Marti Noxon

Marti Noxon is best known as a writer and executive producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is a graduate of Kresge College at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She appeared in the Once More, With Feeling episode of BtVS as a singing meter maid. She wrote the pilot for Still Life in 2003, though the show wasn't picked up. When the WB television network accepted the Buffy spin-off series, Angel, Joss Whedon, the creator and executive producer of both series, promoted Noxon from writer to executive producer and gave her increasing charge of producing Buffy. Some Buffy fans believe that the series' quality suffered as a result of the changes that occurred under Noxon's supervision, such as the tragic ending of the homosexual relationship between Willow and Tara; the virtual disappearance of Xander as a central character; the tiresome use of "nerds" as villains; the transformation of the formerly modest and relatively chaste Buffy into a selfish, promiscuous, and irresponsible young woman; and the too-obvious metaphor of magic as a drug upon which Willow becomes increasingly dependent. Though this is a vocally argued criticism, it is one that is largely limited to the margins of Buffy fandom, and as such is considered esoteric by many viewers of the show. Indeed, many Buffy aficionados haven't even heard of Noxon or the supposed controversy over her contribution to the show's direction. While many fans have reservations about Buffy's last two seasons, these are ascribed to a number of causes. Some simply believe that the show "jumped the shark", and assign no particular blame to the executive producer. (More fans believe that the show "never jumped", which is another argument in Noxon's favor.) Others lay the blame squarely at the feet of the show's creator, and view the "Noxon-bashing" as scapegoating. Whedon himself maintains that he retained full creative control over the show (and, in particular, over the show's story arc: "I killed Tara") and counters claims that stewardship of the show's "mission" was delegated to Noxon:

Dis not th' Nox. [ ... ] Marti (She of the great brain and great beauty) and I shaped this year very carefully, and while we made mistakes (as we do every year), we made our show. We explored what we wanted to, said what we meant. You don't have to like it, but don't think it comes from neglect. [1]

Whatever their position on this issue, few fans deny Noxon's contribution to the show as a writer over its seven-year history. In particular, episodes such as "The Wish", "Surprise" (her first solo script, and the episode in which Angel loses his soul) and "I Only Have Eyes For You" are frequently cited as landmarks in the Buffy mythology. After Buffy concluded its seventh, final season, Noxon went on to create Point Pleasant, of which she is the executive producer. She also wrote the screenplay to the movie Just a Little Harmless Sex.

Table of contents

1 Trivia 2 Buffyography 3 External links

Trivia

\n*It is revealed on the "Hush" DVD commentary that Noxon cast Amber Benson as Tara.\n*Noxon sang the theme tune for the Cordy show in the Angel episode "Birthday". [1]

Buffyography

Noxon is credited with having written or co-written the following Buffy episodes:

• "What's My Line, Part One"\n* "What's My Line, Part Two"\n* "Bad Eggs"\n* "Surprise"\n* "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered"\n* "I Only Have Eyes for You"\n* "Dead Man's Party"\n* "Beauty and the Beasts"\n* "The Wish"\n* "Consequences"\n* "The Prom"\n* "Living Conditions"\n* "Wild At Heart"\n* "Goodbye, Iowa"\n* "New Moon Rising"\n* "Buffy vs. Dracula"\n* "Into the Woods"\n* "Forever"\n* "Bargaining I"\n* "Wrecked"\n* "Villains"\n* "Bring on the Night"

External links

\n*The 'Grr' In Girl: Marti Noxon fansite\n*Buffy page on Jump The Shark\nCategory:Buffy