Three... uh, Five quick thoughts on the Buffy reboot

[beer_good_foamy]

https://deadline.com/2018/07/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-series-reboot-in-works-black-lead-monica-owusu-breen-joss-whedon-1202430592/

1. No network and no airdate means I'll believe it when I see it. We've been here before, people.

2. So much for Joss moving on to new things, I guess.

3. If it does to the comics what JJ Abrams did to the Star Wars EU, I'll be over here in the corner practicing my best smirk.

4. It's a different show. There are plenty of new shows I don't watch, and there's plenty of Buffy fanfic I don't read. There's some I do. If it's good, it's good. If not, there's no reason to watch.

5. I kinda like the idea of a new generation (not that Monica Owusu-Breen is completely new to the business or anything) getting to do their take on Buffy. That's part of the point of the "Chosen" spell, after all. I'm sure there were horror fans in the 50s grumbling that my Dracula is Bela Lugosi, who's this British twerp? That said, SMG's are some might big tiny shoes to fill, and I don't envy the actress who gets the job.

Anyway, I'm halfway tempted to do something with this old sketch for a Buffy reboot that I wrote one of the other many, many times this was discussed.

Comments

[deird1]

I'm pretty sceptical. But, every time I start to go "C'mon, everyone knows that reboots are a stupid idea..." I suddenly start thinking about Jean-Luc Picard. :)

[beer_good_foamy]

Well, exactly. And it's not like the Trek fans were all happy about that in the beginning either.

[elisi]

3. If it does to the comics what JJ Abrams did to the Star Wars EU, I'll be over here in the corner practicing my best smirk.
If this comes to pass, I will bow down and worship this new show forever.

[beer_good_foamy]

I mean, Joss has said all along he'll happily uncanon the comics if he gets to do the TV show again. If the TV show is a reboot, I don't see how the comics can do anything but either
a) acknowledge that "canon" means nothing in a world of multiple universes, or
b) undo absolutely everything that would seem weird to someone who only watched Buffy Prime. In other words, push the reset button.

[elisi]

Or it could be like the Star Treks? Going down an alternative time line?

Hmmm.

[beer_good_foamy]

Hey, I've said all along that the comics are an AU. Point is, they can't say both that this is THE canonical Buffy and that there are infinite alternative time lines where other things happen. If everything's canon, then nothing's canon. Then Buffy the Vampire Slayer is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and that's it.

[elisi]

This is why I like Doctor Who. Shows are much easier to enjoy when there isn't an official canon. :)

[ruuger]

That said, SMG's are some might big tiny shoes to fill, and I don't envy the actress who gets the job.

This is my biggest questionmark about it, because whoever takes over the role needs to be as charismatic as SMG to pull it off. On a plus side, with Monica Owusu-Breenat the helm we'll at least hopefully get a California that has more POC than Englishmen :D

[beer_good_foamy]

Probably. Though going by the one Agents of SHIELD episode of hers I remember, I'm not convinced her Englishmen will be any better than Joss'...

[tei]

WOAH. First I’be heard of this. It’s not quite clear from the article, but does “reboot” always imply the same characters are being re-cast? I don’t think I want that at all, but I would love to see just another story about another Slayer in the present day and they leave the original show alone. (Although yeah, I haven’t been following the comics but from what I’ve heard, it would be just fine if they decided to blast them into oblivion, canon-compliance-wise.)

[beer_good_foamy]

Apparently there's some confusion over whether this is a remake (same characters, same basic story), reboot (complete reimaigining of basic concept) or a continuation somehow. I guess we'll see... or possibly not.

[molly_may]

I'm just going to steal all your thoughts, because I agree with them and they're better articulated than my thoughts. At this point, I think your #1 is especially important. I'll believe it when I see it, too.

That said, SMG's are some might big tiny shoes to fill, and I don't envy the actress who gets the job.

I think there would be A LOT less pushback to this idea if it were being presented as a new slayer, not Buffy. I do understand the name recognition is part of what they're selling, but SMG inhabited that role so fully that I feel sorry for any actress who is going to follow her up. No matter how good she is, she's never going to escape the comparisons. A new character would be more interesting ground to tread, and also give everyone involved the chance to make something unique, without constant comparisons.

All that said, I also recognize the value of your #5: A reboot would not be for me, it would be to bring in new fans. I don't want to become the equivalent of one of those rabid Star Wars fans embarrassing myself on the internet.

[beer_good_foamy]

I don't want to become the equivalent of one of those rabid Star Wars fans embarrassing myself on the internet.

Yeah. Obviously there are perfectly valid reasons to be upset about this too, but so far there's so little we know that I prefer to perch cautiously on the fence. But I agree, I'd much rather see a new character.

[killerweasel]

I'm kinda surprised he's being given any new projects considering all the stuff that finally came to light about him sleeping with his actresses, especially in the current climate about such things.

Not interested in a Buffy reboot or any of his crap.

[beer_good_foamy]

I guess it remains to be seen just how involved he'll be. For all sorts of reasons, I hope he takes a very hands-off apöroach.

[shadowkat]

LOL! Had a similar reaction. (Except haven't written any fanfic regarding it.)

1. I'll be surprised if it gets picked up...the fandom is sort of entrenched, like the Star Wars, Star Trek fandoms, Be really hard to grab new viewers. The last one that was teased as a reboot was Firefly.

2. Well...I think that Batgirl concept which got shot down by DC has inspired him to go back to his roots...Makes me wonder what the concept was, that he denies having.

3. Ditto. Although the S10 comics are okay, they actually feel like a return to the series surprisingly enough. A little slow in places and way too much Andrew and way too little Willow.

4.Yep. Ditto. I can't keep track any longer. Apple is now creating television shows. Apple! I think Google is next if they aren't doing it already. There's over a million television shows. 900 on netflix alone. I can't keep track any longer. Right now, I'm watching the second seasn of Wyonna Earp.

5. Monica - I'm iffy about, because Agents of Shield and Midnight Texas were her last two efforts...But if they want to do it? Could be interesting. But I think they are going to have troubles grabbing the central base -- so depends on getting new viewers, and there's a lot to compete with it right now. As opposed to when it first aired and there was nothing.

[beer_good_foamy]

I'll be surprised if it gets picked up.

Really? They have a studio, they have the funds, they have a showrunner, and they have name recognition. I wouldn't say it's a sure thing, but it's pretty far along.

Right now, I'm watching the second seasn of Wyonna Earp.

If all the people who want a Buffy reboot would just watch Wynonna Earp instead, we wouldn't be in this mess... :)

[shadowkat]

Well, if you knew how many pilots and reboots that had a showrunner, funds, and name recognition but didn't get picked up each year...

Cagney and Lacey -- was a reboot of an old show. They had a showrunner, they had name recognition, they had funds, they'd filmed five-six episodes. It did not get picked up.

Wonder Woman had a showrunner (a bigger one than Whedon - top-rated David E. Kelley, who had Emmy's behind him and Top Neilsen ratings), it had name recognition, it had funds, it even had a potential distributor -- filmed several episodes didn't get picked up. (Bad buzz, they dropped it.)

The list goes on. Each year there are about a million shows they do, roughly half get picked up. (I have had a lot of actor friends over the years. Also followed a lot of actors. They are always jumping on a show as a lead...thinking it's great, and it's gone.)

Right now they are testing the market, seeing if there is any interest and if it sparks. If it does, they'll run with it. If not? They won't.

Charmed got picked up, but reactions to the trailer by the fandom (and yes, apparently, there is a Charmed fandom), hates it. I have feeling it will be gone before it airs. It's not gotten good buzz.

[shadowkat]

Ugh. For some reason whenever I type a post any longer, my fingers forget to type certain words or my brain jumps over them. I go back and read over it -- and yep, that word is missing, when I could have sworn I put it in there.

Example: "I have feeling it will be gone"

For some reason my brain decided an "a" was not necessary for that sentence.

[shadowkat]

If all the people who want a Buffy reboot would just watch Wynonna Earp instead, we wouldn't be in this mess...

LOL!

But on a serious note...

Unfortunately it still doesn't quite meet the necessary requirements...apparently the lead has to POC. (The key point in the Buffy Reboot that has a lot of people reacting is that it will be a "Black Buffy". Some people think this is a great idea, finally. Others find it insulting that they want to remake it just for that reason, why not create a show with a black slayer who isn't Buffy? Or a black female action hero?)

[yourlibrarian]

I remember the idea being floated some while back of a new show without Joss. I'm also fine with the idea of a new slayer for a new generation but what I don't get is why it needs to be Buffy Summers. With all the new slayers having been created, why not do a show about any one of them? I know that when I heard of Joss' new show it sounded to me like a potential Slayer show as well, but I figured it wasn't officially one because he doesn't hold the rights to it.

But if it IS going to be "official", someone else somewhere mentioned a great idea of doing time traveling slayers from different countries and eras being brought to present day. That could be enormously fun and interesting.

[beer_good_foamy]

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I'm miffed with the idea of remaking the show from scratch with a new Buffy Summers rather than picking up on another Slayer. Do we really need to do the Shiny Special Chosen One thing again? But I guess we'll see, or not...