In the age of post-broadcast television, the concept of ‘complex narratives’ became increasingly popular in the 1990’s as TV shows began to move on from episodic formats, as seen in sitcoms and soap operas, into sophisticated storytelling better known as ‘quality TV’. Shows such as The Sopranos and other HBO branded programmes (“it’s not TV, it’s HBO”) were at the forefront of this movement. In the rise of ‘quality TV’ programmes, the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired in the U.S in 1997. The concept of the show was adapted from the 1992 film of the same name by it’s creator Joss Whedon. What made BtVS stand out from other ‘quality TV’ programmes of this era was it’s unique ability to remix so many different conventions from genres such as horror, comedy, teen-drama, action adventure, just to name a few, creating its own ‘mega-mix’ as well as its use of transmedia story-telling, leading it to create the intricate story-world that is known as the ‘Buffyverse’.
The concept of ‘remixing’ is evident throughout the narrative of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. First of all it’s initial idea is an adaptation of the ‘vampire’ story, which has been remixed throughout different forms of media since the 1800’s. Yet BtVS does not always follow the predictable conventions of a horror story (like one involving vampires) would usually follow, a great example of this being the character Buffy herself. Physically her appearance is one of the most predictable cliches of the horror genre, the pretty blonde girl who is killed in the first act. But Whedon changes the game by remixing this archetypal character, explaining that idea was to “…create someone who was a hero where she had always been a victim” (Whedon, 2001).
The show’s ability to remix conventions from many genres, in particular its combination of ‘teen drama’ and ‘horror’, set it apart from any show at the time and still stands to this day. As explored in Laura Suitsted’s essay Breaking Conventions to Build the Buffyverse, the show’s early seasons prominently make use of the metaphor that ‘High-school is hell’, a well known trope to the teen genre. But Whedon remixes this idea by making it far more literal, that high school is hell with real monsters in fact. An example of this is the episode The Pack, where the main ‘pack’ of bullies at Sunnydale high become possessed with the spirit of a cruel hyenas and then literally prey on the weak students by eating them. Or the episode Witch, when Buffy befriends a girl named Amy in cheerleading tryouts who is under intense pressure from her mother, a former head cheerleader in her day, to make the squad. After failing to make the team, it is revealed the mother is a witch who switched bodies with her daughter, saying that Amy was wasting her youth, so she took it for herself, which no doubt is an unique take on the pressures of being a teen.
Buffy Season 8
Whedon’s ability to create the in-depth story world that is the ‘Buffyverse’, is aided by his use of transmedia storytelling. The story of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was continued on in the spin-off series Angel, which followed the character of Angel and his backstory, an important part of the Buffy story-world. BtVS lasted till season 7 but Whedon continued the story on to a graphic novel titled Buffy Season 8. All of these forms of media that depict world of the Buffyverse work because they all follow the ‘coherent set of rules within the universe in which the story takes place’ (Suisted, 2005). The result of this combined with its remixing of genre is what lead BtVS to its massive cult following as well as an accredited academic field, which both stand strong till this day.
References:
– DVD Episode Commentary “Welcome To The Hellmouth” Buffy The Vampire Slayer. 20th Century Fox: Whedon, Joss, 2001.
– Suisted, Laura. (2005). Breaking Conventions to Build the Buffyverse. Available: http://www.watcherjunior.tv/01/suisted.php. Last accessed 15th Mar 2015.