I’m a huge Buffy fan – the TV reboot is doomed to fail

A Buffy The Vampire Slayer reboot has been announced and like a lot of fans, I’m not feeling hopeful. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s already doomed. In every generation, there is a chosen one, a television show that is unlike any other and becomes a cultural phenomenon still watched nearly 30 years after its debut. For me, and many others of my generation, Buffy was the show. A badass heroine who is born to slay vampires and demons, who battles witches and giant snakes all while wearing high heels and a mini skirt and maintaining her bouncy blonde curls? Yes please.

The villains were camp, and the set quality was low, but the standards were set high when this show first began airing in 1997. Buffy concluded after seven seasons in 2003, but it has remained on streaming platforms and is frequently re-run on TV, earning itself legions of fans who were born after the series finished airing. Now, 22 years after the series ended, It has also been confirmed that Buffy Summers herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, 47, is set to reprise her role as the vampire slayer in a reboot.

It has even been reported by Deadline that the show is nearing a pilot order from Hulu with a writing room planned to commence soon. But, I am not enthusiastic. Had this reboot been announced a decade ago, I may have been naive enough to be excited – but the news has only made me concerned, with good reason. The series was pioneering at the time, stamping on stereotypes and progressively exploring LGBTQ+ narratives and characters. The series had complex heroes and villains and subverted all the typical horror and teen-drama tropes in the best possible way.

The legacy it has left is huge, which means that any reboot has the potential to tarnish the reputation. Particularly when the original series managed to strike such a unique chord with the audience of the time and become a cultural phenomenon – how can that success be replicated in a way that feels organic and not a cringe-inducing stretch for the series to be as ‘woke’ as it once was?. Another key problem is that some of the most beloved characters – the vampires – can’t return to the series.

Before there was Team Edward and Team Jacob, there was Team Spike and Team Angel. But a big problem in this series is that David Boreanaz and James Marsters cannot reprise their roles. Yes, the characters have been brought back to life many times in both Buffy and Angel – through amulets, portals, and other narrative loopholes – but how can these beloved characters return when the actors who play these ageless, immortal vampires are now 55 (Boreanaz) and 62 (Masters)?.

It is ‘considered likely’ that some key members will be making a reappearance. But the ‘Scooby gang’ – Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Buffy’s mentor and watcher Rupert Giles (Anthony Head) – have yet to confirm they are coming back. Can a reboot survive without the inclusion of its key characters? If not will the reboot be forced to focus on a different ‘Scooby gang’ of misfits?.

The original format began with a 16-year-old Buffy learning to balance homework and demon hunting. The story then grew with her into university and as a young adult navigating her responsibilities. The story was gripping because the characters went on a journey and evolved over time – would a Buffy series led by adults with their s**t together have the same effect? Or would the series see the original cast take a step back to focus on new leads?.

The final ever episode of the series saw her awaken all the potential slayers across the globe – meaning the responsibility to save mankind was no longer hers alone – so where does this leave Buffy?. The ending of the series let down a lot of viewers and the quick cancellation of the spin-off series Angel also angered die-hard fans. For nearly 20 years fans have been left frustrated and bringing back the series from the dead only to let them down again would be nothing short of cruel.

In addition to all of these concerns, another major factor fuelling my distrust is that 90s TV reboots simply don’t work. Frasier was resurrected only to be cancelled after two seasons, Fuller House ran for five seasons only to be scrapped, Will & Grace was bought back and axed after three seasons, and And Just Like That is still running – but I for one am not a fan. While different shows have their individual issues, 90s reboots seem to be cursed. Regardless of their calibre when they originally ran, there is a certain je ne sais quoi that is always missing when it returns to screens, which I think leaves audiences more disappointed.

But there might just be a faint, tiny, glimmer of hope. Joss Whedon, the creator, writer and director of the series is not attached to this series. Whedon faced misconduct allegations in 2021, including claims made by Charisma Carpenter who appeared in the series as Cordelia Chase. Whedon has not worked in the industry since. Chloé Zhao, who won an Oscar for Nomadland, is said to be directing, which could prove an incredible move. A female director known for directing from the perspective of the female gaze could be the exact person to bring this story back to life in the new era.