My thoughts on BtVS

[Chasing Cordy]

I know this will most likely be moved to its rightful spot once somebody of importance reads it, but I'm ploping it here for now...

Here's the deal:
I have been watching BtVS since mid-December via DVDs and there is one thing that I must be honest about...
The only reason I began to watch the Buffster do her thing was due to the fact that another favorite show of mine called "Charmed" is currently on a two-month mid-season holiday break (that and it is really starting to suck).

Anyway, I have noticed many spots where the two shows are alike--even some episodes--and even still, Buffy still is better.

Both shows have forbidden loves and magical circumstances, but the biggest difference bewteen the shows is the emnotional factor.

With Charmed, you have three sisters (the youngest one being 23 when the show started) and because of that, any emotional pain is spread between the three at a slightly even rate.
Buffy...a lonely girl that is 16 years old with no siblings (and I don't count Dawn as one). Therfore no place for the pain to pass to if she gets any. Nowhere does that hit me more than watching Angel comfort her after her bone bashing at the end of the second season opener.

"Earshot" from BtVS is much better than "Primrose Empath" from Charmed simply due to the fact that SMG does not overplay it as much as Shannen did.
With Charmed's version, it seemed as if they overdid it in a way.

But wait! The one thing Charmed has that BtVS never had is the sheer drama and breath-taking emotion of a 60-minute span called "All Hell Breaks Loose"

I know it may be grounds for slaying here, but there is NOTHING (and I do mean nothing) that Joss or anybody else from "Buffy" could do that could match Charmed's "All Hell Breaks Loose" season three finale.

Moral:
Buffy fun
Charmed was fun

I'm done for now...

 

[The Arcane]

Coming in as a recent fan of Buffy and Angel this will seem a little unfair of me to say so but as somebody who has followed both series throughout their respective runs i can say with certainty that the similarities you have noted are not few, in fact there are many. More so than that it is commonly acknowledged that the Charmed writers have consistently ripped off plots from both Buffy and Charmed (not to mention other sources) and rewritten them in an inferior way to fit the Halliwells.

As i said, from your point of view, having watched Charmed first and only recently taken note of Buffy, you may think it goes the other way but if you check the airdates of episodes with similar themes you will see that in nearly all cases Buffy or Angel got there first and did it with a lot more style.

As for Hell Breaks Loose i do recall that as being one of the highlights of the Charmed series but it pales in comparison to many (and i mean many) episodes of Buffy and Angel, examples being Becoming Parts 1 and 2, The Body, Seeing Red, Hero, You're Welcome, Hole in the World and Not Fade Away, just off the top of my head. If you haven't already seen those episodes i would strongly advise you to check them out because they are absolutely incredible.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I have definetly see it but which ep is All Hell breaks loose?

 

[Schillaci]

But wait! The one thing Charmed has that BtVS never had is the sheer drama and breath-taking emotion of a 60-minute span called "All Hell Breaks Loose"

I know it may be grounds for slaying here, but there is NOTHING (and I do mean nothing) that Joss or anybody else from "Buffy" could do that could match Charmed's "All Hell Breaks Loose" season three finale.

You ca-razy kid. What have you been smoking?:jumping03

 

[THE BLUE]

It was a fun and long run.

 

[+ Matt +]

I have definetly see it but which ep is All Hell breaks loose?

I think it's the final episode in season three - Prue's last episode.

I watched an episode of Charmed a few days ago and Phoebe was saying how Cole is a demon with a soul...Sound anything like Angel lol?

 

[Kimm]

I've never been interested in "Charmed" but from what everyone is saying it sounds like they stole a whole bunch of ideas from Buffy and Angel.

 

[THE BLUE]

I've never been interested in "Charmed" but from what everyone is saying it sounds like they stole a whole bunch of ideas from Buffy and Angel.

I'm beginning to think that way too.

 

[+ Matt +]

^Charmed isn't actually that bad, I still watch it if there's nothing else on. In my opinion though, it just doesn't match Buffy.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I think it's the final episode in season three - Prue's last episode.

I watched an episode of Charmed a few days ago and Phoebe was saying how Cole is a demon with a soul...Sound anything like Angel lol?

Thank you! I remember that ep and while it was good there are a load of Buffy ep's that can stand up to it (And crush it death!) 🙂

On charmed in General I like to watch it, But I don't follow it in the same way I do Buffy! It's more of a Tune in and watch it, then stop watching and don't think of it in detail!

 

[Tucker's Cousin]

I just find Charmed to be too superficial in comparison with Buffy/Angel. I have watched it when nothing else is on, I did that tonight actually, or to perve on Alyssa Milano.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Which is a fine reason🙂

But superficial is a good way of decribing Charmed, But it is not always so, there are a few episodes that are really impressive!

 

[The Arcane]

Which is a fine reason🙂

But superficial is a good way of decribing Charmed, But it is not always so, there are a few episodes that are really impressive!

What annoys me though is the fact that a very few impressive episodes from Charmed has gained the show eight seasons already whilst a show like Angel where practically every episode was a delight had to beg, struggle and fight for the five seasons it finally got. Really not my idea of fair when i see rubbish the likes of what Charmed regularly churns out still on our screens when Angel should be running through it's final season now. 🙁

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Oh I completely agree with you, I was so sure Charmed was gonna be cancelled after the last season , and I think it is really unfair that it got a next season and Angel did not, when angel deserved it so much more! I think it only got it's 8th season because it was the only supernatural show left on the WB, I don't think they really wanted it back, they obliviously don't really care about it, they seriously cut the funding which has reduced the picture quality and made some of the regular, loved, cast be fired!

 

[The Arcane]

Right with you on that! Any idea why this is so? Does it come down to US ratings?

Many different reasons usually but in the case of these two shows it was network politics and money. Angel was airing on WB but owned by Fox, which made it more expensive a series than Charmed, which was the property of the WB itself. Without going into the details, because that is never fun, Fox and the WB could not come to a reasonable agreement over money matters concerning Angel so the WB decided it was too expensive a show to continue airing it, based upon the ratings it was getting.

Therefore they came up with a load of bull about "the network looking to shed some of it's older series to make way for new shows" and axed Angel. What they failed to mention was that Angel was the only long running show that they intended to axe that year! And by no means the longest running either! What a coincidence that they kept all of the shows that they owned, don't you think? 😛

 

[Tucker's Cousin]

Thanks for that analysis, The Watcher. I'd been wondering for some time about it because I'd heard somewhere that Angel was too expensive for them to make. This confused me because both shows have about the same amount of special effects and, I'd assume, casts on similar pay levels. Of course, Angel had a far more TALENTED group of actors and writers...

Anybody know how much Billy Zane got for appearing on Charmed?

 

[sizzle-sozzle]

no not a clue but i jus wanna shout out to all charmed fans it's wicked and i'm finally gona get to see the latest series which starts tonight in the UK at 20:00 on Livingtv

 

[The Arcane]

More so than that it is commonly acknowledged that the Charmed writers have consistently ripped off plots from both Buffy and Charmed (not to mention other sources) and rewritten them in an inferior way to fit the Halliwells.

Haven't got a clue how i missed this when i first posted it but that should have read "Buffy and Angel".

Sometimes my mind and fingers choose not to listen to each other! 😀

 

[Chasing Cordy]

I watched an episode of Charmed a few days ago and Phoebe was saying how Cole is a demon with a soul...Sound anything like Angel lol?

Well,the only thing I could say to defend Cole is the fact that according to his storyline, he was born part demon (as opposed to the character of Angel being born human and then made into a vamp).

Cole did not have a choice on his demonic side--it's who he was from birth-- but the character of Angel could have avoided becoming what he became if he didn't follow Darla into the alley during the 1700s.

(it's a weak defense, but it works to some degree)

 

[Chasing Cordy]

But I could be totally off base on that philosophy!