Buffy the Vampire Slayer! – How a surprise monster hit redefined horror

• This episode was recorded prior to the sad death of the brilliant Anthony Head on 5 June 2026.

Diving deep into all things ’90s. Fangs for the memory! Buffy the Vampire Slayer began life as a teen horror-comedy film that came and went in 1992 with barely any impact. But five years later, creator Joss Whedon brought Buffy back for television, casting Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead role and somehow transforming the story of a blonde Californian teenager killing vampires into one of the defining shows of the ’90s.

At first glance it was all quips, questionable kung fu and a monster-of-the-week procedural tv show. But Buffy was using vampires and demons to talk about the horror of being a teenager which resonated with audiences around the world. Comedian, writer and star of Buffy Revamped Brendan Murphy joins Miranda to ask: why did Buffy hit quite so hard? And nearly thirty years later, does the Slayer still survive the rewatch?

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Written and presented by Miranda Sawyer. Produced by Liam Tait. Audio and video production by Tom Taylor. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Soniq Branding from Artlist. Talk ’90s To Me is a Podmasters production. 

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