The non-broadcast pilot episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was produced by 20th Century Fox in 1996 to pitch a series to networks. The twenty-five-and-a-half-minute production was written and directed by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, and was expanded upon and re-shot for the first episode of the series. It is notable for featuring a different actress in the role of Willow, Sunnydale High is Berryman High and a different actor as Principal Flutie.

After having burned down her school gym and been expelled from a school in L.A., Buffy Summers has moved to Sunnydale with her mother. Buffy goes to school for the first time at Sunnydale High and meets new people: Cordelia, Willow, and Xander. Willow is lured by a vampire into a trap. Buffy shows up with Xander and kills all the vampires except one; the surviving vampire reports the incident back to The Master.

When teen vampire slayer Buffy tries to start a new life at Sunnydale High, she discovers that the school sits atop a demonic dimensional portal.

Buffy and her friends encounter a powerful vampire bent on opening a portal to a dimension inhabited by demons.

Buffy suspects she has a witch on her hands when the cheerleading squad falls victim to sudden blindness and spontaneous combustion.

Buffy's biology teacher is killed by a giant praying mantis that assumes the form of a beautiful substitute teacher.

With Buffy preoccupied by her date with Owen, Giles is trapped by a group of vampires seeking to raise a powerful leader.

Xander and several other students are possessed by the spirit of a demonic breed of hyenas that wreak havoc at the high school.

Buffy discovers Angel's dark secret and hesitates to do anything about it, which could spell danger for someone she loves.

Willow's new Internet chat buddy turns out to be a powerful demon electronically unleashed from a centuries-old, newly digitized book.

Buffy suspects that a ventriloquist's dummy may be harvesting organs from classmates performing in a talent show.

A series of strange occurrences lead Buffy and her friends to discover that their worst nightmares have literally become reality.

When an invisible menace starts attacking students and faculty at Sunnydale High, the Scooby Gang traces the problem back to Cordelia.

Buffy's life may hang in the balance as Giles uncovers an ancient book that foretells not only her death, but also the end of the world.

Buffy returns from summer vacation sporting an attitude and suffers from recurring nightmares involving the Master. Meanwhile, the Anointed One and his followers plot their revenge.

Two science club nerds use body parts to create the "perfect girlfriend" for a teenager who has been brought back from the dead.

Buffy's mother and friends become trapped inside Sunnydale High School when a vampire named Spike launches an attack against the Slayer on Parent-Teacher night.

An Incan Princess mummy is reanimated in Sunnydale where she sucks the life force from others in order to stay alive.

Buffy and Cordelia attend a frat party where they are offered as human sacrifices to a reptile-like creature.

On Halloween, Buffy and her friends patronize an unusual costume shop where customers turn into whatever costume they are wearing.

Buffy is lured into a trap by a group of undead wannabes who hope that Spike will make them vampires in exchange for giving him the Slayer.

Giles' past comes back to haunt him as a demon he and Ethan Rayne summoned in their wild youth seeks them out in Sunnydale.

Spike brings in three professional bounty hunters to eliminate Buffy while she ponders on what her profession might be if her fate wasn't already sealed.

Buffy joins forces with another Slayer in hopes of saving Angel from the clutches of Spike and Drusilla.

Buffy's mom introduces her new boyfriend, who charms everyone except Buffy. When she confronts his dark side, she is left questioning her actions.

Buffy and her friends encounter even more trouble than expected when the eggs they are given in health class turn out to be prehistoric parasites that take over their lives.

To give Buffy a surprise on her 17th birthday, Drusilla and Spike bring together the body parts of a dismembered demon who cannot be killed.

Buffy and her friends battle the Judge and face unexpected danger from Angel, who has lost his soul after experiencing a moment of true happiness.

Buffy and her friends discover secrets about themselves as they battle a werewolf, its hunter, and their own emotions.

As Valentine's Day approaches, Xander tries to improve his love life through witchcraft and finds himself with too much of a good thing.

Angel steps up his torment of Buffy and her friends as Jenny searches for a way to restore his soul.

While hospitalized with a severe case of the flu, Buffy battles a demon that sucks the life out of sick children.

Sunnydale High School is haunted by the ghosts of a former student and teacher who reenact their tragic romance through the bodies of the school's current inhabitants.

Members of the Sunnydale swim team are killed by a gill monster of unknown origins.

Angel plots to revive an ancient demon bent on sweeping everything on earth into hell itself.

Spike strikes an unlikely alliance with Buffy to keep Angel from destroying the world.

Buffy -- living on her own in a big city -- assists a girl whose boyfriend has mysteriously vanished. Back in Sunnydale, Buffy's friends do their best to battle the forces of evil without her.

A Nigerian mask reanimates the dead, forcing Buffy to battle a horde of zombies.

A charismatic Slayer visits Sunnydale and wins over many of Buffy's friends. Meanwhile, two powerful vampires plot an attack.

Oz becomes the prime suspect when a series of animal-like attacks occur in Sunnydale.

As Buffy and Cordelia vie for Homecoming Queen, a group of killers gather to participate in SlayerFest '98.

Mr Trick enlists Giles' old buddy Ethan Rayne to manufacture and distribute boxes of candy which turn the adult population into uninhibited, irresponsible teenagers to keep them out of the way while the mysterious Mayor Wilkins pays a tribute to a demon.

With some help from Faith's new watcher, Buffy seeks to destroy a weapon-like glove before it falls into the hands of a demon.

Spike returns to Sunnydale and kidnaps Willow in hopes of creating a magic spell that will make Drusilla love him again.

Cordelia's wish for a Buffy-free Sunnydale comes true, plunging her into a world where vampires have control of the town.

As the Christmas holiday approaches, Angel is tormented by evil apparitions who want him to eliminate Buffy.

After discovering the corpses of two young children bearing a symbol linked to the occult, Joyce spearheads a campaign to rid Sunnydale of witches.

As her birthday approaches, Buffy loses her slayer powers and must do battle with a vampire who is not only extremely powerful but also quite mad.

Xander experiences an adventure of his own when he encounters a group of reanimated corpses out to construct a bomb. Meanwhile, Buffy and her friends battle the forces of evil when the Hellmouth reopens.

Faith convinces Buffy to live on the wild side, with fatal consequences.

A homicide detective closes in on Buffy and Faith as he investigates the deputy mayor's death.

While casting a magic spell, Anya and Willow accidentally summon Willow's evil double from an alternate universe.

As Faith attempts to seduce Angel and steal his soul, the Mayor summons a dark-magic demon to finish the job.

The Mayor takes Willow prisoner after Buffy and her friends steal away a box containing demonic energy needed for Ascension Day.

After Angel breaks off their relationship, Buffy single-handedly battles three fearsome hell hounds so that her classmates can enjoy their senior prom.

In an effort to distract Buffy from the Ascension, the mayor instructs Faith to poison Angel.

On Ascension Day, Buffy and her friends prepare for the ultimate battle as they face off against the mayor and a horde of vampires.

A mouthless demon infects Buffy with the ability to hear everyone's thoughts, but what starts out as a useful power soon turns into a curse.

Buffy feels like a fish out of water in her first year at college, but the mysterious disappearance of a fellow student puts her back in her element.

Buffy finds herself at odds with her new roommate and is troubled by a series of disturbing dreams involving a soul-sucking demon.

As Buffy gets to know a charming student named Parker, Spike searches for a ring that, according to legend, makes the wearer invincible.

On Halloween, Buffy and her friends find themselves trapped inside a haunted frat house complete with real bats, zombies, and a terrifying demon.

Xander finds employment as a bartender at a pub where some of Buffy's friends turn into terrifying Cro-Magnon creatures.

When Oz falls hard for a sexy singer who also happens to be a werewolf, he must choose between Willow and his own animal instincts.

Spike finds himself targeted by a group of commandos after he escapes from a military lab underneath the Sunnydale campus.

On Thanksgiving, Buffy encounters the spirit of a Native American warrior whose people were wiped out by settlers.

One of Willow's spells causes her statements to become reality, with consequences both entertaining and life-threatening.

When everyone in Sunnydale loses their voice, the Scooby Gang must silently solve the mystery of the monsters who stole their ability to speak.

While attempting to redefine her relationship with Riley, Buffy must also stop demons that are determined to reopen the Hellmouth.

Ethan Rayne returns to town and transforms Giles into a demon. Spike is the only one who can help.

Buffy teams with Riley after she is allowed access to the Initiative; Spike is targeted by commandos.

Tension erupts between Buffy and an ailing Riley as they pursue Professor Maggie Walsh's killer.

Faith awakens from her coma and seeks revenge against Buffy.

Having switched bodies with Buffy, Faith enjoys freedom. Meanwhile, Buffy finds herself at the mercy of the Watcher's Council.

Buffy senses that something is amiss when Jonathan becomes a hero to everyone in Sunnydale.

Buffy and Riley's passionate lovemaking energizes supernatural elements inside a frat house.

Oz's return to Sunnydale leads to his incarceration by the Initiative and complicates the relationship between Willow and Tara.

After joining forces with Adam, Spike drives a wedge between Buffy and her friends. Meanwhile, Angel's return to Sunnydale leads to a violent confrontation with Riley.

Having gained control of Riley's mind, Adam sets in motion his plot to create an army of unstoppable soldiers and destroy the Initiative.

Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles experience dreams in which they are pursued by a mysterious figure.

The one-and-only Dracula makes his way to Sunnydale and immediately has everyone enchanted. Even Buffy might not be able to resist his charms.

As Harmony and her vampire gang plot Buffy's demise, Dawn adjusts to life with a Slayer.

When a demon creates a Xander double, the real Xander must convince his friends of his true identity.

While Riley's health begins to deteriorate, Spike and Harmony force a surgeon to remove the behavior modification chip embedded in Spike's brain.

Buffy learns more about Dawn after she discovers a mysterious orb linked to a group of monks being pursued by an incredibly powerful force.

When relatives arrive in Sunnydale, to celebrate her birthday, Tara uses a magic spell on her friends to keep them from learning her "secret." Meanwhile, Glory unleashes a hoard of demons to hunt down Buffy.

After being bested in a fight by an ordinary vampire, Buffy asks Spike to explain how he killed two Slayers many years earlier.

Glory transforms a snake into a terrifying monster in her quest to find the Key; Joyce is hospitalized after being diagnosed with an illness.

As Joyce's sickness makes her begin doing odd things, a demon emerges from a meteorite and begins killing the mentally ill.

After Buffy catches Riley in the clutches of a vampire-junkie, Riley makes an important decision regarding their relationship.

While Giles is in England meeting with the Watcher Council, a bickering Anya and Willow mind the magic store and inadvertently conjure up a fearsome troll.

The Watcher Council travels to Sunnydale to review Buffy's skills as a Slayer; meanwhile, Glory puts her search for the Key into high gear.

When Dawn learns her true identity, she runs away - only to encounter Glory.

Buffy learns that Spike has a crush on her - a situation made all the more dangerous by Drusilla's return to Sunnydale.

Buffy and her friends encounter an incredibly strong female robot with only one thing on its mind - love.

Buffy, Dawn, and their friends deal with the aftermath of Joyce's death.

With some help from Spike, Dawn attempts to bring Joyce back from the dead.

A weary Buffy seeks to regain focus by embarking on a quest with the First Slayer; Spike cavorts with his very own "Buffybot" and Glory instructs her minions to spy on Buffy's friends in the hopes of ascertaining the Key's true identity.

When Tara falls victim to Glory's incredible power, Willow embraces dark magic and launches a counterattack.

Realizing they may never be able to vanquish Glory, Buffy and the gang decide to flee Sunnydale in Spike's R.V. to protect Dawn.

When Buffy lapses into a catatonic state, Willow uses magic to find out why; a tug-of-war erupts between Glory and Ben over Dawn's ultimate fate.

As Glory prepares Dawn for a bloodletting ritual that will open a portal to another dimension, Buffy and her friends prepare for battle.

The gang hope to bring Buffy back from the dead. Meanwhile, motorcycle-riding demons discover the Buffybot has been posing as the Slayer.

As the Hellions continue to ravage Sunnydale, a feral Buffy claws her way out of her own grave and must come to the aid of her friends.

Buffy and her friends battle a demon that may have hitched a ride with Buffy as she crossed into the world from another dimension.

While trying to get a loan, Buffy runs afoul of three deadbeat sorcerers who are using the otherworldly powers of a demon to rob a bank.

Buffy's powers are tested by Andrew, Jonathan and Warren, who seek to expose and exploit her weaknesses in an effort to destroy her.

Dawn discovers her crush has a deadly secret. Xander announces his engagement to Anya, and Tara worries about Willow's reliance on magic.

In this musical extravaganza, Sunnydale residents find themselves bursting into song, and flame, when a demon attempts to make Dawn his bride.

While trying to find a way to make Buffy forget about her afterlife experience, Willow inadvertently casts a spell that erases everyone's memories.

Willow turns Amy the Rat into her old self; Jonathan, Warren and Andrew steal a diamond; and Spike discovers something unexpected about Buffy.

Amy introduces Willow to a warlock whose powerful black magic proves addictive; Buffy and Spike deal with the aftermath of their night of passion.

The Three Geeks mistakenly turn Buffy invisible. The Slayer takes some advantage from going unseen. Willow has to do the detective without using magic, while Xander finds Spike doing some weird physical training.

When Buffy gets a job at the Doublemeat Palace, a local fast-food restaurant, she begins to believe that disappearing co-workers and the secret ingredient to the restaurant's hamburger may be connected.

After Jonathan, Andrew, and Warren accidentally kill Warren's ex-girlfriend Katrina, they set Buffy up to make her believe it was she who killed the girl.

After Dawn talks to a guidance counselor about her feeling lonely, she accidentally puts a spell on Buffy and her friends, trapping them inside the Summer's house with a sword-wielding demon.

Buffy's old boyfriend, Riley Finn, shows up unexpectedly as he tracks a demon about to hatch eggs that could wipe out Sunnydale.

Anya and Xander's wedding is thrown into turmoil when a man claiming to be Xander's future self turns up at the ceremony.

After Buffy is stung by a demon, she begins to have vivid day-dreams about a mental asylum. She gradually begins to believe that she is a crazy girl back in L.A and that Sunnydale and all her friends are just a figment of her imagination.

Anya returns to Sunnydale, bent on revenge for Xander leaving her at the altar. She has since become a Vengence demon again, but ends up hurting Xander in a way she never expected.

Willow and Tara wallow in their togetherness, but things aren't as happy everywhere else. Buffy has to face both Xander and Spike, whilst tracking Warren and Company to foil their next move.

A vengeful Willow uses her enormous power to track down Warren, despite Buffy's strong feelings about targeting humans.

Fueled by black magic, Willow targets Andrew and Jonathan, leading to a battle between Buffy and Willow; Spike fights an unstoppable foe.

After sucking all the energy out of Giles, a powerful Willow sets off to destroy the world.

Sunnydale High is re-opened, with a new designed campus and a new principal, Robin Wood. It is Dawn's first day at school there and Buffy accompanies her to class, only to discover evil spirits lurking in the basement.

A giant worm-like creature begins stalking a young woman. As the gang begin to investigate, they realise it's appearance in Sunnydale may be linked to Anya.

Willow's return proves problematic when she is literally unable to see her friends--and is left with a creature that paralyzes its victims.

Buffy begins a new job as school counsellor at Sunnydale High. On her first day she encounters a troubled young girl who is convinced she is about to die.

Anya's violent and deadly act of vengeance leaves everyone stunned. Buffy must put aside her feelings and take action before more people die.

Xander and Spike search for the source of a spell that has bewitched the girls into competing for the affections of the high school quarterback.

Buffy strikes up a conversation with a vampire who was once an acquaintance in high school. Dawn defends Joyce from a menacing creature.

Buffy and her friends fear Spike may be to blame when a number of people around town mysteriously disappear.

Buffy hopes to learn more about what she's up against with the First by taking Spike prisoner; Xander and Anya interrogate Andrew.

Giles returns to Sunnydale with three potential slayers, whom Buffy must protect from The First. Meanwhile, a ferocious Uber-vampire is released from the Hellmouth and Buffy must kill it before it kills one of the potentials.

Buffy has to keep the ever increasing number of potential Slayers from panicking while Giles and Anya seek answers from the Beljoxa's Eye.

Buffy takes the Potentials to a demon bar and then to Spike's crypt, in order to teach them the art of slaying. When Willow casts a spell to seek out the next Potential, the spell leads them to believe that Dawn may be a future slayer.

After Willow and Kennedy share their first kiss, Willow is transformed into Warren, the man she killed last year. When she sets out to find help, she bumps into an old friend. Meanwhile, Buffy searches for answers when Spike's chip causes him great pain, and the gang suspect that Giles may really be The First Evil.

Buffy accepts an invitation to dinner from Principal Wood, and the secrets of his past are revealed. Xander impresses a beautiful girl with his knowledge of rope, and she seems to be interested in tying him up. Meanwhile, the First contacts Andrew in another attempt to destroy the Potentials, and Giles finds himself tongue-tied with the new Potential, Chao-Ahn.

The Scoobies use a spell to transport Buffy into a shadow world, where she meets the men who created the first slayer. However, in order for her to return home, the gang must find and slay a ferocious demon.

Andrew creates a documentary called "Buffy, Slayer of the Vampyres", a record of the current situation in Sunnydale to show to future generations. He manages to capture many important moments, and to annoy almost everyone in the house. But Buffy needs to tear him away from his filmmaking because the Seal of Danzalthar is active and Andrew may hold the key to closing it before it destroys the town.

Robin Wood seeks revenge on Spike for killing his mother nearly 30 years ago, whilst everyone else tries to find out how The First has control over him.

Faith returns to Sunnydale just as a new villain, Caleb, arrives and sends Buffy a message in the form of a badly beaten Potential. Buffy leads the rest of the girls to Caleb and The First's lair, with devastating consequences.

After their horrifying loss at the vineyard, the gang turn against Buffy and begin to follow Faith instead. Meanwhile, Spike and Andrew travel to an old church to question a priest about Caleb.

Faith and the Potentials search underground for a weapon, whilst Buffy confronts Caleb at the vineyard.

Buffy has a powerful new weapon, but the gang cannot find any information about the origins of the mysterious scythe. Eventually the Slayer goes herself in search of knowledge, and finds a new ally, an old friend, and great danger.

After killing Caleb, Buffy conceives a plan to defeat the First once and for all. Willow invokes a magic spell that alters the ancient Slayer spell and gives Buffy the allies she needs to fight the Uber-Vamp army. An epic battle ensues and several good friends are lost. At the end, Buffy faces a completely new problem -- one she's glad to have.