It's difficult to reveiw BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER without appearing to be a complete sycophant. It is, put simply, the best fantasy show ever aired on television. There, you see? I told you. Oh well, you'll just have to put up with it because this review is going to be a rave.

Over seven seasons, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER explored just about every aspect of growing up in America.

Sure, it's filled with vampires and demons and robot replicas and the like, not much of which you see in real life, but these were just metaphors for the realities of life and that is why the show worked so well.

Let's start with High School, which is where the show started. In the first season there were episodes that dealt with fear of not standing out or being noticed (invisible girl), getting a crush on your teacher (giant praying mantis thing), getting in with the wrong crowd (being possessed by African jackals). All real life concerns made flesh. This girl is literally wrestling with her demons.

As the show progressed through subsequent seasons, it tackled issues like divorced parents dating again, death of a parent, loss of virginity, rejection by the opposite sex, drug addiction, lesbianism, taking responsibility for family members, getting a job, marriage.....

The characters in BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER grew and evolved throughout the show. All of them faced their good times and their slumps. All of them felt pain and joy and even the urge, on one memorable occasion, to sing. Because they are essentially dealing with everyday issues (seen through a distorted glass perhaps), they are easy to identify with and connect with.

It helps that the show is blessed with brilliant cast that inhabit their characters and bring out the best of the superb scripts and witty dialogue that never flags through any of the seven seasons. Sarah Michelle Gellar shot to stardom in the role and has never been better than this. She starts off peppy and goes to some very dark places emotionally, always struggling to bounce back and go forward. She is supported ably by Anthony Stewart Head as the initially stuffy librarian who reveals hidden depths, David Boreanaz as a pretty boy vampire, Alyson Hannigan who plays a geeky nerd who comes good and Nicholas Brandon as a geeky nerd who pretty much stays that way.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER might be fantasy, but it is also brilliant drama and wonderful comedy. On rare occasions it is also truly scary horror, so watch out. It is only ever unoriginal when it takes a cliche and turns it on its head and some of the stories that it tells are simply inspired.

If you've never experienced life with Buffy Summers then I suggest that you get down to the video store and rent the box sets straight away. You'll be glad you did.

Learn more about this author, Darren Humphries.
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