
The legacy of cult TV series
Buffy The Vampire Slayer is being examined today by the BBC Radio 4 arts strand
Front Row - ten years after the supernatural drama finished in the UK.
The American-made show, which spanned 144 episodes over seven series, aired on BBC2 between
30th December 1998 and 18th December 2003, starring
Sarah Michelle Gellar as the eponymous heroine, with
Anthony Head as her Watcher, Rupert Giles, and aided by her "Scooby Gang" of friends. It won three Emmys, spawned the spin-off TV series
Angel, and proved to be hugely influential on TV plotting and scripting.
Author and novelist
Naomi Alderman has made the radio special to examine its impact and,
as she puts it, "why there are so few 'daughters of Buffy': strong and complex fictional creations, who aren't simply the sole female lead in a predominantly male cast."
Interviewed for the half-hour programme, which goes out at
7.15pm, are the show's creator
Joss Whedon, along with
Anthony Head, writers
Neil Gaiman and
Rhianna Pratchett, TV executives
Jane Root and
Susanne Daniels, and fans
Blake Harrison and
Bim Adewunmi.
The show will be available to listen to live worldwide via the
BBC Radio 4 site and afterwards via the
specific programme site.