The Buffy Reboot Disaster

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]Okay, what happened here? As far as I can tell, this whole thing was a mess.

[00:00:06]And if you don't know what I'm talking about, last year, a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was in the works at Hulu.

[00:00:11]This was announced to the public through leaks online, which led Sarah Michelle Geller to confirm it way earlier than what was clearly planned. Now, I made a video about this when it was first announced, and it's fair to say that a hell of a lot has happened since then.

[00:00:23]full casting announcements, a new title, and I'm not kidding when I say this, a fully filmed pilot episode. The pilot was presumably screened to the people at Hulu, and they said it wasn't good and cancelled the whole series. What followed shortly after that was nothing short of bizarre with Sarah Michelle Geller blaming the whole cancellation on one specific Hulu executive who she claimed hated the show and kept repeating that he'd never even finished the original because he didn't like it so much or something like that. It's all a bit mad, isn't it? I've spent these last few weeks to a month just trying to understand what exactly happened and what I think about the whole thing and I continue to find myself confused. one executive, only one. Everyone else liked it, but it has to be unanimous. I'm not saying that I don't believe Sarah, but Hulu has been developing a lot of reboots lately. All shows from around the time of Buffy, including Scrubs, which has had great reviews since it returned. And Malcolm in the Middle, which I think just came out like two weeks ago, and it's already revived the original show's popularity as well.

[00:01:26]Every other clip on my reels is from Malcolm in the Middle now. But anyway, it seems like the trend I'm finding is that those previous two shows I mentioned are comedies. And yeah, look, I know Scrubs and Malcolm in the Middle both have dramatic moments. I've seen them, and that's what makes them so beloved and incredibly timeless. The same could be said for Buffy. The issue arises from Buffy being a dramatic show with comedy to ground it. Scrubs and Malcolm in the Middle are comedies with drama to ground it. There's a thin line.

[00:01:51]I guess you may disagree. I understand.

[00:01:53]Buffy was a 40minute episode show. Those other shows were 20-minute episode shows. I'm thinking maybe Hulu didn't know what to do with those other 20 minutes. They were a little bit dumbfounded when they found television reboots have to hold their own against the original show for 20 minutes longer than they previously thought possible.

[00:02:09]I'm hyperbolizing obviously. I like Buffy if you haven't noticed that yet.

[00:02:13]Did an entire series analyzing every individual episode of both Buffy and it spin-off show Angel? No, it's not obsession. It's uh admiration. My point being that I know that show very well and a lot of my concerns originally was that they had to get the feel of the original down perfectly. They needed the old writers, a cast with great chemistry from the get-go and a broad fan base as dedicated to the original. So, look, they didn't get the old writers back.

[00:02:40]That's okay. They hired a cast looked interesting. I hadn't heard any of them.

[00:02:44]Then something awful happened. Michelle Tractenburg, who played Dawn, Buffy's little sister on the original show for the final three seasons, passed away at 39 years old. I mentioned in my first video that she had potentially teased a return or endorsement of the reboot on her Instagram and then they never released anything. No teaser to gauge public reaction, no promo images to get people excited. It was just radio silence and then it was over. I will say it does smell like sabotage. I get where Sarah's coming from. She seems like the type of person that doesn't take from anyone. So, I can see that not making the pompous executive idiots comfortable about it because people have to remember that Sa Michelle Geller has had a long history of completely denying any return to the character. She moved on. She started a family, still appeared occasionally from time to time and then went hard on the comeback with several shows coming and going or in Dexter's case was continuing and then got canned.

[00:03:36]That one was weird too. But now she was back in control of a lot of the production to make sure they got it right. And that's the part that had me most excited. She wouldn't just come back for nothing. And there were definitely talks to bring back some other old characters. Definitely Spike.

[00:03:48]You could just tell from his reaction to questions at Collins and in interviews.

[00:03:51]And then about two weeks ago, he confirmed it. He was told he might be needed. So he started doing prep workouts. And then out of nowhere, almost like it was sudden. It was all over. Not even he knows what happened.

[00:04:02]And to rub salt in the wound, only a few days after the cancellation announcement, Nicholas Brendan, who played Xander on the show during all seven seasons, appearing in all but one episode throughout the whole run, passed away at 54, it almost seems eerie, doesn't it? I don't mean to be offensive, but having the reboot announced shortly before the first main cast member of the show dies and then having the cancellation announced shortly before the second main cast member of the show dies, it's just a weird coincidence, I thought worth mentioning. At the end of the day, I'm both upset and relieved. I'm upset because I think this universe has so many more stories to tell, and it has continued to do so in extended media since the last official continuation in 2004. That's 22 years that the show has just gone on and on and on in the public consciousness. I was anticipating something that would fill that need for more after many years of wanting it. I'm relieved because I don't have to be disappointed. I'm also upset because I think it's unfair to not release the pilot. A lot of others think that, too.

[00:05:01]Just a few weeks ago, there was a demonstration outside Hulu's headquarters about the Buffy reboot. So, personally, I think we should see it and then decide for ourselves. I'm also relieved because I don't have to be disappointed in it not being that good.

[00:05:13]I know it wouldn't be one for one Buffet. It would be a reboot, but they would need to bring in the occasional original show thing to keep original show fans watching and giggling and kicking their feet with glee. But sadly, that is my demographic and I would have kept watching as long as they did that.

[00:05:29]Yes, officer, it's me. I confess.

[00:05:32]Anyway, enough about that. I've got more TV shows to watch and another show is possibly coming back that I'm ready to be disappointed in, too.