Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Premiere	March 10, 1997
Finale	May 20, 2003
Airs	FX (Syndication), Pivot (Syndication)
Creator	Joss Whedon
Network/Provider	The WB (seasons 1-5) UPN (seasons 6-7)
Style	60-minute paranormal drama
Company	Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television
Seasons	7
Episodes	144 (List of episodes)
Origin	USA
Watch Now	Buffy the Vampire Slayeron Netflix

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a groundbreaking program that, along with 7th Heaven, helped The WB gain prominence and respectability as a network. The critically acclaimed show is well-known for its intricate universe, which spans more than a millennium, and is gradually revealed over the course of its seven seasons, as well as its eventual spinoff, Angel, and expanded universe.

The core of the show centers around Buffy Summers, an ordinary teenage girl who is imbued with powers from a lineage of heroes dubbed the slayer. The slayer lineage is centered around a mythical line of people who are sworn to protect humankind from supernatural villains, most notably the vampire, a reanimated human who has supernatural healing and strength. Joining a slayer in her destiny is her watcher, a person designated by the Watcher's Council as well-versed in demon and slayer lore who trains and guides that particular slayer until her death.

Although much of the show revolves around Buffy's chosen destiny and the history of the slayer lineage, the show also has a strong focus on her group of friends, termed the Scooby Gang, and how they deal with their own lives as they are thrust into the often cataclysmic events that Buffy deals with everyday. The show's supporting characters proved to be so well developed that a spinoff, Angel, was created that further fleshes out the universe's mythology, eventually housing five original Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters in its main cast.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer comprises of seven television seasons, with the first five being on the WB before moving over to UPN for its final two seasons. In late 2006, Joss Whedon announced that a canonical eighth season will transpire through a comic medium, and will take place a year and a half after the events of the series finale, "Chosen." Due in part to the series' renewed popularity, Whedon is also finalizing talks with BBC to broadcast the first posthumous Buffy television production: a 90-minute TV movie following Giles' youth called Ripper.

Cast

Actor	Character	Duration
Main Cast		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Sarah Michelle Gellar	Buffy Summers	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Nicholas Brendon	Xander Harris	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Alyson Hannigan	Willow Rosenberg	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Charisma Carpenter	Cordelia Chase	*	*	*
Anthony Stewart Head	Rupert Giles	*	*	*	*	*	o	o
David Boreanaz	Angel	o	*	*	o	o		o
Seth Green	Daniel "Oz" Osbourne		o	*	*
Marc Blucas	Riley Finn				*	*	o
James Marsters	Spike		o	o	*	*	*	*
Emma Caulfield	"Anya" Jenkins			o	o	*	*	*
Michelle Trachtenberg	Dawn Summers					*	*	*
Amber Benson	Tara Maclay				o	o	*
Orange/Red/o indicates a recurring or guest role during that season. Dark Green indicates top billing during that season.
Supporting/Recurring Cast		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Julie Benz	Darla	*	*			*
Mercedes McNab	Harmony Kendall	*	*	*	*	*
Kristine Sutherland	Joyce Summers	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Elizabeth Anne Allen	Amy Madison	*	*	*	*		*	*
Robia LaMorte	Jenny Calendar	*	*	*
Juliet Landau	Drusilla		*			*		*
Danny Strong	Jonathan Levinson		*	*	*		*	*
Robin Sachs	Ethan Rayne		*	*	*
Eliza Dushku	Faith Lehane			*	*			*
Adam Busch	Warren Meers					*	*	*
Tom Lenk	Andrew Wells						*	*
D.B. Woodside	Principal Robin Wood							*
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7

Seasons

Seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer have aired on television. The show premiered on The WB, where it ran for five seasons. During the tailend of the fifth season, negotiations between The WB and UPN began for the right to air the sixth season of the show. In the end, UPN won out, and the sixth season's premiere episode, Bargaining, drew the biggest ratings for the entire series. In late 2006, it was announced that Joss Whedon will be penning the first and last arcs of a canonical season eight through a graphic novel medium. Joining him will be fellow former Buffyverse writers, including Drew Goddard and Jane Espenson.

Season	Premiere	Finale				#
Pre-Series
Original Pilot	unaired					—
The WB
Season One	March 10, 1997	June 2, 1997				12
Season Two	September 15, 1997	May 19, 1998				22
Season Three	September 29, 1998	July 13, 1999				22
Season Four	October 5, 1999	May 23, 2000				22
Season Five	September 26, 2000	May 22, 2001				22
UPN
Season Six	October 2, 2001	May 21, 2002				22
Season Seven	September 24, 2002	May 20, 2003				22
Comics
Season Eight	March 7, 2007	January 6, 2011				40 + 3
Season Nine	September 14, 2011	September 11, 2013				25
Season Ten	March 19, 2014	August 24, 2016				30
Season Eleven	November 23, 2016	October 25, 2017				12

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series
• Characters: A listing of characters in the series
• Mythology: Further information about the rich mythology that surrounds the series
• Terminology: Unique terms that make up the series

DVD Releases

Title			Release			Discs
Complete Series  (Region 1)
The Chosen Collection			November 15, 2005	purchase		40
Complete Series - Canada  (Region 1)
The Complete Series			October 12, 2010	purchase		40
Season Sets  (Region 1)
The Complete First Season			January 15, 2002	purchase		3
The Complete Second Season			June 11, 2002	purchase		6
The Complete Third Season			January 7, 2003	purchase		6
The Complete Fourth Season			June 10, 2003	purchase		6
The Complete Fifth Season			December 9, 2003	purchase		6
The Complete Sixth Season			May 25, 2004	purchase		6
The Complete Seventh Season			November 16, 2004	purchase		6
'Best Of' Collections  (Region 1)
Spike: Love Is Hell			June 25, 2005	purchase		1
Curse of the Hellmouth			October 4, 2005	purchase		2

External Sites

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes, TV Listings, News, Photos and More at TVGuide.com