Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Buffy's Lawyers are the Real Vampires

As fans are likely aware, 'Rocky Horror' style sing-along events involving 'Once More, With Feeling,' the musical episode from season six of 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' have been halted by 20th Century Fox Television lawyers. With this short-sighted move, Fox is clearly shooting itself in the foot. The sing-alongs, which started in Boston sometime in 2006, are a creative and unique means for fans of the cancelled show to gather and renew their love of the franchise. They offer 'Buffy' neophytes a fantastic introduction to the show, and could serve to increase viewership of the shows reruns, and drive DVD sales. All of these points should be good things, but in an attitude worthy of Wolfram and Hart, Fox wants the showings to stop.

These showings aren't Guerilla Theater, snuck in under the nose of the folks at Fox. Event organizers pursued - and were granted - licensing for the events, and have been staging the productions for a year or more without problem. Only as the productions became popular enough to draw national attention did Fox balk at the shows. To be fair, the folks at Fox were pushed in this direction - SAG (The Screen Actor's Guild) raised a bit of a ruckus, asking that royalties be paid for the "theatrical screenings" of the episode. SAG represents the cast and crew who created 'Buffy,' so this is perfectly reasonable, right? In many cases, that might be true, but not for 'Buffy.'

'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' is a different sort of show. Like most of the projects undertaken by 'Buffy' creator, Joss Whedon, 'Buffy' has a rabidly supportive fanbase, and an incredibly committed cast. Thus far, none of the cast and none of the creators approached about the sing-alongs have been anything but supportive. Whedon himself has come out in strong support of the events, and wants them to be resumed immediately. This is a disturbing case of the laws and policies put in place to protect and support a group of people causing them harm. The 'Buffy' actors know that part of their continued success - continued royalties from reruns, a built-in fanbase for future projects, and continued speaking engagements and appearances - are dependent upon maintaining an active fanbase, and bringing in more viewers. The sing-along events, a fan-led and fan-producing venture, do exactly this, and cost the studio, the actors, and the marketing departments absolutely nothing. Talks are underway to discuss allowing the cast and crew to waive payment for these events, or to offer the events for donations only, but now that the legal eagles are involved, you ca be sure that these talks won't go quickly or easily. It seems to me that many of Whedon's projects are domed to this sort of flare-up. He's an open-source sort of guy, Joss. Take what he creates and make it your own, make it a part of your life, is his take on things. These lawyers need a stake through the heart.