While TV shows are a dime a dozen, some end up becoming cult classics and standing the test of time. Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer is definitely in that category, with fans spending over ten years re-watching its seven season run. A number of Buffy’s cast members recently reunited for the new Audible series Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, which was written and directed by Tara actress Amber Benson. Chief among them is Anya herself Emma Caulfield Ford, who recently spoke to CinemaBlend about the show’s legacy as this unexpected Buffy semi-reboot was released.
Slayers: A Buffyverse Story is a thrilling piece of new content for fans of the beloved TV series. The narrative leans heavily on the concept of the multiverse, which allows for characters that died throughout Buffy’s runtime to return for a new adventure. I had the privilege of speaking with Emma Caulfield Ford about returning to Anya for Slayers, where she mused about how the franchise’s reception has evolved over the years. In her words:
I think it’s wild. But as a fangirl for other shows I get it. Being an obsessive fangirl for certain projects, that feeling I can completely relate to. Did I think this show would have that? Never in a million years. It was a tiny show on an upstart network, with no press really, no publicity, no social media. It lived like ‘Hey what’s that show? That show Buffy, what the fuck? Is that good? It has a dumb name. No, it's really good.’
Points were made. While the Buffy cast and crew likely didn’t expect the franchise to have such staying power, that’s exactly what it did. After all, the ambitious TV series was on a smaller network, and without the help of social media or an expensive marketing campaign. And all these years later there’s enough of an interest in the property that Slayers: A Buffyverse Story was just released on Audible. Later in our conversation, Caulfield Ford spoke about the reception that would come with the classic series, telling me:
We were always so proud of it and knew the critics really liked it. Each performer is different, but I personally want to do work that is respected by the opinions of other people whose job it is to give you opinions. And the fans. It was a critical and commercial hit, commercial being small scale.
Slayers: A Buffyverse Story marks a new installment to the franchise that isn’t connected with creator Joss Whedon. A number of allegations were made against Whedon by members of the cast, starting with Cordelia actress Charisma Carpenter (who has a role in Slayers). But despite this, it sounds like the cast had a blast reuniting for the Audible series. Caulfield Ford revealed how thankful she was to work on the new series, saying:
I’m happy that it does because it gave me this incredible job, and incredibly fun time.
The fans definitely have echoed this feeling, as it’s been a total joy to hear the cast of Buffy back as their signature characters for Slayers. In addition to Anya, we also get to catch up with the likes of Spike, Tara, Giles, Drusilla, Clem, and Olivia. So the series is a must-listen for those who are fans of the vampiric franchise.
Slayers: A Buffyverse Story is available now on Audible, and Buffy is streaming on Hulu. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
