Actually, this would be the fourth Buffyverse series – if one counts Team Whedon’s animated “Buffy” Fox Kids series, set to bow as early as February.
The new live-action spin-off would be titled “Watcher” or “Ripper,” star Anthony Stewart Head, center on Rupert Giles, and be set and shot in the U.K. And Head says Joss Whedon has already written the pilot! How do we know this? Read on.
Here’s Fathom and Glengarry:
Here’s Fathom and Glengarry:
I've just come from a Buffy convention which was held this weekend in London with guests Anthony Stewart Head, Armin Shimerman and others.
As well as the coolness of meeting these guys in person, a few interesting bits of information were dropped during the course of the weekend, the most interesting and exciting piece of which came from Tony Head, who told us his wish in coming back to live in England, and therefore reducing his role in Buffy, but this wouldn't necessarily mean we would see less of Giles as according to Tony, Joss is a very big fan of British TV and would love to do a TV series over here in England with the BBC, and in fact he has already been in talks with them about the possibility of a Giles spin off series entitled "Ripper" with the other possible title of "Watcher".
The only information Tony could give at this time about the show was that it would deal with "Ghost stories and inner demons". The way in which Tony was talking about it seemed as if all parties were extremely interested in having this made, with the BBC being excited about the prospect and that Joss has already written up the first episode.
I shall be attending another Buffy convention in June with guests Joss, Charisma, Amber, James, and more. So hopefully I'll be able to obtain some more information then.
On a side note, which may be of some interest to the Star Trek viewers out there, Lolita Fatjo (DS9 Script Co-ordinator) confirmed that Scott Backula is DEFINITELY on board for the new Star Trek series Enterprise, and that filming starts on May 14th.
Herc here again, with a Wednesday afternoon caveat about the last paragraph, courtesy of TrekWeb: "Yesterday, attendees at Odyssey 2001 in the UK over the weekend reported to Aint-It-Cool-News that Lolita Fatjo 'confirmed' the casting of Scott Bakula in the new 'Star Trek' series, and another tipster reported to TrekToday that Fatjo had commented that he had been cast, if not confirming the info per se. TrekWeb has been contacted by Lolita, who informs us that her comments have been misquoted. Lolita clarifies that at the convention she only mentioned that she had 'heard' that Bakula might be cast but as she no longer works at Paramount, she does not know whether he has in fact been cast."
Well, perhaps our conventioneer sources were a bit lightheaded after learning of a Gilescentric TV series!
To anticipate the talkback a bit, of course the Giles series, if it goes forward, will air in the States. (There’d be a police action otherwise, wouldn’t there?) Whether we see the episodes air in the U.S. the same week they air in the U.K. is a different question…
Horsies!!!
