Buffyverse

The "Buffyverse" is a non-official term relating to the licensed works of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer multimedia franchise. It is strictly a fan-derived term that has also been referred to as "Slayerverse", and even the "Angelverse", which is associated with the Angel spin-off series. The Buffyverse is a shared continuity that includes both of the above-mentioned television programs, as well as all related material as seen in novels, comic books and video games.

Description
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was first brought life in 1992 as a horror/comedy feature film by writer and director Joss Whedon. The movie came and went, and received generally negative reviews, but did develop a slight cult following. Five years later - long after the movie had been forgotten about Joss Whedon revisited the concept when he pitched it as a television series for the WB Network. The show proved to be a runaway success and ran for seven seasons, totaling 145 episodes. The first five seasons aired on the WB Network, with the final two seasons airing on UPN.

In October, 1999 when Buffy began its fourth season, a companion program, Angel began airing simultaneously. The eponymous character of Angel, had been a frequent guest star on Buffy, and was even a central antagonist (often referred to as the "Big Bad" in the Buffyverse) in season two. Angel brought a long fresh cast of characters as well as some familiar faces from Buffy such as Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase and Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. Angel aired on the WB for five seasons, spanning a total of 110 episodes.

Both Buffy and Angel lived on via alternate media. Buffy had two video games, a series of novels and numerous comic book titles. Angel likewise had several comic book spin-offs, the first of which were published by Dark Horse Comics, with later titles being published by IDW Publishing. To maintain a sense of consistency with the comics, later titles began bannering seasonal headings such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight and so-forth. Other characters from the mythos who have been spotlighted in their own titles include Faith Lehane and Spike, with various one-shot specials dedicated other characters from the franchise.