Whedonesque Mobile : Comments on 20376 : The Independent interviews Joss.

Marsters has been ready to go on a Spike project (and A.S. Head on a Ripper project) for 5+ years now but no studio has expressed interest.

As much as we LOVE all of the ancillary characters.... I doubt there will be any studio traction on a Buffyverse film without direct involvement from SMG or DB.

I am confident the day will come when each of these fine talents will be ready to revisit the characters that launched their names into lights. Until then... Buffyverse loyalists should let go of the past a bit and enjoy Whedon's cool new projects, please! :)

Hjermsted | May 19, 02:12 CET

It was a neat article, but uh... "Of course Whedon hasn�t had to rely on Buffy spin-offs for work since and built up another nuclear family with Firefly, that came from his feature film Serenity."

Maybe my British is off today or something.

archon | May 19, 02:22 CET

Hah. I blame the metric system.

The One True b!X | May 19, 02:28 CET

Um, I don't think ASH was ever going to play an 'errant youth' in Ripper

Also: please please please please please make Ripper happen

Marsters has been ready to go on a Spike project (and A.S. Head on a Ripper project) for 5+ years now but no studio has expressed interest.

That's not quite true, Hjermsted. The BBC was (and, as far as I know, is) keen to do Ripper. The difficulties in making it happen aren't from their end

Let Down | May 19, 02:51 CET

I don't think it's your BritSpeak that's failing, archon ; > - I think the article is occasionally just a little clunky ( though I do think "hotch-potch" is a BritWord, while we here in the U.S. are more likely to use "hodge podge").

It's overall an interesting article, and gives us some good Joss-quotes:

" 'I incorporate everything' says Whedon, 'the thing about Buffy is that it is a hotch-potch, it�s a quilt, I can�t not use a scrap of something I have seen, I just want to use all of it, get excited by all of it, shove all of it in the same place.' �

...but it does seem to have some awkward moments.

QuoterGal | May 19, 03:08 CET

I would pay good money to see ASH in a Ripper movie. And if he sang too, icing on the cake.

Mmmmm, cake..

madmolly | May 19, 03:18 CET

Joss said:
"The reason for Giles being British was to evoke a traditional sense of horror and contrast it with the American response of �I just want to kick it in the face� which at that time we could still do because it was before the Bush administration."

Hah, I never thought of that, but yeah, that aspect of Buffy contrasted with Giles in terms of horror trops would very much seem like overkill if the series were in play during or post-Bush (and yes, I know taking shots at Bush are more than a little overdone, but they're never really uncalled for, are they ? Especially when making a point like Joss'. And like more than a few comedians say, he's the gift that keeps on giving).

The columnist said:
"Watching it on youtube I witness some of the younger aficionados make �I couldn�t have got through my teens without you� speeches that could be dismissed as typically American in their gushiness if it weren�t for the genuine note they strike, at least to the sympathetic ear."

"Typically American" ? Yeah, 'cause no other nation on the planet suffers from celebrity worship or fanboyism. Come on. The writer's ignorant bias comes through huge there. I'm not American (Canadian), but the America-bashing gets old real quick. My French-Canadian boyfriend is bad for the U.S.-bashing too.

Kris | May 19, 03:24 CET

Geez, I didn't realize Americans were overly gushy. What an... interesting article.

Jobo | May 19, 03:26 CET

Americans are notably rather expressive in certain ways. It's not bashing Americans to note that.

Anyway, interesting article. Could use some copy editing, but the content is good.

Sunfire | May 19, 03:35 CET

Well, we know Joss gushes.

The One True b!X | May 19, 03:37 CET

bix, I adore these... would you call them mashups? My favorite being, "I'm a little overextended."

Jobo | May 19, 03:42 CET

As Sunfire suggested, it's not necessarily an insult to contrast American expressiveness with English reserve. Although it'd probably be a bit of an insult in this context, were it not for the "genuine note" caveat.

SoddingNancyTribe | May 19, 06:24 CET

Glossing right over the Americans vs. British conflict that's been going on for, oh, these two-hundred-odd years, I was fascinated by how much the article to promote the Dollhouse went into Buffy. I wasn't keeping count, but at least two-thirds of the content seemed to be covering the Buffyverse; is that a reflection of a greater regard for Buffy over there?

On a side note, I was wondering if we who have already seen the episodes should start watching what we say to avoid potentially spoiling a crowd of Brits come to discuss the 'latest' ep. I know it's not official policy to care about spoilers outside of the original airings, but I know how frustrating spoilers can be, too... (Colbert-style fist shake) ALPHA!!!

Mercenary | May 19, 07:13 CET

Buffy was a huge cult hit here. There was Buffy easter eggs and advent calendars. Plus little Buffy toys given away with packets of Sugar Puffs. I found one the other day, weird nostalgia trip.

Simon | May 19, 07:22 CET

Shouldn't that be Sugar Buffs, then.

The One True b!X | May 19, 07:28 CET

Outside the fandom Firefly and Serenity aren't terribly well known in the UK. Even AtS got strange air times and was booted all over the schedule. But BTVS was and is a huge cult hit, showing on the BBC early evening (slashed to ribbons) and then (uncut) at pub chucking out time.

ASH is also a very popular actor here and interest in anything he does is high.

So if a newspaper gets a Joss interview you can bet that BTVS and ASH are going to get a lot of column space.

It will be interesting to see how Dollhouse does here. If it goes well maybe future interviews will be less BTVS centric. But I wouldn't count on it.

debw | May 19, 08:50 CET

So let me summarise the movie quote

"I think it�s ... going to happen, a reunion movie... I think it's time..." ;)

bivith | May 19, 08:53 CET

Even AtS got strange air times and was booted all over the schedule

Channel 4 and Five never knew how to treat it properly. Putting it on at 6pm and cutting it for a family audience was a woeful idea. Sky One on the other hand did it promote Angel well.

As for the movie, I could see a reboot happening 10 years down the line.

Simon | May 19, 08:54 CET

There is no cake. Only pie.

ZachsMind | May 19, 09:36 CET

As an American having lived in Britain for (now) 8.5 years, it's not uncommon for people in the media to continually make little comments like that about American obesity, stupidity, excesses, litigiousness, naivete, etc. It's sometimes like a very bitter ex-girlfriend.

Having said that, I would definitely agree that Americans are more excitable than British people - and I miss that! I think it's the lack of sunshine here. It's hard to feel enthusiastic when you're totally lacking in Vitamin D.

Ildeth | May 19, 09:56 CET

Ildeth - LOL, yes, lack of vitamin D will do that to you.

Hum...I may get excited and run about my house....but, I wouldn't film myself and put it on You Tube. I think it's the fact that outpourings of any sort of emotion are looked at oddly. The fact that we all break down in private and actual do have outpourings can made for an interesting tension!

You can see it in Joss' Brit characters, Adelle breaking down in the bedroom. I totally get what you're saying Ildeth - I think if we could just respect our own positive emotions and not be scared to voice them a little then the UK would be a little erm...less cynical?

Buffy was a very big hit and Joss is still a media darling over here as far as I can see. There's lots of interest in Dollhouse. I'm reallly interested in how it be received!

bubblecat | May 19, 10:26 CET

Ildeth, I agree with you about the lack of vitamin D as it has been raining on and off here for the past 3 days!
I am British and I like that fact that Americans might be more enthusiastic than us. Most of the time I find it very charming.
But now, in typically non-British style, I am getting very excited cos I will see Dollhouse tonight so wa-hoo, yeeha, etc!! Plus only found out yesterday that Nathan is going to Collectormania next month so I am almost fit to burst - squeeee!

twinkle | May 19, 12:25 CET

Off topic and I may have missed this, but are we expecting Dollhouse on iTunes uk this week then?

Sparticus | May 19, 14:35 CET

Very Buffy-centric, but probably a good idea for UK audiences. It was huge here.

Radio Times have been increadibly scathing of the first two episodes, some choice quotes:
Ghost: 'This opener is a clunker full of contrivances and Whedon's murky, broken storytelling is more annoying than intriguing. Still, Eliza Dushku is eerily convincing as a woman with absolutely no personality'
The Target: 'everyone hated Dollhouse to begin with, Fox allegedly made Joss Whedon dumb it down [...] it'll likely have been canned by the time you read this*, but its gels after six episodes or so. So is it worth the slog? Probably not. Tonight's main story is a cutprice thriller in which Echo is chased through some woods [...] it's all portent and no payoff so far.'

*Ha

Leaf | May 19, 15:14 CET

As an American having lived in Britain for (now) 8.5 years, it's not uncommon for people in the media to continually make little comments like that about American obesity, stupidity, excesses, litigiousness, naivete, etc. It's sometimes like a very bitter ex-girlfriend.

And as a Brit I notice many Americans to constantly make little comments about English snootyness, aloofness, bad teeth, poor tipping, bad food, etc. Just look out for any English character on Family Guy for example.

However, I don't think many British people mind or complain. We know that generally we get on very well, and I know that every American I met in the US over the years has been genuinely friendly and welcoming.
Maybe it's because we actually insult our own friends all the time as a joke that we don't mind when anyone else does it?

zz9 | May 19, 16:25 CET

Just look out for any English character on Family Guy for example.

I loved the Simpsons episode about Brazil (only then I reallize that our money is gay!). unfortunately it didn't was aired in open tv, because some guys (including the Rio de Janeiro's Secretary of Tourism) didn't take it as a good humor.

Brasilian Chaos Man | May 19, 16:35 CET

Good point BCM, all those clips in Family Guy air here without anyone objecting.
And funny, but I just watched the clips from V on the other thread and the bit where everyone burst into applause is very cheesy and over emotional in the eyes of (I suspect) most Brits. We just would not do that. Give a round of applause to a spaceship a few thousand feet away?

zz9 | May 19, 16:47 CET

That episode of Bones set in the UK was cringe making

As were the London based episodes of Friends

Honestly it's not all cheeky Cockney chappies , aristos and Minis round here

We have red buses full of Beefeaters driving past Big Ben too :)

debw | May 19, 19:25 CET

That episode of Bones was absolutely absurd on all levels possible.

Sunfire | May 19, 19:33 CET

Re Friends, Helen Baxendale should have her British passport torn up and forbidden ever to set foot in the UK again for playing Emily.
Nothing wrong with her or her acting but the way that character was written was a travesty. She did not have any redeeming qualities whatsoever. And the way her character and all the other Brit pack actors were written was terrible.

zz9 | May 19, 19:53 CET

Interesting article, I really liked the explanation on Giles as a character. The slight against American's annoys the hell out of me. I am Canadian and have spent months in both England and America and I found both its people fully developed and enjoyable, and for some reason, several with an unexplainable hatred for the other. It reminds me of where I live in which every person who is "loyal" to our city hates:
The nearest city or town X.
The most present threat of a hockey team Y.
The United States.

It's so small minded and when it's displayed on a global scale it makes me feel like the world is going backwards.

silent knight | May 20, 01:22 CET

Clearly, I did not lay down a thick enough layer of gloss. It's not that I think there's nothing of worth to be said on the topic, but it's frustrating to read it being said in a forum where the vast majority of the arguers seem to be in essential agreement to begin with. Certainly, there are people unenlightened enough to not examine their own reflexive demonization of the 'other', whomever that may be, but pretty much anyone who makes it to Whedonesque in the first place, if they like Joss for the morals rather than the fight scenes, is arguably not among their ranks.

Mercenary | May 20, 08:37 CET

May 19 2009