Put a stake in it: Gellar leaving 'Buffy'

[Mistwell]

I don't know if Friends is still that successful (I know it's one of NBC's big guns, for sure). I think the extra season has more to do with circumstances. We've seen the super-successful Cheers and Seinfeld go off the air in recent years, and most of the actors couldn't keep a sitcom afterwards, despite their high popularity. Ted Danson and Kelsey Grammer were the only two from Cheers to survive on TV (and of course, Woody Harrelson in the movies). None of the Seinfeld cast are currently doing regular TV (as far as I know).

And it looks like none of the Friends cast has a particularly promising movie career ahead. Their success in the theatre so far has been pretty mild. So they're pretty smart to stick with Friends, given its recent upsurge in popularity.

Jennifer Aniston is up for LOTS of awards for her recent movie (which was great by the way), and is basically booked for the next decade. Friends is currently the number one or two rated show every week for the last year. Sienfeld's most recent movie did pretty well (the Comedian), and he can pull in a sell-out crowd to pretty much any theatre in the country right now for his act.

 

[Ranger REG]

I don't know if Friends is still that successful (I know it's one of NBC's big guns, for sure). I think the extra season has more to do with circumstances. We've seen the super-successful Cheers and Seinfeld go off the air in recent years, and most of the actors couldn't keep a sitcom afterwards, despite their high popularity. Ted Danson and Kelsey Grammer were the only two from Cheers to survive on TV (and of course, Woody Harrelson in the movies). None of the Seinfeld cast are currently doing regular TV (as far as I know).

Friends is still very successful. They got a great group of writers, great storylines, and people can relate to the modern-day sitcom.

And it looks like none of the Friends cast has a particularly promising movie career ahead. Their success in the theatre so far has been pretty mild.

I disagree. Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston got some good movie roles. Matthew will be shooting the sequel to the Whole Nine Yard with Bruce Willis. Jennifer will be in Jim Carrey's movie, Bruce Almighty. Lisa Kudrow was in two comedy movies with Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal (Analyze This and Analyze That). Matt LeBlanc will appear for the second time in the second Charlie's Angels movie. Courtney Cox Arquette have appeared in all 3 Screams movies.

Even if they choose not to work, they can still make money off of royalties, now that Friends is being re-aired in syndication.

 

[Jemal]

Kill Zander making him a vamp...Willow gives him his soul allowing him to be a super-hero and date! Willow become head of Sunnydale High, where she teaches deamons and humans to work together. Dawn meets Angels son, falling in love and fighting deamons. Andrew, cult leader/video journist into the strange and unknown, creator of the hit TV show, who wants to marry Xander Vampire Millionaire!

uh...
well....
n/m.

Sienfeld's most recent movie did pretty well (the Comedian), and he can pull in a sell-out crowd to pretty much any theatre in the country right now for his act.

Did I miss something? I thought he was retired for good, remember 'this is the last time'

Or, Evil wins and thusly sets off the biggest "reset button" the Buffyverse has ever seen.

I like the idea, Chricton. I don't know why, but Evil winning and ruling the world has a certain appeal... Think of the future possibilities. I don't know why, I just like the idea of evil ruling the world, b/c it makes all the good guys that much more heroic.

Hmm... yes, yes, that's perfect.... You gave me an idea for something.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Did I miss something? I thought he was retired for good, remember 'this is the last time'

What Jerry did was retire his old act. He totally abandoned ALL of his old material, and came up with an entirely new routine - this not a common thing for big-time comedians.

 

[Mistwell]

What Jerry did was retire his old act. He totally abandoned ALL of his old material, and came up with an entirely new routine - this not a common thing for big-time comedians.

That's actually what his last film was all about (which you probably knew).

http://www.miramax.com/comedian/

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Right, I thought about expanding on that in regards to Jerry's movie.

Anyhoo... Back to Buffy news. Dark Horizons is reporting what they call "a very dubious rumor" that Alyson Hannigan has signed to do a "Willow" series for 2004. Take with as many grains of salt as you feel necessary.

That would make a lot of sense, as Alyson is probably the best overall actor, and Willow is the best character to carry a show forward.

Nicholas Brendan has reportedly indicated he'd "play the janitor" on any Buffy spin-off to come, although his agent has debunked rumors that he'd go to "Angel." Nicholas has also been quoted as saying he's under contract for 3 more years - although it's anyone's guess if that contract would transfer to a seperate series.

Emma Caulfield has said that she doesn't plan on continuing to play Anya past this year.

A "Dawn the Vampire Slayer" series would allow the show to go back to its roots, revisiting a young girl's issues with High School. On the down side, it would be revisiting a young girl's issues with High School. And while I like Michelle Trachtenberg, I don't think she could carry a series right now.

Giles' "Ripper" series would be very cool, though I haven't heard a peep about that in ages.

Consider also that a spinoff could include characters from "Angel." Of the main actors on that show, the only one I can see carrying a show as an actor is Alexis Denisof. I don't see Wesley getting a show, however. Just not quite there as a character.

 

[Chun-tzu]

Sienfeld's most recent movie did pretty well (the Comedian), and he can pull in a sell-out crowd to pretty much any theatre in the country right now for his act.

I didn't mean to imply that Jerry or the others were washed up. I'm saying that a successful career on one TV show does not translate into success on other TV shows or in the movies. Bill Cosby couldn't do it. Kirstie Alley couldn't do it. The guys who played Norm and Cliff couldn't do it. Three new shows starred Seinfeld alumni, all failing.

I disagree. Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston got some good movie roles. Matthew will be shooting the sequel to the Whole Nine Yard with Bruce Willis. Jennifer will be in Jim Carrey's movie, Bruce Almighty. Lisa Kudrow was in two comedy movies with Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal (Analyze This and Analyze That). Matt LeBlanc will appear for the second time in the second Charlie's Angels movie. Courtney Cox Arquette have appeared in all 3 Screams movies.

Even if they choose not to work, they can still make money off of royalties, now that Friends is being re-aired in syndication.

I think Jennifer's got a future in movies, if she chooses to do so. But before her last movie, she didn't have a particularly distinguished career. Matthew Perry _might_ have box office potential. But he's been in a few movies, without great success or acclaim. The Whole Nine Yards wasn't bad, though. Courtney Cox has a shot, but she's still largely unproven.

Just because they've appeared in successful movies doesn't mean they've got what it takes to be movie stars. Look, lots of "movie stars" don't have what it takes to be movie stars. It's a "flash-in-the-pan" business. You may disagree, but frmo all appearances, I'd say that David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc are already at the peak of their careers, and after Friends, I doubt we'll see that much of them.

I just don't see any of them chomping at the bit to get out of TV and focusing on their movie careers.

 

[Ranger REG]

While you may be right about David Schwimmer (despite his great role in HBO's Band of Brothers), Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc still have what it takes to be on film. Lisa Kudrow however, may have to decide how to balance her career with motherhood.

Shouldn't be that hard since Catherine Zeta Jones managed to have her second child right after the production shooting of Chicago ended.

 

[Mark CMG]

Schwimmer, as a Chicago Gaslight theatre alum, has some good connections in the movie industry and will go as far as he wishes, IMO. Aside from being in Six Days and Seven Nights with Harrison Ford, he has veered more toward cable work when it comes to decent television projects beyond Friends which generally is a sign that an actor is biding their time and only picking scripts that won't overly embarrasss them. Kudrow, also, has been picky with her choices and I do not expect to see much major work out of either of them until Friends wraps up, the public has been given the time to realize they are not those characters and they get some quality scripts. It's not like either one is rushed and needs the money.

On the other hand, Aniston, Cox and Perry seem to be trying to trade on their success now which leads me to believe that they've been advised by their agents to grab the brass ring while they still have some star power. That's actually a bad sign for their future, though they may still work beyond the television series. Aniston seems to be showing some folks that she can do more dramtically, Perry does appear to have some comedic depth, and Kudrow has a knack for working with "the right people", so who knows...?

LeBlanc has been on thin ice and carried by the other five, seemingly, since season one. There's even been a big push to promote this season as "the one where LeBlanc shows his acting chops" but personally I have not seen it. Admittedly, I only catch the show every couple/few weeks, if that, but I've not been impressed.

In regard to Buffy, let it die. Dragging it out will only mean that the good feeling the show has built up for Wheadon will trickle down and diminish his ability to float new and interesting ideas that would be readily accepted. I'd rather see new material from him sooner so that everyone and his mother doesn't get to edit/censor his ability to be innovative.

(edited for spelling)

 

[Silver Griffon]

Actually, Buffy is the anomaly.

Then again, they could kill Faith in the end, since she is an anomaly that existed outside the Slayer tradition.

Actually, Buffy is the anomaly. The true slayer line resides in Faith. To recap: Buffy is temporarily killed and Kendra is "activated" as the slayer. Kendra is killed and Faith becomes the new slayer. Buffy is killed again, but no new slayer is activated. Buffy is resurrected. She is the one who is outside of the slayer line. She has been since her first "death". Joss tends to keep very good track of little details like this. He seems to delight in pretending to ignore these little things and then spring them on us later. That's why I love his stuff! He makes us kick ourselves and exclaim, "D'oh!! I knew that!".