Buffy Pilot

[littlewilly]

Anyone ever seen the unaired pilots for Buffy and Angel?
I was just on you tube watching them for the first time, its quite interesting to watch if you aint seen it before.
Alot of the stuff that happens in 'welcome to the hellmouth' happens in it, but its just done a bit different.
It would be so weird if the original Willow had stayed, although she still seemed friendly and likable.
But if you havent seen it you should go to you tube and check it out, Angel too.
(and there is also so many interveiws and clips of all the cast and writers about too): king :

[Bluebird]

That is strange. I heard Joss had his first taste of directing with this pilot.

[LittleMissLikesToFight]

i watched the original buffy pilot on youtube, i havent watched the angel one.

I thought the whole fight scene, it was like in the school right? it was a little...weird. i dunno.

And i didnt like how when she first was talking to giles about being the slayer "blah blah blah" and she does a flip from the 2nd floor of the library to the 1st. it seemed too showy and i like how they took that out in the aired pilot.

Also, thank god the library set changed!

[SC7 Fan]

I've seen the Buffy pilot. I didn't like how they turned to dust though, it was kinda crap. If this had been the actual pilot I probably wouldn't have watched it after that.

[Lyri]

I saw the Buffy pilot years ago, and I admit, if that had been the first ep...I still woulda loved the show. It was cool and funky and just plain awesome...but the vamps dusting was kinda dull.

Did Angel actually have a pilot? I remember seeing something at an Angel Con about a year ago, sorta like an introduction to what the show would have been. We were told that it was the submission to the network. It involved Angel standing on a rooftop, speaking in voice over about Buffy and Sunnydale and stuff. There was other stuff, but I can't remember what, lol.

[Blondie Bear]

^ That's what many consider the unaired pilot. But you're right; it was the pitch to the network, not really a pilot.

[caitaintdead]

I always assumed the crapness of the dusting and fighting scenes were to do with not having a budget. Willow would have been such a different character and I sometimes wonder if she would have been capable of quite as much character growth.

[Rowan Hawthorn]

^ That's what many consider the unaired pilot. But you're right; it was the pitch to the network, not really a pilot.

It's the same with the "Buffy unaired pilot". It wasn't a pilot in the sense that it was ever intended to be aired, so it was done on a low budget.

[Jenny]

I saw the unaired pilot many many years ago. The Angel one, I'm pretty sure our networks here in Canada aired that right after the Season 3 finale. Anyways the Buffy pilot, it was hard watching it after having seen the way it actually progressed on TV, so I can't really gauge what my reaction would have been if I didn't know anything other than that. Good call on the re-casting of Willow though..I can't see that actress taking the character to where Aly did!

[Violette]

I just recently watched the unaired Buffy pilot on Youtube, I think it's a pretty good intro to the whole show.. introducing the cast and overall theme of the series. I like the beginning part, where the vampire turns out to be the girl (when they're on some drama stage at school) instead of her being made the victim like in typical horror films. It was interesting to see Willow being played by a different actress.

I like the unaired Angel pilot, good recap of everything that happened.

[white avenger]

I downloaded the unaired pilot awhile ago and finally got around to watching it yesterday. My first impression was how ragged Darla looked as opposed to what she looked like in the aired pilot, and the girl who played Willow just plain didn't work at all. Buffy's fighting style looked like it was inspired be a couple of bad chop sockey movies. All in all, I am really glad that the changes that were ultimately made, were made. (It was kinda fun to watch, though)

[Buffanator]

All I can say is that I'm glad they got Alyson Hannigan to play Willow!

[Violette]

I always assumed the crapness of the dusting and fighting scenes were to do with not having a budget. Willow would have been such a different character and I sometimes wonder if she would have been capable of quite as much character growth.

In the season 3 DVD, there's a bonus feature (in the 6th disc) on the special effects, and they talked about vampire dusting. They just started to discover and improve the layering effects by adding the skeleton frame as part of the dusting process, so the dusting improved compared to the beginning of season 1. That, and the low budget too for the unaired pilot.

As for Willow casting, I'm glad that they went with Alyson Hannigan.

[Dlou444]

All I know is, I'd be TICKED if I was the first Willow.
You get cast, you got a job...who cares if it's the remake of a crappy movie, it's still a job.
THEN, you get recast and the series turns into one of the biggest cult hits around and Alyson goes from zero to hero in no time flat.....meanwhile, no one knows you even exist.
It's just gotta kind of leave that yucky taste in your mouth for a LONG time.

[Blondie Bear]

^ At the same time, if she was any good at all, she'd have bounced back and become a household name herself . . . and she didn't.

[white avenger]

A lot of times when a tv show pilot is being shot, certain parts aren't cast yet, so actors are used just to fill in for the as yet uncast person. They know beforehand that they don't have the job, it's just a one shot deal. For all we know, that might be the situation with that actress. As far as that goes, probably any of the actors' parts could have been re-cast or the whole show re-written. The original "Star Trek" pilot starred Jeffery Hunter as the captain of the "Enterprise," Christopher Pike, and Mr Spock, while still played by Leonard Nimoy, was supposed to be a Martian/human hybrid, not Vulcan/human, and was described as having a "cat-like" personality, including being "very curious and predatory."

[The Kinslayer]

A lot of times when a tv show pilot is being shot, certain parts aren't cast yet, so actors are used just to fill in for the as yet uncast person. They know beforehand that they don't have the job, it's just a one shot deal. For all we know, that might be the situation with that actress.
Well on the "Btvs - Television with a bite" featurette on the season 6 disc 6 it´s said that network wanted som major changes (after the pilot) and that the role of of Willow was recasted. Interpret as you will. I don´t know if she actually was hired for 12 episodes, but I guess not. I really don´t know how these things work. But I definitely think she was intended to. I don´t think Joss had recasted the role on his own.

I atually don´t think that it´s so unusual to recast roles but I admit it must be a major blow for the actor that is "fired". But I know it´s gone the other way too. An actor is in the pilot and then the show gets picked up he/she got another job and are unavailable so they have to cast someone else.

[LifeIsJustThis]

I really liked the unaired pilot. I loved the first scene with Darla...

[VisionGuy]

I loved Cordelia's line, "No, he crawled into the locker and died of old age." LMAO! It's a shame that didn't make it into the final cut.

[Dlou444]

I atually don´t think that it´s so unusual to recast roles but I admit it must be a major blow for the actor that is "fired". But I know it´s gone the other way too. An actor is in the pilot and then the show gets picked up he/she got another job and are unavailable so they have to cast someone else.


Yeah, just IMAGINE!
You go, audition, audition some more, get the part, tell all your friends, film the pilot, party when it's done, wait for them to show the networks, sit around with your fingers crossed thinking what a GREAT show it was and they just have to pick it up and how you won't be eating Ramen Noodles everyday now.
Then, the network comes back and says, "YES! We want the show! It's great, everything's perfect....except THIS PERSON! They've ruined the whole show for us, recast them now!"

I don't care how often it happens, that has to STINK!

[Blondie Bear]

^ Yeah, kind of like finally getting a bite from an agent--they want a partial! Woohoo!--and then getting a rejection letter after they read the first 3-5 chapters of the novel. Grrr.

[Relic]

Unaired what!?!?
Great Hopping Toads of San Diemas, this place is awsome. Thanks for showing me abit of the Buffyverse I can watch without fear of spoilage.

I did not even know it existed on this "you tube"

Damned fogiest ways, I've got to get out more.

Did I say thank you!

[Angel's _Bud]

I have not seen it yet,but may watch it later on YouTube.

[charmingslayer]

Heres a HQ clip of the alternative scene where Xander says "You Forgot Your...Stake"
YouTube - The WB upfront fall 2004 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTDvlIxqe6M&fmt=18) Skip tp 00:35

[BuffyAngelLove]

I just watched the Buffy and Angel Pilots. The Buffy one was good, but thank god they recast Willow! I couldn't imagine that actress being Willow throughout the seasons! And the dusting scene was sooo cheap! Luckily they improved that! It was so cheap it was kinda funny LOL!

The Angel pilot was basically a recap but it was still good! It explained everything and showed what the show is about. ::bbat::

[Cangel]

I've started to watch the Buffy pilot but I must say I found it so boring I couldn't bring me to watching it all. It's probably good they still changed a lot of things before airing, especially the Willow recast, otherwise the show wouldn't have been quite the same.

[scobro]

Watching that ruined it for me.. the MOMENT I saw Stephen Tobolowsky as the principal.. oh. That would have just been golden. I wish I wish.

[FeastOnScraps]

I still have not bothered to watch it one day I am sure I will one day.

[GATEGOD]

I'm watching the unaired pilot for the first time ever in my entire life! So far the entire darla entrance scene is different, same with Buffy, Willow Xander... then Flutie is dif :/ Willow is Dif.. eek so far I am glad this pilot wasn't the original. Oh my god and a completely dif library? Dif school...

[SpoonsAreCool]

Principal Flutie is pretty hilarious in it. "Bambi? uh..Betty? Betty? Wilma?" "Buffy."
Don't like Willow in it, she doesn't seem like that good an actress compared to AH.
But overall, it was still good, it is Buffy after all.

[lollups]

i just watched it and i was actually quite surprised by how good it was, for a pilot anyway. Much of the dialogue seems like classic joss and is genuinely funny and many of the actors clearly established their characters immediatley in this which is pretty cool to see. Willow was wank though, really didn't like her, and Darla died!? imagine if that had happened in 'welcome to the hellmouth'...would have destroyed the clasic angel backstory.

[NCFan]

I am only halfway through watching it, and I must say I am glad that they went with showing the one we all know and love.

Though I must say the library was pretty cool.