Buffy the Vampire Slayer - TV-PG
TV Rating: TV-PG
Network: FX Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, David Boreanaz, Alyson Hannigan
Genre: Science Fiction
Available on: 
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Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that while even grade-schoolers may enjoy the horror-movie aspects of this hugely popular vampire series, its mature themes are not a good fit for kids that young. Even kids as young as 12 -- who will enjoy the action and have fun with the one-liners -- probably aren't quite ready for the dark, adult issues the show tackles. Buffy is in mortal danger in most episodes, she loses her virginity to her (much) older boyfriend, and monsters are everywhere. On the upside, the series encourages strength in girls, mentoring, and teamwork. The series is best for teens and adults, who will appreciate the multi-leveled story and the Romeo and Juliet subtext of some of the episodes.
Families may want to talk about how Buffy deals with the pressure of her "calling." How do teens deal with the pressures they face every day? Can they draw any parallels between Buffy's life and "normal" high school experience? Families may also want to discuss the series' sexual content, including their views about virginity and sex.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Paul Trandahl
Clever writing and an appealing cast make this cult series about a tough blond vampire slayer -- in which the bright, mundane world of high school contrasts strikingly with the menacing, shadowy world of the vampires -- eminently watchable. Created by Joss Whedon, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER failed as a big-screen movie but was a huge success on TV, running from 1997-2003 first on The WB and later on UPN; it's still available in reruns and on DVD.
Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as the titular slayer; the rest of the group (dubbed "The Scooby Gang" by fans) includes friends Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan of How I Met Your Mother), mentor Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), werewolf Oz (Seth Green), vampires Angel (David Boreanaz) and Spike (James Marsters), and many more.
Buffy just wants to be a normal teenager, but she can't escape her destiny as the Chosen One when she moves to Sunnydale, Calif., which happens to be right over the Hellmouth -- a mystic spot that allows demons and other evil creatures into the world.
The show's content can sometimes be gruesome and disturbing for younger or more sensitive teens, but excellent writing and a light hand take away some of the intensity. Teens will definitely identify with Buffy's sense of dread, even if their own dread is over a test, rather than the appearance of vampires.
Though Buffy is by no means educational, characters place a great deal of importance on integrity, working as a team and learning to sacrifice for the greater good. Families can talk about how they apply those values in their own lives. What do they consider the greater good?
Buffy fans might also enjoy Blade: The Series and The X-Files, or, for more teen angst, My So-Called Life.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentSixteen-year-old Buffy has sex with her vampire boyfriend, who is considerably older. Many romances among the teen characters, including a lesbian relationship. The vampire myth is traditionally a very sexualized one. |
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ViolenceCartoonish action violence, including stabbing vampires with stakes, fighting sequences, and a scene in which Buffy is attacked by a severed arm. |
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LanguageOcassional mild cursing -- "hell," "damn," etc. |
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Social BehaviorGender roles are progressive, and everyone works as a team to support a female hero. |
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