Editing Buffy the Vampire Slayer (section)

==Legacy and cultural impact==

===Academia===
{{main|Buffy studies}}
[[File:Anthony Stewart Head and Nicholas Brendon Aug 2004.jpg|250px|thumb|Anthony Stewart Head and Nicholas Brendon at the 2004 Oakland Super SlayerCon fan convention]]
''Buffy'' is notable for attracting the interest of scholars of popular culture, as a subset of [[popular culture studies]], and some academic settings include the show as a topic of literary study and analysis.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lins |first1=Marcella |title=Libertarianism in Pop Culture: Applying libertarian principles to Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Season 4 |journal=MISES: Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, Law and Economics |date=2020 |volume=8 |doi=10.30800/mises.2020.v8.1317 |doi-access=free |issn=2318-0811|url=https://misesjournal.org.br/misesjournal/article/download/1317/685 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20040529/scholars_buffy_040529/ |title=Scholars lecture on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' |publisher=CTV News |date=May 29, 2004 |access-date=March 9, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604122828/http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20040529/scholars_buffy_040529/ |archive-date=June 4, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://metro.co.uk/2006/05/16/study-buffy-at-university-79726/ |title=Study Buffy at university |publisher=Metro.co.uk |date=May 16, 2006 |access-date=March 9, 2013 |archive-date=February 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130226211257/http://metro.co.uk/2006/05/16/study-buffy-at-university-79726/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[National Public Radio]] describes ''Buffy'' as having a "special following among academics, some of whom have staked a claim in what they call 'Buffy Studies.'"<ref>[https://www.npr.org/people/3850482/neda-ulaby] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119052543/https://www.npr.org/people/3850482/neda-ulaby|date=January 19, 2022}}[[Neda Ulaby|Ulaby, Neda]], '[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1262180 – 'Buffy Studies'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311015358/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1262180|date=March 11, 2018}}", ''National Public Radio'' (May 13, 2003)</ref> Though not widely recognized as a distinct discipline, the term "Buffy studies" is commonly used amongst the peer-reviewed academic ''Buffy''-related writings.<ref>Lavery, David, & Wilcox, Rhonda V. (2001–). The term is in use from the subtitle of ''Slayage: The Online International Journal of Buffy Studies'', and has thus become used in essays by those who contribute to scholarship relating to ''Buffy''.</ref> The influence of ''Buffy'' on the depiction of vampires across popular culture has also been noted by anthropologists such as A. Asbjørn Jøn.<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280805194 |title=From Nosteratu to Von Carstein: shifts in the portrayal of vampires |last=Jøn |first=A. Asbjørn |date=2001 |journal=Australian Folklore: A Yearly Journal of Folklore Studies |access-date=October 30, 2015 |issue=16 |pages=97–106 |archive-date=November 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125163106/http://www.researchgate.net/publication/280805194_From_Nosteratu_to_Von_Carstein_shifts_in_the_portrayal_of_vampires |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://www.englishteacher.com.au/Resources/mETAphor.aspx |title=Vampire Evolution |last=Jøn |first=A. Asbjørn |date=2003 |journal=METAphor |issue=3 |access-date=November 5, 2015 |archive-date=October 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011103226/http://www.englishteacher.com.au/Resources/mETAphor.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Popular media researcher [[Rob Cover]] argued that Buffy and Angel speak to contemporary attitudes to identity, inclusion, and diversity, and that critiquing the characters' long-narrative stories lends insight into the complexity of identity in the current era and the landscape of social issues in which those identities are performed.<ref>Cover, Rob (2004). "[http://reconstruction.eserver.org/Issues/042/cover.htm From Butler To Buffy: Notes Towards a Strategy for Identity Analysis in Contemporary Television Narrative] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126194638/http://reconstruction.eserver.org/Issues/042/cover.htm |date=November 26, 2016 }}." Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture, 4(2). Retrieved November 22, 2016</ref><ref>Cover, Rob (2005). "[https://www.academia.edu/30095293/Cover_Rob_2005_._Not_To_Be_Toyed_With_Drugs_Addiction_Bullying_and_Self_Empowerment_in_Buffy_The_Vampire_Slayer._Continuum_Journal_of_Media_and_Cultural_Studies_19_1_85-101 Not To Be Toyed With: Drugs Addiction, Bullying and Self Empowerment in Buffy The Vampire Slayer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021015011/https://www.academia.edu/30095293/Cover_Rob_2005_._Not_To_Be_Toyed_With_Drugs_Addiction_Bullying_and_Self_Empowerment_in_Buffy_The_Vampire_Slayer._Continuum_Journal_of_Media_and_Cultural_Studies_19_1_85-101 |date=October 21, 2019 }}." Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies 19(1): 85–101.</ref>

Critics have responded to the academic attention the series has received. For example, Jes Battis, who authored ''[[Blood Relations: Chosen Families in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel|Blood Relations in Buffy and Angel]]'', admits that study of the Buffyverse "invokes an uneasy combination of enthusiasm and ire", and meets "a certain amount of disdain from within the halls of the academy".<ref>Battis, Jes, [[Blood Relations: Chosen Families in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel|''Blood Relations'']], ''McFarland & Company'' (June 2005), page 9.</ref> Nonetheless, ''Buffy'' eventually led to the publication of around twenty books and hundreds of articles examining the themes of the show from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, including [[sociology]], [[Speech Communication]], [[psychology]], [[philosophy]], and [[women's studies]].<ref>See:
Hornick, Alysa, "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100929233913/http://www.alysa316.com/Whedonology/ ''Whedonology'' an Academic Buffy Studies and Whedonesque Bibliography]}}", ''Alysa316.com'' (updated 2006). See [[Buffy studies#Works in print|Buffy studies published books]].</ref> In a 2012 study by ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'', ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' was named the most studied pop culture work by academics, with more than 200 papers, essays, and books devoted to the series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2012/06/pop-culture-studies-why-do-academics-study-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-more-than-the-wire-the-matrix-alien-and-the-simpsons.html |title=Which Pop Culture Property Do Academics Study the Most? |work=Slate |author1=Lametti, Daniel |author2=Harris, Aisha |author3=Geiling, Natasha |author4=Matthews-Ramo, Natalie |date=June 11, 2012 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119052543/https://slate.com/culture/2012/06/pop-culture-studies-why-do-academics-study-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-more-than-the-wire-the-matrix-alien-and-the-simpsons.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Whedon Studies Association produces the online academic journal ''Slayage'' and sponsors a biennial academic conference on the works of Whedon. The sixth "Biennial Slayage Conference", titled "Much Ado About Whedon", was held at [[California State University, Sacramento|California State University-Sacramento]] in late June 2014.<ref name="The">{{cite news |first=Patricia |last=Pender |title=Vampires beware: Buffy is the unslayable pop culture text |url=http://theconversation.com/vampires-beware-buffy-is-the-unslayable-pop-culture-text-28142 |access-date=June 21, 2014 |work=The Conversation |date=June 19, 2014 |archive-date=July 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706070809/http://theconversation.com/vampires-beware-buffy-is-the-unslayable-pop-culture-text-28142 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Fandom and fan films===
{{See also|Unofficial Buffy the Vampire Slayer productions}}
The popularity of ''Buffy'' has led to the creation of websites, online discussion forums, works of ''Buffy'' [[fan fiction]], and several [[Unofficial Buffy the Vampire Slayer productions|unofficial fan-made productions]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Newitz |first=Annalee |url=https://www.wired.com/2006/06/fan-films-reclaim-the-whedonverse/ |title=Fan Films Reclaim the Whedonverse |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=June 8, 2006 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519230750/https://www.wired.com/2006/06/fan-films-reclaim-the-whedonverse/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the end of the series, Whedon has stated that his intention was to produce a [[Cult following|cult]] television series and has acknowledged the "rabid, almost insane fan base" that the show has created.<ref name="The" /><ref name=":2" /> In 2016, [[Jenny Owen Youngs]] and [[Kristin Russo]] began the ''[[Buffering the Vampire Slayer]]'' podcast, recognized as one of the top podcasts in production by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' and ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' magazines.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5178078/best-podcasts-2018/|title=The 50 Best Podcasts to Listen to Right Now|magazine=Time|first=Eliana|last=Dockterman|date=April 2, 2018|access-date=October 20, 2018|archive-date=January 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122094434/http://time.com/5178078/best-podcasts-2018/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/g19408625/best-podcasts-2018/|title=The 15 Best Podcasts of 2018 (So Far)|date=September 4, 2018|work=Esquire|first=Emma|last=Dibdin|access-date=October 20, 2018|archive-date=September 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906035755/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/g19408625/best-podcasts-2018/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017 the 20th anniversary of the show attracted even more writers to create their own adventures of the series' characters.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/arts/television/buffy-vampire-slayer-fan-fiction.html |title='Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' Reimagined by Its Fans |last1=Correa |first1=Carla |date=March 27, 2017 |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 12, 2017 |last2=Genzlinger |first2=Neil |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=June 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620203820/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/arts/television/buffy-vampire-slayer-fan-fiction.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===''Buffy'' in popular culture===
{{main|Buffy the Vampire Slayer in popular culture}}
The series employed [[popular culture|pop culture]] references as a frequent humorous device, and has itself become a frequent pop culture reference in video games, comics and television shows. The series has also been parodied and spoofed. Sarah Michelle Gellar has participated in several parody sketches, including a ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' sketch in which the Slayer is relocated to the ''[[Seinfeld]]'' universe,<ref>[[Saturday Night Live|SNL]] (aired January 17, 1998) see 'doggans' (transcriber) [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/97/97kbuffy.phtml SNL Transcripts: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420070613/http://snltranscripts.jt.org/97/97kbuffy.phtml |date=April 20, 2017 }}, ''Snltranscripts.jt.org'' (1997).</ref> and adding her voice to an episode of ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' that parodied a would-be eighth season of ''Buffy''.<ref>"Buffy Season 8" from ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' Season 1, episode 4 (aired March 13, 2005). See: [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0687782/ ''IMDb'' entry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014062747/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0687782/ |date=October 14, 2018 }}, [http://whedonesque.com/comments/6038 ''Whedonesque.com''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010221506/http://whedonesque.com/comments/6038 |date=October 10, 2016 }}.</ref>

"Buffy" was the code-name used for an early [[HTC]] [[mobile phone]] which integrated the [[social networking]] website [[Facebook]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allthingsd.com/20111121/the-facebook-phone-its-finally-real-and-its-name-is-buffy/ |title=The Facebook Phone: It's Finally Real and Its Name Is Buffy |publisher=AllThingsD |date=November 21, 2011 |access-date=November 22, 2011 |archive-date=April 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402132858/http://allthingsd.com/20111121/the-facebook-phone-its-finally-real-and-its-name-is-buffy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2017, in honor of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer's'' 20th anniversary, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reunited Joss Whedon and the whole cast for their first joint interview and photo shoot in over a decade.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/03/29/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-reunion-ew-cover/ |title='Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Cast Reunites for 20th Anniversary |date=March 29, 2017 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 12, 2017 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601013634/http://ew.com/tv/2017/03/29/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-reunion-ew-cover/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===U.S. television ratings===
{{Television season ratings
| hide_18_49_rating = y
| hide_18_49_rank   = y
| show_network      = y

| link1             = Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 1)
| timeslot1         = Monday 9:00 pm
| network1          = [[The WB]]
| network_length1   = 5
| episodes1         = 12
| start1            = {{Start date|1997|3|10}}
| startrating1      = 4.8<ref>{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|work=[[USA Today]]|date=March 10, 1997|page=D3}}</ref>
| end1              = {{End date|1997|6|2}}
| endrating1        = 4.0<ref>{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|work=[[USA Today]]|date=June 6, 1997|page=D3}}</ref>
| season1           = 1996–97
| rank1             = 144
| viewers1          = 3.7<ref name="Audiences USA">{{cite web |url=http://www.audiencesusa.com/article-retrospective-buffy-contre-les-vampires-38533079.html |title=Rétrospective Buffy Contre Les Vampires |language=fr |publisher=Audiences USA |date=December 30, 2010 |access-date=May 17, 2015 |archive-date=March 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316063022/http://www.audiencesusa.com/article-retrospective-buffy-contre-les-vampires-38533079.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

| link2             = Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 2)
| timeslot2         = Monday 9:00 pm <small>(1–13)</small><br/>Tuesday 8:00 pm <small>(14–22)</small>
| episodes2         = 22
| start2            = {{Start date|1997|9|15}}
| startrating2      = 4.4<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtango.com/series/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/episodes|title=Episode List: Buffy the Vampire Slayer|publisher=TV Tango|access-date=May 17, 2015|archive-date=October 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019053934/http://tvtango.com/series/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/episodes|url-status=live}}</ref>
| end2              = {{End date|1998|5|19}}
| endrating2        = 6.4<ref>{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|work=[[USA Today]]|date=May 14, 1998|page=D3}}</ref>
| season2           = 1997–98
| rank2             = 133
| viewers2          = 5.2<ref name="Audiences USA"/>

| link3             = Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 3)
| timeslot3         = Tuesday 8:00 pm
| timeslot_length3  = 5
| episodes3         = 22
| start3            = {{Start date|1998|9|29}}
| startrating3      = 7.1<ref>{{cite news|title=Nielsen ratings|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|work=[[USA Today]]|date=September 29, 1998|page=D3}}</ref>
| end3              = {{End date|1999|9|21}}
| endrating3        = {{TableTBA|N/A}}
| season3           = 1998–99
| rank3             = 133
| viewers3          = 5.3<ref name="Audiences USA"/>

| link4             = Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 4)
| episodes4         = 22
| start4            = {{Start date|1999|10|5}}
| startrating4      = {{TableTBA|N/A}}
| end4              = {{End date|2000|5|23}}
| endrating4        = {{TableTBA|N/A}}
| season4           = 1999–2000
| rank4             = 120
| viewers4          = 5.1<ref name="Audiences USA"/>

| link5             = Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 5)
| episodes5         = 22
| start5            = {{Start date|2000|9|26}}
| startrating5      = 5.8<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2000/09/26|title=September 26, 2000|publisher=TV Tango|access-date=September 30, 2013|archive-date=March 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315070556/http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2000/09/26|url-status=live}}</ref>
| end5              = {{End date|2001|5|22}}
| endrating5        = 5.2<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2001/05/22|title=May 22, 2001|publisher=TV Tango|access-date=September 30, 2013|archive-date=August 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816053332/http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2001/05/22|url-status=live}}</ref>
| season5           = 2000–01
| rank5             = 120
| viewers5          = 4.6<ref name="TV Tango season 5">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtango.com/series/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/episodes?filters%5Bday%5D=&filters%5Bseason%5D=5&filters%5Bbroadcast%5D=All&filters%5Bmedia%5D=&commit.x=17&commit.y=10 |title=Episode List: Buffy the Vampire Slayer |publisher=TV Tango |access-date=May 17, 2015 |archive-date=May 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503204735/http://www.tvtango.com/series/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/episodes?filters%5Bday%5D=&filters%5Bseason%5D=5&filters%5Bbroadcast%5D=All&filters%5Bmedia%5D=&commit.x=17&commit.y=10 |url-status=live }}</ref>

| link6             = Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 6)
| network6          = [[UPN]]
| network_length6   = 2
| episodes6         = 22
| start6            = {{Start date|2001|10|2}}
| startrating6      = 7.7<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/top-ten-genre-broadcast-tv-ratings-oct-17_article_30089.html |title=Top Ten Genre Broadcast TV Ratings (Oct. 1–7) |publisher=Mania.com |first=Frank |last=Kurtz |date=October 11, 2001 |access-date=September 29, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018135406/http://www.mania.com/top-ten-genre-broadcast-tv-ratings-oct-17_article_30089.html |archive-date=October 18, 2012 }}</ref>
| end6              = {{End date|2002|5|21}}
| endrating6        = 5.3<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2002/05/21|title=May 21, 2002|publisher=TV Tango|access-date=September 29, 2013|archive-date=August 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816194851/http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2002/05/21|url-status=live}}</ref>
| season6           = 2001–02
| rank6             = 124
| viewers6          = 4.3<ref name="TV Tango season 6">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtango.com/series/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/episodes?filters%5Bday%5D=&filters%5Bseason%5D=6&filters%5Bbroadcast%5D=All&filters%5Bmedia%5D=&commit.x=13&commit.y=17 |title=Episode List: Buffy the Vampire Slayer |publisher=TV Tango |access-date=May 17, 2015 |archive-date=May 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504140749/http://www.tvtango.com/series/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/episodes?filters%5Bday%5D=&filters%5Bseason%5D=6&filters%5Bbroadcast%5D=All&filters%5Bmedia%5D=&commit.x=13&commit.y=17 |url-status=live }}</ref>

| link7             = Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 7)
| episodes7         = 22
| start7            = {{Start date|2002|9|24}}
| startrating7      = 5.0<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2002/09/24|title=September 24, 2002|publisher=TV Tango|access-date=September 29, 2013|archive-date=August 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817051359/http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2002/09/24|url-status=live}}</ref>
| end7              = {{End date|2003|5|20}}
| endrating7        = 4.9<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2003/05/20|title=May 20, 2003|publisher=TV Tango|access-date=September 29, 2013|archive-date=August 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817052339/http://www.tvtango.com/listings/2003/05/20|url-status=live}}</ref>
| season7           = 2002–03
| rank7             = 140
| viewers7          = 3.9<ref name="TV Tango season 7">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtango.com/series/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/episodes?filters%5Bday%5D=&filters%5Bseason%5D=7&filters%5Bbroadcast%5D=All&filters%5Bmedia%5D=&commit.x=16&commit.y=22 |title=Episode List: Buffy the Vampire Slayer |publisher=TV Tango |access-date=May 17, 2015 |archive-date=May 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504065322/http://www.tvtango.com/series/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/episodes?filters%5Bday%5D=&filters%5Bseason%5D=7&filters%5Bbroadcast%5D=All&filters%5Bmedia%5D=&commit.x=16&commit.y=22 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

''Buffy'' helped put [[The WB]] on the ratings map, but by the time the series landed on [[UPN]] in 2001, viewing figures had fallen. The series' high came during the third season, with 5.3 million viewers (including repeats), possibly due to the fact that both Gellar and Hannigan had hit movies out during the season (''[[Cruel Intentions]]'' and ''[[American Pie (film)|American Pie]]'' respectively). The series' low came in season one at 3.7 million. The series finale "[[Chosen (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|Chosen]]" pulled in a season high of 4.9 million viewers on the UPN network.<ref name="s7 ratings">{{cite web |url=http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?31651 |title='Buffy' Finale Stakes Strong Ratings for UPN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030524173301/http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?31651 |archive-date=May 24, 2003 |date=May 21, 2003 |access-date=December 29, 2012 |publisher=Zap2it}}</ref>

The WB was impressed with the young audience the show was bringing in, and ordered a full season of 22 episodes for season two. ''Buffy'' was moved from Monday at 9:00 pm to launch The WB's new night of programming on Tuesday, starting with the episode "[[Innocence (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|Innocence]]", watched by 8.2 million people. Due to its success in that time slot, it remained on Tuesdays at 8:00 pm for the remainder of its original run, and became one of the network's highest-rated shows.

In the 2001–2002 season, the show moved to UPN after a negotiation dispute with The WB. While it was still one of the highest rated shows on their network, The WB felt that it had peaked and thus declined a salary increase to the cast and crew. UPN then picked the series up for a two-season renewal,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/23/buffy/index.html |title='Buffy' picks up stakes, leaves WB for UPN |publisher=CNN |date=April 23, 2001 |access-date=January 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211104047/http://articles.cnn.com/2001-04-23/entertainment/buffy_1_dean-valentine-key-upn-affiliates-buffy?_s=PM%3ASHOWBIZ |archive-date=December 11, 2011}}</ref> dedicating a two-hour premiere to help re-launch it. The following season premiere attracted the second highest rating of the series, with 7.7 million viewers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mania.com/top-ten-genre-broadcast-tv-ratings-oct-17_article_30089.html |title=Top Ten Genre Broadcast TV ratings (Oct. 1–7) |publisher=Mania.com |date=October 11, 2001 |access-date=June 26, 2011 |author=Kurtz, Frank |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018135406/http://www.mania.com/top-ten-genre-broadcast-tv-ratings-oct-17_article_30089.html |archive-date=October 18, 2012}}</ref>

===Impact on television===
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' became a [[pop culture]] phenomenon and is considered as iconic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2017/03/the-legacy-of-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-20-years-later.html |title=The Enduring Legacy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 20 Years Later |website=Slate |first=Angelica Jade |last=Bastién |date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=January 29, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://popwrapped.com/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-impact-20-years-later |title=Why 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' Is Still Essential To Pop Culture 20 Years Later |website=PopWrapped |first=Aedan |last=Juvet |date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=January 29, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/mar/10/if-the-apocalypse-comes-beep-me-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-at-25 |title='If the apocalypse comes, beep me!': Buffy the Vampire Slayer at 25 |website=The Guardian |first=Patrick |last=Lenton |date=March 10, 2022 |access-date=January 29, 2025}}</ref> Commentators of the entertainment industry including ''[[AllMovie]]'', ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', ''[[PopMatters]]'', ''[[The Village Voice]]'', and ''[[The Washington Post]]'' cite ''Buffy'' as "influential",<ref name=":2" /> with some describing it as the ascent of [[Golden Age of Television (2000s–present)|television into its golden age]].<ref name="AllMovie"/><ref name="NewFrontier"/><ref>"One of the best, most influential, genre-defining television series in decades." Kit, Borys, "[https://www.nbcnews.com/popculture/joss-whedon-helm-wonder-woman-wbna7224008 Whedon lassos 'Wonder' helm for Warners] . {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121063746/https://www.nbcnews.com/popculture/joss-whedon-helm-wonder-woman-wbna7224008 |date=January 21, 2022 }}", ''The Hollywood Reporter'', requires subscription (March 17, 2005): "the influential WB Network/UPN drama series"</ref> [[Stephanie Zacharek]], in the ''[[Village Voice]]'', wrote, "If we really are in a golden age of television, ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' was a harbinger."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2015/05/06/why-avengers-age-of-ultron-fills-this-buffy-fan-with-despair/|title=Why Avengers: Age of Ultron Fills This Buffy Fan With Despair|website=The Village Voice|date=May 6, 2015|access-date=March 14, 2019|archive-date=September 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912013902/https://www.villagevoice.com/2015/05/06/why-avengers-age-of-ultron-fills-this-buffy-fan-with-despair/|url-status=live}}</ref> Robert Moore of ''PopMatters'' expressed similar sentiments, writing "TV was not art before ''Buffy'', but it was afterwards", suggesting that it was responsible for re-popularizing [[Serial (radio and television)|long story arcs]] on primetime television.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/117637-when-tv-became-art-what-we-owe-to-buffy-2496139534.html|title=When TV Became Art: What We Owe to Buffy|date=December 17, 2009|website=PopMatters|access-date=March 14, 2019|archive-date=July 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722095617/https://www.popmatters.com/117637-when-tv-became-art-what-we-owe-to-buffy-2496139534.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/10/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-at-20-the-thrilling-brilliant-birth-of-tv-as-art |title=Buffy the Vampire Slayer at 20: the thrilling, brilliant birth of TV as art |last=Mangan |first=Lucy |date=March 10, 2017 |work=The Guardian |access-date=June 12, 2017 |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=June 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611125336/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/10/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-at-20-the-thrilling-brilliant-birth-of-tv-as-art |url-status=live }}</ref> The show is often seen as one of the greatest shows of all-time and for being groundbreaking and influential for the landscape of television.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/3/10/14857542/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-explained-tv-influence |title=How Buffy the Vampire Slayer transformed TV as we know it |website=Vox |first1=Emily |last1=St. James |first2=Caroline |last2=Framke |date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/how-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-changed-tv-history/a1701466401.html |title=How Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed TV history |website=Irish Independent |first=Darren |last=Mooney |date=May 19, 2023 |access-date=July 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-at-20-how-a-monster-killing-teen-changed-tv-forever-192673/ |title='Buffy the Vampire Slayer' at 20: How a Monster-Killing Teen Changed TV Forever |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=Gina |last=McIntyre |date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://theweek.com/articles/684865/buffy-vampire-slayer-greatest-show-history-television |title=Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the greatest show in the history of television |website=The Week |first=Rachel Vorona |last=Cote |date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2024}}</ref> [[David Simon]], creator of ''[[The Wire]]'', considered ''Buffy'' as "the best show in years".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/the-creator-of-the-wire-says-buffy-was-the-better-show-5913194 |title=The Creator of The Wire Says Buffy Was The Better Show |website=Kotaku |first=Kirk |last=Hamilton |date=May 24, 2012 |access-date=July 11, 2024}}</ref> Stephen Daisley of ''[[The Spectator]]'' stated that ''Buffy'' was a "generation-defining TV hit", following this by saying that "''Buffy'' was steeped in literary allusions and crackled with pop culture references and became the first TV series to attract serious scholarship." He also wrote, "Renowned professors wrestled with this high school set study of the human condition while linguists tried to pin down Buffy Speak, the distinctive and playful grammar which animated Whedon’s dialogue. (Inventive, much?)".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-transformed-pop-culture/ |title=How Buffy the Vampire Slayer transformed pop culture |website=The Spectator |first=Stephen |last=Daisley |date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=March 6, 2025}}</ref>

{{Quote box|width =30%|bgcolor=#FFFFF0|quote=''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' showed the whole world, and an entire sprawling industry, that writing monsters and demons and end-of-the world is not hack-work, it can challenge the best. Joss Whedon raised the bar for every writer—not just genre/niche writers, but every single one of us.|source=–[[Russell T Davies]]<ref>Moore, Candace, "[http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2005/5/drwho.html John Barrowman Plays Bisexual Time Traveler on New Dr. Who] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004093848/http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2005/5/drwho.html |date=October 4, 2006 }}", ''Afterelton.com'' (May 19, 2005).</ref>}}

''Buffy''{{'}}s effect on programming was quickly evident. Autumn 2003 saw several new shows going into production in the U.S. that featured strong females forced to come to terms with supernatural power or destiny while trying to maintain a normal life.<ref name="Salem">Salem, Rob, "[http://www.whedon.info/article.php3?id_article=1319&img= The season to talk to dead people] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114190251/http://www.whedon.info/article.php3?id_article=1319&img= |date=November 14, 2007 }}", ''Thestar.com'', transcribed to ''Whedon.info'' (August 25, 2003)</ref> These post-''Buffy'' shows include ''[[Dead Like Me]]'', ''[[Joan of Arcadia]]'', ''[[Tru Calling]]'', ''[[Veronica Mars]]'' and ''[[Teen Wolf (2011 TV series)|Teen Wolf]]''. [[Bryan Fuller]], the creator of ''Dead Like Me'', said that "''Buffy'' showed that young women could be in situations that were both fantastic and relatable, and instead of shunting women off to the side, it puts them at the center."<ref name="Salem" /> In the United Kingdom, the lessons learned from the impact of ''Buffy'' influenced the revived ''[[Doctor Who]]'' series (2005–present),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/buffy-saved-doctor-6-ways-vampire-slayer-changed-pop-culture/ |title=How Buffy saved Doctor Who: 6 ways the Vampire Slayer changed pop culture |work=The Telegraph |last=Bernstein |first=Jonathan |date=July 21, 2018 |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/12/doctor-who-report-new-theme-music |title=Doctor Who Report: New Theme Music? |website=IGN |date=March 11, 2005 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119052543/https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/12/doctor-who-report-new-theme-music |url-status=live }}</ref> as well as its spinoff series ''[[Torchwood]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stokes |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Stokes (producer) |author2=Hugo, Simon |date=March 2008 |title=Like a Kid in a Candy Store |journal=[[Torchwood Magazine]] |issue=2 |pages=64–65 |issn=1756-0950}}</ref> Reviewers noted that shows such as ''[[Legacies (TV series)|Legacies]]'' and ''[[Riverdale (American TV series)|Riverdale]]'' took inspiration from ''Buffy'' involving the "Dark Willow" story arc.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/legacies-dark-josie-riverdale-betty-buffy-willow-comparison/ |title=Legacies 'Dark Josie' Repeats Riverdale's Buffy Steal (But Better) |work=Screenrant |first=Cathal |last=Gunning |date=November 28, 2021 |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/dark-josie-dark-willow-and-the-queer-witch-in-crisis |title=Dark Josie, Dark Willow, and the queer witch in crisis |work=Syfy |last=Fleenor |first=S. E. |date=May 13, 2020 |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref> Adam B. Vary of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', by talking about the potential [[Reboot (fiction)|reboot]] of the show, wrote how "''Buffy'' presaged the next 25 years of genre-bending entertainment. ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'', ''[[True Blood]]'', ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'', ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'', ''[[The Vampire Diaries]]'', ''[[Veronica Mars]]'', ''[[Teen Wolf (2011 TV series)|Teen Wolf]]'', ''[[The Magicians (American TV series)|The Magicians]]'', ''[[Jessica Jones (TV series)|Jessica Jones]]'', ''[[Orphan Black]]'', ''[[Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV series)|Chilling Adventures of Sabrina]]'', ''[[Wynonna Earp (TV series)|Wynonna Earp]]'', ''[[Riverdale (American TV series)|Riverdale]],'' ''[[Wednesday (TV series)|Wednesday]]'', ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' — none of these shows, and many more besides, would be what they are without ''Buffy''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-reboot-good-bad-idea-1236296037/ |title=Why a 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Revival Is So Exciting — and So Terrifying |website=Variety |first=Adam B. |last=Vary |date=February 3, 2025 |access-date=March 6, 2025}}</ref>

Several ''Buffy'' alumni have gone on to write for or create other shows. Such endeavors include ''[[Tru Calling]]'' ([[Douglas Petrie]], [[Jane Espenson]] and lead actress [[Eliza Dushku]]), ''[[Wonderfalls]]'' ([[Tim Minear]]), ''[[Point Pleasant (TV series)|Point Pleasant]]'' ([[Marti Noxon]]), ''[[Jake 2.0]]'' ([[David Greenwalt]]), ''[[The Inside (TV series)|The Inside]]'' (Tim Minear), ''[[Smallville]]'' ([[Steven S. DeKnight]]), ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'' ([[Jane Espenson]]), ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'' ([[Drew Goddard]] and [[David Fury]]), and [[Daredevil (TV series)|''Daredevil'']] (Goddard, DeKnight, and Petrie). [[TV Tropes]], a website devoted to pop culture tropes, claimed that ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is the reason why the site exists.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/iconic-tv-website-buffy-created.html |title=The Iconic TV Website Created Because Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer |website=Giant Freakin Robot |date=August 2, 2024 |first=Chris |last=Snellgrove |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref> The show also had a significant impact on [[slang]] in popular culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/buffyisms-10-phrases-popularized-by-788745/ |title="What's the Sitch?": 10 Weird Phrases Popularized by 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' |work=The Hollywood Reporter |last=Jang |first=Meena |date=April 14, 2015 |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://today.duke.edu/2003/05/buffytip0502.html |title=News Tip: 'Buffy' Contributes to American Slang |publisher=Duke University |last=Lawrence |first=Keith |date=May 2, 2003 |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref> The series also served as inspiration for television writers such as [[Shonda Rhimes]], [[Eric Kripke]], [[Rob Thomas (writer)|Rob Thomas]] and [[Amy Sherman-Palladino]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/shonda-rhimes-reveals-how-buffy-739109/ |title=Shonda Rhimes Reveals How 'Buffy' Helped Her Rediscover TV |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=October 8, 2014 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleedingcool.com/tv/the-boys-kripke-on-what-star-trek-buffy-the-x-files-have-in-common/ |title=The Boys: Kripke on What Star Trek, Buffy, The X Files Have In Common |website=Bleeding Cool |first=Ray |last=Flook |date=December 31, 2024 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gizmodo.com/rob-thomas-explains-why-izombie-is-more-like-buffy-than-1614649263 |title=Rob Thomas Explains Why iZombie Is More Like Buffy Than Veronica Mars |website=Gizmodo |first=Meredith |last=Woerner |date=August 1, 2014 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/amy-sherman-palladino-on-her-cultural-influences.html |title=Amy Sherman-Palladino Explains Her Cultural Influences |website=Vulture |first=Rebecca |last=Milzoff |date=November 16, 2016 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref> In 2015, ''[[The Atlantic]]'' wrote that ''Buffy'' is "still revolutionary" and "subversive".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/at-18-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-is-still-revolutionary/387412/ |title=At 18, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is Still Revolutionary |website=The Atlantic |first=Sophie |last=Gilbert |date=March 10, 2015 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref> ''[[The Daily Orange]]'' wrote "Buffy led the third-wave feminist mouvement in pop culture", talking about how the series led the cause for women leads on TV.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dailyorange.com/2017/04/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-led-the-cause-for-female-leads-in-tv-shows-and-needs-to-return/ |title='Buffy the Vampire Slayer' led the cause for women leads in TV shows, warrants return |website=The Daily Orange |first=Malvika |last=Randive |date=April 4, 2017 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref>

Several critics have noted series such as ''[[Orphan Black]]'', ''[[The Magicians (American TV series)|The Magicians]]'', ''[[Jessica Jones (TV series)|Jessica Jones]]'' and ''[[Wynonna Earp (TV series)|Wynonna Earp]]'' as being worthy successors to ''Buffy''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/06/orphan-black-fighting-buffy-war |title=Why Is Orphan Black Still Fighting a War Buffy Should Have Won Over 10 Years Ago? |magazine=Vanity Fair |first=Joanna |last=Robinson |date=June 25, 2014 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/jun/02/orphan-black-worthy-heir-to-buffys-crown |title=Orphan Black: a worthy heir to Buffy's crown |website=The Guardian |first=Sarah |last=Hughes |date=June 2, 2014 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://uproxx.com/sepinwall/the-magicians-syfy-review-buffy-the-vampire-slayer/ |title=In Season Two, 'The Magicians' Proves A Worthy 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' Descendant |website=Uproxx |first=Alan |last=Sepinwall |date=January 24, 2017 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/tv-and-film/5-reasons-jessica-jones-millennials-buffy/ |title=5 Reasons Why Jessica Jones Is The Millennials' Buffy |website=Grazia Daily |first=Phoebe |last=Frangoul |date=November 28, 2015 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/how-syfys-wynonna-earp-is-paying-homage-buffy-1025089/ |title=How Syfy's 'Wynonna Earp' Is Paying Homage to 'Buffy' |website=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Kat |last=Jenson |date=July 28, 2017 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref> At the 2015 [[San Diego Comic-Con]], the authors [[Rachel Hawkins (writer)|Rachel Hawkins]], [[Kiersten White]], [[Rae Carson]], Brittany Geragotelis and Valerie Tejeda talked about the Buffy effect on heroines in fiction and how Buffy was a big influence on writing their books.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theyoungfolks.com/books/59648/sdcc-2015-the-buffy-effect-teen-heroines/ |title=Comic-Con 2015: The Buffy Effect – Teen Heroines Then & Now |website=The Young Folks |first=Gabrielle |last=Bondi |date=July 14, 2015 |access-date=February 15, 2025}}</ref>

Meanwhile, the [[Parents Television Council]] complained of efforts to "deluge their young viewing audiences with adult themes".<ref>"[http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2002/main.asp The 2001–2002 Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Network TV] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011639/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2002/main.asp |date=June 9, 2007 }}" & "[http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/stateindustryviolence/main.asp TV Bloodbath: Violence on Prime Time Broadcast TV] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061013153502/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/stateindustryviolence/main.asp |date=October 13, 2006 }}" ''Parentstv.org'' (2002 & 2003 respectively).</ref> The U.S. [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC), however, rejected the council's indecency complaint concerning the violent sex scene between Buffy and Spike in "[[Smashed (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|Smashed]]".<ref>[http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2004/FCC-04-196A1.html FCC, In the Matter of Complaints Against Various Broadcast Licensees Regarding Their Airing of the UPN Network Program "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on November 20, 2001] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060930085036/http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2004/FCC-04-196A1.html |date=September 30, 2006 }}.</ref> The BBC, however, chose to censor some of the more controversial sexual content when it was shown on the pre-[[Watershed (television)|watershed]] 6:45 pm slot.<ref>[http://slayageonline.com/essays/slayage8/Burr.htm Burr, Vivien. "Buffy vs. the BBC: Moral Questions and How to Avoid Them"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927234420/http://slayageonline.com/essays/slayage8/Burr.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>

Show characters Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay were one of the first lesbian couples to be shown on public broadcast television.  This was important representation at the time, as it challenged many social stereotypes about gay women.  It did not over-sexualize them and instead allowed them to be seen as independent people in a fairly healthy relationship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tyler |first=Taryn |date=October 1, 2023 |title=We Wouldn't Have More Lesbian Couples on TV Without 'Buffy's Willow and Tara |url=https://collider.com/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-willow-tara-lesbian-couple/ |access-date=February 27, 2024 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref> Creator Joss Whedon has said in interviews that he was initially told by the network he could not include a bisexual character in the show,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffiths |first=George |date=May 19, 2020 |title=Buffy The Vampire Slayer creator would make Willow bisexual in modern-day remake |url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/19/joss-whedon-admits-willow-bisexual-buffy-vampire-slayer-remake-12727558/ |access-date=February 27, 2024 |website=Metro |language=en}}</ref> however, in later seasons as cultural opinions on [[LGBT]] issues began to shift, he was allowed to introduce Willow and Tara as being in a relationship with one another.  At first they were only seen talking and holding hands as they were not allowed to be shown kissing, until in 2002, the show showed the girlfriends in bed together, which though not a sex scene was considered the first scene of its kind for a broadcast network series.<ref>{{cite web |first=Maya |last=Salam |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/29/arts/television/lesbian-tv-shows.html |title=The Very (Very) Slow Rise of Lesbianism on TV |work=The New York Times |date=November 29, 2019 |access-date=December 9, 2019 |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209190400/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/29/arts/television/lesbian-tv-shows.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The following year, the show featured the first lesbian sex scene in broadcast TV history.<ref>{{cite web |last=Frost |first=Karen |url=https://www.afterellen.com/tv/474467-long-road-lesbian-sex-sensuality-network-tv#UjXTCyxhuYzGUkMG.99 |title=The Long Road to Lesbian Sex & Sensuality on Network TV |publisher=AfterEllen |date=August 19, 2017 |access-date=June 3, 2019 |archive-date=June 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603155456/https://www.afterellen.com/tv/474467-long-road-lesbian-sex-sensuality-network-tv#UjXTCyxhuYzGUkMG.99 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Awards and nominations===
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel}}

''Buffy'' has gathered a number of awards and nominations which include an [[Emmy Award]] nomination for the 1999 episode "[[Hush (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|Hush]]," which featured an extended sequence with no character dialogue.<ref name="awards">Various authors, [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118276/awards "Awards for ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918093728/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118276/awards |date=September 18, 2018 }}", ''Internet Movie Database'' (updated 2005)</ref><ref name=":0" /> The 2001 episode "[[The Body (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|The Body]]" was filmed with no musical score, only [[Source cue|diegetic music]]; it was nominated for a [[Nebula Award]] in 2002.<ref name="awards" /><ref name=":1" /> The 2001 musical episode "[[Once More, with Feeling (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|Once More, with Feeling]]" received plaudits, but was omitted from Emmy nomination ballots by "accident".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2002/06/27/emmys-leave-buffy-ballot |title=Emmys leave ''Buffy'' off the ballot |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Brian |last=Hiatt |date=June 27, 2002 |access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221155831/http://www.ew.com/article/2002/06/27/emmys-leave-buffy-ballot |url-status=live }}</ref> It since was featured on ''[[Channel 4]]'s "100 Greatest Musicals"''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/standard-pictures/buffy-and-other-favourite-musicals-7373627.html?action=gallery |title=Buffy and other Favourite Musicals |newspaper=London Evening Standard |date=March 9, 2013 |access-date=April 3, 2018 |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817055156/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/standard-pictures/buffy-and-other-favourite-musicals-7373627.html?action=gallery |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2001, Sarah Michelle Gellar received a [[Golden Globe]]-nomination for Best Actress in a TV Series-Drama for her role in the show, as well nominations for the Teen Choice Awards and the Saturn Award for Best Genre TV Actress. The series won the Drama Category for Television's Most Memorable Moment at the [[60th Primetime Emmy Awards]] for "[[The Gift (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|The Gift]]" beating ''[[The X-Files]]'', ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'', ''[[Brian's Song]]'' and ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'', although the sequence for this award was not aired.

It was nominated for [[Emmy Award|Emmy]] and [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe]] awards, winning a total of three Emmys. However, snubs in lead Emmy categories resulted in outrage among TV critics and the decision by the academy to hold a tribute event in honor of the series after it had gone off the air in 2003.<ref name="tribute">{{cite news |url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/07/true-blood-anna-paquin-vampires-emmy-nominations-news.html |title='True Blood' breaks the Emmy vampire curse |first=Tom |last=O'Neil |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=July 8, 2010 |date=July 9, 2010 |archive-date=January 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105051345/http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/07/true-blood-anna-paquin-vampires-emmy-nominations-news.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2017/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-20-years-later-emmys/ |title='Buffy the Vampire Slayer': 20 years later, it still remains Emmy's biggest snub |website=Gold Derby |first=Ralph |last=Galvan |date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=March 3, 2020 |archive-date=March 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303181453/https://www.goldderby.com/article/2017/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-20-years-later-emmys/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2002/09/10/five-reasons-buffy-gets-snubbed-emmys/ |title=Five reasons ''Buffy'' gets snubbed by the Emmys |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Ken |last=Tucker |date=September 10, 2002 |access-date=March 3, 2020 |archive-date=March 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303181454/https://ew.com/article/2002/09/10/five-reasons-buffy-gets-snubbed-emmys/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/biggest-emmys-snubs-all-time/ |title=14 Jaw-Dropping Emmys Snubs We're Still Not Over |website=TV Guide |first=Kaitlin |last=Thomas |date=September 18, 2016 |access-date=March 3, 2020 |archive-date=March 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303181452/https://www.tvguide.com/news/biggest-emmys-snubs-all-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Knegt |first1=Peter |last2=Willmore |first2=Alison |date=2013-07-17 |title=The 10 Greatest Shows Never Nominated for a Best Series Emmy |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-10-greatest-shows-never-nominated-for-a-best-series-emmy-36584/ |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-07-26 |title=15 classic TV shows that never won an Emmy |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a802651/15-classic-tv-shows-that-never-won-an-emmy-award-buffy-doctor-who-prison-break-and-more/ |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adalian |first=Josef |date=2019-07-18 |title=The Making of an Emmy Underdog Success Story |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/emmy-underdog-campaigns-schitts-creek-killing-eve.html |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Acosta |first=Belinda |date=July 27, 2001 |title=TV Eye |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2001-07-27/82503/ |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=Austin Chronicle |language=en-US}}</ref>

==="Best of" lists===

* Ranked #2 on ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]''{{'}}s "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time"
* Ranked #2 on ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s "50 Best Teen Shows of All Time"<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/tv/50-best-teen-shows/ |title=The 50 best teen shows of all time |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 10, 2021 |access-date=May 14, 2021 |archive-date=May 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513210616/https://ew.com/tv/50-best-teen-shows/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Voted #3 in 2004 and 2007 on ''TV Guide''{{'}}s "Top Cult Shows Ever"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239.aspx |title=TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever |work=TV Guide |date=June 29, 2007 |access-date=July 11, 2011 |archive-date=August 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812080754/http://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Named the third Best School Show of All Time by [[AOL TV]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Best School Shows of All Time |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2008/08/26/best-school-shows/ |work=[[AOL TV]] |access-date=September 14, 2012 |date=August 26, 2008 |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727060243/http://www.aoltv.com/2008/08/26/best-school-shows/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Ranked #7 on ''TV Guide''{{'}}s list of "The 60 Greatest Sci-Fi Shows of All Time"<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ |journal=TV Guide Magazine |title=TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time |date=December 23, 2013 |access-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-date=October 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003105507/http://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 27th on ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''{{'}}s "Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499/item/buffy-vampire-slayer-hollywoods-100-821432 |title=Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=September 16, 2015 |access-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-date=March 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311054321/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/best-tv-shows-ever-top-819499/item/buffy-vampire-slayer-hollywoods-100-821432 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Ranked #38 in 2016 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/100-greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time-105998/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-2-111228/ |title=100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=Rob |last=Sheffield |date=September 21, 2016 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119052543/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/100-greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time-105998/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-2-111228/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Ranked #38 in ''TV Guide''{{'}}s list of the "60 Best Series of All Time"<ref>{{cite web |title=TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ |work=[[TV Guide]] |first1=Bruce |last1=Fretts |first2=Matt |last2=Roush |access-date=October 19, 2015 |date=December 23, 2013 |archive-date=October 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003105507/http://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Ranked #40 in [[Screen Rant]]'s "The 50 Best TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/best-tv-shows-of-all-time/#buffy-the-vampire-slayer-1997-2003 |title=The 50 Best TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked |website=Screen Rant |date=October 24, 2023 |access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>
* Ranked #40 in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''{{'}}s "100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time"<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time |url=https://variety.com/lists/greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time/ |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]] |access-date=December 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220162853/https://variety.com/lists/greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time/ |archive-date=December 20, 2023 |location=United States |issn=0042-2738 |oclc=810134503 |date=December 20, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Ranked #41 on ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s list of [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]]
* Ranked #49 by [[Writers Guild of America]] on their list of the "101 Best Written TV Series Of All Time"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2013/06/wgas-101-best-written-tv-series-of-all-time-complete-list-512061 |title=101 Best Written TV Series Of All Time |website=Deadline |first=Brian |last=Silliman |date=September 27, 2017 |access-date=May 24, 2018 |archive-date=May 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526083414/http://deadline.com/2013/06/wgas-101-best-written-tv-series-of-all-time-complete-list-512061/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Listed in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''Time''"<ref name="Time 100">{{cite magazine |url=http://entertainment.time.com/2007/09/06/the-100-best-tv-shows-of-all-time/slide/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022125630/http://entertainment.time.com/2007/09/06/the-100-best-tv-shows-of-all-time/slide/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 22, 2011 |title=The 100 Best TV Shows of All-''Time'' |first=James |last=Poniewozik |author-link=James Poniewozik |magazine=Time |publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=September 6, 2007}}</ref>
* Included in ''TV Guide''{{'}}s 2013 list of "The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time"<ref>Roush, Matt (February 25, 2013). "Showstoppers: The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time". ''[[TV Guide]]''. pp. 16–17.</ref>
* Included on [[Syfy]]'s list of "The 25 best fantasy series of the past 25 years"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-25-best-fantasy-series-of-the-past-25-years |title=The 25 best fantasy series of the past 25 years |publisher=Syfy |first=Brian |last=Silliman |date=September 27, 2017 |access-date=May 24, 2018 |archive-date=May 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524005338/http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-25-best-fantasy-series-of-the-past-25-years |url-status=dead }}</ref>