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Richard:
Welcome back. As we speak, there is a guy sitting on a
massive yacht in the Caribbean, sipping vintage champagne and
smoking priceless Cuban cigars
Judy:
I just thought you meant you for a minute.
Richard:
I wish. He is the man who came up with the idea for Buffy
the Vampire Slayer, one of the biggest TV smash hits ever.
Here's a typical scene of homespun townsfolk with a slight pest
control problem.
Clip
from Anne of Willow, Xander and Oz fighting, ending with
Oz's attempt at throwing a stake.
Richard
[Referring to Oz's closing line in the clip]: No it doesn't
actually. Alyson Hannigan, who plays Willow is with us
now. Hello.
Alyson:
Hello.
Richard:
Good to see you. You were doing a book signing, I think,
was it yesterday, and it all got very emotional, with girls
crying...
Aly:
There were a few little girls who were very excited.
Richard:
Just what, overwhelmed 'cos it was you?
Aly:
They were so sweet. It's so sort of quick, you know, signing
everybody. I wish I had more time to give them.
Judy:
I have to pass a message on to you from our kids, who are fourteen
and nearly thirteen, that you were brilliant in American
Pie. Now I don't think they should have seen American
Pie.
Aly:
Wow! That is pretty young.
Judy:
Yeah, it is, and I didn't know they were going to go and see
American Pie.
Richard:
Don't look at me, I didn't know either.
Judy:
But they thought you were - they both said - please tell her
we thought she was really, really really good. And they're
also huge Buffy fans as well.
Aly:
Thank them for me.
Richard:
Aren't they all?
Judy:
They also told us that Willow is a lesbian.
Richard:
Yes, Chloe said last night, "you know she's a lesbian?"
"What the character or...?" The character, it's
a bit iffy isn't it?
Aly:
Right now - or at the end of season 4 - she's in love with a
girl but she's also had a relationship with Oz so they haven't
really determined where she's going but they're in college now
and...
Richard:
Yeah.
Aly:
...and she's fallen in love.
Richard:
I know you don't want to give it away because we're a bit behind
the States.
Aly:
I just did though.
Richard:
No, no, not really, no, but it's not made explicit at all but
there is a question mark over it.
Aly:
And in LA, or in America, we're on in an early timeslot so it
was never meant to be "oh, look at two girls", you
know, they can't make out or anything. It was all focused
on the development of their energy together.
Richard:
Just tell us, explain for people who don't see it here, how
the plot works each week. You're in this town, you're
best friends or very close friends with Buffy, who is a Vampire
Slayer, who actually kills vampires, not for a living but as
a cause basically.
Aly:
Yes.
Richard:
And you're in training as a witch?
Aly:
Well, Willow has developed...yes, she started studying witchcraft
a couple of seasons ago and she's really come into her power.
Richard:
Right.
Aly:
I think it's basically learned.
Richard:
But where...why do these vampires keep appearing in this town
as opposed to anywhere else? Why?
Aly:
Well, the town is centred on a Hellmouth where attracts all
the demons and the, you know...vampires.
Richard:
Ah, got it. So the town's in the worst possible place
for a town to be and...
Aly:
Exactly. It was actually directly underneath our high
school.
Richard:
Of course.
Aly:
And then it opened up, and we had to fight the demons.
Judy:
It's a massive show over here, as you must have found when you
were at your book signing the other day, or your video signing?
Aly:
Videos.
Judy:
Video - because series three is coming out on video.
Aly:
Right.
Judy:
Yeah. But series 4... the reason that our kids knew about
your relationship with another witch or something, is because
that's already playing on Sky - isn't it?
Aly:
I believe so. It's hard to get the... because some people
at the signing were, like, "oh, we love Tara" - who
is the other character - and I said, "wait, I thought you
guys were on season three?" But apparently it's on
two different...
Richard:
It's on two different channels. Yeah, that's right.
Judy:
It's like Friends.
Aly:
But it really is... they're handling it in such a responsible
manner and it's just about the two people.
Richard:
We understand. That's fine. We're quite liberal
minded over here anyway.
Aly:
Okay.
Richard:
Much more liberal minded than America. We have to be.
What was I going to say now? How did you get the part?
How did you get into it?
Aly:
I've been acting since I was a kid.
Richard:
What kiddie commercials, all that?
Aly:
Yes, in Atlanta, Georgia, where I grew up.
Richard:
Right.
Aly:
And I've always loved it, and I've always wanted to be an actor.
Richard:
And you auditioned for this, did you - for Buffy?
Aly:
Yes, quite a few times. Which is usual for... it was already
picked up for twelve episodes and they were replacing the part
of Willow so they were really, like, "okay, we chose the
wrong girl the first time, so we really have to be serious and
get the right person", so they kept bringing me back.
Judy:
So Willow is kind of in contrast to Buffy, Willow is - what
the word? - more into computers.
Richard:
More nerdy is what you're thinking about.
Judy:
A little bit nerdy.
Richard:
But it's interesting about what you say about that the focus
on the characters has got to be right. All light-hearted
stuff on TV, and like Disney, behind the scenes - they have
to I suppose - it's so serious isn't it? And they talk
about the characters and such - I don't mean you, the actors
- I mean, like the suits, the people up in the boardrooms, they
take it all so seriously. It's almost like a religion.
Aly:
I guess so. We try to avoid them as much as possible.
Richard:
So do we.
Aly:
Yeah. You know, but occasionally, you know, we're like,
"okay, wait." In the beginning of the series,
they weren't sure whether or not to make Willow ultra-conservative
or sort of loosen her up, and so we kept getting these messages,
like, "no, no, no, she's too nerdy now" and you know,
"change the clothing and make her fun and hip"..."oh,
wait, no, no, take off the lipstick, she's too..." so it
was...but then finally they just relaxed and they got it.
Richard:
Let the character go.
Aly:
Yeah.
Richard:
Another question that our daughter Chloe would've put to you
was, "what's Angel like?"
Aly:
Aw, he's a sweetie.
Richard:
But we don't need to do that...
Aly:
Because she met him.
Richard:
...she met him.
Aly:
I heard about that.
Richard:
Did you hear about that story?
Aly:
Yes.
Richard:
We'll just show this little clip here. What happened was,
Chloe was in with us for that day because it was half-term or
something and she was helping out - she does, behind the scenes
- and so just as a gag, she didn't know that Angel, or the guy
who plays him - what's he called again, the guy who plays him,
please?
Aly
and Judy: David.
Richard:
David... was here and was going to be on the show so we set
her up and somebody just gave her a brown envelope and said,
"Chloe, can you just deliver that to dressing room 5 -
give it to the guy in there and can we just film you because
we're doing a behind the scenes thing on how this programme
works and how people help out when they come." And
she's, "okay, yeah, fine" and this is what happened.
Clip
plays of Richard and Judy's daughter meeting David Boreanaz.
Richard:
And she came...
Judy:
He's such a nice man.
Richard:
...we were just about to go on air. He's a lovely guy,
isn't he?
Aly:
And his parents are, like, the most wonderful people.
Richard:
His dad was a weatherman wasn't he?
Aly:
Yes. Well, I don't know. I said that once and they
were like, "no, he's not, he's..."
Judy:
The station anchor.
Richard:
He was. When David was a kid, his dad was a weatherman
in Cincinnati or something.
Aly:
That's what I thought!
Richard:
Still is, he still is. He's like Bill the weatherman,
everyone knows him.
Aly:
That's what I thought.
Richard:
It's a true story. He told us that sitting in that very
sofa. Exactly where you're sitting.
Aly:
Somebody was yelling saying, "no, he was never the weatherman."
Richard:
Yes, he was.
Aly:
I was like, "yes, he was."
Richard:
Yes, he was, and he used to take David into the station whenever
there were big stars in and introduce him.
Aly:
Yay.
Richard:
See, you were right.
Aly:
Thank you.
Richard:
Good. You can go back and have the argument and win it.
Aly:
Yes.
Richard:
But it's lovely to see you.
Aly:
Thank you.
Richard:
And I gather you're following the Euro 2000?
Aly:
Oh yes.
Richard:
Did you watch it last night?
Aly:
Yes! Heartbreaking!
Richard:
I trust you were backing our side?
Aly:
Yes, I was.
Richard:
Good. It was awful wasn't it?
Aly:
It was so sad. I was in my hotel going, "no, please!"
Judy:
But you're American so why should it matter to you whether England
wins or not?
Aly:
[joking] Okay, I was really happy. My boyfriend has lived
in London for, like, 15 years.
Judy:
Oh really?
Richard:
Fine. So do you know the players? Would you recognise
Beckham and characters like that?
Aly:
Errr....
Richard.
-ish. A little.
Aly:
Maybe after my trip.
Richard:
Okay. Well enjoy the rest of your trip.
Aly:
Thank you.
Richard:
Yep, and nice to meet you.
Aly:
Thank you. Nice to meet you.
Richard:
Thank you.
Judy:
Nice to meet you.
Richard:
What's the tattoo on your foot?
Aly:
Dolphins.
Richard:
Two dolphins there. What's that one - a tortoise?
Aly:
Yes.
Richard:
Funny. We can't see it but never mind. BACK
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