Natasha B.C. Smith
Half-American and half-English, Natasha grew up in northern England, spent nine years in Los Angeles, California, but has recently returned to her hometown. She has always had a passion for writing and for television from both sides of the Atlantic. She especially loves Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. When she's not watching, talking or writing about TV, Natasha enjoys photography, going for walks, and hanging out with cute animals.
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in MusicRoger Taylor’s First Solo Tour in 22 Years Was Worth the Wait
While I’ve been lucky enough to see Queen a few times with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert, I’ve always dreamed of seeing Roger Taylor on a solo tour. He might be best known as Queen’s drummer (and songwriter, and occasional singer), but he’s also released six solo albums, as well as three albums with The […] More
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in Favorites
Childhood Favourites That Influenced My Love of Fantasy
While realism certainly has its place in storytelling, my tastes have always leaned more towards fantasy. It’s partly the escapism, which lets you immerse yourself in a world far away from your problems, and partly the layers of meaning that fantasy lends itself to. Magic and the supernatural can create powerful metaphors for the struggles […] More
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in Music
Rebel Rebel: A Life Punctuated With David Bowie
David Bowie means a lot to me. I may not be as big a Bowie fan as some, but even as a more casual fan (I only own a couple of albums and a Best Of), his music is woven throughout my life. It inspires feelings of familiarity, comfort, delight, and motivation, and I always […] More
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Empowered: Anne Steele’s Journey Through the Buffyverse
Despite only being in two episodes of Buffy and three of Angel, Anne Steele has a seven-year arc which embodies the themes of both series’ finales and showcases some of the best character development on either show. For the most part, Anne’s appearances are spaced out enough, her name changes frequent enough, and references to […] More
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in Favorites
Make Yourself at Home in TV’s Greatest Fictional Towns
It’s hard to define what makes a great fictional town. Is it somewhere you wish you could live? Somewhere that’s simply well-suited to the story being told? A distinctive setting with its own unique character? When choosing towns for this article, I went with some combination of all of the above. If I thought of […] More
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Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: An Underappreciated Hero
My favorite character on Buffy and Angel, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (played by Alexis Denisof) always tried his best, retained his inherently good nature, and kept his commitment to fighting evil—despite the unfair way he was treated and the bad luck he constantly suffered. This is someone who was locked under the stairs by his abusive father […] More
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The Simpsons Season 8: Insanity Peppers and Gay Steel Mills
The Simpsons was undoubtedly one of the best shows on television for its first nine seasons, but for me, Season 8 always stood out as being truly exceptional. It contains, in my opinion, 11 of the best episodes of all time (“You Only Move Twice,” “Bart After Dark,” “Lisa’s Date with Density,” “Hurricane Neddy,” “El […] More
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Following Your Heart: Spike’s Transformation from Poet to Killer
Punk. Poet. Murderer. Hero. Few characters have ever been as engaging as Spike, the fan-favorite peroxide-blond vampire who first graced our screens in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s second season, and stayed right up until the final scene of spin-off show Angel. The essence of the character is that he always follows his heart. He lives […] More
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in Series
Star Trek: Voyager—Resilience in a Hopeless World
Star Trek is famously based on Gene Roddenberry’s hopeful vision of the future, in which humanity has largely moved on from its prejudices, penchant for violence, and other problems. Humans, Vulcans, and other alien species have joined together to form the Federation, a utopian, multi-planetary society. Starfleet, the Federation’s powerful diplomatic, peacekeeping, and space-exploring organization, […] More
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Welcome to the Hellmouth—and to Buffy the Vampire Slayer
While there are many great shows out there, only a few of them have a perfect beginning—the kind that draws you in immediately and leaves you wanting more. In 25YL’s Perfect Pilots series, we will be looking at pilot episodes we think are flawless. This week Natasha B.C. Smith looks at the beginning of Buffy […] More
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Top 20 Songs from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
While Buffy included the occasional well-known song, for the most part Joss Whedon and his team sought out smaller, alternative bands to provide the show’s music. They had a knack for finding lesser-known talent, and would often have these bands perform on the show at the Bronze, often playing more than one song in an […] More
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in Series
Stranger Things: The Loss of Innocence to the Darkness of Adulthood
At the core of Stranger Things there is a question: how can we come to terms with the inevitable loss of childhood hope and innocence, as they give way to the darkness of adult life? This theme is embedded in the characters’ journeys, the symbolism the show employs, and the feelings of at least its […] More
