20 Years Ago, ‘Buffy’ Welcomed Us All To The Hellmouth (aka High School)
Twenty years ago, on March 10, 1997, TV audiences were introduced to Buffy Summers, a pint-sized blonde who could hold her own against the undead. Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003. It had witty dialogue and used monsters as a metaphor for everyday high school problems like bullies, catfishing and feeling invisible.
If that wasn’t enough to make high school seem hellish, the characters went to school on top of a literal Hellmouth. “So many people at the time sent us letters saying, ‘I’m only getting through high school because of Buffy,‘ ” says Buffy writer and producer Jane Espenson.
The show earned a cult following — and made a lasting impact. “You see a lot more female protagonists on TV,” Espenson says. “I think you see a lot more genre stuff now, even on network.”
Much…