October 2014 is the 15th anniversary of the premiere of Angel, a spinoff series of the successful Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise that originally aired in 1997. Not only did the show continue on the Buffy universe and help along the career of David Boreanaz, now in his tenth season on Fox’s Bones, it also marks one of many shows from Joss Whedon, a man responsible for some of the most well-known TV brands of the past two decades.
Angel is just one of the many original series, spinoffs and franchises that have been cultivated by prolific writer/producer/director Whedon, who boasts credits in TV and movie brands from Buffy and The Avengers to Firefly and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.
Honoring the auteur and his work, this week’s #TBT takes a look back at a handful of Whedon’s hits, from the long-lasting (Buffy) to the immensely popular but short-lived (Firefly).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
Buffy made its debut in 1997 and ran for seven seasons, based on a heroine created by Whedon to overpower the image of the helpless horror movie female character.
Angel:
The spinoff made its premiere during Buffy’s fourth season, at the height of the show’s popularity. Many characters crossed between the two shows during Angel’s five seasons on television, carrying on the original franchise to big ratings.
Firefly:
This series became a cult hit and even got a film years after being canceled by Fox (prematurely, according to many fans).
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog:
Dr. Horrible made his online debut in the midst of the writer’s strike, at midnight on July 15, 2008, and within a day the website crashed because of its popularity.
Dollhouse:
The sci-fi series stars Buffy’s Eliza Dushku as a “mind-wiped human” assigned to do various jobs, with her memory erased upon completion.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.:
S.H.I.E.L.D. is now in its second season on ABC, a collaboration between Disney/ABC and Marvel. The show follows the missions carried out by the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (SHIELD) that was made popular by Marvel films of the past decade. The series incorporates plot lines from the Marvel film franchise as well, with each movie’s outcome affecting the TV show throughout the season.
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