The UK discs all have previouslies. Which is a total pain in the arse for every episode except The Gift (do you want to see Anya saying "we're dealing with a Big bad who can be any dead person it wants" every time you watch any s7 ep?) but really, really comes into its own with Ep100. It's the most exciting start to any Buffy episode, and makes the counterpoint of the teaser - we're back in the iconic alley one last time - that much more lovely.

The UK discs all have previouslies

I don't really get why they put these on here for exactly Jim's reason. I've been watching nip/tuck, which has previouslies, and they are so irritating. If you just watched the previous ep, who needs a reminder.

On my Sopranos DVDs they sort of have a happy medium, where you can chose to watch the previously as a separate menu option.

I own all the other Buffy seasons, but I could see myself selling them and buying the set, just to have it. (Don't think I'd admit that anywhere else.)

I like all the previouslies, but I can understand why they generally weren't on the DVD. But the 100th episode ones should have just been part of the teaser, and right in the episode, not in an Easter egg on the release for season 7. I mean. Not even season 5. Tsk.

I like all the previouslies, but I can understand why they generally weren't on the DVD.

Especially if you can't avoid them. "I'm gonna go out on limb here and say there's a new slayer in town" and "Handsome man saved me from the monsters" were bad enough on a weekly basis.

I'm not a DVD owner (not enough money, so the tapes-from-the-telly are the best I can do), but on the subject of previouslies I have found that they come into their own when you're watching moderately random midday repeats (such as we're getting on SkyOne at the moment). I can always get the season number, and about half the time the episode name, before the teaser has even started, by watching the previouslies carefully. Not much, but it impresses people who are geeky but don't know Buffy.

According to this website Buffy means "God's promise".

I had no idea.

It's a diminutive of Elizabeth (no idea, so don't even ask) which is "God's oath" on that very page.

The diminutive is how I've always thought of it (I don't know why eitehr. But if you can go from Henry to Hank, why not?). I'm interpreting the page to imply that "Buffy" is a name in its own right, not just a diminutive.

But promise and oath are awfully close. So I guess not.

Most of the time, it's interpreted as Elizabeth -> Beth -> Bethy -> Buffy.

Which is no more of a stretch than that fellow in the NFL name of Anfernee.

But just as Jane and Joan and Jean are all based on the same name, and thus have the same basic meaning, all of the Elizabeth variants should also have the same meaning. Unless Buffy derived from someplace else entirely than Elizabeth, which I'm pretty sure it didn't.

Which is no more of a stretch than that fellow in the NFL name of Anfernee.

At least Anfernee sounds like Anthony, even a little. It's one sloppy step.

Buffy? They might as well have ended up with Bernice when all is said and done.