Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The performances are generally strong, but the devilishly clever, culturally hyper-attuned dialogue (by executive producer Josh Whedon, who wrote the original and worked on "Speed" and "Toy Story") is what makes this stand out. [10 Mar 1997, p.C8]

The winsome Sarah Michelle Gellar is a huge improvement over bubblehead Kristy Swanson as the new Buffy, moving with her mom to the "one-Starbucks town" of Sunnydale, Calif. She's cute and pert but nobody's fool. [10 Mar 1997, p.3D]

Whedon tries to blend comedy, horror and action, a very combustible mixture - as evidenced by the wildly uneven "Buffy" movie - but he seems close to perfecting the formula here. [10 Mar 1997, p.31]

Deliciously funny satirical gore. [10 Mar 1997, p.F1]

This supernatural series has fast, raucous music, attractive heroes and heroines, and nifty morphing effects for the vampires.

All in all, this looks like one of the brightest new shows of the season.

Think of it as My So-Called Afterlife or Nancy Drew Blood: Despite some lapses into acute self-awareness, Buffy is a biting, stylish high-school drama masquerading as a vampire-movie spinoff and cleverly combining the dark humor of Heathers, the homeroom angst of Beverly Hills, 90210 and the goofy, mystery-solving camaraderie of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? [10 Mar 1997, p.15A]

For fans of youth shows, occult shows and action shows, this new, weekly Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the right program at the right time. [10 Mar 1997, p.70]

The only objection to this well-made comedy is overfamiliarity. [10 Mar 1997, p.C10]

Unlike most movie-inspired TV series - in which the TV version is usually a soggier incarnation of its movie original - this Buffy, created by Joss Whedon, an Oscar nominee for his "Toy Story" script, fulfills some of the promise sorely lacking in the 1992 big-screen version. [10 Mar 1997, p.32]

A pretty lively and entertaining show, maybe the fledgling WB network's first real shot at a breakaway hit. [10 Mar 1997, p.10E]

With its stylized violence, pop-culture jokes and self-mocking attitude, Buffy deserves positive comparisons to Wes Craven's "Scream." [10 Mar 1997, p.33]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer plays like an uneasy cross between "The X-Files" and "Clueless," with a slightly harder edge than the original, if less outright gore.