1997: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Begins its Run
March 10, 2021
| By TV WW
This day in 1997 marked the debut of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one of the then-fledgling WB network's first breakout hits.
The series, which ran seven seasons, starred Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, a petite, ordinary and seemingly meek high school student who discovers she's the latest in a long line of female protectors known as vampire slayers. She was secretly mentored by her "watcher," Rupert Giles, played by British actor Anthony Stewart Head.
The Buffy television series was created and executive produced by Joss Whedon, the original screenwriter for the 1992 same-name film starring Kristy Swanson. As production progressed, Whedon saw his heroic teen character morph into a ditzy cheerleader-turned-vampire killer. When given the opportunity to resurrect the concept as a TV show, Whedon took it.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was both a critical and commercial success and still boasts a dedicated fan base.
The series' co-stars included Alyson Hannigan and Nicholas Brendon as Buffy's best friends, Willow and Xander. Other regulars included Charisma Carpenter, Seth Green, James Marsters, Emma Caufield, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amber Benson and David Boreanaz, whose vampire character (and Buffy's love interest) became the central focus of the spinoff series, Angel.