Thursday, December 01, 2011

Coming up on Nik at Nite

First, I wanted to apologize for the absentee posts on Hell on Wheels. Both Chris and I have had crazy busy weeks (and we're both away on business in different parts of the country at the moment) so it's been tough. I have ep 3 written up, and we're still working on ep 4. They'll both be posted together soon.

Secondly, there have been some questions on the Buffy Rewatch boards about what to do with Angel S5. For all the people who heeded my advice and watched Angel along with Buffy, I don't want to leave you in the lurch, especially when my all-time favourite season is about to begin. So starting in January, I'll keep things moving. I won't do big posts like I've been doing with Buffy, but I will at least give you guys the forum to discuss the episodes every week. Does that sound like a plan? We'll do three a week, with the finale on its own.

The Buffy Rewatch was a LOT of work. A lot. I thought with nearly 30 other people helping out, it wouldn't be that tough. But soon after it started people began emailing me saying they were really enjoying the guest posts, but expected me to say something more about the eps as well. So I couldn't skip any weeks, and on top of everything else I have going on in my life I was rewatching these eps, posting my own comments, as well as rounding up everyone else's posts, editing and formatting them, finding photos, putting up the hyperlinks, linking to their books, collecting bios, etc. There have been people who dropped out well ahead of time, and others who were agreeable until something came up at the last minute, so I've dealt with a lot of scrambling here and there. It's been SO rewarding and I wouldn't change it for the world (and all my guest hosts have been AMAZING and generous with their time, energy, and knowledge), but it's been a time suck (I honestly have had less spare time this past year than I did when I was writing the Finding Lost books), and I'm really looking forward to a breather in January. The blog will continue and I'll post as often as I can, but I can't take on another rewatch right away. As I mentioned in a recent comment, I would love to make this Rewatch Central and have several rewatches happening simultaneously, perhaps hosted by various people, but that would also require hounding people for their material, and scheduling, and watching the shows myself... not to mention I'm trying to keep up with the current TV season.

It's a lot of work! But I will definitely keep Angel going, because for anyone who is frustrated with season 4, PLEASE hold on for season 5. It's stellar.

And, I promise that the Buffy Rewatch will go out with a bang. ;)

27 comments:

Lisa(until further notice) said...

Hooray...and Nikki, thank you SO very much for your blog, your posts, your time, your expertise, your point of view, your recommendations (The Wire, Gavin and Stacey). And to all of the Nik at Nite readers, posters and contributers, thank YOU all as well.

Anonymous said...

Nikki, I love your blog! It`s my favorite blog in the universe, so please keep going! <3

Marebabe said...

Nikki, I’m right with Lisa(ufn). Thank you for all you do here on your blog, and for producing your fabulous books on Buffy, Angel, and LOST.

Just to clarify, we’re going to jump into the first three Angel episodes on January 3rd? I’ll be ready. :)

Annie said...

Thank you SO much for hosting the Buffy/Angel rewatch. This is my first time through for both shows and I'm enjoying it immensely!

Efthymia said...

WHAT?! You have a life apart from the rewatch?! This is unbelievable...

When LOST ended, the thing I missed most was the blog posts and the forums, and all the discussions etc. But before I had time to miss everything too much, The Great Buffy Rewatch came! So, thank you for that. I'm also thankful because BtVS was never shown in Greece, and we must be about 10 people scattered around the country who have even heard of it, so I had no one to talk about it with (other than my sister, whom I made watch) and no one would understand my BtVS references, and here I got to discuss about one of my very favourite shows.

I'm not worried. Eventually, something will come up that all of us will just HAVE TO talk about.

The Question Mark said...

Sounds good to me, Nikki. Thanks for doing all you've done; I know how time-consuming it can get, and I sure I speak for all the other folks here when I say I appreciate all the work you've put into this rewatch!

Suzanne said...

Thank you so much Nikki for all you done to make this incredible rewatch year happen. I am so greatful to have been a part of it and to have discovered your wonderful books in the process. I look forward to Angel season 5 and appreciate your willingness to give everyone a place to meet and chat. However, you should really take care of yourself by making sure to write very little unless you are inspired to do so. We all know how much you have on your plate! Good luck.

Marebabe said...

@Efthymia: How did you get introduced to Buffy? Did you live in the U.S. for awhile?

Christina B said...

Nikki, I love you to death! Because of you (and your blog), I've finally found like-minded folk that share in my geekery!
Without you, I'd still be wandering the world, lost and alone, muttering Doctor Who quotes to random family members! ;)

I've actually made friends here (Hi, Mare!), and I stop by everyday to read the new posts and check to see if any new comments have been made on older posts!

***WARNING! SAPPINESS INCOMING!!***

Nikki, I can't even explain how much this blog has changed my life.
That sounds dramatic, but it's true.

You see, I suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder, which often makes it difficult for me to leave my apartment.
I have a hard time with crowds, meeting new people and speaking in group situations.
In the past, I've had panic attacks when only anticipating being in situations like those, let alone actually BEING there.

During Lost's last season, I found Nik at Nite. And slowly, I started participating in the discussion. Not often, but a little bit.

And then, because I went back and read more of your blog and saw you posting often about Buffy, I watched Buffy for the first time, ever.
And because I was watching alone, I had no one to talk to about it...so I started messaging you on Facebook. Questions, thoughts, just little comments when I was confused or needed something clarified or when something HUGE happened...and you ALWAYS replied. Always. Every single time.
You didn't know me, yet you took the time to sit and write back to me with an explanation, or even just a simple, "I know, right?! OMG!"

And because you did that...Because you noticed me and were kind to me, you gave me a confidence boost. A boost no one had ever given me before.

Because of that boost, I started participating on the SPACE channel's Facebook page. I was the one over there that would say the things the SPACE staff wanted to say, but couldn't because, well...they were SPACE staff.
If someone was being an idiot, I called them on it (nicely. I was never mean or hurtful).
I started answering questions posted by other viewers when I knew the answer ("When is this show starting?" Why aren't you in HD yet?" "Why don't you air this show?", etc.), and, well, I guess all that got me noticed.

And noticed in a good, good way. You see, last April, I was personally invited by a SPACE employee (I miss you, Pix!) to attend the SPACE screening of the Doctor Who series 6 premiere at the Hazelton Hotel in Toronto.

And because of you, Nikki...Because of this blog and your kind words and your confidence boost, I went. Alone. By myself. On a GO train. On a subway. Through the crowded streets of downtown Toronto. Me. Alone.

And I walked in to the Hazelton hotel...and they KNEW MY NAME. The SPACE crew hugged me (I let them HUG me!), thanked me for being the voice they couldn't be, talked with me, laughed with me...and I didn't panic.
I DIDN'T want to leave. I wasn't scared, lost, phobic Christina.
I was a WHOLE NEW PERSON.
I had confidence! I spoke loudly, not shyly. I spoke with knowledge and purpose. I didn't hang in the background, in a vacant corner or by an exit.

And, Nikki, after the screening, I was INTERVIEWED by Mark Askwith. I SPOKE on camera! Yes, I was nervous. Yes, I was shaking...but I didn't panic. I didn't flee.
I was on TV and thousands of people would see me...and I didn't care!

And Nikki, I ask you...Where did we meet in person, finally?

What is the one place that, less than two years ago, would have made me run screaming in horror at the mere mention?

I met you at Fan Expo. In a crowd of thousands. And, Nikki...I was ME.

(Continued below)

Christina B said...

Okay, tears now... ;)

My dear friend...all of the work....all of the late nights and time spent away from family...Please know that at least one good thing...Possibly something I'd consider a small miracle...has come of it.

You took a scared, beaten, broken woman and helped her bloom into the confident, intelligent, fun person you met last August.

Be proud, Nikki. You've changed a life. You've done something no Doctor or professional could do for me.

You made me ME again....and for that, you'll always have such a special place in my heart.

Always remember that the work you do here...It's appreciated. By all of us. So, so much.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.

Take your break. Girl, you deserve it.
We'll still be here. :)

Dusk said...

Yay! Angel Season 5 is very good and I'm very happy that we can do it here. but don't burn yourself out Nikki!

Also, I don't mean to sound like a fink, but shouldn't we give a certain two episodes in S5 a week to themselves? They are so intertwined and arguably the best of Angel. Just a suggestion, not trying to be a bitca!

Page48 said...

The GBR (Great Buffy Rewatch) has been a wonder to behold. "Alias" is the only other show I've re-watched. I'm usually one and done when it comes to TV series. It's just hard to find the time to watch when there is always something new vying for my attention.

If I find it hard to scrounge up the 3 hours just to watch BtVS every week, I can't imagine how much more time and effort goes into preparing the weekly blog entries.

So, thanks Nikki, for the commitment, the standard of excellence, and for posting at damned near 8:00 p.m. sharp every Tuesday night for a year. You're like a blogging machine. The Bloginator.

@Christina B, that was pretty amazing. Being able to haunt blogs like this is a blessing to those of us who may go through life feeling anxious, awkward, socially invisible, or who just don't seem to be a suitable match for the world around us.

Marebabe said...

Christina, that was WONDERFUL! Thanks for sharing from your heart.

C'mon, everybody, group hug. :)

Lisa(until further notice) said...

Yay Christina...and please stick it out with Angel.

Thanks for sharing.

Colleen/redeem147 said...

It's been hard to keep up with the Buffy rewatch - and I'm not writing a blog. Though I have been writing notes on all the episodes and thus have found out things I'd never noticed before. Thank you.

I haven't been doing the Angel rewatch as well, but I'd be happy to carry on a bit with season 5 - I suspect Nikki knows why.

Efthymia said...

@Marebabe: No, I have never been to the US, or anywhere outside Europe, sadly. But I've always had a love for cinema, and IMdB -and the internet in general- has been a great friend for many years. I would often look up people I saw on films or TV, so I knew there was a TV show called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Unfortunately, this is also why I was spoiled on many things before I ever watched the show). I DID study abroad for my Master's (Spain), and because (a)even though I made great friends there, neither of us had the time and money to be out all day, and (b) I'm one of the world's greatest procrastinators and I rush things at the final moments, I had A LOT of time alone, and I decided to watch TV shows, because they would take up more time and because my love for cinema meant that I had already watched many many films. Plus, having already been obsessed with LOST, I knew I could find greatness in TV. And I did :)

Cynthea said...

@ Christina B--thanks for posting your story. I found it very moving and inspiring.

Nikki Stafford said...

Oh Christina! I'm sitting here in a NY hotel room all teary-eyed. I thought all the group hugs would happen with the finale, so I didn't expect them with this inconsequential post, and then you went and told that story and... wow.

Honestly, I NEVER would have pegged you as someone who had a Social Anxiety Disorder (and because of a family member who I suspect may be showing signs of it, I've been doing a lot of reading on it, so I know exactly what it's all about). I'll never forget you coming around the table at Fan Expo, and I looked up, saw the giant colourful Tom Baker scarf, and said, "Christina!!!!!" and you had a bag and you dumped all these knitted Daleks on the table and told me to pick one. EEEEEE!!! I get squealy just thinking about that awesome moment. ;)

You are wonderful, and your commentary is wonderful, and I'm so glad you've found the strength to come out of your shell and just be you. I didn't do that, YOU did. I'm thrilled this blog could have played a part of that. Thank you so much for saying that!!

This blog certainly won't end. In fact, I was just having a conversation at dinner with a friend of mine tonight and talking about all the ideas I have in the future, but I just have to find a way to schedule my time differently, I think. Somehow I was posting constantly on Lost, but was also writing a book on it. I have no idea how I did that. I wish I could find a TARDIS and go back and ask that gal how she did it. But this year not one, but two kids went into school and suddenly there are school benefits and music club and gymnastics and cross country club and one assembly after another and volunteering and talking to teachers and keeping track of library day and gym day and I slowly feel like I'm going insane. Not that I don't LOVE it, because I do, but life just somehow started to feel really hectic this year, I don't know why. Maybe because I'm seeing these two kids growing up so fast and I realize time is slipping away faster than I can grasp it, and that's what seems so elusive. Who knows. But I will definitely come up with something fun we can all do next year. Until then, we will have Angel.

And yes, I know Colleen has many thoughts on that. ;)

I have a LOT more to say about certain individuals and the Rewatch and how awesome they've been, but I'm going to hold onto those thoughts until the end, which is only a few short weeks away. :)

TomWill said...

I will add my thanks to Nikki for hosting this BtVS/Angel adventure .

I have lurked but read every word, every week.

I don't know how I missed it all these years and I have really enjoyed experiencing the Buffyverse.

How about a 10th anniversary LOST rewatch in 2014?

TomWill said...

I will add my thanks to Nikki for hosting this BtVS/Angel adventure .

I have lurked but read every word, every week.

I don't know how I missed it all these years and I have really enjoyed experiencing the Buffyverse.

How about a 10th anniversary LOST rewatch in 2014?

Blam said...


What everyone else is saying, Nikki: Thanks — big, heartfelt thanks! And I totally can relate to your time-suck; it's even stranger when your profession and passions become intermingled, somehow, because what should be hobby is not entirely the respite that you'd like (or that you need). I'm falling behind on television myself, and it's due in part to the Rewatch that I'm not able to add timely comments to your posts on other current shows. Enjoy the holidays, make a New Year's toast to both the end of the Great Buffy Rewatch and to the future, and know that we'll be here in various combinations to follow whatever you want to write about whenever you do so.

VW: rester... See? Even the word verification agrees that you need to take a break.

Shimon said...

Wow,just wow. Not much to add.

Even though I haven't commented much, I have immensely enjoyed the rewatch experience and especially reading this blog and cannot thank all contributers enough.

Nikki - I don't know your plans for the finale, so feel free to shoot this idea down if it interferes but I was wondering if some of the people here might be interested in a joint viewing of the finale. Obviously everyone in their own home but commenting together on twitter. something similar was done by others for the ten year OMWF anniversary and also for Pangs on thanksgiving but it might be especially meaningful for a community who has been coming together on a weekly basis to try it. Maybe we could even get some of the active twitter GBR contributers to join in.
What do you think?

Suzanne said...

First, I wanted to applaud Christina B for having the courage to share your story with all of us. It meant a lot to me to read it since I have always believed that a wonderful blog like Nikki's (thanks again) could have a very positive impact on people's every day lives. I am so glad that this one did for you. I also want to thank you (and all of the other people who comment each week) for making this blog even more special and interesting with your comments. I can certainly relate to the idea that having a place like this to meet with like-minded people is very important for those of us who might not relate to many of the interests and activities of the majority of society.

Christina, on a side-note, I picked up from Nikki's comment to you that you are a knitter. Is this true? If so, you and I not only have Buffy/Angel as a common interest, but we also have knitting in common. I have heard of other knitters who love Buffy, so I wonder if there is something to this connection! :)

Nikki, as for your comments about how suddenly your life seems a lot busier now that your kids are in school, there is a lot of truth to that statement. My kids are in their early teens now (which comes with even more new wrinkles), and I distinctly remember that when they were pre-school age, I worked full-time yet still had many hours every evening where I spent a lot of time knitting and creating some very intricate sweaters during those evening hours. Once my kids began school, my time slowly began being taken up by helping them with homework, taking them to activities, and even spending some of my evening leisure hours watching shows with them (which is always fun, but not as productive in terms of my hobbies). You will have a lot of fun during these years with your kids, but you will find their active lives encroaching more and more on yours. This is something that often frustrates me since I have many interests of my own, yet I realize that this stage will be fairly short and that I am benefiting by spending time with these amazing individuals, my kids, who I am lucky to have in my life right now.

yourblindspot said...

We all love it here because of how fabulously hospitable you are, dear. Nik at Nite feels like home because you treat us like family. Whatever is or isn't going on here, and however you need to manage it in order to accommodate work and family and all the rest of life's myriad practical necessities, I think all of us will be around regardless. Because you're Auntie Nik, and there's nowhere on the internet where you get better company with your tea.

Christina B said...

Thanks, everyone. :)

@Suzanne, yes! I knit and crochet.
I taught myself to do both before I started watching Buffy..about three years ago, now. I think!

It keeps me busy and keeps my mind from thinking to much. ;)

Suzanne said...

@Christina B, I crochet and knit, too. You might like the website Ravelry if you haven't heard of it before. It is social networking for fiber enthusiasts. However if you don't feel like connecting with others on the site or posting about yourself, you might really like being able to look at all of the wonderful projects people are doing out there. Take care.

Blam said...


Christina B — Thanks (belatedly) for sharing your experiences... I've seen friends struggle with anxiety, clinical depression, and similar issues. I never truly understood what they went through, however, until about this time last year a medication that I tried for some of the conditions with which I am dealing really messed with my head. I knew logically that I was being presented with pharmaceutical side effects, nothing more, just like those I'd dealt with in the past, but of course it wasn't really "just like" something as relatively simple as nausea or fatigue or anything else largely physical (not to discount the toll that those conditions take). So glad to hear that this blog and people in it, most especially Nikki herself, have made a difference for you!

VW: podyne — A rather pathetic unit of force.