The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
When high school student Buffy Summers moves to Sunnydale California with her mother, she finds it to be Hell. Literally. The town sits on the opening to Hellmouth–the gateway to the demon realms–and she learns that she is the next in a long line of Slayers who are tasked with fighting vampires and other supernatural beings. She reluctantly accepts her destiny and takes up the cause against the demon world with the help of Watcher Rupert Giles as well as her friends Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, and more
Aired: The WB / UPN, 1997-2003, 7 Seasons Totaling 144 Episodes
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz
Created By: Joss Whedon
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows:
After the failure of the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film (in a large part due to tinkering on the part of the studio), Joss Whedon got a rare second attempt at the property he created when The WB gave the greenlight for a reboot in the late-90s. He went back to his original plan to turn around the female-as-a-victim stereotype and instead have the woman as the hero, and he succeeded at that by delivering a strong female lead with the Buffy character who was supported by a diverse cast. The series kept some of the comedy elements of the movie but also delivered a dark take on the concept, and it struck a nerve with audiences at the time. And while it started out as a teen coming-of-age story to an extent, it would take many twists and turns through its seven-year run delivering not only a well-developed universe, but also plenty of innovations to the television story-telling format.
But central to this series was its casting. Buffy delivered fully-realized characters brought to life by spot-on performances from Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, and more. The actors were perfectly paired with their characters and the chemistry they shared, along with the clever and intelligent scripts, helped elevate the series to the next level.
Buffy started out as a darkhorse series on a part-time broadcast network, but it survived against all odds and became somewhat of a phenomenon during its time. It would go on to inspire plenty more teen-focused dramas (for good or bad), but it also made a significant mark on genre television and certainly counts as one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy shows of all-time. (You can read more about the show at this link.)
Argument Against:
While Buffy certainly had its moments, it stretched its concept rather thin across its seven-year run. The show hit its stride in its second year and had a few solid seasons, but overall it delivered plenty of clunkers along with its good episodes. And while many people love the musical episode “Once More, with Feeling”, that started a rather dubious trend among genre series that has continued to the present (see the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ep “Subspace Rhapsody”).
But beyond that, there is the issue of Joss Whedon. With everything that has come out about his abusive behavior toward the cast and crew of his shows (and movies), there is some cringiness to watching his past output nowadays. It’s a shame because his body of work is quite good, but his own actions have marred the reputation of the projects he has produced. And while Buffy delivered some good episodes over its run, it has not dated as well and falls short of being counted as one of the great genre shows.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
While Joss Whedon may have become personae non gratae in Hollywood, I don’t think it is fair to hold that against the shows and movies he has made. I’m not going to try to justify his behavior, and there are still many who have enjoyed the time they spent working with him. But the toxic work environment he created is not an acceptable situation, and what has come out since then may limit his ability to continue to work in the entertainment industry.
Still, despite what was going on behind-the-scenes under Whedon’s direction, Buffy the Vampire Slayer overcame that and delivered an important genre entry. It may have been an abusive environment on the set, but the show still managed to deliver affirming female characters and some strong story arcs throughout its run. Buffy was never just a monster-of-the-week type of show (even though it did deliver eps like that) as it transcended formula and offered plenty of inventiveness across its seven seasons. Some aspects of it may seem rather dated, particularly the cheesiness of its production (it was made on a pretty low budget), but I don’t hold that against older shows like Star Trek: The Original Series or The Twilight Zone, so I won’t hold it against Buffy. This show managed to beat the odds and turn into a stand-out genre entry and deserves to be ranked among the greatest of all-time.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series is available on DVD, though it has never received the Blu-ray treatment. All seven seasons are available for streaming on Hulu.
Do you consider Buffy the Vampire Slayer to be one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy TV shows of all time, or has the behind-the-scenes story affected its reputation? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV.
Be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates. And for the latest news and discussions on sci fi and fantasy television, follow r/SciFiTV
Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
