chez us, we interrupt war coverage for episodes of buffy the vampire slayer (and joe's occasional food tv lapses, but that's not the point). when i have angst to spare for things that don't really matter, i gnash my teeth over the upcoming series finale - o show, my show... and i'm wondering about the future of that niche market, those of us who tune in for little else. couldn't we explain to sarah michelle gellar that she's unlikely to flourish anywhere else? can the scooby doo and you'll keep right on paying for that summer people be offering her that much more than mutant enemy does? sure, she may squeeze out a few teen comedies and an occasional sitcom cameo, but soon enough, her life will be sci fi convention hell. alyson hannigan and nicholas brendan are already warming up on the folding table circuit.
much as i hate to admit it, buffy probably owes much of its staying power to the social goth demographic. i was right behind salon when they praised episodes like "the body", and umpteen sunnydale moments have moved me to tears, but 1) i cry for long distance commercials and 2) if creator joss whedon truly has the magic touch, why do firefly and (to a lesser extent) angel tank so miserably? because vampirism has the beefiest staying power in the history of popular horror, and buffy studs it with tee-hee references that function like electrodes for hapless twentysomething frog legs. it's difficult to move merchandise with those customers - though stewart bought the hot wheels replicas that once, no one's clamoring for tee shirts and posters - but some of us sit through commercials so as not to miss those "scenes from the next..." blurbs. i'll mention that at a convention someday.
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