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Buffy the Vampire Slayer
S1.
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IMDbPro

Unaired Pilot

  • Episode aired Sep 30, 2011
  • 25m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
ActionDramaFantasy
Buffy Summers arrives for her first day at a new school, and already weird things are happening. She investigates a dead body that is found in the girls' locker room, and, with the help of h... Read allBuffy Summers arrives for her first day at a new school, and already weird things are happening. She investigates a dead body that is found in the girls' locker room, and, with the help of her new friends Willow and Xander, she fights a gang of vampires. Also, she meets Cordelia ... Read allBuffy Summers arrives for her first day at a new school, and already weird things are happening. She investigates a dead body that is found in the girls' locker room, and, with the help of her new friends Willow and Xander, she fights a gang of vampires. Also, she meets Cordelia and her friends, and Giles, her new Watcher, tells her more about her destiny.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
    • Joss Whedon
    • Joss Whedon
  • Stars
    • Sarah Michelle Gellar
    • Nicholas Brendon
    • Riff Regan
    • Joss Whedon
    • Joss Whedon
  • Stars
    • Sarah Michelle Gellar
    • Nicholas Brendon
    • Riff Regan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 10User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos10

    Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
    Anthony Head in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
    Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
    Sarah Michelle Gellar and Anthony Head in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
    Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nicholas Brendon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
    Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
    Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nicholas Brendon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
    Sarah Michelle Gellar and Stephen Tobolowsky in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
    Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, and Riff Regan in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sarah Michelle Gellar
    Sarah Michelle Gellar
    • Buffy Summers
    Nicholas Brendon
    Nicholas Brendon
    • Xander Harris
    Riff Regan
    • Willow
    Charisma Carpenter
    Charisma Carpenter
    • Cordelia Chase
    Anthony Head
    Anthony Head
    • Rupert Giles
    • (as Anthony Stewart Head)
    Mercedes McNab
    Mercedes McNab
    • Harmony Kendall
    Danny Strong
    Danny Strong
    • Jonathan Levinson
    Julie Benz
    Julie Benz
    • Darla
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    • Principal Flutie
    Amy Chance
    • Aphrodesia
    Persia White
    Persia White
    • Aura
    Nicole Bilderback
    Nicole Bilderback
    • Cordette
    John W. Beach
    John W. Beach
    • Student
    • (uncredited)
    Geoff Meed
    Geoff Meed
    • Vampire
    • (uncredited)
    John Scalco
    John Scalco
    • Topanga Inbreed #2
    • (uncredited)
    Anne Zogby
    • Student
    • (uncredited)
      • Joss Whedon
      • Joss Whedon
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This pilot was directed by Joss Whedon and financed out of his own pocket to sell the show to the networks. The plot is fairly similar to Welcome to the Hellmouth (1997), though Angel, Jesse and the Master don't appear. Also, it's only half an hour long. The main differences from the show as aired are the sets and casting. While most of the principals are in place, Riff Regan plays Willow and Stephen Tobolowsky plays Principal Flutie. They were replaced by Alyson Hannigan and Ken Lerner, respectively in the actual show. The library that appears is not the set from the show, rather it is the actual library from Torrance High School where much of the Sunnydale High material was filmed.
    • Quotes

      Buffy Summers: I don't suppose you'd be sweeties and attack me one at a time?

      Vampire: You watch too many movies.

      Buffy Summers: You can never watch too many movies!

    • Alternate versions
      The episode was remade into Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Episode 1, "Welcome to the Hellmouth" in March 1997.
    • Connections
      Featured in Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Unaired Pilot Reaction (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      See A Little Light
      (uncredited)

      by Bob Mould

    User reviews10

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    The unaired pilot is of interest to a fan.
    I did not watch the series when it came out. I am now (it's 10/2022) binging it a few episodes at a time. I just started watching season 4. Having read about this unaired pilot, I tracked it down. While not on Hulu - which hosts the series - it is on You Tube.

    The unaired pilot is like a first draft of the official one. Same plot & style but needing a rewrite. Most noticeable difference is that Willow is played by Riff Regan in the pilot (of course Alyson Hannigan plays her in the series). In the story, Willow is shy & unpopular. While Hannigan plays her with a sense of optimism, Regan's Willow is simply an insecure loner. Hannigan's more appealing interpretation was needed for this central character. Also, Hannigan is more physically attractive, and the network may have felt that would serve an on-going series better.

    A fan would enjoy watching this.
    helpful•2
    0
    • jjetao
    • Oct 22, 2022

    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 30, 2011 (France)
      • United States
      • Hulu
      • Official Facebook
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Torrance High School - 2200 W. Carson Street, Torrance, California, USA
      • Mutant Enemy
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 25 minutes
      • Color

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