Originally, we planned on doing a show about Joss Whedon -- without Joss Whedon. We invited a scholar of his work to talk about his television and film resume, and a close friend, professor and mentor to speak on his directorial style. However, Joss was interested enough in what we're planning to join the show! So now, it's a show about Joss Whedon -- with Joss Whedon.
More than a decade later, we're still talking about Joss Whedon's most influential work: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The witty, dark, and intriguing show that is equal parts "The X-Files" and "90210" is the most studied pop culture phenomenon in the world. Buffy, along with many of Whedon's other works, has become hugely influential on today's TV, and amassed enormous and dedicated cult followings.
Whedon's resume doesn't stop with television, as you might have heard of two movies that he directed in the past five years: "The Avengers" and "The Avengers: Age of Ultron."
This hour, we explore what makes Whedon's work as beloved and unique as it is: how he creates the characters that continue to tug at our heartstrings and inspire legions of fans a decade later.
GUESTS:
- Joss Whedon - Writer, producer, director for film and television, comic book author and composer; founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and Co-Founder of Bellwether Pictures; creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly"
- Jeanine Basinger - Chair of the Film Studies Department at Wesleyan University and founder and curator of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives; author of I Do and I Don't: A History of Marriage in the Movies
- David Lavery - Author of Joss Whedon, A Creative Portrait: From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to The Avengers; Director of Graduate Studies in English at Middle Tennessee State University and Co-Founder of the Whedon Studies Association
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Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.
