Buffy: New Sunnydale Has Been Cancelled - Here's What To Watch Next
News that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, Buffy: New Sunnydale, has been cancelled before it had the chance to air has left excited fans devastated.
The announcement that the show was coming back and being directed by Oscar-winning Chloé Zhao, with the Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, almost broke the internet. With the pilot in the can, Gellar and Zhao were constantly teasing what fans could expect from the new show, but then came the disappointing announcement that Hulu had decided not to push forward with the project anymore.
Sarah Michelle Gellar herself broke the news on her Instagram page. Clearly a shock to her as well, Gellar held it together long enough to express her own sadness at the cancellation. Since then, more details have slowly started to surface, with the Buffy actress sharing that one executive appeared to be against New Sunnydale from the start, making the journey to get it on our screens an uphill battle. Then a draft of the script was leaked online, which barely featured her character, Buffy Summers, focusing on the latest Slayer instead. The reaction to this script has not been too positive, but with the lead character still called Nova, rather than the more recently announced Rowan, this is likely a very early draft. Other reasons cited include the pilot being in need of reshoots, but they being too expensive to justify.
Considering how loyal the fanbase is to the show that began almost 30 years ago, it seems slightly mad to cancel the series without giving it a chance at all. With the hopes and hearts of Buffy fans shattered, there also comes a hole in their future viewing schedule. So what programmes should Buffy fans seek out to mend their broken hearts? We think we might have found a collection of worthy antidotes.
The most obvious show to dive into in the wake of the New Sunnydale cancellation news is, of course, Buffy the Vampire Slayer itself. With the 30th anniversary in 2027, now is the perfect time to reconnect with Buffy and the Scooby Gang. Watching it now will potentially be a little too raw for some, and I guarantee that Season 5 episode, ‘The Body’, will generate more tears than ever before. If you can make it past the sadness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer holds up on a rewatch and is definitely a show to check out if you’ve yet to visit Sunnydale.
The show uses the monsters that Buffy and her friends face down as a metaphor for the nightmare that is growing up, and it is this that makes the show both universal and evergreen. Yes, Buffy: New Sunnydale would have updated the fashion and technology for a new generation, but otherwise, the original show holds up. Its message of strong young women fighting for what they believe in is an especially vital one in the modern sociopolitical climate.
Once you’ve cried your way through Buffy the Vampire Slayer, dreaming of what the new show could have been, it’s time to tackle its spin-off, Angel. The character of Angel was central to the first three seasons of Buffy, but after he graduated, the vampire with a soul left Sunnydale behind for a life in Los Angeles. There, he began a detective agency helping the helpless.
He was joined by fellow Buffy characters Cordelia, Wesley, and, eventually, frenemy Spike, making it a great continuation of its parent show. Although it retained some of the trademark Buffy humour, Angel was a far darker show, a switch-up that fans happily embraced.
Whereas Buffy’s reboot has sadly fallen by the wayside, the resurrection of one of the show's peers, Roswell, did come to pass. Roswell, New Mexico ran for four seasons and told the story of Liz, a human who discovers that three of her classmates are not of this Earth. The original version was set in high school, but for the reboot, the characters were all aged up to adults.
In places, a reworking of the original series, but mainly its own exploration of the idea, Roswell, New Mexico is a great example of how to do a respectful reboot. There is enough for fans of the original show - including appearances of original cast members (as new characters) - to appreciate, whilst not gatekeeping those just discovering it for the first time. Roswell, New Mexico also features a pre-Prey turn from Amber Midthunder.
Teen sleuth show, Veronica Mars, might not have vampires, covert military experiments, or vengeful demons, but it definitely has its fair share of real monsters. Whereas Buffy used literal monsters as a metaphor for the teen experience, Veronica Mars didn’t sugarcoat anything.
The overarching plot of Season 1 of the show sees teen detective Veronica investigating the potential murder of her best friend. Along the way, she encounters a series of shady characters and uncovers all kinds of terrible secrets, all whilst juggling her grades. Subsequent seasons get even darker, and fans of actor Kyle Gallner should be warned that his character here might just taint your opinion of him.
Based on a series of books by L. J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is often viewed as a Twilight clone. This is primarily due to the inclusion of vampires and a love triangle between high schooler Elena and vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. On closer inspection, however, The Vampire Diaries has a lot more in common with Buffy. Firstly, there is the high-school setting, but also the town, Mystic Falls, has a Sunnydale vibe to it. Whilst not the actual Hellmouth as in Buffy, the town is the epicentre of supernatural beings, and as such, just as with Buffy, the show is populated by witches, werewolves, hybrids, and more. Then there is the character of Stefan, who was 100% inspired by Angel, right down to his going feral whenever he turns his humanity off.
In many ways, The Vampire Diaries became Buffy’s successor, and should you enjoy the show, it has not one, but two spin-offs - The Originals and Legacies - which both feature appearances from fan favourite characters.
Netflix’s Heartbreak High is the resurrection of the ‘90s Australian teen drama of the same name. Vastly different to its ‘90s counterpart, this new iteration of Heartbreak High is a breath of fresh air. Featuring bold and brash characters and exceptional representation of every facet of sexuality and gender identity, Heartbreak High, like Buffy, is packed full of humour. There’s also plenty of teen angst and mystery, with each season opening with an inciting incident that is slowly unpicked as the episodes progress.
There aren’t any monsters, but Heartbreak Heart nails modern teenagers in a way that so few others do. Just try not to get too attached, as the newly released third series is set to be its last.
Presenting a blonde teenage girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a perfect show to fill the void of New Sunnydale. A far cry from the magical sitcom of the ‘90s, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a dark coming-of-age show that chronicles Sabrina Spellman’s journey as she tries to reconcile her half-mortal / half-witch lineage, whilst fighting ever-growing forces of evil.
Featuring a stand-out performance by Kiernan Shipka, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is for those who really enjoyed the Dark Willow story during Buffy’s sixth season.
