Does Supernatural get better after the pilot? I gave up very quickly on that one and I know judging off of the pilot really isn't the best way to go.

It doesn't take long to recognize a Buffy knockoff. Joss Whedon's style is so distinctive that it can't be replicated without it being obvious.

It does. Season one is pretty monster-of-the-week but the plot builds and by season two you should be thinking "Holy good ****!" Great cliffhanger too. Despite what Batty says, if you like intelligent, well-written horror drama that makes it hard to see what's coming next, decent humour, two great leads and some pretty bitchin' rock music into the bargain, to say nothing of PCR after PCR, it could be right up your alley.

I'll certainly concede that Whedon began all that style, but I won't agree that Supernatural is a rip-off of Buffy, cos that's just crazy talk.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...38e8ae6af1.jpg

Love both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural. Buffy is probably my favorite show of all time, and I also remember eagerly staying up late to watch Supernatural when it first aired on the CW, back in the day. :laughing:

Anyway, yeah, Supernatural definitely took it's cues from Buffy, but I think thematically and tonally it was more influenced by Angel, the bleak spin-off of Buffy, which ended a year before Supernatural began. The monsters, the themes, the humor, the overall tone, the stoic main characters that constantly feel like they have to redeem themselves, the self-aware writing that lovingly pokes fun at the series, etc. Supernatural went on to become it's own show with it's own distinct flavor, but it never would have existed if Buffy/Angel hadn't paved the way for mainstream horror/comedy/monster hunting shows, reawakening the public's hunger for off-beat sci-fi/horror after shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits fell out of fashion. Whedon and the crew took a big risk back in the day trying to start a show that was so out of the norm. Networks were hesitant about investing in something that wasn't a safe bet, and both shows were constantly on the verge of being cancelled. After the shows started to build up loyal fanbases, networks realized that the public actually did want horror/sci-fi shows, and they became more comfortable investing in them, leading to a boom in supernatural television. Now, you can't take five steps without tripping on some show about ghosts (*cough*Ghost Whisperer*cough*). :laughing:

Also, don't forget Tales From the Crypt, Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and all of the other shows that helped keep supernatural television alive. :yeah:

And don't forget Firefl-... ****.

@ Ori: Yeah, I said I concede that Buffy set the standard, but as you say SN followed its own course. To call it a Buffy knockoff is like trying to say every sci-fi show set in space ripped off Star Trek. Which is true to an extent, but series like Dark Matter, BSG, Stargate etc could not accused of being copies of Trek. Someone has to start it, take the risks, break the new ground, and nobody is denying that Whedon was that somebody. Doesn't mean his fanboys can claim every show that ever came after his are just knockoffs, just as Roddenberry can't claim to have invented TV sci-fi...

Are you sure Batlord wasn't just trying to get under your skin when he called it a Buffy knock-off? :laughing:

Oh I'm sure he was. He's like one of those ticks, you know? Just can't get them and they burrow just enough under the skin to annoy but not cause serious damage. Still, I enjoy our little back-and-forths and it keeps him off the streets, so I'm performing a service to society really.