Buffy The Vampire Slayer

In it’s six previous seasons, the now legendary Buffy The Vampire Slayer has brought it’s audience to the brink of world destruction innumerable—OK, six times.But now it’s not kidding. As the seventh series kicks off-this barring some Slayer style miracle-such as Sarah Michelle Gellar signing a new contract-could be it’s last. For the millions of die-hard fans, it’s the end of the world as we know it. But if the first episode of the new season is any kind of indicator, it looks set to go out in some style.

Creator Joss Whedon has taken it back to where it all began, rebuilding Sunnydale High, Buffy’s alma mater, on the exact site of the Hellmouth spot where the original once stood. Her sister Dawn has enrolled for classes and, as luck would have it, Buffy is hired as a counsellor, by the new principal, Robin Wood, who seems well intentioned, but it’s early days.

Again, harking back to earlier series, there’s a spot of introspective singer-songwriter warbling, recalling nights of teenage angst at the Bronze. And it wouldn’t be a season opener without many and unspecified "something wicked this way comes"-style rumblings of imminent doom. When the villains (and that’s very much a plural) line up to face Buffy, and the Scooby gang is finally revealed, it’s easy to see why there could be trouble ahead. But it’s not all familiar terrain. For the first time in its history, the show has travelled beyond the USA for a location shoot. Like one who knows his days are numbered, Whedon has been making great efforts in recent times to ensure that, before Buffy ends, he’s fulfilled all his dreams for the programme. In the previous series it was the musical episode.Here, it’s the trip to the UK. "It’s been a dream of mine since the first episode," he says. "I believe this is the most beautiful country in the world, or certainly the most beautiful country where they speak my language." Yet despite Buffy’s incredible success, Whedon has had to do mighty battle with his superiors for funding. In the event, they have grudgingly agreed to an all-expenses-spared visit, budgeting for a mere two days’ shooting with just two cast members: Alyson Hannigan (Willow) and Tony Head (Giles) There’s also the location, chosen for its outstanding natural cheapness, it being the farmhouse that Head is happy to call home. Nor has this parsimonious budget taken into account the traditions of the British summer. As cast and crew shelter from the rain, the former huddling round the Aga in Head’s cosy kitchen, the latter outside under umbrellas, Whedon paces around the grounds, trying to keep a lid on his temper and frantically readjusting the shooting script. Yet, if Whedon is fretting he is displaying considerable grace under pressure, breaking away from supervising a tracking shot to explain the story so far. "Willow, after the events of season six [where she tried to blow up the world in vengeance for the loss of her girlfriend, Tara], has come on a retreat with Giles and a coven of witches." He pauses, before adding, "We never actually see the witches, because we couldn’t afford to hire them." Of perennial bad boy Spike (James Marsters), who finished the last series with a newly restored soul, Whedon will only say, "James just wants something that’s fresh, and that’s what I love about him. He says, ’Give me something that I can’t do. Come on!" I haven’t found anything he can’t do yet." Whedon is more forthcoming about Willow, confirming, to the undoubted relief of her large Sapphic following, that she will be staying gay. "We decided it would be disingenuous for us to make her bisexual," he says, "and that would be a real betrayal to the gay community, particularly since we killed off her lover. So yes, she’s gay to stay; she’s here, she’s queer; get used to it." And although Tara will not be returning and is most definitely dead, he adds, enigmatically; "We may have Amber [Benson, the actress who played Tara] again, but I can say no more than that." Yet the big question of the show’s future hangs as heavy as the dark clouds that encircle the farmhouse. "You know I never really speculate," Whedon shrugs. "I work for the year. We did our first year not knowing if there’d be a second, and so we approach every year as if it were our last. I know that Sarah’s contract is up at the end of this year, but people renew their contracts and I’m not really worried about it one way or the other." But if Whedon displays considerable sang-froid about the future, it’s not certain that the rest of the cast feels the same way. Head, in particular, gives the impression that he would miss it badly, even though he is only a peripheral cast member these days. "We are a family, which is a hideous thing to say," he laughs, "But we really do get on incredibly well. We’ve bee at it for over six years. We look forward to seeing each other. Big hugs and things. "When I went over to America I was hoping that whatever I did wouldn’t get lost to British viewers," says head. Instead, it’s been a perfect bridge away from Gold Blend adverts and into mainstream TV drama, with another series of Manchild on BBC2 later this month. "I was really hoping that whatever I did would get seen over here, but I never dreamt that it would be so powerful."