The news that Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) is making a return to our screens has prompted reflection on how much television has changed in 2025. Here’s the tea: Buffy is reportedly about to get a pilot order at Hulu, and sources are saying Sarah Michelle Gellar is in final talks to bring back her iconic Slayer role. But this time, the focus will be on a new Slayer, with Gellar popping in for a recurring role instead of leading the show.
This revival really highlights two big shifts in how we watch TV now. First, streaming platforms and mobile devices have completely flipped the script on how we consume content – most of us are watching shows on our phones or laptops instead of sitting in front of a TV.
Sarah Michelle Gellar (right) and her on-screen paramour David Boreanaz (left) were a Y2K pop culture power couple.
Second, Buffy’s return is part of this trend where shows from what a lot of people consider the golden age of TV – the late ‘90s to mid-2000s – are getting brought back. That era had some of the most iconic, binge-worthy stories, full of teen drama, angst, and supernatural stuff like vampires and witches. Beyond nostalgia, these shows provide a window into a unique cultural moment.
As Buffy returns – not simply as a reboot, but as “the next chapter in the Buffyverse” – it offers an opportunity to revisit the series and other shows from the same era. For those yet to experience it, now is the perfect time to catch up on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, alongside other iconic Y2K television shows that continue to resonate today.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
What’s it about? High school student by day, supernatural protector by night. All Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) wants is to live a normal life. But she can never escape her preordained fate as a vampire slayer, always on guard for any evil forces that invade her hometown of Sunnydale.
The series set the groundwork for modern Netflix favourites like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Riverdale. Watching it in 2025, the ass-kicking never gets old.
Why watch? Buffy The Vampire Slayer was not just a weekly adventure in demon-slaying – it built its own world full of shocking (and sometimes surreal) twists. Over the course of its seven seasons, it introduced a sprawling cast of characters that made Sunnydale feel rich and believable.
Its writers also experimented with the format through genre flips (like Once More, with Feeling, an entire episode written as a musical) and existential shocks (like in The Body, often cited as one of the best television episodes of all time).
Where to watch? All seven seasons are available to stream on Disney+.
CHARMED
What’s it about? This series, which started in 1998, follows three young sisters, played by Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, and Shannen Doherty in the first three seasons – the latter of whom was replaced by Rose McGowan for the rest of the show. All of them work hard to hide their identities as witches who protect their town of San Francisco from sinister demons and other threats.
Like Buffy, its basic premise is another classic good versus evil tale, and its eight seasons rewarded viewers with weekly thrills that ranged from supernatural battles to personal betrayals.
Why watch? The 1990s were in love with witches, and they've never really gone out of style. But Charmed made viewers truly believe in the unbreakable sisterhood that came with witchcraft.
Decades later, Charmed has never lost any of its magic. Plus, once you're done with the original series, you can dive into the recent reboot of the same name, which has its own unique bag of tricks.
Where to watch? All eight seasons are available to stream on Prime Video.
ONE TREE HILL
What’s it about? This nine-season series, which launched in 2003, centres around two half-brothers (Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty) attempting to find love and glory in high school – the former with girls in the hallway, and the latter on the basketball court. Plenty of romance, plenty of heartbreak.
Why watch? For one, if you're a sucker for high school drama, One Tree Hill has all the messiness that comes with young love. But it’s especially a must-watch for those who long for a school life without smartphones and social media.
Plus, a sequel series is in development, 13 years after the original ended, with some of its main cast set to return.
Where to watch? All nine seasons are available to stream on Prime Video.
SMALLVILLE
What’s it about? This show, which debuted in 2001, follows a young Clark Kent as he discovers he has superpowers. Instead of jumping straight into the blue-and-red tights, though, he first tries to figure out how to live a normal life as a teenager in a small town.
Originally proposed as the beginning of a connected DC superhero universe on 2000s television, the plan failed to materialise. However, the writers persisted and created a show that, at least for its first few seasons, was less about superheroes and more about its fallible, relatable characters.
Why watch? If you’ve grown tired of the “multiverse,” you’ll find that Smallville is unburdened by the need to learn how certain characters are connected or whether you need to look elsewhere for full context.
It’s an origin story that lets its central character grow into his own, rather than becoming the same one you’ve seen time and time again. The exploits of Arrowverse shows like The Flash and Supergirl arguably wouldn’t exist without Smallville.
Where to watch? All 10 seasons are available to stream on Prime Video.
VERONICA MARS
What’s it about? Like a mash-up of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Twin Peaks, Veronica Mars (2004-2019) was an instant cult hit when it brought its inquisitive titular character, played by a young Kristen Bell (pictured), to television screens in the 2000s.
Every week, she solved mysteries as an aspiring detective while managing life as a high school student. But those cases were often overshadowed by a bigger threat that she would eventually have to face
Why watch? Since the recent Knives Out films, along with the cinematic reimaginings of Agatha Christie books – and, perhaps, the startling popularity of ‘unsolved cases’ podcasts – it’s clear that whodunits are as popular as ever.
Not only did Veronica Mars present compelling mysteries, but its intriguing characters and whip-smart scripts resulted in three seasons that never wavered in quality. The show faced an untimely end in 2007, but intense fan support brought it back for a full-length movie in 2013 and a season four in 2019.
Where to watch? Its first three seasons are ready to stream on Prime Video. Its fourth season and film are currently unavailable to stream locally.
THE OC
What’s it about? Like how One Tree Hill featured two heart-throb brothers, The OC (2003-2007) sees Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) adjust to the ultra-rich lifestyle of his new adoptive family, which includes Seth Cohen (Adam Brody).
If you already didn’t know, the “OC” in the title stands for Orange County, an area with famously affluent neighbourhoods. Ryan attempts to make sense of his new environs, along with the friendships and love lives he accrues along the way.
Why watch? The OC was a phenomenon not just for its gripping characters and soap opera-like drama, but its soundtrack helped make indie rock stars out of Death Cab For Cutie, The Walkmen, Imogen Heap, Rachael Yamagata, and more.
Its theme song – California by Phantom Planet – is already etched in the cultural memory of that decade. The OC soundtracks alone are both an exciting snapshot of a time in music, and a treasure trove of heartrending songs that helped propel its stories.
Where to watch? The OC isn’t currently available on streaming – however, it is still available on DVD wherever you can find it.
SEX AND THE CITY
What’s it about? The title pretty much sums it up: it’s about the rich lives of four ambitious women living and working in New York City, and it involves a lot of intimacy.
Its main cast (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon) were so captivating that, despite the show starting in 1998, it’s often seen as a dominating presence of the 2000s TV zeitgeist decades later – and one of the best television shows of all time.
Why watch? Aside from the quick wit and charisma of its lead characters, Sex And The City was the first television show to go in-depth into the love lives of four single women in their mid-30s with frankness and hilarity. During a period where teen dramas were king, this show stood out on that alone.
Its six seasons were followed by two feature films, a prequel series (The Carrie Diaries), and And Just Like That…, a continuation of Sex And The City that has its third season premiering sometime in 2025.
Where to watch? All six seasons of Sex And The City are available on both Netflix and Max. The latter streaming platform also offers the two Sex And The City movies, The Carrie Diaries, and And Just Like That….
GILMORE GIRLS
What’s it about? Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her teenage daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) are inseparable – at least, that’s how they start in season one.
Through its seven critically-acclaimed seasons, which began in 2000, the mother-daughter pair are run through the wringer with their own developing lives: Rory and her life as a studious and curious teenage girl, and Lorelai with her tumultuous dating life as a single mother.
Why watch? The seven-season run was like an alchemic moment in pop culture that brought together the disaffected teen viewers of The OC with the restless adults who craved Sex And The City.
Gilmore Girls presented a cross-generational drama unlike anything else in television at the time. Future shows like Parenthood and This Is Us would owe a debt to Gilmore Girls in the way it presented an empathetic lens into the lives of both teenagers and adults, bucking stereotypes and embracing complicated characters.
Where to watch? All seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, along with its miniseries revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, are available to stream on Netflix.