With the vampire craze going around, seems like it is a good time to mention a cult classic from the vampire genre – Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There is so much to cover about this topic. I am not going into lengthy details but will touch upon fun and fascinating facts about the beloved TV show.

The bland, the good and the unknown

 Let's face it, Joss Whedon made Buffy what it is today. It was a laughably weak movie from the 1990s which was transformed into a cult series by the renowned writer.

 On that note, did you know that Whedon had penned the script for the original movie? Someone somewhere went “Nah, let's do it like this, take this out and add this, it'll work, trust me” and that's how you ended up with the Swanson flick.

 Incidentally, there were reports that Whedon was so miffed about script changes that he left the movie set.

 They should have listened to his ideas. His version of the story, the series, is well-loved and the Scooby gang is still as popular as ever.

 But there is now a new development on the horizon. There will be a Buffy remake ... for the big screen. And Whedon is not part of it. Nor is any of the Buffy gang gearing up for battle in this one. Plus it's not going to tie-in with the Buffy comics.

 If so, can we still call it a Buffy remake?

 I can hazard a guess and say someone wants to piggyback on the veggie vampire phenomenon that is doing the rounds.

 

Casting decisions

Would you believe Sarah Michelle Gellar showed up to audition for the part of Cordellia Chase? And it was the other way around for Charisma Carpenter. Now you can't imagine those parts being played by anyone else.

Guess who auditioned for the role of Angel? Nathan Fillion. Then again, he can only be Capt. Malcolm Reynolds now. When he's no playing the airy Captain Hammer., of course.

 Spike wouldn't be the same without his British accent. Turns out, James Marsters tried out for the role of Spike in a more Southern accent. And he's a natural brunette too. Looks like someone got a complete makeover for that role. For this fans are eternally grateful.

 

Comic books

This one's for the Spike fans: James Marsters wrote the comic Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike and Dru for Dark Horse comics.

Buffy Season 8 (Issue 12) became one of the most talked about Whedonescue comic in recent months. Why? Because it featured Buffy hooking up briefly with another slayer called Satsu and the between the sheets event apparently shocked a number of people.

 

Fun facts

Here's a few bits of trivia I picked up all over the net:

• Nitpickers out there, ever wondered about Giles' license plate number? It's 2GPU947.

• This must be the included in the survival guide handed out to every newbie vampire: Buffy's actual address. It is 1630 Revello Drive.

• The opening theme for the show is done by Nerf Herder. Apparently Alyson Hannigan was the one who tipped the scales in favor of the band. She handed over a CD of theirs to Whedon and he liked it. Incidentally, her character, Willow, is supposed to have a Nerf Herder sticker on her locker door.

• Buffy and her buddies came to be known as the Scooby Gang. In the show itself, they adopted the name after the episode What's My Line.

• A lot of noteworthy people have made cameos or had side roles in this show. Two of my personal favorites will go on to star in Dr Horrible – Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day.