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Latest news — August 20, 2001
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Posted by Salix on the Kitten Board on 8-14-01
I have a friend that works at UPN (I won't be any more specific than that). These are from notes his boss told him to type up. And his boss is in a position where he would know this. (Supposedly from a conference call.) But it could all be crap. Even the seemingly obvious parts. (Thank you Joss for keeping us guessing! Always.)
This call was to reassure stations on ideas during rating sweeps and give an quick overview to BtVS since it's new to the UPN stations. This is from his bosses notes. I cut out the basic stuff loyal fans already know. And that was almost all of it - just back-story.
"OHMYGODBUFFYSBACK will give huge boost to the premier in October. This is not a series that loses many shares quickly after "big" episodes.
Musical episode in November sweeps. (already know that!) Big Bad appears. Did not let on who or what.
Buffy/Dawn, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya will each face extreme stresses in their relationships. The personal changes the characters go through is what keeps the audience week after week. (Duh!)
Buffy will be a harder, stronger Buffy. Not like ep "when she was bad' (?), but very confident.
Dawn will assume the role Buffy had when the show started. Trying to be a regular teenager, but she's not. She will have more success at it than Buffy did. But not much.
Willow/Tara relationship will not be offensive to most viewers in any way. They are what they are. Two women in love with each other. They will not be treated as a gay couple, just as a couple. Less complaints than about Buffy/Riles graphic scenes from Season 5. Love, not lust. Interesting concept fot a tv show.
Xander/Anya's wedding will be off during Feb sweeps, but will end season either still off or biggest TV wedding since Luke and Laura. not too many fans are old enough to get that reference, I bet... only piece of real detail...
No other news on end of season/May sweeps yet.
Interesting caveat that Joss is a trickster who will change his mind mid-stream on characters, plots, and anything else that will liven things up."
Posted on Zap2It on 8-15-01
http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?19946
Sometimes relationships end. Last season, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer's" boyfriend Riley abruptly flew off in a helicopter to battle demons in South America after feeling emasculated by Buffy and getting involved in the kinky equivalent of vampire crack houses.
For those wondering if Riley, played by Marc Blucas, will ever return to the series to officially draw a close to their relationship, Blucas says he'd like it to happen, but it won't be this season.
"I just haven't been able to do it," Blucas tells Scifi.com. "Hopefully there's a moment or two in there that it works in ['Buffy's'] schedule, and they want to have me back, because I'd love to go back and do an episode or two."
After he finished his episodes last season, Blucas and creator Joss Whedon talked about his eventual return, although Blucas is rather vague on the details.
"Joss and I had a talk and I said, 'Hey, this is what I'd really like. ' He said, 'Hey, that really works to do another half season. It's what I have in mind. It's what I want to do. It's right on the money and then pending your availability, we'll bring you back and do these things.'"
"I think in Joss' mind, Riley if off in the jungle being Col. Kurtz [of " Apocalypse Now"] right now," laughs Blucas.
Although Blucas has been busy since leaving the show, starring in the films "Summer Catch," "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," "We Were Soldiers," "Sunshine State," "A View from the Top" and "They," he says he enjoyed playing Riley.
"It was just such a well-written relationship. The show's set against a make-believe world, but it just deals with such real issues. Specifically speaking in a relationship like that, I liked her more than she liked me, and we've all been in that situation," he says. "It was a very rich thing to play, and it was a fun experience for me all around."
From Soap Opera Weekly 8-14-01
Buffy ended last season in a tight spot - her own coffin - but things are about to change, big-time, as she embarks on a new era and stakes her claim to a new network, UPN. "Fans can expect an undead Buffy," said exec. producer arti Noxon, who wrote the first half of the two-part premiere, about Buffy's leap to life. "It's the real Buffy. I won't say how she gets there, but its the real Buffy. It makes sense, and it works. Nobody will step out of the shower and realize it was a dream.
"The theme of the season is 'Oh, grow up.' Because both Dawn and Buffy lost their Mom. Giles is going to be a bit less of a presense this year,so their both in a situation where they have to act in a more adult capacity," Noxon noted. "Xander and Anya are going to be engaged, so they're dealing with some really adult responsibilites."
Willow and Tara's relationship will evolve, said Noxon. "They're going to go through all the things all of our other couples do, which is hard times."
Sunnydale's bad boy, Spike, will get lots of airtime. "We'll be continuing to follow his feelings toward Buffy."
And then there's the all singing/all dancing episode. "(creator) Joss (Whedon) is working so hard on the music," Noxon said. "It's going to be really remarkable."
In a nutshell: Buffy will no doubt be changed after being dead, so look for a more mature take on slaying the undead
Posted by J32ASD on BC&S on 8-17-01
This probably falls under the "crap" category, but it was kind of cool to think about it. According to somebody who claims to have the inside scoop on Buffy S6, EP4, the only crossovers between the shows will be that of Wolfram and Hart purchasing the gallery at which Joyce used to work at in Sunnydale.
Posted by Wanda on E!Online on 8-17-01
Of course, right about now, we could also use a little bit of Faith, and from what I hear, we just might have it--Eliza Dushku's working hard to clear her intense movie schedule to get back in the slaying saddle.
Posted on SciFiWire on 8-16-01
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-tv.html?2001-08/15/13.00.tv
Riley Still AWOL From Buffy
Marc Blucas told SCI FI Wire that his own unavailability means his character, Riley, probably won't appear in the new season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But Blucas joked in an interview that he and creator Joss Whedon have come up with a backstory for his character while he's gone.
"I think in Joss' mind, Riley is off in the jungle being Col. Kurtz right now [of Apocalypse Now]," Blucas said at the press junket for Summer Catch. "I think he's pretty much off his rocker doing some jungle mission in South America. I think that while he tried to keep up for a little while, separation oftentimes is best. It was just such a well-written relationship. The show's set against a make-believe world, but it just deals with such real issues. Specifically, speaking in a relationship like that, I liked her more than she liked me, and we've all been in that situation. It was a very rich thing to play, and it was a fun experience for me all around."
Blucas and Whedon had discussed Riley's departure and eventual return, but have not yet found a way to coordinate such a return with Blucas' schedule.
"I just haven't been around to be able to do it," Blucas said. "After the first season, when Joss and I had a talk, and I said, 'Hey, this is what I'd really like,' and he said, 'Hey, that really works to do another half season. It's what I have in mind. It's what I want to do. It's right on the money, and then, pending your availability, we'll bring you back and do these things.' And that just hasn't been an option lately, so this next season, as much as I want to say I want to continue to work nonstop, hopefully there's a moment or two in there that it works in their schedule, and they want to have me back, because I'd love to go back and do an episode or two, because it's just a great group of people."
Posted by Deanna on BAPS on 8-18-01
Since I was in the area last night, I drove by Mutant Enemy's makeshift Buffy studio in Santa Monica to see if they were filming. They were. There was this weird tower that I could easily see from over their fence -- not the tower from "The Gift," this one was smaller but similarly crooked. It had long, light-colored vertical... support beams? and the center was interlaced with white Xmas-type lights. It looked like a big electric Christmas tree gone horribly wrong. There was a scissors-lift next to the Stewart Street fence with a large bush on its platform that would start the shot retracted, then would rise until the bush passed in front of a spotlight. Meanwhile, a plume of smoke came up from next to the tower. What does it all mean? Dunno. Anyway, photos:
http://members.aol.com/lucytortga/spy/08-16-01_003.jpg
I took these from across the street, trying to look over the fence.
The Stewart St. entrance is off to the left, and the crypt up against the fence (Spike's?) is visible in the right foreground in the first few shots. The scissors lift is in the foreground, while the blue crane lift is slightly behind and to the side of the tower.
Posted by Sweetie on Fanforum on 8-19-01
Well, to start if off, we got there like at 9:00 AM and Nick Brendon was supposed to autograph at 1:00 PM (yes, we got there early, but I really wanted an autograph). Well, as soon as we got there, we were informed that Nick had to cancel. I was like freaking out! I guess he had an ear infection so he couldn't fly on the plane. It was totally disappointing... plus, it was a Comic Book Con and that has no interest to me whatsoever. So we waited around for the Q & A with James and Juliet which was at 4:30... *sigh* A million hours away. During that time, I bought a Spike action figure! It rocks! And we got some pictures for them to sign for the autograph session. It was really boring, but time seemed to go by pretty quickly. Oh! Also, when we were waiting in line to buy the autograph tickets, the guy there works with Fox and was bragging that he's already read the first five scripts! Of course, everyone was begging him for hints and stuff, but he wouldn't say anything. Except that S6 is jaw-droppingly amazing and will absolutely floor you. And after like an hour of begging about what's in store for Buffy and Spike, all he would say was that they do share a "moment". Yay! That can mean only mean good things in store for Buffy and Spike.
The Q & A session was awesome... it was a stand up thing but I was really close and taped it all, of course. James has such a potty mouth! It's so funny! Okay, well, I haven't copied down all his answers word for word yet, but I can give you the gist of some of the things now and give you the rest later. Is that okay?
Well, the first thing someone asked was if Spike was going to be evil next season and James said something like, "Man, I hope the chip comes out." So I guess he's thinking that if the chip comes out, Spike will go evil? I don't think so, but James really prefers acting bad Spike instead of good Spike. So of course he wants the chip to come out. But then he kind of contradicted himself by saying that even the chip comes out, he'll still do what Buffy wants him to do because he "wants to get into her pants". Obviously, we all know it's more than that.
Um, I asked a question! I really regretted not asking one last time, so I decided to this time around. It was really bugging me about what I heard him say regarding the Scoobies hating Spike next season so I asked what Spike's relationship will be with the gang now that Buffy's gone. He said that Spike's really trying to help them deal with the fact that Buffy's dead and trying to fit in with the group, but they still don't like him. They're like, "Help us out, then go away." I'll post the word for word thing later. It wasn't too bad though.
Someone asked if Marc Blucas was coming back at all...
James: "What?! I'm the boy toy now, baby! Forget about Angel! Forget about Marc! I'm the one doing the push-ups now." (laughs)
I really loved that comment! I got the impression that he's going to be the main guy in Buffy's life next season... also, that he would shirtless quite a lot. Which pretty much sums up my S6 wish list.
Um, there really weren't many questions about Spike or B/S next season , so that was basically it. Juliet did say they wanted Drusilla back, but the writers didn't know if they wanted her on Buffy or Angel, since she won't be able to both, due to the no crossover deal. James wants her on Buffy and Juliet wants Spike to go to Angel so they could be bad there.
Oh! Someone asked why James was so tired (he had mentioned that he was) and he said that he had spent all night bawling his eyes out over Buffy! So I guess we're going to get an emotional Spike next season, most likely when he realizes that Buffy's back! I'm really really glad he said that... maybe that's what their "moment" is going to be.
Posted by Wolfendaughter on 8-19-01
http://wolfen_moondaughter.tripod.com/comicon.html
He also accidentally gave us a bit of a spoiler. Many of us have seen the posts from peeps who got to see the night-time motorcycle shoot with James & Michelle. Well, during the makeup q, he said that in virtually no time Todd cranked out 35 vamp bikers that they scorched (or something to the effect of getting burt toa crisp, I dont remember the exact words...)
Posted by Wanda on E!Online 8-20-01
lorcita1385 asks: ok, please tell us that theres gonna be a love story between Spike and buffy
Wanda replies: Slooooooooow but sure.
rufololb asks: Will we ever see Dawn with special powers?
Wanda replies: Yes. It'll take some time, but she'll come into her own as a Scooby this season.
jcryan19 asks: What do you mean Willow will become nastier? In what way? Please!
Wanda replies: Not in a Janet Jackson way.
Join me in the Crypt of Decryption:
Things are still looking up for a Buffy-Spike relationship. Wanda is still pushing the "slow but sure" theory, and Marti Noxon tells us that the show will "continue to explore [Spike's] feelings toward Buffy."
James Marsters revealed more about Spike's longterm future on the show when he described Spike as Buffy's boy toy: "I'm the boy toy now, baby! Forget about Angel! Forget about Marc! I'm the one doing the push-ups now."
One question for Season 6 is what Buffy will be like when she returns. I keep hearing suggestions that Buffy will be vamped. Noxon, perhaps tongue in cheek, says that "an undeadBuffy" will be coming back. And the possible UPN memo says that Buffy will be coming back "harder, more confident."
Otherwise, it has been a slow week for spoilers. There are no new location shoots, and no new casting info has been released. We're in a spoiler lull!
Scheduled writers:
Sources: Jane Espenson and DrewZ. Greenberg (BtVS writers) at Succubus Club (http://www.geocities.com/succubusclub/archives/interviews/JE010523.html) and Steve DeKnight and Drew Z. Greenberg at the Bronze. Also comments by Jane Espenson at the San Diego ComicCon 2001, posted on the Kitten Board.
Ep#1 Marti Noxon (Part 1 of premiere)
Ep#2 David Fury (Part 2 of premiere)
Ep#3 Jane Espenson
Ep#4 Jane Espenson and Doug Petrie (directed by James Contner) Updated 8-1-01
Ep#5 Steve DeKnight
Ep#7 Joss Whedon (musical episode) Updated 8-8-01
Ep #9 Drew Z. Greenberg
Ep. 15 Steve DeKnight Updated 8-4-01
Do you want to:
Correct me? Yell at me? Praise me? Send me spoilers or inside info?
E-mail me at ww1614@yahoo.com
http://members.aol.com/lucytortga/spy/08-16-01_004.jpg
http://members.aol.com/lucytortga/spy/08-16-01_005.jpg
http://members.aol.com/lucytortga/spy/08-16-01_006.jpg
http://members.aol.com/lucytortga/spy/08-16-01_007.jpg
(Report on Wizard World, Chicago)
Tentative title: Bargaining
Unconfirmed 7-29-01
