How I Got Into Buffy

[Sarah]

So I just started listening to "Upside Down and Halfway to Happyland" and She has (I don't know if she still does it, still beginning...) a "How I got into Buffy" section, and I suddenly realized I hadn't seen a thread like this on the forums... I looked around and I still didn't see any so I thought I'd start one!

I was introduced to Buffy I think when I was Fourteen or Fifteen... I'm Nineteen now so it's been a while. My Brother's best friend (Daniel) wanted me to check it out but I thought it sounded lame, I knew nothing about it but vaguely recognized the name. Daniel told me I had to watch it and showed me the season six finale with dark Willow... I was instantly hooked and started getting the seasons from the library, but unfortunately I had been very spoiled on a lot of key plot points, so when I watched it most of the twists didn't surprise me, but I loved it anyway! I recently started using Netflix and had to watch it again and this time I got a lot more of the adult humor.

I'm not sure where I heard about it (Whedonesque.com I think?) but I started listening to a podcast called "The Potentialcast" recently, and I absolutely love it! Bryan was on the podcast for an episode and I enjoyed that, so I checked out the Hellmouth podcast, and again– I love it! I listened to them all while I commuted to school over this last term, and when I could during breaks. After I caught up I immediately started re-listening, but watching along this time so I could properly enjoy them! Netflix for iPhone, who knew?! 

So here I am, as much of a Buffy fanatic as I could be. The only thing that makes me sad is that I can't re-watch it for the first time without prior knowledge and be blown away oh well, maybe I can introduce someone to Buffy and experience it second hand! Here's hopin'!!

[FaithLehane]

@Sarah
Kim Still Does "How I Got Into Buffy"

My Buffy Story
Well as a Kid(and still as an Adult :/ ) I Had Insomnia, After everyone went to Bed I'd sneak out of my room and watch everything right up until 12/1am(This is back when  TV after a certain point would just stop and nothing came back on until 6am),Most of the stuff "Was Not For Childs Eyes"(To qoute Spike Lol)which I guess explains my taste in TV Shows .....I Digress, One night in Late 1997 I came across BtVS the episode was 'Witch' S1 Ep 3...I remember instantly liking the show but I didn't really understand(I was  8yrs old at the time)anything other than The Scoobies were in high school(They seemed SO Old Haha) and weird crap happened.....I missed quite afew eps But I saw 'Prophecy Girl' and atleast half of S2 Including Spike & Dru's Arrival ,Angel turning into Angelus and the Ep that had me Come back for S3 and NEVER EVER miss an Ep after that was Becoming P1&2.
I was Unspoiled....I had no internet and the Magazines I bought mostly just had interviews with the cast.
In 2003 when Buffy Said goodbye to Sunnydale I said Hello to S6(Why S6 ....PLZ It had the musical - it cost me $160(They were selling it in half seasons)and it took no time after that to get the rest and there hasn't been a month since that I havn't watched an Ep of Buffy or the entire show, at one point I could get through all 7 seasons in a week and a half<<<<Obviously I'm Crazy Lol

[bdegrande]

My wife and I had seen the movie when it was first released. I liked the title, as I like both goofy and horror, so it sounded right up my alley. Didn't hate it, thought it was a funny campy B move.  I was surprised that they would make a TV show out of it, though, and I had little interest in seeing it, since TV shows are always worse than the movies they are based on. Years later, during season 4, our nephew was staying with us while working as an intern, and we watched a number of shows that we would not normally have watched, including Buffy, and got hooked pretty quickly. At the time, it was on in reruns two episodes a day, so it was pretty easy to double back to the beginning and catch up.  Then cam buying the DVDs, Angel, Firefly, etc....   I have used the Hellmouth Podcast as an excuse for yet another rewatch of the entire series (yes, Bryan, even Ted), which I am really enjoying. Now with Netflix on the iPad, I have access to Buffy anywhere, which I like a lot better than waiting for the reruns to appear on TV.

[Kevin Bachelder]

...I started listening to a podcast called "The Potentialcast" recently, and I absolutely love it! Bryan was on the podcast for an episode and I enjoyed that, so I checked out the Hellmouth podcast, and again– I love it!

Sarah,

If you want to hear even more from Bryan you might enjoy the special Buffy episode we did over at my podcast,  'Tuning In To Scifi TV', where I got Bryan, Stephanie from 'The Potential Cast' and Kim from 'Upside Down and Halfway to Happyland' to join me in a fun Buffy roundtable discussion.

You can find it here...

http://tuningintoscifitv.com/2010/11/05/tist-ep107/


Kevin

[Sarah]

...I started listening to a podcast called "The Potentialcast" recently, and I absolutely love it! Bryan was on the podcast for an episode and I enjoyed that, so I checked out the Hellmouth podcast, and again– I love it!

Sarah,

If you want to hear even more from Bryan you might enjoy the special Buffy episode we did over at my podcast,  'Tuning In To Scifi TV', where I got Bryan, Stephanie from 'The Potential Cast' and Kim from 'Upside Down and Halfway to Happyland' to join me in a fun Buffy roundtable discussion.

You can find it here...

http://tuningintoscifitv.com/2010/11/05/tist-ep107/


Kevin

Kevin I did listen to that, and I even entered the contest, but I didn't win

[Kevin Bachelder]

Kevin I did listen to that, and I even entered the contest, but I didn't win

Glad to hear that you enjoyed the podcast but sorry you didn't win.  

Naturally we got a ton of contest entries and some of them had great comments in them as well.  We even got a few people to try out Buffy based on the spoiler free portion of our discussion so I was very glad to hear that.


Kevin

[BreannaJoyce]

In my first semester of college I was searching Netflix watch instantly looking for something to watch. I came across Buffy the Vampire Slayer and remembered my neighbor and thought I should give it a try. I started at 12:00 in the morning and finally decided to stop around 4:30 - 5:00 in the morning. I loved Willow at first glance and began to relate to her on many levels. I was so tired for classes that day, but I went regardless and could not wait to get back to my dorm to continue watching. I was hooked at first glance, I couldn't say that first season took me awhile, but I started at season four, I think. Needless to say, I was confused but still loved each moment, while I didn't understand the references and such, I loved it. I really didn't watch the rest of the show until the beginning of summer when I came home to my internet-less house and had nothing to do, except for work.

During conversation with one of my oldest friends from elementary school, she had brought up that she loved Buffy and had all the seasons on DVD. Squealing a little, I asked her if I could borrow the DVDs, and she gladly went to her room and got them. I left her house right after, cutting my visit short, and started on what my parents call 'The Buffy Summer Spree.' I decided then would be a good time to start all over from season one. Watching season one knowing what I knew did not bother me, but it was hard for me to get through, because I knew the potential and how good it was later on. Once I finished all the episodes, I watched the commentary and the special features. I borrowed the DVDs in May and have YET to return them, not because I am a forgetful friend, but I am still watching them and using them.

I started to get my male best friend hooked on the series and would watch the episodes with him to answer any questions and to geek out. Later that month I had found out one of my other friends loved the series, but as he said "I was the target age group, because I WAS sixteen when it aired.' As soon as I found this out, conversations started to brew and we would discuss favorite characters/episodes leaving everyone else around us out of the conversation.

[smartgirl63]

Warning! Sad post below!
I got into Buffy by finding it on reruns during the summer. That's not the sad thing. This post is more about why I got into Buffy.
I was abused as a kid. I'm talking concentration camp kind of abuse. I was small for my age, and, even if I wasn't, it's never a fair fight when a grown man did what he did to me day and night for most of my young life. To say I was scarred is a huge understatement. I got counseling when I ran away to college, and my life is good today. But when I was a kid, the thing that kept me going was the idea that I was good, and I wanted to stay good and not turn evil. I felt like my soul was the only thing that was mine, and I planned to get out of that Hell and keep my soul. I didn't have revenge fantasies per se; I didn't have plans to get back at him, but I dreamed of either running away and living in the woods or being able to defend myself. It felt so, so good to watch Buffy and see her kick demon ass week after week. I always wanted to be that tough. I know it sounds silly, but watching Buffy gives me more confidence in my self. She gets the Big Bad every season; good triumphs over evil.

[beth]

@smartgirl63

I'm so sorry that you had to live through that, but happy to hear that life is good for you now.  Thank you for sharing something so personal and painful.  And there's nothing silly about Buffy evoking that reaction in you. I also experienced a lot of difficulties growing up in my home, and I think that's part of why Buffy feels very, very personal to me, too.

[Kevin Bachelder]

Warning! Sad post below!

Congratulations on being able to triumph over what happened to you and thank you for sharing such a personal story.


Kevin

[hellmouth]

I don't thank it is at all unusual that the show could have that kind of impact for someone going through your situation. I am glad that things are better now, I applaud your courage and willingness to share here on the forums!

[smartgirl63]

Thanks, everyone.