Buffy #9 in 20 Best TV Shows of the Decade

[MistressPointy]

Paste Magazine sure references BtVS a lot... Why? Because it rocks! See what they have to say (sing praise) about it:

9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Creator: Joss Whedon
Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, Marc Blucas, Emma Caulfield, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amber Benson, James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head
Networks: The WB, UPN

Buffy the Vampire Slayer had it all: Romance, drama, tragedy, suspense. The show took the teen-soap formula and elevated it to an art. It was a unique combination of tragic romance, apocalyptic fantasy and the clincher"”emotional realism. It also featured the most serious and realistic depiction of human loss ever witnessed on the small screen (in "The Body," dealing with the death of Buffy's mom by natural causes). Humor? The writers understood the campy sheen that must accompany any show named Buffy. They also knew how to use snappy dialogue and uncomfortable situations to full effect. Complex characters? You'd be hard pressed to find another program that had the same range and consistency of character development. Everyone matured (or devolved) at his or her own realistic rate. As some feminist writers have argued, TV had never before seen the complexity of relationships among women that you saw with the likes of Buffy, Willow, Joyce and Dawn. Plot? The writers employed elaborate multi-episode, multi-season story arcs. People and events of the past always had a way of popping back up, the way they do in real life. Philosophy? Series creator Joss Whedon was all about the "meta""”the ideas and story behind the story. Each season had a driving concept, and he explored an astonishingly wide range of topics. Quick asides referencing Sartre or Aquinas were as at home as the pop-culture references. The show spawned an active academic community around it (see "Buffy studies" at Wikipedia.org). Whedon wanted his heroine to be iconic. As he put it, "I wanted people to embrace it in a way that exists beyond, "˜Oh, that was a wonderful show about lawyers; let's have dinner.'" He succeeded, creating a WB/UPN show that bears closer resemblance to the works of Dostoevsky and Kafka than 90210 or Dawson's Creek.

Full article here: The 20 Best TV Shows of the Decade (2000-2009) :: Blogs :: List of the Day :: Paste

 

[Taake]

Good for Buffy! (I'm also happy to see Jon Stewart rating very high). Though I really like Arrested Development I'm not sure I agree with it's no1 slot.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

I really liked what they wrote about Buffy, and I'm glad people still remembers it and appriciates it.

About the whole list, boy, those shows really don't come to my mind when we talk about Best Tv Shows of the Decade.

 

[Flannen]

What a messed up list! Including, I'm afraid to say, Buffy's position. Dexter and Breaking Bad are lightyears ahead of those other shows and they were like 19 and 20. And no sign of Alias or The X Files. Crumbs.

But really, these things are daft. We're all way too subjective to keep compiling these lists.

 

[Marisa]

I'm glad Buffy made it but like Peyton said I am kind of shocked by the list lol. I think Dexter deserved to be way up, I am not shocked about The sopranos. I think Friday Night Lights should have been higher that is one of the realest shows IMO. Oh well at least they made it I guess.

Edit by peyton I meant Flannen my bad 😉

 

[Lilah]

Well done Buffy. Most of the rest are tripe, where is Charmed?

 

[Flannen]

Oh and re-reading that synopsis? Seeing Whedon compared to the likes of Kafka and Dostoevsky makes me want to hit things. Especially when Dawson's Creek is being trodden on at the same time.

 

[msfantastico87]

I'm so happy to see Buffy on the list! Although I do think I would have re done the top three:
#3-Buffy
#2-The Office
#1-Lost

never seen any of the other shows so I really have no say in them =/

 

[dan k]

Buffy should be higher.

 

[Beaumonde]

Deadwood! Dexter! FREAKS AND GEEKS! Mad Men! Buffy! BSG! Lost! The Wire! Arrested Development!

Can I marry this list?

 

[Thursday]

I love how even though Buffy isn't number one it has the longest description.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Well done Buffy. Most of the rest are tripe, where is Charmed?

If Charmed continued with the greatness that was S3, im sure it probably would be on more lists like this but it just became to simple.

But it is always nice to see Buffy generally in the top10 whenever it comes to lists like these.

 

[caitaintdead]

IMO - What a rubbish collection! And is it just me or are all of these American? It was good to see The Sopranos. BtVS always makes me think more of the 90's then the 00's though for some reason... Family Guy was a good choice as well, but I would have placed it much higher.

Where's Torchwood? Or Dr Who? Or the British The Office?