Buffy the Vampire Slayer depicts Buffy Summers' life as she navigates Sunnydale High School. This sounds not dissimilar to other teenage TV shows of the late 90s and early 2000s such as Dawson’s Creek and Gilmore Girls, but what set Buffy aside is that she was (believe it or not, given the name) a vampire hunter, the Chosen One who hunted vampires and demons. It has been announced that Buffy is receiving a reboot, but why now, and does the show really need to be rebooted? Like the vampires the show depicts, the show will not die.
“We laughed, we cried, but mostly we both talked about how much this show means to us.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar has honoured her memory of the show in an Instagram post where she admitted her reluctance to create a Buffy reboot and assured fans she would only agreed to a reboot if she believed it would be done right. What does Buffy represent? The show was successful as it combatted the rival shows of the time adding elements of fantasy. Buffy was not like regular trashy TV, it was a show where you could intellectually follow the plot, unlike other easy-watching high school dramas of the time. Sarah Michelle Gellar was different from most protagonists and helped to break the ‘Barbie’ stereotype of the dumb blonde allowing notes of feminism particularly in the show's finale (no spoilers!).
I believe the key to a successful reboot occurs when a show leaves something unanswered or there is a message particularly relevant for a modern audience. Think of Gavin and Stacey’s 2024 Christmas special where Smithy and Nessa got a final ending. Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired 1997-2001 with a satisfying complete ending making us question what is left to address.
Perhaps a spin-off series would be more suitable, but one already exists! The character Angel (David Boreanaz) received his own series 1999-2004 as he outgrew the plot of Buffy but remained popular among fans so Angel continued to see the titular character aid people with their supernatural problems.
“I have always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit “Buffy” and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right”
Why reboot Buffy now? Streaming platforms like Disney + and Paramount + have allowed the cult classic to become more accessible. As it has been over 20 years since the show ended, a reboot is a make-or-break decision that will end in success or disaster. I personally do not believe there is a need for a reboot, but I could be pleasantly surprised. Fans can only trust the assurance given to them by Sarah Michelle Gellar herself, who clearly holds a lot of love for the show, and hope she will not disappoint fans of the iconic vampire slayer.