"Ripper" - What would you like the spin-off to be like?

[JCoatsworth]

So, there's still a chance that the Buffy spin-off "Ripper", which is based on Anthony Head's character Giles, might be made after all.

If so, what would you like it to be like?


I've thought about it a lot lately, because I think the world is in serious need of some Whedon TV action and another Buffy spin-off would be a dream come true for many fans.
I just imagined how I'd like the spin-off to be.
Well, the story takes place in our time, which means about 10 years after the BtVS finale. Its protagonist is Giles, obviously, who lives now in London.

The main plot is rather simple. He has his own "demon hunting and investigation" business, just like Angel in LA basically.
Of course there will be new characters, but now and then there will be characters from the other shows, like Buffy, Willow, Faith et, who help him kick some demon ass.
I also thought about Spike as a regular, since he's British and all, but I haven't watched Angel completely yet, so I don't know how everything is gonna end.
I only know a few things and I'd appreciate it if you marked spoilers in your posts.
Same goes with Wesley. I don't know how everything will turn out, but I wanna see for myself 😉

My biggest problem is the former potentials. I hate the idea of thousands of Slayers operating in squads and everything (although the comics are kind of fund, but I don't take them too seriously).
I think the Slayer business should be more familiar and not like some army. No, no. Only a few people, Scoobies.

I also think that a 70s rock style theme would work great.

Yeah, that's it. Actually, I just want great story lines written by Joss about Giles being awesome and bad-ass with loads of guest stars.
What about you guys? 🙂

 

[Robb Stark]

I like the idea of them being back in England. I'd like it if maybe instead of Spike being the big co-star, it was Faith instead. I've always wanted to see more of her and having her leading, or being the top operative, of the Slayer organization in Britain with Giles would be pretty cool. I love the idea of bringing past Buffyverse stars into it as well from time to time.

I would like to see the Slayer Inc. idea get expanded upon. They could set it up where Buffy, Willow and the Scoobies are running the show from America, while Giles and Faith are tackling Europe. I wouldn't want to just see a repeat of Angel Investigations though, because really, we've already seen that. Giles is a Watcher, that's kind of his defining characteristic, so taking over Faith and overseeing Slayer operations would be a neat role for him.

You could even have the dynamic between the two where they're sort of co-main characters, with Faith taking care of the action scenes while Giles runs things. With so many Slayers now (you'd have to make that part of it, continuity wise. Giles was a major part of all that) the avenues for new characters are wide open.

I hope a Ripper series gets off the ground some day. I know JW has said he's into it. Heck, I don't care, I just want some sort of Buffyverse continuation!

 

[white avenger]

I think that any movie about "Ripper" should concentrate on the younger man, the one who dabbled in sorcery in college and wanted to be a fighter pilot, and and his real reasons for abandoning that and becoming a Watcher. (Maybe his high school sweetheart was a Potential who wound up being Called, and that drew him into the whole Watcher/Slayer relationship and influencing him to form a more personal relationship with his own Slayer.) Obviously, that would require a younger actor for the title role, but Head could play his father and have as large a role as he and Joss could work out for him. By taking that approach, there wouldn't be any reason to screw with existing canon and avoiding and Buffyverse anomalies.

 

[Jodast]

Riffing on [MENTION=6758]white avenger[/MENTION]'s idea, keeping it set in Giles' youth but having him using his magics and knowledge like a Harry Dresden type character as he seeks out and confronts the supernatural forces, perhaps in an attempt to learn more or out of a wish to do good and atone for his mistakes.

I would also use a younger actor to play the young Giles but have Anthony Head as the present day Giles, where he could be lecturing new watchers or teaching witches and warlocks about the dangers of the occult and it fades to flashback as he tells his story of the time when the ritual of.blah-be-dee-blah-be-dee went horribly awry.

In terms of feel I would like to see it a bit darker than the Buffyverse is used to. So if you take the jump in tone from BtVS to AtS and make that jump again that would make it nice and dark but leave a small opening for some well timed humour to aleviate the oppressive sense of impending doom.

Also, I would really love to see Stephen Fry as the ultimate foe to the young Giles, very much like Moriarty to Sherlock Holmes.

 

[JCoatsworth]

I think that any movie about "Ripper" should concentrate on the younger man, the one who dabbled in sorcery in college and wanted to be a fighter pilot, and and his real reasons for abandoning that and becoming a Watcher. (Maybe his high school sweetheart was a Potential who wound up being Called, and that drew him into the whole Watcher/Slayer relationship and influencing him to form a more personal relationship with his own Slayer.) Obviously, that would require a younger actor for the title role, but Head could play his father and have as large a role as he and Joss could work out for him. By taking that approach, there wouldn't be any reason to screw with existing canon and avoiding and Buffyverse anomalies.

I certainly like your ideas. I also thought about exploring his past, but I sort of pictured it as flashbacks, like Jodast said.
But not just as simple flashbacks, but more as researching his past, like in Citizen Kane.

And [MENTION=11853]Jodast[/MENTION]: I also imagined it to be darker than BtVS.

Does anybody have an idea who could play young Giles?

 

[AmelRIOT]

I would like it to go back and fourth, seeing The Ripper be all bad and casting evil spells and then it flashes to when Ripper turns into Giles learning to be a watcher and learning all the slayer moves and demons. I would really like to see that and plus it be awesome to see Ethan back with Giles both being bad together.

 

[Xin Rong]

I thought this idea had been laid to rest? Is it really being discussed as a possible joss project again?

 

[JCoatsworth]

I thought this idea had been laid to rest? Is it really being discussed as a possible joss project again?

Yes, I think Joss said in a recent interview that he and Anthony Head are still interested in making it. I don't know if it's going to be TV series though. It could turn out to be a 90 minute TV movie or a mini-series.