If Buffy and Angel were airing on tv today

[cryptwarmer]

I don't think it would because it's not dark and angsty enough. The shows today just seem do GD depressing and relentless. I mean, Walking Dead? There is no hope there for any good outcome.

I haven't seen all the shows mentioned, but from what I've seen Buffy is just not painful enough.

 

[Silverspike]

And it would be set in the late 90's. How many people are going it sit and watch a new genre show set in the late 90's. All of the other shows mentioned above are present day, Buffy would not be. The 'fear of technology' themes in some of the earlier episodes would just come across as bad parody and comedy. As much as I like season one, if it were to air today, having never seen it before, I cant imagine liking it.

But If was brought back and updated it wouldn't be set in the 1990's would it. Also imo you'd only need to tweak the scripts a bit and they would still be relevant today. After all it's all a metaphor about a young girls passage through life and that doesn't date.

I know folks millage varies, but half the shows I see these days aimed at teens makes me weep with the stupid.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But If was brought back and updated

That's why I asked if it would be updated and the OP said no, it would just be played as they are now. That's why I said no. As they are now they would not work.

 

[Silverspike]

I don't know about anywhere else but in the UK Buffy is on almost continual re-run mode on cable and still manages to hold it's own somewhat. To be honest I don't think people today are all that bothered about when it's set. It's not like folks won't watch classic Trek because it was made in the 60's.

Sometimes the writing can be just THAT good. 😀

 

[Skanky Vamp]

It's not like folks won't watch classic Trek because it was made in the 60's

But that's because there is a history with it- just like with Buffy. If you were to take that same Shatner Trek, and having never had any Star Trek before, put that show on at primetime today, it too would fail miserably (of course it failed miserably then too).
 

Sometimes the writing can be just THAT good

Why do you think "kids today" generally don't watch the older classic movies? There are people that have never seen Jaws or Indiana Jones (and no, those aren't older), that never seen Citizen Kane or Gone with the Wind. It's not because the writing is bad they haven't seen them, it's because they are dated. Just like Buffy. Same reason people will watch Peter Jackson's King Kong over Fay Wray's King Kong, or even Jeff Bridges for that matter. It has to do with age and production value and the aesthetics of it.

Good writing can't overcome that in most people's eye.

 

[The Bronze]

It has to do with age and production value and the aesthetics of it.

Yeah it's definitely harder to appreciate things that look bad. It just takes you out of whatever you're watching if you can spot how unrealistic it all looks. I would add the acting has come a long way as well though. Anytime I have seen a black & white film or pretty much pre 70's the acting has been abysmal.

 

[brinkster130]

As is, BTVS would be canceled halfway though the first season if it was currently airing for their first time.

Not that BTVS isn't good, or even better than some shows airing today, it just wouldn't have a place in airing television where it could be successful.

Like others have pointed out, it's outdated. It's very much a show of the 90's and that's not so far removed that nostalgia would make up for it. Production and lookswise, it doesn't match up to what's popular (successful) now; that goes for lighting, casting, and special effects. And, it would be just another supernatural show; yeah, their popular now days but would another one on a major network really be successful? It would have more competition than it has in the past.

 

[Silverspike]

My god some people are easily put off aren't they....d When I watch a show/film from a different era I always bare in mind what was going around at that time as well as what budgetary constraints they had.

To expect bloody Star wars style production values from everything you see is just daft imo, as well as closing yourself off from some wonderful media gems.

 

[Buffy Summers]

That doesn't change the fact that it still happens.

I had a screenwriting class a few years ago with mostly 18ish year olds and we watched Witness, and they were laughing at it.

 

[GwenRaiden]

I think the appreciation of old tv shows and film really depends on the person. I watched (and still watch) a lot of old media over new stuff because I just rate it more, modern tv and film always seems to have a fairly obvious agenda in relation to our modern times and that annoys me. I'd rather "comfort watch" old stuff over and over.

I think BtVS' success would be dependent on which countries it aired in and what channel - who's watching, basically. I'd watch it. My parents got me into Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and many more. So many episodes and films that have clearly influenced Whedon and Buffy.

But yeah, I don't think the target audience would like BtVS at all if it were shown now. But that's one of the reasons I don't relate to the young people of now. Most of them anyway.

 

[Silverspike]

"I had a screenwriting class a few years ago with mostly 18ish year olds and we watched Witness, and they were laughing at it."

Oh the arrogance of the stupid. I'm sure they'll all go far.....

 

[bespangeled]

I still dont buy it. If it never aired before and its suddenly airing next to Supernatural, Teen Wolf and Vampire Diaries it would be called an out-of-date ripoff.

Are we talking stand out as being a huge hit? Or stand out as being a better show?

 

[Athena]

It's not like folks won't watch classic Trek because it was made in the 60's.

But if Star Trek had never aired in the 60s and was now airing, as it was originally filmed in the sixties, but as a brand new primetime TV show in the present day..... no-one would watch it. They'd see cardboard props and men in rubber suits and say "this show is rubbish!"

That's the point we're trying to make. If Buffy was filmed in 1997, lost for 20 years and aired now as a brand new, never-before-seen TV show, it would never have the same impact. It was a product of its time. Kids just wouldn't relate to it like we did back in 1997, because times have changed. It doesn't matter how brilliant the acting & writing is, it would be essentially written off by its target audience. It'd be classed as a poor imitation of Vampire Diaries or Supernatural and it wouldn't survive one season. No one would give it the time of day.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But if Star Trek had never aired in the 60s and was now airing, as it was originally filmed in the sixties, but as a brand new primetime TV show in the present day..... no-one would watch it. They'd see cardboard props and men in rubber suits and say "this show is rubbish!"

That's the point we're trying to make. If Buffy was filmed in 1997, lost for 20 years and aired now as a brand new, never-before-seen TV show, it would never have the same impact. It was a product of its time. Kids just wouldn't relate to it like we did back in 1997, because times have changed. It doesn't matter how brilliant the acting & writing is, it would be essentially written off by its target audience. It'd be classed as a poor imitation of Vampire Diaries or Supernatural and it wouldn't survive one season. No one would give it the time of day.

Exactly. It's not 'trashing' the show or 'diminishing' it... it happens with everything. The people that watch it are people that are being influenced by peers/parents/siblings, etc. But if it were just now airing, none of those would be in existence. You would not have a Buffy-Boards even.

 

[ChaseRules]

Modern shows, whilst they look good and have the budget behind them to do so, fail on the characterisations and emotions that BtVS did so well. But for the vast majority of TV viewers nowadays, how a show looks (or the starring roles) are more important than great storytelling.

And that one big thing wrong with shows today. I also see how fast they drop shows these days so I have to agree these days it would
be a lot harder with it 90s theme to get going 🙁

 

[Buffy Summers]

Even if they were just airing it today, with updated looks, productions values and themes, I still think they would have a hard time getting it going fast enough for it to last. A reboot would have the advantage of the original fans watching it, but if we had never heard of Buffy I agree as some have said people would say it was retread Vampire Diaries or Twilight.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

retread Vampire Diaries or Twilight.

Or they might even call it Supernatural for girls (seeing how they said Supernatural was 'Buffy for boys' when it first came out)

 

[Silverspike]

But if Star Trek had never aired in the 60s and was now airing, as it was originally filmed in the sixties, but as a brand new primetime TV show in the present day..... no-one would watch it. They'd see cardboard props and men in rubber suits and say "this show is rubbish!"

That's the point we're trying to make. If Buffy was filmed in 1997, lost for 20 years and aired now as a brand new, never-before-seen TV show, it would never have the same impact. It was a product of its time. Kids just wouldn't relate to it like we did back in 1997, because times have changed. It doesn't matter how brilliant the acting & writing is, it would be essentially written off by its target audience. It'd be classed as a poor imitation of Vampire Diaries or Supernatural and it wouldn't survive one season. No one would give it the time of day.

Well imo this whole question is a none starter because your premise would never happen for a start. Also of course the comparison to shows wouldn't work because Buffy WAS there before any of these awful pale imitations. 😀 But If It did I'm sure it would stand the test of time If folks weren't so pathetically hooked on visuals. Talk about superficial. 😀

"Or they might even call it Supernatural for girls (seeing how they said Supernatural was 'Buffy for boys' when it first came out)"

Well thats laughable for a start seeing (from what I can gather) the core audience is women.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

the core audience is women.

Currently it is. That is because the show made a conscious effort to attract that in the later seasons. Which is why the tone of the show differs from the initial setting to what it is today. But it's change was more natural and gradual unlike other shows where it's abrupt and almost random.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Buffy did run for at least three 143-episode cycles a few years ago on a local independent TV channel (CHCH in Hamilton, Ontario). It did well enough to go on for several cycles in an after-school special time slot. This is sort of like the hit parade where a crappy song may be number 1 right now and you would prefer to hear the classics from some time ago. Could Buffy make it commercially now? Probably not, but it is one of those classics that I will keep going back to.