Tuesday, 23 May 2000
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Owing mostly to its title, Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains undiscovered by almost anyone who isn't a member of the 13-25 age demographic. But the show has generated an impressive amount of critical buzz over the past four seasons. In a review of last night's season finale, USA Today critic Robert Bianco called Buffy a "certified classic ... that ranks with the best TV has ever offered." That may constitute of touch of critical hyperbole (or then again, it may not); but there's no doubt that this is a consistently well-written show. For my part, I no longer refer to it as a "guilty pleasure." It's a pleasure, period.
If you need something a little less low-brow than USA Today to go on, you can listen to NPR's near-worshipful interview with series creator Joss Whedon on May 9's Fresh Air program. Or check out Salon critic Joyce Millman's paean to the show. Or just watch an episode or two; that's all it took for me.
This is Buffy, the Surprisingly Not Lame Vampire Slayer <http://monkeyfist.com/articles/531>