Twenty years after the debut of fan-favorite television show
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gross and Altman (
The Fifty Year Mission) have compiled commentaries from those involved in its creation and production, as well as that of spin-off
Angel. Buffy's groundbreaking female-centered story tackled the idea that "high school is hell," while
Angel, which briefly outlived its parent, concentrated on the struggles of twentysomethings trying to find their place in the world. While the genius of creator and showrunner Joss Whedon is the persistent focal point of many anecdotes from staff and actors, the work also includes in-depth looks at pivotal episodes and more general information about the nuts and bolts of making TV. James Patrick Cronin and Julie McKay split narration duties along gender lines, providing some nuance in an otherwise straightforward reading that does little to differentiate among viewpoints.
VERDICT Oral history, when done well, can provide perceptions that capture and reinvigorate the zeitgeist of a particular moment, and the audio format can do even more to bring that energy alive. This will appeal to nostalgic fans, but as an audio production it fails to reach the heights of As You Wish or As If, the oral history of Clueless. Inessential purchase for libraries. ["Reading the reflections of the many people responsible for producing Buffy and Angel will be like watching the must-see extras in the DVD boxed set": LJ 8/17 review of the Tor hc.]
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