Top ten sci-fi/genre romances... according to Dan

In honor of Valentine's Day, here are my top ten sci-fi/genre romances. I will admit this isn’t super comprehensive and it does contain spoilers about each show, but only in regards to relationships. Number 10: Sweetness and deathBuffy the Vampire SlayerWillow & TaraThis is one of the sweetest yet most tragic of romances. It encompasses the virtues of a solid powerful relationship built on love

Depressed about Buffy, I turn to Highlander reruns for solace

May 3, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column.]There are only three episodes remaining of Buffy, and possibly only one of Angel, since its fate has not yet been announced. In just a few short weeks, the finales will have finale'd (and I'll certainly be talking about them in my column). And then it will be summer. Or as I refer to it, the television wasteland.But there is hope. (No Faith, but

Spike moving to Angel?

April 2, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]With only five new Buffy episodes remaining before the end of the series, fans are in a major state of freak-out about the future of the franchise. That includes me, by the way.Although there have been no official reports as yet, rumor has it that plans for a spinoff have been permanently derailed by Eliza Dushku's defection to the proposed new Fox

Those anti-Spike hackers part deux, the Angel DVD, and Miracles

March 16, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]My column last week seems to have touched a nerve; I received several well-written messages of support, and one less well-written message full of exclamation points suggesting that I stuff it. I also heard that my opinion was slammed on a certain Buffy board, which is certainly their privilege... although the immortal words of William Shatner, "

Angel has Faith, and those anti-Spike hackers are at it again

March 9, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]We all knew it was coming, but did we know it would be this good? Eliza Dushku's character Faith returned for a three-episode run on Angel, starting this past week with an outstanding episode in which Wesley (Alexis Denisof) broke Faith out of jail so that she could save Angel. Well, actually, Faith broke herself out, in about fifteen seconds.

Is there life after Buffy? And can Star Trek be saved?

March 2, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]It's official; Sarah Michelle Gellar has quit her slay job to do movies. Movies like the Scooby-Doo sequel, I suppose. I wish her the best of luck; thank you for seven great years, Sarah.The big question for me is: can there be a viable spinoff, now that the proposed Faith-based spinoff has gone down the tubes?Right now, I'm hoping that the

Who is your favorite Buffy character?

July, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]Let me begin with an apology for not posting a column in, like, forever. I plunged into a serious state of depression when my favorite show ended. My favorite character died, too. Fortunately, he's coming back.N-Zone held a First Ever TVZone Reader's Choice Award poll recently, and Willow won "favorite Buffy character" by a huge margin. Willow has

May finales hit the reset button

May, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]May is finally coming to an end with the Memorial Day weekend, and I've been writing my fingerprints off. My friend Tara DiLullo and I have been working on a series of articles to salute the end of our favorite series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I got to hear the divine David Boreanaz burp at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Sci-Fi Convention (see my

Do We Have a Lack of Faith?

February 25, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]Welcome to my new column!My major obsession first:No solid news yet on the fate of Buffy, with only six episodes left and counting... but the handwriting is certainly on the wall that this is The End. Sarah Michelle Gellar is in negotiations to do a movie in August, after filming the (ick) sequel to Scooby-Doo, and August is when shooting on

Christian Kane and Mercedes McNab in Santa Barbara

[Originally published on N:Zone in 2002]On Saturday, August 17, a friend and I drove to Santa Barbara, California for an autograph session with Christian Kane ("Lindsey McDonald" on the television series Angel) and Mercedes McNab ("Harmony Kendall" on Buffy the Vampire Slayer).Metro Entertainment is a comic store that specializes in authentic autographed items, mostly by actors in genre shows;

Our Very Own Buffy and Angel Location Tour

by Billie Doux and Tara Dilullo (who now writes as Tara Bennett)[Originally published on N:Zone in 2003][Note: I no longer have our original photos for this article, but I've included some from the internet as substitutes.]Buffy the Vampire Slayer may be over, but loyal fans will never let it disappear. Books, magazines, merchandise, and spin-offs (more than one, hopefully) will keep the love

Interview with Buffy author Nikki Stafford

[Originally published on N:Zone in 2003]Nikki Stafford is the author of Bite Me! An Unofficial Guide to the World of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, published by ECW Press in the fall of 2002.Bite Me! is a big, yummy, fan-friendly book aimed primarily at the Buffy-obsessed among us. It contains a history of the series, a description of the unaired pilot, fairly comprehensive bios of all of the major

Interview with the "Subway Slayer" April Weeden-Washington

[Originally published on N:Zone in 2003]April Weeden-Washington has been doing stunt work since 1995 and has a long, impressive resume with over a hundred appearances in movies and television during her relatively short career. She has doubled for dozens of actresses, most notably Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Pam Grier, and Vanessa Williams, and has worked in television and a number of movies,

Emma Caulfield, Juliet Landau, and Elizabeth Anne Allen in Santa Barbara

[Originally published on N:Zone in 2002]On Saturday, November 16, 2002 I went to another autograph event at Metro Entertainment in Santa Barbara to see Emma Caulfield (Anya), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), and Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy).First, the big news! I asked Juliet Landau if she would be doing Buffy again, and she confirmed that she was; in fact, she had been filming a Buffy episode until 5:30

Joss Whedon, Amber Benson and Michelle Trachtenberg at Tower Records

[Originally published on N:Zone in 2002]There was a release party for the CD of the Buffy musical, "Once More, With Feeling" at Tower Records in West Hollywood on Saturday, September 28, 2002. Joss Whedon and Amber Benson were scheduled to appear and sign autographs. I absolutely had to go, of course; I stood for over two hours in the parking lot, in the rain, doing some serious bonding with a

The Buffy/Angel Opinion Poll

[Originally published on N:Zone in 2002]This May, after both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel ended for the season, I composed and posted a short opinion poll on several listservs. Not realizing what I was getting into, I thought it might be fun to get a great many responses, so I asked for some distribution help from friends. The poll ended up on even more lists and scampered a bit around the