ORBzine Articles & Interviews: Joss Whedon June 2002
Joss Whedon [UK Convention, 2001]
In 2001 Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer , was guest at a UK Science Fiction Convention. For your benefit we have In the Season Four finale, what did the cheese mean? It was the only thing in the episode that was completely meaningless. Whose idea was it to cast Fred as Amy Acker? Amy Acker was Joss's casting decision. He can't take credit for every decision. The girls wanted David Boreanz - Joss replied Really? But he has this whole forehead thing going ... When the writers heard that Fred is a Physicist, they asked Do we have to learn about Physics? When are we going to see the BBC spin-off show, "Ripper" While in London for the 2001 Convention, Joss was in discussions with the BBC. He is keen on working with the BBC because they only make six episodes of one series every year.
BBC lady - Sometimes we do as many as ten.
Is it true that Tony Head films some scenes without wearing trousers? Tony Head wears trousers. Joss admits that he only made up the story. Joss is working on a Buffy comic about a Slayer named Frey. It is set 200 years in the future, in New York City, about a girl who is a professional thief. [Editor's note - does this sound like Dark Angel to anyone?] Have you ever had any trouble with the actors? One didn't feel comfortable playing a demonic presence, for religious reasons. Unfortunately she didn't tell the Producers until they were ready to start filming. The regulars are all very easy-going. Joss told Allyson he was going to make a slight change in her character, and she didn't bat an eyelid. Is "Passions" a real TV show?
Yes.
They decided to mention it in the show because
Sarah Michelle Gellar
is a big fan of it.
It's a very strange show - there's a puppet that lives in a witch's house,
played by a teenage midget, which comes to life when nobody's in the room.
They've mentioned Buffy in their show several times.
The Willow-Tara kiss - did you have to battle with the Networks? Lots of shows use a lesbian kiss as a ratings boost. Joss told the Network If the kiss is cut or trimmed in any way, I'm walking out of this office and never coming back. He doesn't use negotiating tactics like that very often, so they knew he was sincere about it. The Network is uncomfortable with issues such as teen suicides and guns. And rightfully so, because Columbine happened three days before that episode aired. It was months before that episode was finally aired. Joss prefers to show the sex aspect as some aspect of poetry, not porn. Charisma Carpenter in the bathing suit Joss - I started the TV show in order to get as many women into as much skimpy clothing as possible. Seriously though, that was only the second bathing suit in the show. Anya wore one in the Buffy Versus Dracula episode. For three years Buffy has been wearing long coats - on the set they nicknamed her Doctor Buffy. It has the lowest skin content of any show. The girls are sexy and physical, the same as the boys, but not exploited. Charisma was in an exploitative costume when she was exploited and when she was exalted. This was a comment on how society treats women. How do you come up with the names of characters? The similarities between the names Spike and Pike are completely coincidental. Druscilla is named after Caligula's wife-sister. On TV shows the names have to be unlike any other character's name. The exception would be Mulder and Scully - they both have the U sound. Xander is not serious. Willow is vulnerable. Cordelia is named after someone Joss's wife knew at school.
Joss - You do realise that this character might become popular.
Everything's very important. Joss didn't get the title easily. The overall Story Arc - which elements were sketched out from the beginning? Only the very basic premise - Buffy, Xander, Willow. Joss just ran with it. The Angel Goes Evil story evolved. During Season four, Seth Green decided I'm off to do movies. Joss wondered, What to do? The answer - Amber Benson! During Season three, Spike was coming back for an episode. Joss wanted Druscilla back too, but she was doing a movie. How can you have Spike without Dru? The result was Lovers' Walk. They needed James as a regular, to replace Charisma and Angel. They hired him to be Cordelia, to say what everyone else was afraid to say. Now they have Anya - an embarrassment of riches. David Boreanz needed his own show. It solves the Buffy-Angel romance. Assuming the episodes are shown in the right order. What time was it decided for Spike to fall in love with Buffy? Spike was left with nothing to do. He was like the whacky neighbour. It makes sense - he wants to get his ass kicked, and she's the one to do it. They should increase the relationship. When he was told, James Marsters replied I wanted to pitch that, but I didn't think you'd go for it. When Faith was in a coma, did the dream mean that Dawn was coming? Yes. When Cordelia was at Angel's place, how did the peanut butter get on the bed? She was eating peantut butter, and spilled some on the sheets. Where did you get the idea of demons walking the Earth? It comes from living in Los Angeles. In the first episode Joss had to work out how to hide the fact of the monsters. Eventually Buffy had to tell her mother, and all the characters more or less accepted the monsters. In L.A. people wouldn't notice or care. That is why the show is so realistic, it is based on fact. In the episode "The Witch", Xander mentions a "railroad spike" ... That was probably a David Greenwalt line. Railroad spikes make him laugh. Will Xander ever reach the back of the Ice Cream truck? Joss - I thought he already had. How far can Spike go to be a real hero? Joss - We're wondering, how far can we take it? He's done some selfless things, been a real hero, but at the same time he's a real pain in the butt. Different writers will have different views on him. Will Kate [Lochley] be Angel's love interest? She got so much better she got a new show. She is now the ADA on Law & Order. She might pop back for a few episodes, but her new show is in New York so it's not convenient. Why don't they just kill Buffy repeatedly, and get a band of Slayers? Hopefully this will be the last time we kill her. The line runs through Faith. If you want a new Slayer you'll have to kill Faith. How did the Producers react to the script treatment of "The Body"? They didn’t get a treatment, they just saw the first cut. The Network lets them go their own way. The executives aren’t frightened by something different - the show does something different every week. Do you think you will get an Emmy [US TV Award] for it? No, but that would be nice. My favourite character is Lindsay. Will he be back next year? He keeps getting other gigs. The answer is most assuredly, YES! How about giving Harmony her own Vampire sitcom? We love her very much, she cracks us up. The Networks weren’t happy about the crossover. Who voices the "Grr Argh" demon? At the end of the show? That was Joss' first great acting job. They gave him twenty minutes to think of a logo for the end of the show. He sketched out the demon. The Laurel Blake series of novels resembles Buffy. Did you take your inspiration from it? Joss never read a book or saw a movie, though he has seen The Matrix at least ten times. He tries to avoid similar genres. In Season Six, will Buffy come back four times as powerful as she used to be? That’s just a rumour. Who was responsible for the Angel episode "I Will Remember You"? It was mostly Marti Noxton - she’s very good with romance and sex and chains. It was also worked on by Tim [uncredited], Dave and Joss himself. Was working on X-Men A bad experience for you? Yeah, a very bad experience. One of a long series. Joss is big in TV, but gets treated like dirt in the movies. It’s a completely different world. Joss did a complete script overhaul. Later he was invited to a cast read-through to punch up the dialogue. The thing is, they had thrown out his entire script, and they didn’t bother to tell him. He only found out at the read-through. Only three of his lines remained. One was poorly delivered, one was out of context, but one got a laugh. The writer gets treated like dirt. Joss promised that the next movie he writes, he’ll direct it.
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