Happy birthday, “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” Today in history, the WB aired the pilot episode on TV. It only gained a 12-episode order for the first season, with the WB believing that it would fail. However, 20 years later, the show is remembered as one of the best things to ever happen to the TV industry. Here’s a look at three ways "BtVS" helped TV and fans around the world.
It made it clear that females were strong
Up until this point, very few shows had strong female characters. Even the likes of “Bewitched” focused on stereotypical views that a woman’s place was in the home. “Buffy” changed all of that with one simple character: a girl who had super strength and would take on the world of vampires. Girls and young women everywhere wanted to be this strong character, and it made it clear to TV that other similar shows would perform well.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ created teen drama
Before the show, there were very few shows created purely for teens. This wasn’t an audience networks believed were worth marketing to.
Yet, teenagers were calling out for drama on TV. They were fed up with the goofy comedies and light-hearted shows like “Clarissa Explains It All” and “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” It was time for something bigger. “BtVS” opened the doors for future shows like “Charmed” and “Supernatural.” It also opened the door for musical episodes, which "Once Upon a Time" is reportedly going to do soon.
It opened the door for lesbian and gay relationships
“Buffy” certainly took a risk with a certain character: Willow. In season 4, she announced that she was a lesbian. While there was foreshadowing as early as season 2, very few TV shows had added a gay character and survived. Maybe “Buffy” benefitted from fans falling in love with Willow and seeing the character develop before their eyes.
The show did fall into the gay trope by killing Tara off with an accidental shot, but Willow remained and gained a relationship with another lesbian character a season later. The show also made it clear that boys and girls could just be friends: best friends.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” changed the lives of fans around the world and made huge leaps in the entertainment industry. It deserves a top spot when it comes to remembering the shows of the past.