LOS ANGELES: There is sad news in store for television fans who have been enthralled at the sight of the high flying Sarah Michelle Gellar kicking vampires butt in Buffy: The Vampire Slayer . After seven seasons, 20th Century Fox Television and UPN have announced that the show will end production in April and will broadcast its final original episode in the US on 20 May on UPN.
In India, the previous season got over a while back on Star World and a new season will start in a month or so. It will be interesting to see where it fits into the channel's new programming strategy.
The series will wrap up with a five-part story, which will include the return of Faith, the bad-girl slayer, and Buffy's first love, Angel. Talks are in progress about a possible spinoff which could see some of the characters make a return as well as how the Buffy franchise can be further extended.
The show made its television debut in the US on 10 March 1997. With the finale the total number of episodes produced will be 144. The show has won two Emmy awards.