177 Fun Facts About Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Who created the television series?

Joss Whedon created Buffy; his first sketch of the idea was 'Rhonda the Immortal Waitress', a seemingly insignificant woman who turns out to be extraordinary.

What was Buffy at her old high school before she was called as the Slayer?

A cheerleader, and Prom Princess too; in Sunnydale she tries out for the squad again to win back a normal life, only for a witch to start cursing the other hopefuls.

What job does Buffy's Watcher hold at Sunnydale High?

Giles works as the Sunnydale High librarian; the library sits directly above the Hellmouth, which keeps the Watcher close to the action.

Which actor plays Willow Rosenberg?

Alyson Hannigan plays Willow; Riff Regan had the part in the unaired 1996 pilot and was replaced before the series itself was filmed.

The spin-off series Angel is set in which city?

Angel is set in Los Angeles; the pilot 'City Of' opens with Angel's voiceover saying 'Los Angeles' before anything else is spoken.

Which actor plays the bleached-blond vampire Spike?

James Marsters plays the very British Spike, yet he is an American: born in Greenville, California, he grew up in Modesto.

What creature does Willow's boyfriend Oz turn into?

Oz is a werewolf, bitten on the finger by his young cousin Jordy; he transforms on the three nights around each full moon.

Former vengeance demon Anya has a running fear of which animals?

Bunnies terrify Anya: told to wear something scary to a costume party in 'Fear, Itself', the former demon turns up in a pink bunny suit.

What is the informal nickname of Buffy's circle of friends?

The Scooby Gang borrows its name from Scooby-Doo's mystery-solving teenagers, a joke that came true when Buffy's own star played Daphne in the 2002 Scooby-Doo film.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer moved from The WB to which network for its final two seasons?

UPN aired the last two seasons from October 2001 after a negotiation dispute with The WB, which had billed the season five finale as its own 'series finale'.

Who played Buffy in the original 1992 film?

Kristy Swanson starred as Buffy in the 1992 film, which was played for light comedy rather than the darker tone Joss Whedon wrote; unhappy with the result, he reworked the idea for television.

According to Giles, vampires and demons traditionally take which night of the year off?

Halloween is meant to be the one quiet night for the undead, yet Buffy's first in Sunnydale ends with a spell turning costumed trick-or-treaters into whatever they dressed as.

What is the title of Buffy's season-six musical episode?

'Once More, with Feeling' has a demon force all of Sunnydale to sing out its secrets; Joss Whedon wrote every song himself and directed the episode too.

Which evil law firm is the arch-enemy of Angel in the Buffy spin-off?

Wolfram & Hart answers to demonic Senior Partners; at the end of season four the firm stuns Angel's team by offering them control of its own local branch, and they accept.

In Buffy's season-three finale, the Mayor 'ascends' into what kind of demon?

A huge snake, the demon Olvikan, is what the Mayor becomes at graduation; Buffy lures him inside the school, where Giles sets off explosives that destroy them both.

In Buffy season four, what does the Initiative implant in the vampire Spike's head?

A behaviour-modifying chip jolts Spike with pain whenever he tries to hurt a human, so the vampire who came to kill Buffy ends up begging her friends for shelter.

Buffy's mother Joyce dies suddenly of what?

A brain aneurysm kills Joyce in 'The Body', an episode shot with no music at all; after years of monsters, it is a natural death that no Slayer strength can fight.

What are the silent, smiling, heart-stealing villains of Buffy's nearly wordless season-four episode called?

The Gentlemen steal every voice in Sunnydale so that no one can scream while they cut out hearts; a real human scream is the one thing that kills them.

Buffy's sister Dawn is revealed to be what?

Dawn is a mystical Key in human form, sent to the Slayer for protection from the villainous Glory; everyone was given lifelong false memories of her.

How does Buffy die at the end of season five?

Leaping into a portal opened by Glory's ritual is how Buffy dies in 'The Gift', closing it with her blood; her friends later resurrect her, believing they are rescuing her from a hell dimension.

In the season-one finale, why can't Angel give the drowned Buffy CPR himself?

He has no breath, as Angel tells Xander, so it is Xander who performs CPR and revives Buffy in time for her to face the Master again.

What weapon does Buffy use to destroy the supposedly invincible demon the Judge?

Buffy blows the Judge apart with a rocket launcher that Xander and Cordelia stole from an army base; her one-liner is 'That was then, this is now.'

Which body part does Xander lose to a villainous preacher in season seven?

His left eye is gouged out by the preacher's thumb during a failed raid on a vineyard; Xander wears an eyepatch for the rest of the series.

Which rock band plays Buffy the Vampire Slayer's opening theme?

Nerf Herder plays the theme and turns up in person in the final season, playing on while Sunnydale evacuates: 'What kind of band plays during an apocalypse?'

On Angel, what does Cordelia inherit from the dying half-demon Doyle via a kiss?

Prophetic visions pass to Cordelia with Doyle's dying kiss; they are a painful burden until a demon's curse floods her with them and shows her how many people need help.

What is the name of the 'miracle' child born to the vampires Angel and Darla?

The child is Connor; Holtz kidnaps him into the hell dimension Quor'toth as a baby, and he returns weeks later as a teenager because time runs faster there.

Which fast-food chain hires a broke Buffy in season six?

Doublemeat Palace hires Buffy because, newly back from the dead, she needs money to support herself and her sister Dawn.

Which company published Buffy's canonical Season Eight comic continuation from 2007?

Dark Horse Comics published Season Eight with Joss Whedon writing the opening arc himself and overseeing the rest, which is why it counts as the show's canonical continuation.

Buffy's brief death in the season-one finale activated which new Slayer?

Buffy's drowning called Kendra, who arrives in season two; Kendra is later hypnotized and killed by Drusilla, which in turn calls Faith.

Which former Slayer, killed by Spike in 1977 New York, was the mother of the season-seven principal?

Nikki Wood, mother of Principal Robin Wood, was killed by Spike on a New York subway in 1977; he took his trademark leather duster from her body.

Faith's slide toward evil begins when she accidentally kills whom?

Faith accidentally stakes Deputy Mayor Allan Finch, mistaking him for a vampire on a night of reckless slaying, then allies herself with the Mayor.

Which future two-time Oscar winner made her film debut as one of Buffy's friends in the 1992 movie?

Hilary Swank was paid just $3,000 for Boys Don't Cry, seven years after her debut in Buffy, yet the role won her the first of her two Best Actress Oscars.

Buffy's lead actress had already won a Daytime Emmy for which soap opera?

All My Children cast her as Kendall Hart, long-lost daughter of Susan Lucci's Erica Kane; she won her Emmy in 1995, four years before Lucci at last won one after 18 losing nominations.

Which Buffy co-star did the actress who plays Willow marry in 2003?

Alexis Denisof married her in October 2003; he played Wesley, the pompous Watcher sent to replace Giles, who grows far darker and more ruthless on Angel.

What is the very last line of the Angel series finale?

Angel's closing line is 'Let's go to work'; with that, what is left of his team charges an army of demons in a rain-soaked alley behind the Hyperion.

What is the name of Oz's band, which plays regularly at the Bronze?

Oz's band is Dingoes Ate My Baby, a nod to Australia's Azaria Chamberlain 'dingo ate my baby' case; the real band Four Star Mary recorded its songs.

Buffy's season-three finale was delayed on US television because of which real-world event?

The Columbine shootings came four weeks before Part One, and with screen violence being blamed, The WB held back until July a finale in which armed students fight at their own graduation.

Which Trio member fires the stray shot that kills Willow's girlfriend?

Warren Mears fires the stray shot; the bullets were meant for Buffy, and a grieving Willow tracks Warren down and flays him alive with magic.

Glory, the hell god of Buffy's fifth season, shares a body with which human?

Glory shares a body with the hospital intern Ben; magic makes people forget the connection instantly, a running joke as Spike keeps trying to explain it.

The bleached vampire William got the nickname 'the Bloody' because of what?

His awful poetry earned the human William the nickname 'the Bloody', as in 'bloody awful'; one listener said he would rather have a railroad spike through his head, and the vampire Spike later tortured victims with exactly that.

David Boreanaz was reportedly spotted for the role of Angel while doing what?

Walking his dog past a neighbor's house, day after day: the neighbor recommended him to the show, and he went on to play Angel on Buffy and then in his own spin-off.

Which episode earned Buffy its only Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series?

'Hush' earned the 2000 nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series; only about 17 of its 44 minutes contain dialogue, and it was also nominated for cinematography.

On Angel, from which demon dimension is the physicist Fred Burkle rescued?

Pylea trapped Fred for five years, as a slave and then a fugitive hiding in a cave, after a portal swallowed her; it later emerges that her own jealous professor opened it to be rid of a gifted student.

Which veteran character actor played Buffy's first Big Bad, the Master, under heavy prosthetics?

Mark Metcalf, Neidermeyer in Animal House, played the Master, who fulfils a prophecy by killing Buffy in the season-one finale, only for her to be revived and destroy him.

Adam, the Big Bad of Buffy's fourth season, a patchwork of human, demon and machine, is powered by what?

Adam runs on a uranium core, which Buffy rips out in 'Primeval' after merging with Willow, Xander and Giles into a single magical composite.

Which Frank Lloyd Wright building was the exterior of the vampires' Crawford Street mansion on Buffy?

The Ennis House in Los Feliz doubled as the mansion; its patterned concrete blocks were damaged by the 1994 Northridge earthquake and heavy rains in 2005, forcing a major rescue.

What went wrong with the Buffy musical episode's 2002 Emmy bid?

It was left off the ballot by mistake: voters were mailed a postcard to correct the slip, and the episode ended up with a single nomination, for its music direction.

Who took over as Buffy's showrunner for season six?

Marti Noxon ran season six while Joss Whedon stepped back to write the musical and make his Fox pilot Firefly; the musical was the only episode he wrote and directed that year.

Before Buffy, Anthony Head was famous in Britain as the man in ads for which product?

Nescafe Gold Blend's twelve ads played out a slow-burn romance between Head and Sharon Maughan, popular enough to be remade for America as the Taster's Choice saga with the same two actors.

In the season that ended with Angel's 2004 cancellation, which ancient demon takes over Fred's body?

Illyria, one of the Old Ones, hollows out Fred and wears her body; by the finale, written as an ending once the show was not renewed, she is fighting at Angel's side.

Where is Buffy and Xander's Slayer headquarters in the Season Eight comics?

A castle in Scotland houses the army of Slayers that Buffy and Xander now command; the masked Big Bad Twilight spends the season trying to wipe them out.

The 1992 Buffy film's script was sold to a production company owned by which singer?

Sandollar, the company co-owned by Dolly Parton and Sandy Gallin, bought the script; Joss Whedon, unhappy with the film, made the TV series himself five years later.

According to its writer-director, what does the Cheese Man in Buffy's dream episode 'Restless' symbolize?

Nothing whatsoever, Joss Whedon has said: every other element of the four dreams carries meaning, and the Cheese Man is there because dreams always hold one thing that makes no sense.

Buffy's friends think they rescued her from hell; where does she say she really was?

In heaven, or somewhere like it: she confides to Spike in season six's 'After Life' that she was happy and at peace there, and that being torn back to Earth is what feels like hell.

Buffy's creator is a third-generation TV writer; his father wrote for which 1980s sitcom?

The Golden Girls had Tom Whedon among its writers; Joss says he never meant to follow him into television and planned to make films, until he found he could make money writing TV scripts.

Before becoming the vengeance demon Anyanka, Anya was a human woman with what name?

Anya was born Aud in a Viking-era village; she turned her cheating lover Olaf into a troll, which so impressed the demon D'Hoffryn that he recruited her.

Which Buffy actor played college basketball for Wake Forest?

Marc Blucas, Buffy's Riley, was a senior guard at Wake Forest in Tim Duncan's freshman year; bound for law school, he tried out when the 1996 film Eddie needed a basketball player, and gave up law for the screen.

Besides the musical, which is the only Buffy episode whose title appears on screen?

'Conversations with Dead People' follows one night in real time; four writers each took a storyline, and the leads never meet, a choice made to stress being alone.

What is the street address of the Summers home in Sunnydale?

1630 Revello Drive is home to Buffy, Joyce and later Dawn; by season seven it has turned into a crowded headquarters, housing the Potential Slayers gathered for the war against the First Evil.

Christophe Beck won an Emmy for scoring Buffy before composing the score of which Disney hit?

Frozen's score is Christophe Beck's; his Emmy came for the Buffy episode 'Becoming, Part 1', and the comedy Bring It On then launched the film career that led him to Disney.

What does Buffy use to destroy the Master's bones at the start of season two?

A sledgehammer: the Master's followers dig up his bones to resurrect him, so Buffy smashes them to pieces and then breaks down in tears.

Which episode launched Buffy the Vampire Slayer on The WB in March 1997?

'Welcome to the Hellmouth' opened a two-hour premiere; Buffy arrives hoping to quit slaying after it got her expelled, only to learn her new school sits on a gateway to hell.

Willow draws on which Slayer weapon to awaken every Potential in Buffy's finale?

The Scythe holds the power Willow channels in 'Chosen', the 144th and last episode, so every girl who could become a Slayer becomes one at once, ending the rule of one Slayer per generation.

Sunnydale High's exteriors in the first three seasons were filmed in which California city?

Torrance High School stood in for Sunnydale High for three years, until the season-three finale blew the fictional school up on graduation day.

At the Prom, Sunnydale High's seniors surprise Buffy with an award naming her what?

Class Protector is the title on the prize her classmates hand over, thanks for giving the class of '99 the lowest mortality rate in the school's history.

Buffy's lead actress called the show 'the ultimate metaphor' for what?

Horrors of adolescence, 'manifesting through these actual monsters', was her phrase; the show made teen fears literal, so a boyfriend really does turn into a monster after their first night together.

Who directed the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film?

Fran Rubel Kuzui found the screenplay, raised the money with her husband Kaz and directed the 1992 film; the pair kept executive-producer credits on the TV series.

Which actor played Buffy's Watcher, Merrick, in the 1992 film?

Donald Sutherland played Merrick and rewrote much of his own dialogue on set, which the director allowed; the film's writer said the Watcher's lines no longer made sense.

Buffy was expelled from Hemery High School for doing what?

Burning down the gym is on Buffy's record when she reaches Sunnydale; it was full of vampires, though she tells her new principal the trouble was asbestos.

After graduating from Sunnydale High, which career does Cordelia Chase move away to pursue?

Acting is Cordelia's escape plan after tax fraud wipes out her family's fortune; instead she ends up nearly penniless, faking success and stealing food from parties.

Nicholas Brendon's twin, Kelly Donovan, doubled as a second Xander in which season-five episode?

The Replacement splits Xander in two; Brendon played both, with his identical twin stepping in as the double whenever the pair share the screen.

As a young man, Giles dropped out of which university to dabble in dark magic?

Oxford lost Giles at 21, when he quit his history degree to practise dark magic with Ethan Rayne's crowd; the demon they toyed with, Eyghon, returns to hunt them in 'The Dark Age'.

Why was a planned Faith spin-off series never made?

Eliza Dushku declined the Faith spin-off offered as Buffy ended, choosing the lead in Fox's Tru Calling instead; that show ran for two seasons.

Which shy witch becomes Willow's girlfriend at UC Sunnydale in season four?

Tara Maclay meets Willow at a campus Wicca group and the two begin casting spells together; they did not kiss on screen until 'The Body' in season five.

Whose guest spot as Anyanka became a regular role?

Emma Caulfield was booked for an episode or two in season three; when Cordelia left for the spin-off Angel, the blunt ex-demon filled the gap she left, and Anya joined the main cast in season five.

In 'Doppelgangland', what is the newly mortal Anya refused at the Bronze despite her protests?

A beer is what Anya orders, protesting that she is 1,120 years old; the bartender is unmoved, so the former vengeance demon settles for a Coke.

Riley Finn, Buffy's soldier boyfriend, grew up in which farm state?

Iowa is home for Riley, a native of Huxley; he likens family gatherings at his grandparents' farm there, with a riverside walk and the dogs, to a Grant Wood painting.

Drusilla was a young psychic in which city before Angelus drove her insane?

London was home to the devout young seer until Angelus murdered her family; she fled to a convent, where he struck again on the day she was to take her vows, then sired her.

Which actress auditioned to play Buffy before being cast as the vampire Darla?

Julie Benz lost the lead but was handed a vampire bit part due to die in the pilot; the writers kept postponing Darla's death, and she went on to recur across Buffy and Angel.

Whom did a Romani clan secretly send to watch Angel?

Jenny Calendar is really Janna of the Kalderash, the clan that cursed Angel; when she works out how to repeat the curse, he snaps her neck and leaves her body in Giles's bed.

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce debuts in which Faith-centred season-three episode?

Bad Girls brings Wesley in as Buffy's supercilious new Watcher; captured with Giles by the demon Balthazar, he promptly offers to tell everything he knows.

Which actress played Harmony Kendall?

Mercedes McNab played Harmony from the unaired pilot onward; the mean girl is bitten during the graduation battle and returns in season four as a vampire, briefly dating Spike.

Andrew Wells is the younger brother of Tucker, who did what in season three?

Tucker set hellhounds on the Prom, releasing three of them; Buffy killed all three before they could reach the dance, then changed into her own dress.

Which floppy-skinned, kitten-poker-playing demon becomes Spike's friend in season six?

Clem, the loose-skinned demon played by James C. Leary, befriends Spike, plays kitten poker and even babysits Dawn in season six.

The First Evil made its debut in which season-three Christmas episode?

Amends has the First haunt Angel until he waits on a hilltop for sunrise; a freak snowfall hides the sun, and the entity returns as the main villain of season seven.

Which quirk does the genial Mayor Richard Wilkins III have?

A phobia of germs has the Mayor keeping a box of hand wipes in his office cabinet beside the skulls and shrunken heads; he even dislikes the cartoon dog Marmaduke as unsanitary.

Which actress played Professor Maggie Walsh, head of the Initiative?

Lindsay Crouse played Maggie Walsh, who sends Buffy into a demon ambush to protect her secret Project 314, only to be skewered by Adam, the hybrid she built there.

Which group attacks Buffy's fleeing motorhome in season five?

Knights of Byzantium cavalry run down the Winnebago Spike procured for the escape; they wreck it and badly wound Giles, forcing Buffy and her friends to shelter in an abandoned gas station.

Which actor played the chaos-worshipping sorcerer Ethan Rayne?

Robin Sachs played Ethan Rayne in seasons two to four, from 'Halloween' until the Initiative hauls him away in 'A New Man'.

What business does Buffy's mother Joyce run in Sunnydale?

An art gallery is Joyce's business in Sunnydale; a Nigerian mask she hangs at home raises an army of zombies in 'Dead Man's Party'.

Who sent Dawn to Buffy for protection, giving everyone false memories of her?

A group of monks sent Dawn to the Slayer to keep her from the villainous Glory, rewriting memories and records so that Buffy would protect her as a sister.

What do Sunnydale's adults eat in season three that makes them act like reckless teenagers?

Chocolate bars sold to pay for new band uniforms are the culprit: Ethan Rayne and Mr. Trick use them to distract the town's adults while the Mayor pays tribute to a demon.

Which holiday is Buffy trying to host in 'Pangs' when a vengeful Chumash spirit attacks?

Thanksgiving in 'Pangs' is Buffy's bid for a perfect feast, disrupted when the spirit Hus rises to avenge the Chumash, who in the show's telling were wiped out by settlers.

What does the Council's Cruciamentum test secretly take from Buffy?

Her strength drains away after Giles puts her in a trance and injects her in secret; she must then face a vampire in that state, and the Council fires Giles for his fatherly love of her.

Which agent of the First ordered the bombing of the Watchers' Council headquarters?

Caleb, the First's preacher lieutenant, ordered the blast that killed Quentin Travers and the Watchers inside, as 'Dirty Girls' reveals.

'Innocence' drew 8.2 million viewers as Buffy moved from Monday to which night?

'Innocence' aired on Tuesday, January 20, 1998, the show's first night in its new Tuesday slot; it sees Angel lose his soul after sleeping with Buffy.

Which Xander-centred episode sees him fall in with zombie bully Jack O'Toole while his friends avert an apocalypse?

The Zeppo takes its title from Cordelia's jibe likening Xander to the overlooked Marx brother; he quietly stops Jack's gang blowing up the school while the big battle rages off screen.

'Doppelgangland' revisits the alternate reality first shown in which episode?

Vampire Willow comes from the alternate reality of 'The Wish'; in 'Doppelgangland' Anya's spell to retrieve her amulet accidentally pulls her into the real Sunnydale.

In 'Graduation Day', what is the only cure for the poison Faith shoots into Angel?

A Slayer's blood is the cure, so Buffy goes after Faith to supply it; when that fails, she makes the dying Angel drink her own instead.

Which figure hunts the four main characters through their dreams in 'Restless'?

The First Slayer, Sineya, stalks the four through their dreams in 'Restless', angry that Buffy shared her power; Buffy dismisses her in the final dream.

What does Dracula do after Buffy stakes him in the season-five premiere?

He re-forms once her friends have gone, but Buffy has seen his films and knows he always comes back: she stakes him again, then tells him, as he tries again, that she is standing right there.

Which epitaph ends the inscription on Buffy's gravestone after her death in season five?

She saved the world a lot is the last line on the stone, beneath 'Beloved sister, devoted friend'; 'The Gift', the 100th episode, was conceived as the series finale.

In 'Bargaining', where did Anya find the last artifact Willow needs to resurrect Buffy?

On eBay, of all places, is where Anya found the last Urn of Osiris; meanwhile the gang patrols with the Buffybot so that demons won't learn the Slayer is dead.

In 'Tabula Rasa', which name does the memory-wiped Spike take from his coat label?

Randy is the name inside his coat, so Spike adopts it; he also decides Giles must be his father, while Anya assumes she is engaged to Giles.

In Buffy's season-six musical episode, what happens to Sunnydale residents who dance too hard?

They burst into flames: the demon's spell makes people sing out their secrets and dance until they combust, and Xander admits he summoned it hoping for a happy ending.

Which Angel Investigations member was played by J. August Richards?

Charles Gunn, played by J. August Richards, leads a street crew of young vampire hunters; he has to stake his own sister, Alonna, after a rival vampire gang turns her.

What happens to the town of Sunnydale at the end of Buffy's final episode, 'Chosen'?

It collapses into a crater as the Hellmouth caves in beneath it; the survivors escape on a school bus, with Buffy leaping from the rooftops onto its roof.

In 'Storyteller', Andrew films his documentary while hiding in which room?

The bathroom is where Andrew really is, talking to a video camera; in his head he sits in an old library with a roaring fire, smoking jacket and pipe, until Anya knocks on the door.

Whedon's company Mutant Enemy takes its name from a song by which band?

Yes sang of a 'mutant enemy' in 'And You and I'; Whedon borrowed the phrase, then drew and voiced the company's lurching 'Grr. Argh.' monster himself.

Joss Whedon shared an Oscar nomination for co-writing which animated film?

Toy Story had a script that, in Whedon's view, did not work when he was brought in to rework it; he praised its structure and went on to share the film's Oscar nomination for the screenplay.

Whedon co-created the spin-off Angel with which writer-producer?

David Greenwalt, Buffy's executive producer, left the show after its third season to launch Angel with Whedon; he later co-created Grimm.

What colour do Willow's hair and eyes turn when she absorbs a shelf of forbidden spell books?

Black spreads through Willow's hair and eyes as she draws the words out of the Magic Box's black-arts books through her hands, brushing off Anya's attempt to stop her.

Sarah Michelle Gellar played Kathryn Merteuil in which 1999 film based on Dangerous Liaisons?

Cruel Intentions moves the story to a rich New York prep school, where Gellar's Kathryn bets her stepbrother he cannot seduce the new headmaster's daughter.

Alyson Hannigan babysat as a teenager for which future co-star?

Bob Saget hired the teenage Hannigan to babysit his children; years later he narrated How I Met Your Mother as the older Ted while she played Lily.

Nicholas Brendon later played Kevin Lynch on which procedural drama?

Criminal Minds brought Brendon in as Kevin Lynch, the analyst put on Penelope Garcia's computers after she is shot; the two duel as hackers before they ever meet, then end up dating.

Anthony Head played which role in the BBC series Merlin?

Uther Pendragon, Camelot's king and Arthur's father, has banned magic on pain of death, which is why the young Merlin must hide his powers at court.

David Boreanaz played Master Chief Jason Hayes from 2017 in which military drama?

SEAL Team first cast Jim Caviezel as Jason Hayes; a week later he left over creative differences, and Boreanaz took over the lead before production began.

James Marsters played the alien supervillain Brainiac on which series?

Smallville cast Marsters as Brainiac, a Kryptonian artificial intelligence that walks among humans disguised as Professor Milton Fine, from its fifth season.

Charisma Carpenter played Lacy in the first two films of which action series?

The Expendables cast Carpenter as Lacy, girlfriend of the mercenary Lee Christmas; when her new man beats her, Christmas flattens him and his friends.

Seth Green voices which character on Family Guy?

Chris Griffin has had Green's voice since 1999; he has said he modelled it on Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs, imagined speaking through a McDonald's PA system.

Eliza Dushku reunited with Buffy's creator to star as Echo in which 2009 series?

Dollhouse cast Dushku as Echo, an 'Active' whose personality is wiped and re-imprinted for each wealthy client; she also produced the series, which Fox cancelled during its second season.

Before Buffy, Emma Caulfield played Brandon Walsh's girlfriend Susan Keats on which teen drama?

Beverly Hills, 90210 cast Caulfield as Susan Keats, the college newspaper editor who dates Brandon for 30 episodes before leaving for Washington to work on the Clinton campaign.

Michelle Trachtenberg first starred on the big screen in the title role of which 1996 film?

Harriet the Spy cast Trachtenberg as a sixth-grader who writes down what she sees of her friends, until a classmate finds the notebook and reads its blunt verdicts aloud.

Julie Benz won a Saturn Award for playing Rita Bennett on which series?

Dexter cast Benz as Rita Bennett, the girlfriend and then wife of its serial-killer hero, until the character is murdered in the final episode of season four.

Drusilla's actress is the daughter of which two actors?

Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are the parents of Juliet Landau, who played Drusilla; she acted beside her father in Ed Wood, the film that won him his Oscar.

Danny Strong, who played Jonathan, co-created which Fox music-industry drama?

Empire grew from Strong's pitch for a film in the mould of King Lear; Lee Daniels talked him into making it for television, and it ran on Fox from 2015 to 2020.

Nathan Fillion, who played Caleb, began playing Officer John Nolan in 2018 on which show?

The Rookie follows Nolan, a man in his forties who becomes the oldest rookie in the LAPD; the premise is based on a real officer, William Norcross, who joined in his mid-40s.

As a child, Buffy's lead actress made an ad that got her sued by McDonald's for promoting which rival chain?

Burger King's 1982 spot was one of fast food's first attack ads, and she was reportedly banned from McDonald's, missing friends' birthday parties there.

What happens to a vampire's body, clothes included, when Buffy drives a stake through its heart in the TV series?

It turns to dust, a rule the TV writers added: the vampires of the 1992 film left corpses behind and could even fly, which looked unconvincing on a TV budget.

In a season-seven Buffy joke, which English rock star is said to have stolen his look from the vampire Spike?

Billy Idol's peroxide hair and punk sneer are plainly the model for Spike, so the episode 'Sleeper' flips the debt and makes the singer the copycat.

Which Beverly Hills, 90210 heart-throb played Pike, the mechanic who helps Buffy, in the 1992 film?

Luke Perry was so tied to his hit TV series that the entire film was shot in just five weeks to fit around its schedule.

At the end of the Buffy series finale, what is left where the whole town of Sunnydale once stood?

A large crater swallows all of Sunnydale when the cavern beneath the town collapses, and the survivors of the last battle escape just ahead of it in a school bus.

In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, what must a vampire receive from a living resident before it can enter a home?

An invitation, once given, lasts for good on the show: it can only be revoked by a magic ritual, so welcoming the wrong guest is a lasting mistake.

In Buffy season two, what breaks the Romani curse on the vampire Angel, making him a killer again?

A moment of true happiness was the curse's catch: a vengeful Romani clan had condemned him to live in remorse, so a night of bliss with Buffy ended the punishment.

After Buffy dies at the end of season five, what do her friends send on patrol so vampires think the Slayer lives?

A robot double of Buffy, first built as a doting companion for Spike, was repurposed by her friends to hide her death from demons and from social workers.

What does the vampire Spike win back by surviving a demon's brutal trials in Africa at the end of Buffy season six?

His soul was the reward he had asked for, revealed only at the very end of the season; he wanted it back to prove himself worthy of Buffy.

Which comedian played Amilyn, loyal acolyte of the vampire Lothos, in the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film?

Paul Reubens, the man behind Pee-wee Herman, took the small role while keeping a low profile in the early 1990s, and critics singled out his game performance.

Buffy's creator says the heroine was devised to invert the fate of which stock victim of horror movies?

The blonde in the alley is usually the first to die; the creator wanted her to turn out extraordinary instead, and built the whole story on that reversal.

Which Canadian actor turned down a role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, citing his own real-life experience of high school?

Ryan Reynolds said he loved the show but had only just left high school, where he was bullied, and did not want to go back to playing a schoolboy.

Alongside Selma Blair, which future Dawson's Creek star was in the running to play Buffy Summers in 1996?

Katie Holmes was reportedly offered the lead and turned it down in order to finish high school.

Which actor played Lothos, the elder vampire who puts Buffy into a hypnotic trance, in the 1992 film?

Rutger Hauer's vampire shrugs off a hairspray flamethrower before Buffy finally stakes him with a broken chair leg.

Which weapon, forged in secret for the Slayer by the Guardians, does Buffy wield in the final episodes of season seven?

A scythe in name only, it looks like an axe with a stake built into the handle, and Willow taps its power to call every Potential Slayer at once.

What was the title of the never-made BBC spin-off about Rupert Giles, taken from the nickname of his rebellious youth?

Ripper was the name he earned while dabbling in dark magic with friends who summoned a demon; the series was discussed for years but never filmed.

Which martial art had Buffy's lead actress already studied for years as a child, long before the role?

Taekwondo was one of two sports she took seriously as a child: she was also a competitive figure skater who placed third at a New York State regional event.

Which eight-issue comic by Buffy's creator follows Melaka, a thieving Slayer in a future New York overrun by 'lurks'?

Fray takes its name from Melaka's surname, and its last two issues ran late because its writer was tied up with his television shows.

What is the title of the online academic journal of Buffy studies that has published scholarly essays since 2001?

Slayage outgrew its subject: as scholars turned to the creator's other shows, the journal widened its title to cover all his work and gained its own conferences.

Which future Oscar-winning star appears uncredited as a basketball player in the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film?

Ben Affleck shares the unbilled list with Ricki Lake; a young Seth Green also filmed a vampire scene that was cut, years before he joined the TV series as Oz.

What is Buffy Summers's middle name, which she adopts as an alias after running away from Sunnydale?

Anne is also the name she hands on when she returns home: a fellow runaway called Lily adopts it for good and later runs a teen shelter on the spin-off.

What job does the new principal give Buffy Summers at the rebuilt Sunnydale High in season seven?

School counselor was her reward for coaxing two troubled students back to lessons, and it put the Slayer on duty directly above the Hellmouth.

What is the first name of Buffy Summers's father, played in a handful of episodes by Dean Butler?

Hank Summers lets her down to the last: in the comics he leaves Buffy out of his wedding, which pushes her closer to her father figure Giles.

Which Sunnydale High tyrant is killed by the Mayor's demon form in the middle of Buffy's graduation ceremony?

Principal Snyder had hounded Buffy for years, even barring her from school, and had only got the job because his predecessor was killed as well.

The teenage witch Amy Madison escapes being burned at the stake in Buffy season three by turning herself into what?

A rat is what she stays for years, because she cannot undo her own spell: Willow keeps her in a cage until she is finally powerful enough to restore her.

Which compulsive habit of Dawn Summers is exposed when a curse traps everyone inside the Summers house in season six?

Stealing was her way of coping with feeling neglected, and it came to light only because a vengeance demon answered her plea that nobody leave, sealing every guest inside.

Which Potential Slayer, a self-described brat from a rich family, becomes Willow's girlfriend in Buffy's final season?

Kennedy had trained with weapons since she was eight, so she often takes the lead among the recruits and consults with Buffy's inner circle.

Which instrument does the taciturn Oz, Willow's first and only boyfriend, play in his Sunnydale rock band?

Guitar is his part in a band that plays the Bronze, where he first notices Willow at a costume dance, several episodes before the two actually meet.

Which subject does Jenny Calendar, the love interest of Rupert Giles, teach at Sunnydale High in early Buffy?

Computer science teacher Jenny was killed off in season two, a death the show's creator said was meant to prove that nobody on it was safe.

Which trade gives Xander Harris, long stuck in his parents' basement, a steady career and a home of his own?

Construction work makes a carpenter of him and pays for an apartment he shares with Anya, the former demon he later leaves at the altar.

Which power does Buffy gain in season three when the blood of a mouthless demon soaks into her skin?

Reading minds in 'Earshot' soon overwhelms her, and one head stays closed: her vampire boyfriend's thoughts are as hidden as his reflection in a mirror.

In the Buffy episode 'Band Candy', cursed chocolate bars make the adults of Sunnydale behave like what?

Teenagers again, the grown-ups pack the local club and neglect the town, a distraction arranged so the Mayor can pay tribute to a demon.

In the Buffy episode 'Normal Again', demon venom makes the Slayer believe she has spent six years as what?

A mental patient is what she may truly be: the episode was left open on purpose, and its creator said viewers can read the whole series as her delusion.

In which season-four Buffy episode does Jonathan Levinson cast a spell that reshapes reality and spawns a demon?

Superstar bends the whole universe around Jonathan, the once unpopular classmate, right down to opening credits re-cut to feature him.

In the two-parter ending with 'Who Are You?', what does the rogue Slayer Faith do to Buffy with a magical device?

Swaps bodies with her, and the trick rebounds: living as Buffy shows Faith the love and acceptance her own life lacks, the turning point of her redemption.

In a season-four Buffy episode, what does Willow's misfired spell cause sworn enemies Buffy and Spike to do?

Get engaged is what they do, wedding plans and all, while the same spell blinds Giles and turns Xander into a magnet for demons.

In Buffy's season-five premiere, Dracula turns Xander Harris into a version of which character from Bram Stoker's novel?

Renfield is the insect-eating servant of the novel, so Xander duly develops a hunger for bugs and starts calling the Count his master.

In the Buffy episode 'Gingerbread', the parents' vigilante group MOO is short for Mothers Opposed to what?

The Occult became their target after two dead children appeared, but the pair were a demon whose earlier visit to Germany inspired Hansel and Gretel.

In Buffy's season-three premiere, what job is the runaway Slayer doing in a big-city diner under an assumed name?

Waitress is where the whole idea began: the creator's unproduced 'Rhonda the Immortal Waitress' was his first version of a nobody who proves extraordinary.

In which Buffy episode does the Slayer cook Thanksgiving dinner for friends while vengeful spirits fire arrows?

Pangs ends with the meal served anyway and Spike still tied to a chair at the table, an early step in turning the vampire into a sympathetic figure.

In Buffy the Vampire Slayer lore, how do vampires and demons traditionally spend the night of Halloween?

They stay home because the undead find the night too tacky to bother with, a rule Giles is still citing in season six when Buffy wants to go on patrol.

In the season-two Buffy episode 'Halloween', a cursed costume turns the Slayer into which helpless figure?

A noblewoman of the 18th century, prim and no use in a fight; Willow grumbles that her friend could have dressed as a warrior princess instead.

Which costume does Xander Harris wear in Buffy's first Halloween episode, turning into the real thing under a spell?

A soldier, and a convincing one: the usually hapless Xander becomes a battle-hardened veteran, complete with a thousand-yard stare.

In Buffy's 'Halloween', the costume-shop owner performs his ritual in honour of which Roman deity?

Janus is always shown with two faces, apt for a spell that turns people into their costumes, though in myth he was a peaceful guardian of doorways and gates.

Wary of being possessed by his outfit again, which film hero does Xander Harris dress as in 'Fear, Itself'?

James Bond was a calculated choice: a spell had once turned him into his costume, so this time he picked someone worth being.

In the Buffy Halloween episode 'Fear, Itself', Oz's entire costume is a label bearing which single word?

God is all the label says, which lets Willow, dressed as Joan of Arc, joke that she too was nearly burned at the stake and is on close terms with the Almighty.

Which fairy-tale character does a reluctant Buffy dress as for the student Halloween party in 'Fear, Itself'?

Red Riding Hood was an old outfit of hers; a depressed Buffy had been in no mood for Halloween, and her friends were worried about her.

The title of the Buffy Halloween episode 'Fear, Itself' comes from the first inaugural address of which US president?

Franklin Roosevelt told Americans in the depths of the Depression that fear was the one thing worth fearing, a neat fit for a demon that feeds on dread.

In Buffy's Halloween episode 'All the Way', what must Dawn Summers do to Justin, the boy behind her first kiss?

Kill him is the grim answer: Justin is a vampire who tries to turn her, so her first kiss and her first slaying come on the same night.

In Buffy's 'Fear, Itself', a video-shop mix-up swaps Xander's chosen horror film for which Disney film?

Fantasia was handed over in place of the horror film Phantasm; it returns two Halloweens later, when Giles cites Mickey Mouse's runaway broom to warn Willow against tidying up by magic.