Movies - TV
An Unaired Pilot Almost Killed Buffy Before The Show Even Began
By JOE ROBERTS
Although the original “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie disappointed Joss Whedon, the creator jumped at the chance to bring his original vision to life on TV.
However, bringing the show to air proved to be a challenge. Whedon landed an offer to make a pilot with the WB network, but his initial attempt nearly killed the series.
Due to budgetary issues, The WB could only commission a 25-minute pilot presentation, forcing Whedon to cut his pilot script down to accommodate the shorter run-time.
Whedon has spoken about how troubled the “presentation” production was, describing it as a “nightmare” because the crew didn’t seem to like he did.
The unaired pilot is pretty similar to the show's actual pilot, "Welcome to the Hellmouth," but there are a few significant differences.
The biggest change was that Willow Rosenberg was played by Riff Regan. The actress was recast after the show was commissioned, with Alyson Hannigan taking over the role.
Similarly, Stephen Tobolowsky played principal Flutie but was replaced by Ken Lerner for the series. There’s also nothing in the unaired pilot about The Master, Joyce, or Angel.
When Whedon delivered his original pilot, The WB executives were less than impressed. The company picked up “7th Heaven” for the 1996 fall season instead.
Despite the lukewarm reaction, some at the WB were intrigued enough by the characters that they remembered “Buffy” when it came time for mid-season replacements.
After canceling the one-hour soap opera "Savannah," the WB picked “Buffy” up for a 12-episode run, with the caveats that Whedon reshoot the pilot and recast Willow.