Joss Whedon Didn’t Want To Be A Third-Gen TV Writer, But Turned To 1 Classic Sitcom To ‘Make Money’

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TV writer Joss Whedon worked on a popular sitcom before making his mark with buffy the vampire slayer. The hit series became his ticket to fame, eventually helping him land the writer-director job for The Avengerswho forever changed the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking it to new heights.

Although he didn’t plan on becoming a television writer, Whedon knew a lot about the business. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, with money as his motivation, Whedon took on a writing job that led to his eventual success.

Joss Whedon | Brian Ach/Getty Images for MTV

In 1989, Whedon became editor for Roseane, a show ahead of its time, featuring comedian Roseanne Barr. Whedon was hired for the second season after Barr fired most of the production staff and writers over creative differences. He would have kept his head down and written as much homework as he could get his hands on.

The award-winning filmmaker wrote the Roseane episode “The Little Sister”. In Joss Whedon: the biographyauthor Amy Pascale wrote that the episode featured “a little foreshadowing of all of Joss’s wit-infused fight sequences to come” in buffy and the MCU. However, Whedon soon left the show.

Whedon is a third generation television writer

Whedon comes from a long line of television writers. Her father, Tom Whedon, was a successful comedy writer for over 30 years. He worked on iconic hits such as the Golden Girls, Alice, and Benson. He has also played a significant role in early childhood programming, writing for Captain Kangaroo and The electric company.

John Whedon, her grandfather, was also successful in the entertainment industry. He was a screenwriter for legendary television series such as The Donna Reed Show and The Andy Griffith Show.

In an interview with IGN, Whedon confessed that he did not want to write for television. He said: “I had literally left college saying, ‘I’m not going to be a TV writer. And my friend was like, ‘Three-G TV!’ meaning third-generation television writer. Whedon added: “He was taunting me all the time.”

Ultimately, Nevers the creator relented and started writing TV scripts. After moving to Los Angeles, Whedon reunited with his father and became inspired, realizing “I could make money if I wrote a TV script”. And he didn’t regret it. “I discovered first of all that I love writing more than anything on this earth, and that you can write exactly as well as you want,” he explained.

Whedon’s allegations of abusive behavior

After Roseane, Whedon created the critically acclaimed series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show ran for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003 and starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Charisma Carpenter, and Michelle Trachtenberg, among others.

Last year Carpenter accused Whedon of being ‘cruel flippant’ when he learned of her actual pregnancy, later firing her from the buffy spin off angel. She made her statement after Ray Fisher accused Whedon of creating a toxic environment on the Justice League together. DCEU stars Jason Momoa and Gal Gadot were quick to confirm the allegations, and Carpenter’s co-stars also offered their support.

Countless actors have rallied around the alleged victims of abuse. Even Whedon’s ex-wife, Kai Cole, spoke out against him, calling him a “hypocrite preaching feminist ideals,” in a 2017 exposé for The envelope. Whedon then parted ways with HBO and Nevers amid controversy.

RELATED: What is Joss Whedon’s net worth and how much was earned from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’?

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