Buffy’s back and she’s better than ever. Or is she? Sarah Michelle Gellar became a pop culture icon when she played Buffy Summers on the hit WB series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The actress was a heroine to girls everywhere with her strong personality, fighting style, and fashion. She was sharp and edgy but still feminine, which is why everyone loved her and the show became such a hit.
Eight years after Buffy went off the air, Gellar is returning to the small screen in a new show for The CW called Ringer. The title doesn’t have the same zing as her predecessor but it’s supposed to mark her big comeback. Does the show stand a fighting chance against the current competition?
Over the past couple weeks the major TV networks have been unveiling their fall line ups to advertisers. Ringer was one of the lucky shows to make the cut, even though it was originally targeted for CBS. Ringer will be more of a thriller than an action show like Buffy or CW’s current girl-power hit Nikita. According to TVLine, the premise will center on “Bridget, a troubled young woman who decides to elude the mob by assuming her twin Siobhan’s identity. Thing is, AWOL sis has a bounty on her own life!”
The premise does sound somewhat intriguing but it also sounds a bit complicated. The whole double life thing has been done to death and it doesn’t always work out for the best. Just look at last fall’s Lone Star. It was about a man who had two identities, and it was the first show to be canceled during the new TV season.
We think The CW will be counting on Gellar’s Buffy fan base and the network’s female demographic to make the show a hit. They’re playing hard on the nostalgia factor by airing Ringer on Tuesdays at 9 pm, which is conveniently the old time slot Buffy used to occupy when it aired on (the defunct) UPN. Coincidence? We think not!
It seems like The CW has their marketing plan in order, but there’s one little problem — 90210 is Ringer’s lead in. The target audiences, for both shows in terms of age, are completely different. It could have meshed a lot better with Nikita, but instead they’ve pushed that to Friday’s to steal Smallville’s old spot. This show could go either way.
We’re excited that Gellar is returning to television, but not 100 percent confident that her show has what it takes to stay on the board let alone become a huge Buffy-sized hit. What do you think? Will you watch Ringer? Check out the preview and tell us what you think.
