Life after Buffy...

[David Doherty-Jebb]

Has anyone discovered anything on TV that even remotely comes close to Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
I do admit, Buffy holds a place dear to my heart. I was 16 when Buffy was 16, went to uni when Buffy went to college, activated a whole generation of Slayers when Buffy... No wait, that last one didn't happen.
But the programme captured my imagination like no other before or since. It was the show I was waiting for.
So, I'll open it to everyone out there... what do you guys suggest?

 

[J-Sun]

I suggest DVDs. I'm right there with you on the general sentiment - after Buffy went off there was basically nothing at all on for quite awhile and, while I now watch quite the battery of shows (something like 8 or 9), no one of them comes close. Basically, that was a singular show and all you can do to come close to it is watch it on DVD (or the medium of your choice). Can't ever see it again for the first time but you can do something similar.

(Oh yeah, and of course watch Firefly/Serenity stuff, too. That had potential - if only Joss hadn't signed a deal with the devilfox.)

If you really want a new thing and haven't already seen it, it's such a pale shadow but Jed Whedon is running Agents of SHIELD and I think Joss is not totally unconnected to the show (all this via The Avengers) and it has a functional/dysfunctional virtual "family" of people with a spectrum of talents which can combine to form something greater than the sum of the parts and has whedonesque moments but there's really just no comparison. It's kind of like something a little less than Initiative-level Buffy but where the Initiative are the good guys.

Huh. First time I thought of it that way and that is deeply messed up.

On another note, (I've already mentioned this on the relevant thread) I just saw one episode of a new CW show called iZombie which sounds completely awful, but so did Buffy ) and, while it's also nowhere near meriting being mentioned in the same breath, it does feature a young woman (older than Buffy) who was living a normal life and suddenly was not living at all - now having a very weird undeath but also gaining spiffy powers and trying to Do the Right Thing. It's kind of like if Buffy had become a good vamp instead of the Slayer - iVamp. But, like I say, while it may get better, it may also get awful. Might be worth a look for the Buffy-desperate, though.

 

[Hex]

There's been nothing, NOTHING! Woe! (though I did enjoy Firefly, and Dollhouse). Recently, I thought Grimm was fun... (not in the same league, but it kept me amused for two seasons).

 

[markpud]

I echo the positive reviews of Whedon's later works Firefly and Dollhouse, and Agents of SHIELD has grown into a really good sci-fi adventure after a shaky first half-season. If you're into the Avengers/Marvel universe then it's definitely worth checking out.

I can't think of another show that captures Buffy's spirit, but there's lots of great TV out there from Breaking Bad and Walking Dead to stuff like Outlander (1940's nurse gets stranded in 1800's Scottish highlands) and The 100 (post-apocalyptic, teenagers surviving after being sent to Earth from their failing space-station - better than it sounds!).

 

[Mouse]

Another shout out for Dollhouse/Firefly here. I admit, I was never massively into Buffy. I only started watching it properly from the later series, and the only one I have on DVD is series five. Being Human (the proper UK one) gets my vote too.

 

[BAYLOR]

There's been nothing, NOTHING! Woe! (though I did enjoy Firefly, and Dollhouse). Recently, I thought Grimm was fun... (not in the same league, but it kept me amused for two seasons).

It took me while to get into Grimm , but ive grown to like it alot.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I think it is very hard to find something that is comparable to Buffy, because then it would just be Buffy. Or would get labelled as trying to be like Buffy.

Obviously all Joss Whedon shows are worth of a watch, one that seems to be missing from above is Angel - although it my be included as being part of Buffy.

But there are some great shows airing at the moment that are excellent in their own right and may well be considered offspring of Buffy.

Apart from the aforementioned The 100 the CW network is putting out some excellent genre shows, obviously at the fore there is Supernatural not necessarily the best, but certainly the flagship if only because it is the longest running. Now approaching the end of it's tenth year it has a pair of likable leads and entertaining stories. It dipped a bit around year 7/8 but has come back and is as strong as it ever was. It has it's own sense of humour and can, when it wants really cut loose.

Then there is Arrow. Based on the DC comic character this was the show that was expected to be bland and unsuccessful, and although the first season struggled in places it has grown into something a lot better, with a magnificent second series, and a solid third. It has launched its own spinoff and it has just been announced there is going to be another.

Flash was the spinoff, based around the character The Flash. It is a lot more super than Arrow, but is grounded by the lead character and is starting to develop into something really special.

The second spinoff looks to be a team.

(CW also puts out The Vampire Diaries which really is a Buffy derivative, but although it has it's moments is best left a very guilty pleasure. It has a spinoff of its own, The Originals which is a lot darker, a lot more fun but may start to get annoying in its own right as it progresses.

 

[The Bluestocking]

I totally love Buffy and there hasn't been anything quite like it after it wrapped up but there are a bunch of great shows that are in the spirit of Buffy:

• Alias (with Jennifer Garner)
• Sanctuary (with Amanda Tapping)
• Haven (with Emily Rose) - though lately it's lost its way somewhat.
• Sleepy Hollow (with Nicole Behari)

All 4 series I've listed have kickass female leads with either a supernatural or SFF dimension to them.

 

[Faye HG]

'Supernatural' is a good follow-up for me.

 

[BAYLOR]

Grimm

 

[Faye HG]

I really tried hard to like 'Grimm' but I just could not get into the series. Original concept though, which drew me into watching it in the first place.

 

[BAYLOR]

I really tried hard to like 'Grimm' but I just could not get into the series. Original concept though, which drew me into watching it in the first place.

Initially , I could gt into it either so what I did was watch the earliest episodes , I got to like it alot and it's mythology.

 

[WaylanderToo]

I really tried hard to like 'Grimm' but I just could not get into the series. Original concept though, which drew me into watching it in the first place.

burn the heretic!!

 

[Faye HG]

burn the heretic!!

... Running for my life right now!

 

[Ensign Shah]

Lost Girl. Not many people have come across it but when they do, they love it. The main characters are female and there is a similar format to Buffy where a team of good friends are formed to kick ass!

 

[Faye HG]

Lost Girl. Not many people have come across it but when they do, they love it. The main characters are female and there is a similar format to Buffy where a team of good friends are formed to kick ass!

I've never heard of it, but I will check it out now

 

[Ensign Shah]

I've never heard of it, but I will check it out now

Let me know what you think. The main character is a succubus and the stories are are around the Fae world. Hope you enjoy.

 

[Faye HG]

Let me know what you think. The main character is a succubus and the stories are are around the Fae world. Hope you enjoy.

Had a look at the write ups online - good female lead character, which is somewhat lacking after Buffy. I will definitely give it a watch. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[AnyaKimlin]

For me probably the first two series of Torchwood.

 

[Faye HG]

I have to admit Torchwood was a great contender, but then lost its serious sci-fi edge and turned very 'goofy' and was basically just 'The John Barrowman Show'.