personal decision.

"I need a rest. Teachers get sabbaticals - actors don’t."

And Gellar says she harbors a secret fear about ending the show.

"My biggest fear right now is that people will blame me for [ending] the show," she tells EW. "People are going to think that it’s my fault that their favorite show is going off the air.

"And God knows we’re always looking for someone to blame."

From Jam TV

’Buffy’ is over: Gellar NEW YORK (AP) — Stick a stake in it: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is done.

After seven years, the series will be over at the end of this season, said its star, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

"’Buffy,’ in this incarnation, is over," Gellar told Entertainment Weekly magazine for its March 7 issue, her eyes welling with tears.

The series will wrap up with a five-part story, which will include the return of Faith, the bad-girl slayer, and Buffy’s first love, Angel.

"We’re gearing up to tell a fabulous, huge, great arc," Gellar said. "It’s going to be pretty spectacular."

But the show may come back to life in some form: Its creator, Joss Whedon, is planning a spin-off that may include some "Buffy" cast members. It will be pitched first to UPN, "Buffy’s" home for the past two seasons; for five seasons before that, it was on the WB.

Gellar, 25, gained fame on the cult hit as Buffy Summers, a perky high school student burdened with the responsibility of killing vampires in the seemingly idyllic town of Sunnydale, Calif.

Last summer, she co-starred with Freddie Prinze Jr., who’s now her real-life husband, in a live-action movie version of "Scooby-Doo." A sequel is scheduled for release in March 2004.

From ZENtertainment.com

SMG BUFFY Departure Announcement AftermathPosted on Thursday, February 27 @ 09:24:34 EST by Ajax (278 reads)

Sarah Michelle Gellar officially comments on her departure from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, while creator Joss Whedon talks about the end of the series, and a bit about his planned spinoff from the show.

USA Today had the word from Gellar:

Stick a stake in it: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is done.

After seven years, the series will be over at the end of this season, said its star, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

"Buffy, in this incarnation, is over," Gellar told Entertainment Weekly magazine for its March 7 issue, her eyes welling with tears.

The series will wrap up with a five-part story, which will include the return of Faith, the bad-girl slayer, and Buffy’s first love, Angel.

"We’re gearing up totell a fabulous, huge, great arc," Gellar said. "It’s going to be pretty spectacular."

But the show may come back to life in some form: Its creator, Joss Whedon, is planning a spin-off that may include some Buffy cast members. It will be pitched first to UPN, Buffy’s home for the past two seasons; for five seasons before that, it was on the WB.

Gellar, 25, gained fame on the cult hit as Buffy Summers, a perky high school student burdened with the responsibility of killing vampires in the seemingly idyllic town of Sunnydale, Calif.

Last summer, she co-starred with Freddie Prinze Jr., who’s now her real-life husband, in a live-action movie version of Scooby-Doo. A sequel is scheduled for release in March 2004.

Variety had this from creator Joss Whedon:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon has officially acknowledging the end of his critically acclaimed UPN series — and is already mulling plans for a spinoff.

With star Sarah Michelle Gellar this week confirming her exit, Whedon Wednesday told Daily Variety the 20th Century Fox TV-produced show wouldn’t go without her or him.

"We’re shuffling off to Buffalo," Whedon said. "Sarah’s decision was wrapped up in mine. We weren’t interested in doing it without the other."

In May, the series will wrap its seven-season run (which began in 1997 on the WB) with an hourlong finale episode penned and directed by Whedon titled "Chosen." Emmy-nominated Whedon and exec producer Marti Noxon have just begun hammering out details of the final three scripts.

While he wouldn’t discuss specifics of the finale, "We’re not going to end it by saying, ’There can be no "Buffy" no more,"’ Whedon said. "But it definitely has a message of emotional and thematic closure that’s as important as anything we’ve said."

UPN execs have indicated their interest in a spinoff of "Buffy," and Whedon said he’s willing. The timetable is up in the air, however.

While UPN would no doubt prefer a new series as early as this fall, "I think ideally the best thing to do would be to wait and not rush anything," Whedon said. "There are paradigms that I’ve posited that could start next year ... (but) whatever came next, it would have to have at its center an idea as worthy as (’Buffy’ and spinoff ’Angel’) were. And somebody who’s pretty."

NO RIGHTS TO SPINOFF

Though UPN doesn’t have the rights to a "Buffy" follow-up, Whedon said the network "came through for us at a time nobody would."

UPN gave a two-year order to "Buffy" after 20th and the WB couldn’t reach agreement on a new license fee deal.

Whedon said he hoped the legacy of "Buffy," which snagged nine Emmy nominations and two wins, would be a series that was "part of the move toward genuinely strong female characters that weren’t cardboard cutouts. The idea was to venerate people who weren’t taken seriously and make a real strong feminist statement."

The WB hasn’t yet decided whether it will bring back "Angel" for a fifth season, but Whedon said he’s upbeat.

"I don’t know where we stand ... but I’m putting my money on this not being the last season," he said. "I love this ... show, and I won’t let myself think this is an end." For now, "Angel" fans can look forward to a guest appearance by "Buffy" star Alyson Hannigan.

From E! Online

Buffy: So Long Sunnydale

by Lia Haberman Feb 26, 2003, 3:00 PM PT



It’s official: Sarah Michelle Gellar has staked her last blood-sucker as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

With her contract up in May, the actress will let the sun go down on Sunnydale at the end of this season, in order to concentrate on her big-screen career.

Earlier this week it was announced that Gellar was close to signing on to the feature film Romantic Comedy. Production on the lovestruck spoof starts in August, ostensibly when Buffy would start filming on its eighth season. The casting news put a stake through Gellar’s return to the UPN series.

Then in today’s Variety, a report confirmed that the 25-year-old had broken the news to her Buffy boss, Joss Whedon.

Gellar won the role of the Chosen One back in 1997 when Buffy the Vampire Slayer was nothing more than a punchline, based on the box-office bomb starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry (how bummed are they not to have signed on for the series?).

Prior to Buffy, Gellar was best known for her sudsy role as Kendall Hart, daughter of scheming Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) on All My Children, for which she won a Daytime Emmy.

Despite its dedicated fan base, Buffy would never win the thespian an Emmy (or even a nomination), but during her seven-season tenure Gellar managed to add multiple credits to her résumé. While pulling double duty as wisecracking schoolgirl and vampire slayer, Gellar also moonlighted during her hiatus in movies like Scream 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, Simply Irresistible and Scooby-Doo.

Gellar’s break-neck schedule is unlikely to slow down, with the actress slated to begin production on Scooby-Doo Too with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. as soon as Buffy wraps. Warner Bros. is eyeing a summer 2004 release for the sequel with a script already in the works for the third installment of the franchise.

Rumors of Gellar’s departure had lurked on the Internet since last summer, when news that Buffy’s sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) would have a larger role in the seventh season, prompting speculation that the demon-battling heroine would pass the stake on to her little sis.

Most recently, Eliza Dushku’s name was put forward as a possible slayer sub for a potential spinoff series. Dushku joined the Scooby gang in the third season as rogue Slayer Faith, but an alliance with the dark side put an end to her time in Sunnydale.

Ultimately, the Hellmouth could go unprotected since a rep for the actress just confirmed she’s inked a pilot deal with Fox for an untitled project from writer John Feldman, which would see Dushku as a morgue employee who talks to the dead instead of staking them. The corpses tell Dushku’s character how they were murdered and every morning she relives the same day, hoping to set things right.

In addition, Buffy’s executive producer Marti Noxon has already been tapped for a new one-hour drama next season, leaving the fate of Sunnydale uncertain.

Still producers maintain the possibility that the slayer mythology lives on. "There’s also been discussions about other characters," Chris Buchanan, president of Mutant Enemy, which produces Buffy and Angel, told E! Online two weeks ago when asked about a possible Dushku spinoff. "We’re definitely exploring a couple of options but it’s not at a deal stage yet because the other things have to happen first."

From Bayarea.com

UPN buries `Buffy’; series to end with five-part finale

NEW YORK (AP) - Stick a stake in it: ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer’’ is done.

After seven years, the series will be over at the end of this season, said its star, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

``’Buffy,’ in this incarnation, is over,’’ Gellar told Entertainment Weekly magazine for its March 7 issue, her eyes welling with tears.

The series will wrap up with a five-part story, which will include the return of Faith, the bad-girl slayer, and Buffy’s first love, Angel.

``We’re gearing up to tell a fabulous, huge, great arc,’’ Gellar said. ``It’s going to be pretty spectacular.’’

But the show may come back to life in some form: Its creator, Joss Whedon, is planning a spin-off that may include some ``Buffy’’ cast members. It will be pitched first to UPN, ``Buffy’s’’ home for the past two seasons; for five seasons before that, it was on the WB.

Gellar, 25, gained fame on the cult hit as Buffy Summers, a perky high school student burdened with the responsibility of killing vampires in the seemingly idyllic town of Sunnydale, Calif.

Last summer, she co-starred with Freddie Prinze Jr., who’s now her real-life husband, in a live-action movie version of ``Scooby-Doo.’’ A sequel is scheduled for release in March 2004.

From Teen Hollywood.com

It’s Final: Bye, Bye Buffy February 27, 2003 by Michael Starr ’Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar has driven the last nail into the show’s coffin.

"’Buffy,’ in this incarnation, is over," Gellar tells Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive interview. "This is so weird. This is like the first time I’ve really said it.

"You always worry about being the show that’s been on too long - especially when you’re a cult hit," Gellar says in the magazine’s March 7 issue. "Last year, a lot of people were ready to tear us down.

"[So when] we started to have such a strong year this year, I thought, ’This is how I want to go out - on top, at our best.’"

Gellar, who starred with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. in the big-screen version of "Scooby-Doo," says she’s getting older now and wants to spend more time with Prinze.

"I was 18 when I started the show; I’m 26. I’m married. I never see my husband . . . it feels right, and you have to listen to that," she says.

"The show, as we know it, is over."

Gellar’s pronouncement only confirms what "Buffy" fans and industry types have been buzzing about for months now - that the show has finally run its course after spending seven seasons on the air (five on The WB, two on UPN) and launching a spinoff ("Angel").

Gellar tells EW that "Buffy" will end with a five-part story arc in which fellow "slayer" Faith will return - with some surprise deaths and an appearance by Angel (David Boreanaz) in the final episode.We’re gearing up to tell a fabulous, huge, great arc," Gellar says. "It’s going to be pretty spectacular."

"Buffy" creator Joss Whedon is planning yet another spinoff, on which Gellar has promised to make some guest-starring turns.

"I would love to come back [for some episodes] - assuming, of course, that they don’t kill [Buffy]," she says. "I love this job, I love the fans. This isn’t about leaving for a career in movies or in theater - it’s more of a personal decision.

"I need a rest. Teachers get sabbaticals - actors don’t."

And Gellar says she harbors a secret fear about ending the show.

"My biggest fear right now is that people will blame me for [ending] the show," she tells EW. "People are going to think that it’s my fault that their favorite show is going off the air.

"And God knows we’re always looking for someone to blame."

From Corona’s Test Pattern at coronaproductions.com...

Gellar Moves On

Wednesday, February 26th, 2003...Ending months of speculation about the fate of her show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar says she is exiting the UPN series after seven seasons.A tearful Gellar, 25, told Entertainment Weekly that "Buffy, in this incarnation, is over," explaining her decision to leave by citing the desire to go out "on top, at our best." Gellar has given the magazine an exclusive regarding her departure, which will appear in the March 7 issue.

According to Gellar, Buffy creator Joss Whedon will indulge viewers with a five-part series finale - concluding May 20th - which as we’ve reported, will include the return of Buffy’s sister-in-arms, Faith, and the do-gooder vampire Angel. "We’re gearing up to tell a fabulous, huge, great arc," Gellar said. "It’s going to be pretty spectacular."

So what’s next for Gellar? After wrapping production on Buffy for good, the actress will trade one Scooby gang for another, reuniting with husband Freddie Prinze Jr. and the rest of the Scooby-Doo cast to shoot that film’s sequel, scheduled for a March 2004 release.

As for the rest of the Buffy cast, there is still no word on whether any or all of them will reprise their roles on a spinoff rumored to be in the works. As always, we’ll keep you apprised of any new developments.

From PRNewswire.com

’Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ Landmark Series to Legions of Fans, to EndProduction After Seven Acclaimed Seasons

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ — After seven memorable seasons as oneof television’s favorite and most critically lauded programs, 20th CenturyFoxTelevision and UPN announced today that BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER will endproduction in April and will broadcast its final original episode onTuesday,May 20 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on UPN. "It’s hard to believe it’s over," said Joss Whedon, BUFFY THE VAMPIRESLAYER’s executive producer and creator. "Well, it’s hard to think at all,orstand, or form vowel sounds, so maybe it’s time to take a break. I’m justglad I can say we did our best on every single episode. We didn’t alwayssucceed, but we never slacked, and I’m immensely proud of my writers, actorsand crew for that. And I’m proud of what this show means (except for thatwhole weird "Feminist" thing people attached to it. What was that allabout?Girls are stupid.) I truly believe that in years to come, people will lookback and say ’that was a show that was on TV.’ Yessir. I truly do." "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER will go down in history as one of television’sbest shows and an enduring testament to the vision and genius of its creatorJoss Whedon," said Dana Walden, President of 20th Century Fox Television."For seven years, Joss, his team of writers led by Marti Noxon and anextraordinary cast led by Sarah Michelle Gellar captured the culturalzeitgeist and effortlessly combined drama, action and humor. Withoutquestion, BUFFY will live on for generationstocome." "We have been very fortunate to be the home to such a landmark series,always brilliantly written and acted," said Dawn Ostroff, President,Entertainment, UPN. "I’d like to send a special thanks to the remarkablytalented actors, producers, writers and crew who worked tirelessly throughtheyears." BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, which premiered on UPN on Oct. 2, 2001, madeitstelevision debut on March 10, 1997. It spawned a spinoff show, "Angel,"whichlaunched in the Fall of 1999. With its finale in May 2003, the total numberofBUFFY episodes produced will be 144. Over the past seven seasons, BUFFY wontwo Emmy Awards and was nominated a total of nine times, including one forJoss Whedon in 2000 for writing the classic episode, "Hush." The show wasalso nominated in 2002 as Best Drama by the American Film Institute and starSarah Michelle Gellar received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in2001. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER has proven to be an international audiencefavorite and has become a successful franchise dominating almost everyelementof media and entertainment.Discussions regarding the future of the BUFFY franchise and a possiblespin-off are ongoing.