DVD Talk Forum - BUFFY Won't Continue Without Gellar

BUFFY Won't Continue Without Gellar, UPN Eyes Spin-off But Whedon Not Quite Ready

On the heels of yesterday's news that actress Sarah Michelle Gellar would not return for an additional season of the popular UPN genre series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (story), today series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon says the show will not go on without her. Speculation had circulated that the show might continue sans the 25-year old Gellar, who's departing for a bigger film career.
Speaking to Variety, Whedon said, "We're shuffling off to Buffalo. Sarah's decision was wrapped up in mine. We weren't interested in doing it without the other."

UPN bought BUFFY for its last two years in 2001 after producer Fox and rival network WB couldn't agree on terms for its renewal. The STAR TREK network has anchored its Tuesday night line-up with BUFFY and is interested in a spin-off of the series. Whedon, however, isn't ready to jump into a follow-up just yet.

"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."

Whedon says he hopes BUFFY has made an impact in presenting strong women that defy Hollywood stereotypes.

"[BUFFY 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."

UPN's remaining genre tentpole next season will be ENTERPRISE. Read more