lennart
20-05-03, 15:08
Buffy set for final slaying
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39242000/jpg/_39242999_angel_gellar203.jpg :Iluvu:
Sarah Michelle Gellar said she wanted to end on a high
Cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes to an end in the United States on Tuesday after six years on air.
The fantasy horror series has been a hit around the world and has made a Hollywood star of leading actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.
She plays Buffy Summers, a young woman who teams up with a group of friends to kill vampires and fight evil - while they are still, on the surface, living normal lives in California.
It was based on the moderately successful 1992 film of the same name, starring Kristy Swanson.
But the darker themes in the TV series have seen it debated by academics as well as enjoyed by millions of fans.
Show creator Joss Whedon is reportedly planning further spin-offs to keep the Buffy story alive.
Gellar, who promised a "pretty spectacular" finalé in an interview in February, told Entertainment Weekly magazine she was keen to see the show go out on a high.
"You always worry about being the show that's been on too long - especially when you're a cult hit," she said.
"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'."
Past characters such as rogue slayer Faith and Buffy's first love Angel, played by David Boreanez, have returned for this series, the seventh.
Gellar, 25, who is married to actor Freddie Prinze Jr, has forged a career away from Buffy, starring in the blockbusting movies I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scooby-Doo.
Buffy has seen one spin-off - the more adult-themed Angel, which saw Boreanez's character start a new life in Los Angeles and which will continue on America's WB network.
UK controversy
In 2001, Joss Whedon moved Buffy from its original home at the WB network to the smaller UPN, criticising its old home for not being committed to the show.
"I've been dumped by my fat old ex and Prince Charming has come and swept me off my feet," he said.
But ratings fell after the switch, sparking rumours of the show's demise.
Both Buffy and Angel have also hit problems on UK television - fans reacted angrily when Sky One and BBC Two cut scenes from Buffy for being too gory for its early-evening slot.
But when Channel 4 tried to show Angel with fewer cuts, watchdogs intervened and the show was moved a late-night slot, where it struggled to attract viewers.
The series has since been picked up by Five, formerly Channel 5, which will follow Sky One in showing it from June.
The final Buffy will be shown in the UK on Sky One on 12 June. No date has been set for its showing on BBC Two.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39242000/jpg/_39242999_angel_gellar203.jpg :Iluvu:
Sarah Michelle Gellar said she wanted to end on a high
Cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes to an end in the United States on Tuesday after six years on air.
The fantasy horror series has been a hit around the world and has made a Hollywood star of leading actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.
She plays Buffy Summers, a young woman who teams up with a group of friends to kill vampires and fight evil - while they are still, on the surface, living normal lives in California.
It was based on the moderately successful 1992 film of the same name, starring Kristy Swanson.
But the darker themes in the TV series have seen it debated by academics as well as enjoyed by millions of fans.
Show creator Joss Whedon is reportedly planning further spin-offs to keep the Buffy story alive.
Gellar, who promised a "pretty spectacular" finalé in an interview in February, told Entertainment Weekly magazine she was keen to see the show go out on a high.
"You always worry about being the show that's been on too long - especially when you're a cult hit," she said.
"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'."
Past characters such as rogue slayer Faith and Buffy's first love Angel, played by David Boreanez, have returned for this series, the seventh.
Gellar, 25, who is married to actor Freddie Prinze Jr, has forged a career away from Buffy, starring in the blockbusting movies I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scooby-Doo.
Buffy has seen one spin-off - the more adult-themed Angel, which saw Boreanez's character start a new life in Los Angeles and which will continue on America's WB network.
UK controversy
In 2001, Joss Whedon moved Buffy from its original home at the WB network to the smaller UPN, criticising its old home for not being committed to the show.
"I've been dumped by my fat old ex and Prince Charming has come and swept me off my feet," he said.
But ratings fell after the switch, sparking rumours of the show's demise.
Both Buffy and Angel have also hit problems on UK television - fans reacted angrily when Sky One and BBC Two cut scenes from Buffy for being too gory for its early-evening slot.
But when Channel 4 tried to show Angel with fewer cuts, watchdogs intervened and the show was moved a late-night slot, where it struggled to attract viewers.
The series has since been picked up by Five, formerly Channel 5, which will follow Sky One in showing it from June.
The final Buffy will be shown in the UK on Sky One on 12 June. No date has been set for its showing on BBC Two.