Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy by Havens Candace

Author:Havens, Candace [Havens, Candace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781936661541
Publisher: Perseus Books Group
Published: 2003-04-10T06:00:00+00:00

Joss at Buffy’s old home, the WB.

Whedon expressed little concern that the move to UPN would cost Buffy its fan base. “I would like to think that most of my fan base is smart enough to use a remote.”

At a Television Critics Association Press tour last year, witnesses were surprised to see Kellner approach Whedon, shake his hand and walk away. Whedon viewed this as an attempt to put the past behind them, particularly since Angel was still airing on the WB. Whedon feels the overture was sincere, not merely for appearances.

“I think he wanted to say, ‘Let’s put this behind us.’ It’s not like he did it in front of a crowd or photographers or anything. He just came up and I think he wanted to say, ‘We’ve been doing business, there’s been acrimony, but it’s not personal. It’s business.’”

So is the love back? Not exactly. Joss is ready to move on, but can never quite forget the insult to his baby. “You know, I didn’t like the way the business was handled. I don’t like doing business because I tend to take things personally. I do agree that I still have a show on the WB and he’s still a part of the WB. I don’t work with him day-to-day If I did, then he and I would have to sit down and really iron things out. But in terms of what our relationship is—which is basically just peripheral to each other—I think we’re fine.

Once Buffy formally made the move, the rumors began to run rampant that the show would be much sexier to lure in UPN’s young male audience. There was also the belief that since UPN was paying so much more for it the show could afford a lot more special effects.

“There really isn’t that big of a change because we have higher license fees,” says Whedon. “Apart from the increases you accrue every year on a show, we are not looking at suddenly having a giant budget that we can do anything with. We’re making the show exactly the way we were before. You know, we may have a little more leeway—we have more leeway than we would have, had we been forced to stay at the WB, and had no money and we’d have to use hand puppets.”

So, after five years of kicking, punching and stabbing vampires, monsters and the undead into submission, Buffy plunged to her death through the gates of Hell. The program ended with a camera shot of Buffy’s tombstone, which read, “She saved the world. A lot.” As the image faded into the ending credits, a message appeared on the screen that said, “Five great years. We thank you.” Joss said that when he saw the message at the end of the show, “I was actually moved. Then I said, ‘Wait a minute.’

We have more leeway than we would have, had we been forced to stay at the WB, and had no money and we’d have to use hand puppets.—Joss

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