Twenty years ago, on March 10, 1997, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" premiered on the WB and proceeded to have a profound effect on television. The cult fave inspired other strong TV heroines, academic studies, and countless pieces of fan fiction.
To honor the 20th anniversary of the show, star Sarah Michelle Gellar tweeted her appreciation of "the greatest fans ever."
In a longer letter on Instagram, Gellar also thanked the cast and crew, and reflected on Buffy's place in pop culture history.
"That first season, we liked to think of ourselves as the little show that could. While we knew the potential, I don't think any of us saw the lasting impact our show would have," she wrote.
"As an actor, you wish for that one role where you can leave your mark and forever be remembered, with Buffy I got so much more. She's a feminist challenge to gender hierarchy."
Kelly Woo is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Duke University and has written for AOL, Entertainment Weekly, Variety, and Yahoo.