Actors Taye Diggs, Autumn Federici, Gary Entin, Troy Brookins, Edmund Entin and Eric Guilmette attend the world premiere of Microhouse Films and Lifetime's Reunion Island during the ALZA Festival. | Getty Images for Lifetime.
It remains to be seen if people really want to watch vertical content on horizontal TV screens, but many filmmakers and creators were confident that their latest projects would play well at Alza - New York City's first microdrama film festival. Founded by former Tribeca Festival chief operating officer Pete Torres, Alza, which took place October 16th through 18th, was billed as a showcase for the "the creativity, innovation, and growing cultural impact of stories made for the vertical screen." The festival featured a selection of microdrama and film premieres as well as industry-focused panels with executives who all seemed to genuinely beli …
Buffy the Vampire Slayerwas one of the biggest television shows of the late 90s, launching the careers of many big Hollywood names, including Sarah Michelle Gellar. However, Buffy also featured guest stars who had accomplished careers at the time of filming—and ones who had scheduling conflicts.
Keep reading for five stars who nearly appeared on Buffy. Oh, what could’ve been…
1. Britney Spears
Britney Spears is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable names, and she was a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She was also friends with Gellar, so a cameo seemed like a natural fit. Spears was lined up to play April, a robot “girlfriend” Warren created to make him happy. Ultimately, actress Shonda Farr got the role because Spears had scheduling conflicts. When the episode aired in 2001, Spears was at the height of her fame; her name was on every headline. The media scrutinized her to no end, and had she appeared on Buffy in this role, it would’ve given her harshest critics even more ammo to bully her. So while we would’ve loved to see Spears on the show, it was probably for the best.
2. Freddie Prinze Jr.
Speaking of people with a real-life connection to Gellar, her longtime husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., auditioned for a role on the show. He auditioned for Dracula on Season 5, but Randolph Martin got the role. If Freddie had gotten it, it would’ve been the third project they’d starred in together early in their careers. They met on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997 and started dating three years later, eventually filming the live-action Scooby-Doo films as Fred and Daphne. Since then, they’ve starred in several animated projects together.
3. Katie Holmes
Before she starred in Dawson’s Creek, Katie Holmes auditioned for the titular character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer but turned it down to finish high school. Although she never appeared on Buffy, other actresses who auditioned for the role landed roles on the show, including Julie Benz and Mercedes McNab.
4. Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds was offered the role of Buffy’s best friend Xander Harris—a key member of the Scooby Gang—but declined because he didn’t want to play a high school character. Xander appeared in all seven seasons, which would’ve given Reynolds a consistent paycheck. However, it’s a prime example of betting on yourself. In 1998, he made his big break on NBC’s sitcom Two Guys and a Girl.
5. Natasha Lyonne
A fresh-faced Natasha Lyonne was making a name for herself on the indie film circuit, which eventually helped land her a breakout feature film role in 1999’s American Pie. Before that, though, Lyonne alleges she was first in the running to play Buffy Summers. However, she didn’t want to commit to a network at 16, so she turned down the role and other WB roles.
Since 2016, Netflix’s Stranger Things has shown fans a much darker side of Indiana. Although the show had its series finale last year, it remains a huge fixture of pop culture. But 25 years before The Duffer Brothers introduced millions to Hawkins, Indiana, and The Party, NBC aired its own sci-fi show, Eerie, Indiana.
‘Eerie, Indiana’ walked so ‘Stranger Things’ could run
Eerie, Indiana follows teenager Marshall Teller, who has just moved to a small Midwestern town. The more he explores, the more he realizes there’s strange paranormal activity. With the help of his friends, they investigate the urban legends and supernatural events plaguing the town.
Although it only aired 19 episodes, Eerie, Indiana has developed a cult following. It dared to be different in a time when conventional television was the way forward. Shows like Eerie proved that oddball stuff had a place too, inspiring many shows we see today. It directly inspired Disney’s beloved animated series, Gravity Falls. “I was obsessed with Eerie Indiana,” Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch wrote on X. “Gravity Falls was literally just me as an adult trying to reboot my favorite cancelled show from when I was a kid.”
They both follow groups of children who uncover supernatural elements and otherworldly creatures in the heartland of America—unassuming Midwest towns. They also have the nostalgic factor. While Stranger Things is a modern interpretation of the ‘80s, Eerie, Indiana was filmed in the ‘90s, making it an authentic time capsule for the 90s babies.
They share a lot of similarities, but their biggest difference is their format. Stranger Things is a serialized sci-fi drama, while Eerie, Indiana leans into comedy and surrealism. Stranger Things isn’t an exact copy of Eerie, Indiana. However, for sci-fi fans, it fills the void that the Netflix show leaves behind.
how to watch ‘eerie, indiana’ for FRee
Unlike other shows from the era, Eerie, Indiana is free to watch. You can stream all episodes on Tubi, PLEX, The CW app, and Pluto TV. Other childhood favorites can be streamed for free on sites like Tubi, including Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, The Nightmare Room, and Tales From the Cryptkeeper.
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