Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Emily The Puzzle Slayer

Through the wonders of technology, actor Tom Lenk — who played Andrew on <em>Buffy the Vampire Slayer --</em> serves as <em></em>V.I.P. Emily Nussbaum's lifeline during her quiz at The Bell House in Brooklyn, NY.
Josh Rogosin
/
NPR
Through the wonders of technology, actor Tom Lenk — who played Andrew on Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- serves as V.I.P. Emily Nussbaum's lifeline during her quiz at The Bell House in Brooklyn, NY.

We quiz Emily Nussbaum, TV critic for The New Yorker, on her favorite show: Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Why Buffy?

"Buffy was the first show that I actually became a deranged fan that would frighten the people involved with the show," said Nussbaum.

She was drawn to the combination of its "low-budget" feel "that was not pretentious, but funny and silly." As the show went on for seven seasons, exploring deeper themes of growing up, responsibility, family and power, "the more I was crying and discussing it maniacally with everyone. It had this operatic beautifulness. It was this very original combination of things that I'd never seen on television before."

We provided a lifeline in the form of Tom Lenk, the actor who played Buffy's evil-turned-beloved nerd Andrew in the later seasons. Can this pair slay a round of Slayer trivia?

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.