Buffy the Vampire Slayer! – How a surprise monster hit redefined horror
About this episode
The episode explores how 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' transformed from a little-known film into a defining horror-comedy series of the 90s, featuring insights from guest Brendan Murphy.
This episode was recorded prior to the sad death of the brilliant Anthony Head on 5 June 2026. Diving deep into all things ’90s. Fangs for the memory! Buffy the Vampire Slayer began life as a teen horror-comedy film that came and went in 1992 with barely any impact. But five years later, creator Joss Whedon brought Buffy back for television, casting Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead role and somehow transforming the story of a blonde Californian teenager killing vampires into one of the defining shows of the ’90s. At first glance it was all quips, questionable kung fu and a monster-of-the-week procedural tv show. But Buffy was using vampires and demons to talk about the horror of being a teenager which resonated with audiences around the world. Comedian, writer and star of Buffy Revamped Brendan Murphy joins Miranda to ask: why did Buffy hit quite so hard? And nearly thirty years later, does the Slayer still survive the rewatch? Support us on Patreon Follow us on: BlueSky Instagram TikTok Subscribe to our Spotify playlist • Buy Miranda’s book Uncommon People: Britpop and Beyond in 20 Songs through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll be helping the podcast by earning us a small…
People in this episode
Host: Miranda
Guest: Brendan Murphy
Topics covered
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- 90s television
- horror-comedy
- teenage experience
- cultural impact
- Joss Whedon
Keywords
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Joss Whedon
- Sarah Michelle Gellar
- 90s horror
- teen drama
- Brendan Murphy
- cultural impact
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
More episodes of Talk ’90s to me
- Cash, cocaine and chaos – The mad, bad ’90s music biz with author John Niven
- Showgirls – Worst film of the ’90s or misunderstood gem?
- From Queen to Mogwai – John Robins on his ’90s music journey
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Talk ’90s to me podcast page.