178 Fun Facts About Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Who created the television series?

Joss Whedon created Buffy; his first sketch of the idea was 'Rhonda the Immortal Waitress', a seemingly insignificant woman who turns out to be extraordinary.

Who plays Buffy Summers in the series?

Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Buffy; at 18 she had already won a 1995 Daytime Emmy for a soap-opera role before landing the part in 1996.

What job does Buffy's Watcher hold at Sunnydale High?

Giles works as the Sunnydale High librarian; the library sits directly above the Hellmouth, which keeps the Watcher close to the action.

Which actor plays Willow Rosenberg?

Alyson Hannigan plays Willow; the unaired 1996 presentation pilot cast Riff Regan in the role before the network asked for a recast.

The spin-off series Angel is set in which city?

Angel is set in Los Angeles; the pilot 'City Of' opens with Angel's voiceover saying 'Los Angeles' before anything else is spoken.

Which actor plays the bleached-blond vampire Spike?

James Marsters, an American actor from California, plays Spike; British co-star Anthony Head helped him polish the character's north London accent.

What creature does Willow's boyfriend Oz turn into?

Oz is a werewolf, bitten on the finger by his young cousin Jordy; he transforms on the three nights around each full moon.

Former vengeance demon Anya has a running fear of which animals?

She belts out a whole number about them in the musical episode, and they feature in her worst nightmares.

What is the informal nickname of Buffy's circle of friends?

Buffy's friends call themselves the Scooby Gang, after the mystery-solving crew of Scooby-Doo; Xander coins the name in season two's 'What's My Line'.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer moved from The WB to which network for its final two seasons?

UPN aired the last two seasons from October 2001 after a negotiation dispute with The WB, which had billed the season five finale as its own 'series finale'.

Who played Buffy in the original 1992 film?

Kristy Swanson's Buffy learns it is her fate to hunt vampires; the film got mixed reviews and grossed $16.6 million on a $7 million budget.

What is the name of Angel's soulless, sadistic alter ego?

Angel's soulless self is Angelus; born Liam in 18th-century Galway, he was sired by Darla in 1753 and became infamous across Europe for his cruelty.

What is the title of the season-six musical episode?

The musical is 'Once More, with Feeling'; UPN promoted it with billboards of Gellar's face with music notes over her eyes, and Channel 4 ranked it among the 100 Greatest Musicals.

Which evil law firm is Angel's arch-nemesis on his spin-off?

Wolfram & Hart is secretly a front for powerful demonic forces; in the final season Angel's team controversially takes over the firm's own offices.

In the season-three finale, the Mayor 'ascends' into what kind of demon?

The Mayor becomes a huge snake, the pure demon Olvikan; Buffy lures him into the library and Giles detonates the explosives that destroy Sunnydale High with him inside.

In Buffy season four, what does the Initiative implant in the vampire Spike's head?

A behaviour-modifying chip punishes him with debilitating pain whenever he tries to hurt a human, so Spike turns to the Scooby Gang for protection; his inability to bite is comically compared to impotence.

Buffy's mother Joyce dies suddenly of what?

Joyce dies of a brain aneurysm; 'The Body' was shot with no musical score, and writer-director Joss Whedon's own mother had died of an aneurysm.

What are the silent, smiling, heart-stealing villains of the near-dialogue-free season-four episode?

The Gentlemen are the villains of 'Hush'; about 27 of its 44 minutes have no dialogue, in tribute to silent films, and only a real human scream can kill them.

Buffy's sister Dawn is revealed to be what?

Dawn is a mystical Key in human form, sent to the Slayer for protection from the villainous Glory; everyone was given lifelong false memories of her.

How does Buffy die at the end of season five?

Buffy dies leaping into Glory's portal in 'The Gift', her blood closing it; her friends later resurrect her with a spell, believing they are rescuing her from a hell dimension.

What does Xander do to revive Buffy after the Master drowns her in the season-one finale?

Xander performs CPR and revives Buffy; Angel says he cannot do it because, as a vampire, he has no breath.

What weapon does Buffy use to destroy the supposedly invincible demon the Judge?

Buffy blows the Judge apart with a rocket launcher that Xander and Cordelia stole from an army base; her one-liner is 'That was then, this is now.'

Which body part does Xander lose to the preacher Caleb in season seven?

The character was originally slated to die; instead he spends the final episodes in an eyepatch.

Which rock band plays the show's opening theme?

Nerf Herder plays the theme; Alyson Hannigan urged Joss Whedon to use their track, and the band's name comes from Princess Leia's 'nerf herder' insult at Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back.

On Angel, what does Cordelia inherit from the dying half-demon Doyle via a kiss?

Doyle's kiss passes his prophetic visions to Cordelia; she treats them as a curse until the demon Vocah floods her with visions of everyone suffering in the world.

What is the name of the 'miracle' child born to the vampires Angel and Darla?

The child is Connor; Holtz kidnaps him into the hell dimension Quor'toth as a baby, and he returns weeks later as a teenager because time runs faster there.

What is Buffy's degrading fast-food job in season six?

Buffy takes a job at the Doublemeat Palace burger chain in season six; it marks the low point of her depression after being pulled out of heaven.

Which company published the canonical Season Eight comic continuation from 2007?

Dark Horse Comics published Season Eight from March 2007; planned at about 25 issues, it grew to 40 and was followed by Season Nine in 2011.

Buffy's brief death in the season-one finale activated which new Slayer?

Buffy's drowning called Kendra, who arrives in season two; Kendra is later hypnotized and killed by Drusilla, which in turn calls Faith.

Which former Slayer, killed by Spike in 1977 New York, was the mother of the season-seven principal?

Nikki Wood, mother of Principal Robin Wood, was killed by Spike on a New York subway in 1977; he took his trademark leather duster from her body.

Faith's slide toward evil begins when she accidentally kills whom?

Faith accidentally stakes Deputy Mayor Allan Finch, mistaking him for a vampire on a night of reckless slaying, then allies herself with the Mayor.

Which future two-time Oscar winner made her film debut as one of Buffy's friends in the 1992 movie?

Hilary Swank made her film debut as Buffy's friend Kimberly in the 1992 movie, years before her Best Actress Oscars for Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby.

The show's lead actress had already won a Daytime Emmy for which soap opera?

She played Kendall Hart, the long-lost daughter of Susan Lucci's Erica Kane.

Which co-star did the actress who plays Willow marry in 2003?

He played Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, the stuffy replacement Watcher who later became a core member of Angel Investigations.

What is the very last line of the Angel series finale?

Angel's closing line is 'Let's go to work'; the team then charges an army of demons in a rain-soaked alley near the Hyperion, and the screen cuts to black.

What is the name of Oz's band, which plays regularly at the Bronze?

Oz's band is Dingoes Ate My Baby, a nod to Australia's Azaria Chamberlain 'dingo ate my baby' case; the real band Four Star Mary recorded its songs.

The season-three finale was delayed on US television because of which real-world event?

The Columbine shootings, four weeks before Part One aired, led The WB to pull 'Graduation Day, Part Two' from its schedule; Canada aired it on time, so bootlegs spread online.

Which member of the Trio fires the stray shot that kills Tara?

Warren Mears fires the stray shot; the bullets were meant for Buffy, and a grieving Willow tracks Warren down and flays him alive with magic.

Glory, the season-five hell god, shares a body with which human?

Glory shares a body with the hospital intern Ben; magic makes people forget the connection instantly, a running joke as Spike keeps trying to explain it.

The bleached vampire William got the nickname 'the Bloody' because of what?

William was 'the Bloody' because his poetry was bloody awful, as 'Fool for Love' reveals; Giles had assumed it referred to torturing victims with railroad spikes.

How was David Boreanaz reportedly discovered for the role of Angel?

The neighbor passed the tip to one of the producers; he later spent 12 seasons as Seeley Booth on Bones.

Which episode earned the show's only Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series?

'Hush' earned the 2000 nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series; only about 17 of its 44 minutes contain dialogue, and it was also nominated for cinematography.

On Angel, from which demon dimension is the physicist Fred Burkle rescued?

Fred is rescued from Pylea, the same dimension Lorne, the karaoke-bar host, comes from; she had been trapped there for five years.

Which veteran character actor played the Master under heavy prosthetics?

Mark Metcalf played the Master under heavy prosthetics; he is better known as the ROTC bully Neidermeyer in National Lampoon's Animal House.

The season-four Big Bad Adam, a patchwork of human, demon and machine, is powered by what?

Adam runs on a uranium core, which Buffy rips out in 'Primeval' after merging with Willow, Xander and Giles into a single magical composite.

Which Frank Lloyd Wright building was the exterior of the season-two vampire trio's Crawford Street mansion?

The Ennis House in Los Feliz, built in 1924 in Wright's textile-block style, doubled as the mansion's exterior; the same house appears in Blade Runner and the 1959 House on Haunted Hill.

Why did the musical episode fail to earn a 2002 Emmy nomination despite its acclaim?

The show did win an Emmy for makeup for the two-part 'Surprise'/'Innocence' story, one of only a handful it ever received.

Who took over as showrunner for the controversial sixth season?

Marti Noxon ran season six while Joss Whedon focused on the musical and his Fox pilot Firefly; she later said parts of the season 'went too far'.

Before Buffy, Anthony Head was famous in Britain as the man in ads for which product?

The 'Gold Blend couple' commercials ran from 1987 to 1993 and were remade for North America as Taster's Choice.

In which month of 2004 did The WB announce Angel's cancellation?

The WB announced on Friday, 13 February 2004 that Angel would end with its fifth season; fans campaigned against entertainment chief Jordan Levin to no avail.

Where is Buffy and Xander's Slayer headquarters in the Season Eight comics?

Season Eight opens with the Slayer army based in a castle in Scotland; the masked Big Bad Twilight sees the expanded army of Slayers as a threat to humanity.

The 1992 film script was sold to a production company owned by which singer?

Sandollar, the company co-owned by Dolly Parton and Sandy Gallin, bought the script; Joss Whedon, unhappy with the film, made the TV series himself five years later.

According to its writer-director, what does the Cheese Man in the dream episode 'Restless' symbolize?

Joss Whedon has said the Cheese Man means nothing at all; every other element of the four dreams carries meaning, and he was included because dreams always hold one thing that does not.

For how many days had Buffy been dead when her friends resurrected her at the start of season six?

Buffy had been dead 147 days; Spike says so in 'Afterlife', having counted every one: '147 days yesterday... 148 today.'

The show's creator is a third-generation TV writer; his father wrote for which 1980s sitcom?

Tom Whedon wrote and produced for The Golden Girls; grandfather John Whedon wrote for The Donna Reed Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Before becoming the vengeance demon Anyanka, Anya was a human woman with what name?

Anya was born Aud in a Viking-era village; she turned her cheating lover Olaf into a troll, which so impressed the demon D'Hoffryn that he recruited her.

Marc Blucas, who played Riley Finn, previously played college basketball for which team?

Marc Blucas played guard for Wake Forest, sharing the court with a young Tim Duncan before graduating in 1994.

Besides the musical, which is the only episode whose title appears on screen?

The season-seven episode plays out in real time and had four separate writers, each handling one storyline.

What is the street address of the Summers home in Sunnydale?

The Summers house is at 1630 Revello Drive; Buffy, Joyce and Dawn live there, and Joyce's death in 'The Body' plays out in its living room.

The composer Christophe Beck won a Primetime Emmy for scoring which episode?

Christophe Beck won the 1998 Emmy for his dramatic underscore for 'Becoming, Part 1'; he later scored Frozen, Ant-Man and WandaVision.

Which name did the creator give the Master in the pilot script, though it is never spoken on screen?

The Master's full name, Heinrich Joseph Nest, appears only in the script; on screen he is just 'the Master', leader of the Order of Aurelius and roughly 600 years old.

On what date did the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer air on The WB?

'Welcome to the Hellmouth' premiered on The WB on March 10, 1997, as a midseason replacement; the network promoted it with 'History of the Slayer' clips.

How many episodes did Buffy the Vampire Slayer run for in total?

Buffy ran for 144 episodes over seven seasons (1997-2003); only Buffy and Willow appear in every one, while Xander appears in 143.

Sunnydale High's exteriors in the first three seasons were filmed in which California city?

Sunnydale High's exteriors were shot at Torrance High School, which also served as West Beverly High in Beverly Hills, 90210; UC Sunnydale exteriors used UCLA.

What did the series win in 2003 from the Television Critics Association?

The Television Critics Association gave Buffy its Heritage Award in 2003, an honour for shows with lasting cultural impact; the show was nominated for five TCA Awards during its run.

Sarah Michelle Gellar described the show as 'the ultimate metaphor' for what?

Gellar called the show 'the ultimate metaphor: the horrors of adolescence manifested through these monsters', with vampires and demons standing in for the fears of growing up.

Who directed the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film?

Fran Rubel Kuzui directed the 1992 film from Joss Whedon's script; she and her husband Kaz Kuzui kept executive-producer credits on the TV series.

Which actor played Buffy's Watcher, Merrick, in the 1992 film?

Donald Sutherland played Merrick; Rutger Hauer played vampire king Lothos, Luke Perry played fellow outcast Pike, and Paul Reubens was Lothos's henchman Amilyn.

Buffy was expelled from Hemery High School in Los Angeles for doing what?

Her parents' divorce followed and she moved to Sunnydale.

Cordelia Chase's last television appearance came in Angel's episode of which number, in 2004?

Charisma Carpenter was a Buffy regular for three seasons and an Angel regular for four.

Nicholas Brendon's twin brother, who played Xander in two episodes, is named what?

Kelly Donovan, Nicholas Brendon's identical twin, doubled as the second Xander in 'The Replacement'; Brendon himself was born Nicholas Brendon Schultz.

As a young man, Giles dropped out of which university to dabble in dark magic and rock music?

Giles dropped out of Oxford, as 'The Dark Age' reveals, to dabble in dark magic and rock music; Whedon long planned a BBC spin-off about those years called Ripper.

Why was a planned Faith spin-off series never made?

Faith later co-starred in the 25-issue comic Angel & Faith, set mostly in London.

Willow and Tara's romance was among the first long-term portrayals of what on US network TV?

Willow and Tara, played by Amber Benson, formed a lesbian couple from season four; it was among the first long-running same-sex relationships on US network television.

Anya was originally written to appear in how many episodes?

Anya was written for just one episode, 'The Wish'; Emma Caulfield's role grew to recurring guest and then series regular for seasons five to seven.

How old does the vengeance demon Anyanka say she is in season three?

Anya announces 'I'm 1,120 years old!' in 'Doppelgangland'; Giles had destroyed her power-holding necklace in 'The Wish', leaving her a mortal teenager.

Riley Finn is a native of which Iowa town?

Riley says he grew up in Huxley, Iowa; at UC Sunnydale he is Professor Walsh's teaching assistant and secretly an Initiative soldier.

Drusilla was a young psychic in which city before Angelus drove her insane?

Drusilla was a devout young psychic in London; in 1860 Angelus, egged on by Darla, murdered her family and drove her mad before siring her.

Julie Benz, who played Darla, originally auditioned for which role?

Julie Benz auditioned for Buffy herself before being cast as Darla; Gellar, too, was first offered Cordelia before winning the lead.

Jenny Calendar's true identity is Janna of which Romani group?

Jenny is Janna of the Kalderash clan, the Romani group that cursed Angelus with a soul; she was sent to Sunnydale to watch him.

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce first appears in which season-three episode?

Wesley debuts in 'Bad Girls' as the replacement Watcher for Buffy and Faith; he later joins Angel in its first season and stays to the end.

Which actress played Harmony Kendall?

Mercedes McNab played Harmony from the unaired pilot, where she was one of Cordelia's 'Cordettes', through to Angel's final season.

Andrew Wells is the younger brother of Tucker, who did what in season three?

Jonathan and Warren remember the incident fondly but have no idea who Andrew is.

Which floppy-skinned, kitten-poker-playing demon becomes Spike's friend in season six?

Clem, the loose-skinned demon played by James C. Leary, befriends Spike, plays kitten poker and even babysits Dawn in season six.

The First Evil made its debut in which season-three episode?

The First Evil debuts in 'Amends', tormenting Angel at Christmas; it returned as the main villain of season seven, sending Bringers to kill Potential Slayers.

Which quirk does the genial Mayor Richard Wilkins III have?

Harry Groener played him; he also promotes family values and dislikes swearing.

Which actress played Professor Maggie Walsh, head of the Initiative?

Lindsay Crouse played Professor Maggie Walsh, the psychology lecturer who secretly ran the Initiative; George Hertzberg played her creation Adam.

Glorificus was banished from a hell dimension ruled by how many hell gods?

Glory was one of three hell gods ruling her dimension; the other two feared she would seize total control and banished her into the body of the human Ben.

Which actor played the chaos-worshipping sorcerer Ethan Rayne?

Robin Sachs played Ethan Rayne in seasons two to four, from 'Halloween' until the Initiative hauls him away in 'A New Man'.

What business does Buffy's mother Joyce run in Sunnydale?

Joyce Summers runs an art gallery; the Nigerian mask she brings home from it raises the dead in 'Dead Man's Party'. Kristine Sutherland played her.

Who transformed the Key into human form and sent it to Buffy as her sister Dawn?

A group of monks transformed the Key into Dawn; Michelle Trachtenberg played her, a girl with real memories of a fictional childhood.

How many churches does Sunnydale have during the first three seasons?

Sunnydale has 43 churches, an oddly high number for a town of 38,500 that also has a zoo, a museum, one main street and a Hellmouth under the school.

Sunnydale is located in the former homeland of which Native American people?

'Pangs' reveals Sunnydale sits on former Chumash land, placing the town northwest of Los Angeles around Santa Barbara County; the vengeful spirit Hus is a Chumash warrior.

The Cruciamentum test is imposed on a Slayer at what age?

The Cruciamentum is imposed on a Slayer's 18th birthday, as in 'Helpless'; Giles was dismissed as Watcher for interfering in Buffy's test.

Which agent of the First destroys the Watchers' Council headquarters?

Caleb, the First's preacher enforcer, boasts in 'Dirty Girls' of having blown up the Watchers' Council headquarters in London before its intelligence could be acted on.

'Innocence' drew 8.2 million viewers as the show moved from Monday to which night?

'Innocence' aired on Tuesday, January 20, 1998, the show's first night in its new Tuesday slot; it sees Angel lose his soul after sleeping with Buffy.

Which demon do Angelus, Spike and Drusilla try to awaken in the two-part 'Becoming'?

Acathla is the stone demon who would swallow the world; only someone worthy can pull the sword from him, and Angelus does so to open the door to Hell.

In 'The Zeppo', Xander tags along with which student who raises his dead friends?

Jack O'Toole, the zombie who raises his dead friends, drags Xander along in 'The Zeppo'; Buffy had asked Xander to stay 'fray-adjacent' during the apocalypse.

'Doppelgangland' revisits the alternate reality first shown in which episode?

Vampire Willow comes from the alternate reality of 'The Wish'; in 'Doppelgangland' Anya's spell to retrieve her amulet accidentally pulls her into the real Sunnydale.

'Graduation Day, Part 2' finally aired on which date after being postponed?

'Graduation Day, Part 2' finally aired on July 13, 1999, eight weeks after Part 1; it was the last episode with David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter as regulars.

Which figure hunts the four main characters through their dreams in 'Restless'?

The First Slayer, Sineya, stalks the four through their dreams in 'Restless', angry that Buffy shared her power; Buffy dismisses her in the final dream.

'The Body', in which Buffy finds her mother dead, first aired on what date?

'The Body' first aired on February 27, 2001; Joss Whedon wrote and directed the episode, which plays out with no musical score.

'The Gift', the season-five finale, was which milestone episode of the series?

'The Gift' was the 100th episode; it aired May 22, 2001, as the show's WB finale before the move to UPN.

In 'Bargaining', where did Anya find the last artifact Willow needs to resurrect Buffy?

Anya tracked down the Urn of Osiris, the last artifact for the spell, on eBay; meanwhile the gang used the Buffybot to hide Buffy's death from enemies and social workers.

In 'Tabula Rasa', what shark-headed demon confronts Spike over a debt?

The loan shark is called Teeth, a literal shark-headed demon to whom Spike owes forty Siamese kittens; Willow's memory spell then wipes everyone's identities.

'Once More, with Feeling' first aired on UPN on which date?

'Once More, with Feeling' premiered on UPN on November 6, 2001; it was Whedon's first attempt at writing music, spanning styles from sitcom themes to rock opera.

Which Angel Investigations member was played by J. August Richards?

J. August Richards played Charles Gunn, the Los Angeles street vampire-hunter who joins Angel Investigations in season one and stays through the series finale.

After 'Chosen', the Buffy story was not continued until which 2007 comic?

Season Eight opened in March 2007 with the arc 'The Long Way Home', written by Joss Whedon; the comics saga ran on until Season Twelve in 2018.

In 'Storyteller', Andrew films his documentary while hiding in which room?

Andrew films from the Summers house bathroom, perched on the edge of the tub; he imagines himself in an old library with a roaring fire, smoking jacket and pipe.

Whedon's company Mutant Enemy takes its name from a song by which band?

The name comes from a lyric in Yes's 1972 song 'And You and I'; Whedon had first given the name Mutant Enemy to his typewriter.

Which Pixar film did Joss Whedon co-write in 1995?

Joss Whedon shares the screenplay credit on Toy Story (1995), which earned him an Oscar nomination; he also wrote Alien Resurrection (1997) and later directed The Avengers.

Whedon co-created the spin-off Angel with which writer-producer?

David Greenwalt co-created Angel, which ran on The WB from October 1999 to May 2004, for 110 episodes.

In the Season Eight comics, who is unmasked as the villain Twilight?

Twilight is unmasked as Angel late in Season Eight; under the persona he hunted the Slayer army, and in the final arc, while under Twilight's influence, he kills Giles.

Sarah Michelle Gellar co-founded which e-commerce baking company in 2015?

Gellar co-founded Foodstirs, a baking-kit company, in 2015 with Galit Laibow and Greg Fleishman; she published the cookbook Stirring Up Fun with Food in 2017.

Alyson Hannigan babysat as a teenager for which future co-star?

As a teenager Alyson Hannigan babysat Bob Saget's daughters; they later worked together on How I Met Your Mother, where she played Lily Aldrin and he narrated as future Ted.

Nicholas Brendon later played Kevin Lynch on which crime series?

Nicholas Brendon played technical analyst Kevin Lynch on Criminal Minds from 2007 to 2014, a recurring love interest for Penelope Garcia.

Anthony Head played which role in the BBC series Merlin?

He was also the prime minister in Little Britain and Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso.

David Boreanaz was born in which city, where his father was a TV weather presenter?

David Boreanaz was born in Buffalo, New York, where his father Dave Roberts was a TV weatherman; the family moved to the Philadelphia area when he was seven.

James Marsters played the alien supervillain Brainiac on which series?

James Marsters played Brainiac on Smallville from its fifth season; he also played Captain John Hart on Torchwood and grew up in Modesto, California.

Charisma Carpenter was born in which city?

Charisma Carpenter was born in Las Vegas in 1970; she later played Kendall Casablancas on Veronica Mars and Lacy in The Expendables films.

Seth Green voices which character on Family Guy?

Seth Green has voiced Chris Griffin from Family Guy's 1999 debut; he also played Scott Evil in the Austin Powers films and Oz on Buffy.

Eliza Dushku, who played Faith, was born in Boston and raised in which Massachusetts town?

Eliza Dushku grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts, after her birth in Boston; she later starred in Tru Calling and Dollhouse.

Emma Caulfield played Susan Keats, girlfriend of which character, on Beverly Hills, 90210?

Emma Caulfield played Susan Keats, Brandon Walsh's college-newspaper girlfriend, on Beverly Hills, 90210; she later played Sarah Proctor in WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

Michelle Trachtenberg made her feature film debut in the title role of which 1996 film?

Michelle Trachtenberg's feature debut was the title role in Harriet the Spy (1996), leaving The Adventures of Pete & Pete to make it; she later played Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl.

Julie Benz won a Saturn Award for playing Rita Bennett on which series?

Julie Benz played Rita Bennett, Dexter Morgan's girlfriend and then wife, on Dexter from 2006 to 2010; her older siblings were 1987 US junior ice dancing champions.

Drusilla's actress is the daughter of which two actors?

Juliet Landau, who played Drusilla, is the daughter of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain; she co-starred as Loretta King in Tim Burton's Ed Wood.

Danny Strong, who played Jonathan, co-created which Fox music-industry drama?

Empire was Danny Strong's co-creation; he also wrote Recount, Game Change and both Mockingjay films, and created Dopesick.

Nathan Fillion, who played Caleb, began playing Officer John Nolan in 2018 on which show?

Nathan Fillion began playing Officer John Nolan on ABC's The Rookie in 2018; he also played Mal Reynolds in Firefly and Richard Castle in Castle.

As a child, Buffy's lead actress made an ad that got her sued by McDonald's for promoting which rival chain?

Burger King's 1982 spot was one of fast food's first attack ads, and she was reportedly banned from McDonald's, missing friends' birthday parties there.

What happens to a vampire's body, clothes included, when Buffy drives a stake through its heart in the TV series?

It turns to dust, a rule the TV writers added: the vampires of the 1992 film left corpses behind and could even fly, which looked unconvincing on a TV budget.

In a season-seven Buffy joke, which English rock star is said to have stolen his look from the vampire Spike?

Billy Idol's peroxide hair and punk sneer are plainly the model for Spike, so the episode 'Sleeper' flips the debt and makes the singer the copycat.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 heart-throb played Pike, the mechanic who helps Buffy, in the 1992 film?

Luke Perry was so tied to his hit TV series that the entire film was shot in just five weeks to fit around its schedule.

At the end of the Buffy series finale, what is left where the whole town of Sunnydale once stood?

A large crater swallows all of Sunnydale when the cavern beneath the town collapses, and the survivors of the last battle escape just ahead of it in a school bus.

In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, what must a vampire receive from a living resident before it can enter a home?

An invitation, once given, lasts for good on the show: it can only be revoked by a magic ritual, so welcoming the wrong guest is a lasting mistake.

In Buffy season two, what breaks the Romani curse on the vampire Angel, making him a killer again?

A moment of true happiness was the curse's catch: a vengeful Romani clan had condemned him to live in remorse, so a night of bliss with Buffy ended the punishment.

After Buffy dies at the end of season five, what do her friends send on patrol so vampires think the Slayer lives?

A robot double of Buffy, first built as a doting companion for Spike, was repurposed by her friends to hide her death from demons and from social workers.

What does the vampire Spike win back by surviving a demon's brutal trials in Africa at the end of Buffy season six?

His soul was the reward he had asked for, revealed only at the very end of the season; he wanted it back to prove himself worthy of Buffy.

Which comedian played Amilyn, loyal acolyte of the vampire Lothos, in the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film?

Paul Reubens, the man behind Pee-wee Herman, took the small role while keeping a low profile in the early 1990s, and critics singled out his game performance.

Buffy's creator says the heroine was devised to invert the fate of which stock victim of horror movies?

The blonde in the alley is usually the first to die; the creator wanted her to turn out extraordinary instead, and built the whole story on that reversal.

Which Canadian actor turned down a role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, citing his own real-life experience of high school?

Ryan Reynolds said he loved the show but had only just left high school, where he was bullied, and did not want to go back to playing a schoolboy.

Alongside Selma Blair, which future Dawson's Creek star was in the running to play Buffy Summers in 1996?

Katie Holmes was reportedly offered the lead and turned it down in order to finish high school.

Which actor played Lothos, the elder vampire who puts Buffy into a hypnotic trance, in the 1992 film?

Rutger Hauer's vampire shrugs off a hairspray flamethrower before Buffy finally stakes him with a broken chair leg.

Which weapon, forged in secret for the Slayer by the Guardians, does Buffy wield in the final episodes of season seven?

A scythe in name only, it looks like an axe with a stake built into the handle, and Willow taps its power to call every Potential Slayer at once.

What was the title of the never-made BBC spin-off about Rupert Giles, taken from the nickname of his rebellious youth?

Ripper was the name he earned while dabbling in dark magic with friends who summoned a demon; the series was discussed for years but never filmed.

Which martial art had Buffy's lead actress already studied for years as a child, long before the role?

Taekwondo was one of two sports she took seriously as a child: she was also a competitive figure skater who placed third at a New York State regional event.

Which eight-issue comic by Buffy's creator follows Melaka, a thieving Slayer in a future New York overrun by 'lurks'?

Fray takes its name from Melaka's surname, and its last two issues ran late because its writer was tied up with his television shows.

What is the title of the online academic journal of Buffy studies that has published scholarly essays since 2001?

Slayage outgrew its subject: as scholars turned to the creator's other shows, the journal widened its title to cover all his work and gained its own conferences.

Which future Oscar-winning star appears uncredited as a basketball player in the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film?

Ben Affleck shares the unbilled list with Ricki Lake; a young Seth Green also filmed a vampire scene that was cut, years before he joined the TV series as Oz.

What is Buffy Summers's middle name, which she adopts as an alias after running away from Sunnydale?

Anne is also the name she hands on when she returns home: a fellow runaway called Lily adopts it for good and later runs a teen shelter on the spin-off.

What job does the new principal give Buffy Summers at the rebuilt Sunnydale High in season seven?

School counselor was her reward for coaxing two troubled students back to lessons, and it put the Slayer on duty directly above the Hellmouth.

What is the first name of Buffy Summers's father, played in a handful of episodes by Dean Butler?

Hank Summers lets her down to the last: in the comics he leaves Buffy out of his wedding, which pushes her closer to her father figure Giles.

Which Sunnydale High tyrant is killed by the Mayor's demon form in the middle of Buffy's graduation ceremony?

Principal Snyder had hounded Buffy for years, even barring her from school, and had only got the job because his predecessor was killed as well.

The teenage witch Amy Madison escapes being burned at the stake in Buffy season three by turning herself into what?

A rat is what she stays for years, because she cannot undo her own spell: Willow keeps her in a cage until she is finally powerful enough to restore her.

Which compulsive habit of Dawn Summers is exposed when a curse traps everyone inside the Summers house in season six?

Stealing was her way of coping with feeling neglected, and it came to light only because a vengeance demon answered her plea that nobody leave, sealing every guest inside.

Which Potential Slayer, a self-described brat from a rich family, becomes Willow's girlfriend in Buffy's final season?

Kennedy had trained with weapons since she was eight, so she often takes the lead among the recruits and consults with Buffy's inner circle.

Which instrument does the taciturn Oz, Willow's first and only boyfriend, play in his Sunnydale rock band?

Guitar is his part in a band that plays the Bronze, where he first notices Willow at a costume dance, several episodes before the two actually meet.

Which subject does Jenny Calendar, the love interest of Rupert Giles, teach at Sunnydale High in early Buffy?

Computer science teacher Jenny was killed off in season two, a death the show's creator said was meant to prove that nobody on it was safe.

Which trade gives Xander Harris, long stuck in his parents' basement, a steady career and a home of his own?

Construction work makes a carpenter of him and pays for an apartment he shares with Anya, the former demon he later leaves at the altar.

Which power does Buffy gain in season three when the blood of a mouthless demon soaks into her skin?

Reading minds in 'Earshot' soon overwhelms her, and one head stays closed: her vampire boyfriend's thoughts are as hidden as his reflection in a mirror.

In the Buffy episode 'Band Candy', cursed chocolate bars make the adults of Sunnydale behave like what?

Teenagers again, the grown-ups pack the local club and neglect the town, a distraction arranged so the Mayor can pay tribute to a demon.

In the Buffy episode 'Normal Again', demon venom makes the Slayer believe she has spent six years as what?

A mental patient is what she may truly be: the episode was left open on purpose, and its creator said viewers can read the whole series as her delusion.

In which season-four Buffy episode does Jonathan Levinson cast a spell that reshapes reality and spawns a demon?

Superstar bends the whole universe around Jonathan, the once unpopular classmate, right down to opening credits re-cut to feature him.

In the two-parter ending with 'Who Are You?', what does the rogue Slayer Faith do to Buffy with a magical device?

Swaps bodies with her, and the trick rebounds: living as Buffy shows Faith the love and acceptance her own life lacks, the turning point of her redemption.

In a season-four Buffy episode, what does Willow's misfired spell cause sworn enemies Buffy and Spike to do?

Get engaged is what they do, wedding plans and all, while the same spell blinds Giles and turns Xander into a magnet for demons.

In Buffy's season-five premiere, Dracula turns Xander Harris into a version of which character from Bram Stoker's novel?

Renfield is the insect-eating servant of the novel, so Xander duly develops a hunger for bugs and starts calling the Count his master.

In the Buffy episode 'Gingerbread', the parents' vigilante group MOO is short for Mothers Opposed to what?

The Occult became their target after two dead children appeared, but the pair were a demon whose earlier visit to Germany inspired Hansel and Gretel.

In Buffy's season-three premiere, what job is the runaway Slayer doing in a big-city diner under an assumed name?

Waitress is where the whole idea began: the creator's unproduced 'Rhonda the Immortal Waitress' was his first version of a nobody who proves extraordinary.

In which Buffy episode does the Slayer cook Thanksgiving dinner for friends while vengeful spirits fire arrows?

Pangs ends with the meal served anyway and Spike still tied to a chair at the table, an early step in turning the vampire into a sympathetic figure.

In Buffy the Vampire Slayer lore, how do vampires and demons traditionally spend the night of Halloween?

They stay home because the undead find the night too tacky to bother with, a rule Giles is still citing in season six when Buffy wants to go on patrol.

In the season-two Buffy episode 'Halloween', a cursed costume turns the Slayer into which helpless figure?

A noblewoman of the 18th century, prim and no use in a fight; Willow grumbles that her friend could have dressed as a warrior princess instead.

Which costume does Xander Harris wear in Buffy's first Halloween episode, turning into the real thing under a spell?

A soldier, and a convincing one: the usually hapless Xander becomes a battle-hardened veteran, complete with a thousand-yard stare.

In Buffy's 'Halloween', the costume-shop owner performs his ritual in honour of which Roman deity?

Janus is always shown with two faces, apt for a spell that turns people into their costumes, though in myth he was a peaceful guardian of doorways and gates.

Wary of being possessed by his outfit again, which film hero does Xander Harris dress as in 'Fear, Itself'?

James Bond was a calculated choice: a spell had once turned him into his costume, so this time he picked someone worth being.

In the Buffy Halloween episode 'Fear, Itself', Oz's entire costume is a label bearing which single word?

God is all the label says, which lets Willow, dressed as Joan of Arc, joke that she too was nearly burned at the stake and is on close terms with the Almighty.

Which fairy-tale character does a reluctant Buffy dress as for the student Halloween party in 'Fear, Itself'?

Red Riding Hood was an old outfit of hers; a depressed Buffy had been in no mood for Halloween, and her friends were worried about her.

The title of the Buffy Halloween episode 'Fear, Itself' comes from the first inaugural address of which US president?

Franklin Roosevelt told Americans in the depths of the Depression that fear was the one thing worth fearing, a neat fit for a demon that feeds on dread.

In Buffy's Halloween episode 'All the Way', what must Dawn Summers do to Justin, the boy behind her first kiss?

Kill him is the grim answer: Justin is a vampire who tries to turn her, so her first kiss and her first slaying come on the same night.

In Buffy's 'Fear, Itself', a video-shop mix-up swaps Xander's chosen horror film for which Disney film?

Fantasia was handed over in place of the horror film Phantasm; it returns two Halloweens later, when Giles cites Mickey Mouse's runaway broom to warn Willow against tidying up by magic.