Buffy the Vampire Slayer first aired Monday, March 10th, 1997 on The WB network. The show was created by Joss Whedon who also wrote the 1992 movie version directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, starring Kristy Swanson and Donald Sutherland. The movie, a distorted version of Whedon's intended vision, tells the story of Buffy's discovery that she is the "Chosen One" and shows her transformation from popular cheerleader to bad-ass vampire slayer. Buffy's Watcher, Merrick (Donald Sutherland), is killed and the movie ends with a showdown between Buffy and a gang of vampires at the high school gymnasium where the senior dance is being held.

The show picks up the story with Buffy moving to Sunnydale, California, a seemingly peaceful town, with her newly divorced mother. Buffy was kicked out of her previous school for burning down the school gym and she and her mother had to relocate. Buffy starts her sophomore year at Sunnydale High School where she meets her new Watcher, Rupert Giles, the high school librarian, and her two future best friends Willow and Xander. Buffy soon learns that Sunnydale is no ordinary town, it is in fact a hellmouth. The town is located "...at the center of a mystical convergence" where any number of disturbing and demonic activities can occur.

The show ran for seven seasons (144 episodes) before ending. A spin-off, Angel, was created in 1999 and ran for five seasons (110 episodes). Joss Whedon is currently working on a comic book series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight, which continues the story after season seven of the television show. Angel, After the Fall, story by Joss Whedon, is a comic book continuation of the series Angel after season five.