Latest Amber News

Amber Benson To Take Part In The Queer Pioneers Online Panel On Saturday, 4 June

5/25/2022

Amber recently confirmed via her official Twitter account that she will take part in The Queer Pioneers conversation/panel next month.

The Queer Pioneers retrospective panel features three actors who played characters who were the first LGBTQ+ characters to have regular or recurring roles on TV. They made a significant impact not just on the storylines of their respective television shows but also on the audience watching at home.

Amber played the role of Tara Maclay who spent three seasons on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Together with her co-star Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg) their characters were the first openly gay couple on a USA network television show. Joining Amber on this panel will be Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life) and Jane Sibbett (Friends). Together they will discuss their experiences, triumphs and more, the panel will be moderated by Cameron Scheetz.

The Queer Pioneers will take place on 4 June at 8 AM PT which I believe I'm correct in saying will be at 4 PM UK time. The great news for fans is that this panel is free to watch, simply click the link below and press the "Free to RSVP" button to reserve your free virtual ticket for this event. There is also the opportunity to donate to OUTFEST if you wish. The Queer Pioneers will be presented by IMDb.

https://www.theoutfronts.com/the-queer-pioneers

This panel is part of the The OutFronts, a four-day festival taking place from Friday 3rd June through to Monday 6th June with a collection of panels, premiers and events connecting fans with talent from LGBTQIA+ shows on television. It premiers on OutMuseum which is the first LGBTQ+ arts and media virtual museum of its kind – available free to the public and part of OUTFEST the global LGBTQIA+ arts, media and entertainment organization.

I'm looking forward to listening to what I think will be a really interesting discussion and I'm delighted that fans everywhere will get a chance to watch it.

Joe

Disclaimer: Amber Benson.TV is not involved in any way with The Queer Pioneers panel, OutFronts festival or OUTFEST/OutMuseum. This post is for informational purposes only we are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting online event/appearance by Amber Benson.

Amber Benson Has Narrated The Audiobook Version of Seasonal Fears Out Now via Audible In Both The UK & USA

5/25/2022

If like me, you're a fan of audiobooks as well as Amber then here is some exciting news. Amber has narrated the audiobook version of Seasonal Fears which was released earlier this month. Seasonal Fears was written by Amber's friend and fellow author Seanan McGuire.

If your regular visitor to the site, you may remember that in 2019 Amber narrated the audiobook version of Middlegame the first book in Seanan's Alchemical Journeys series. Now Amber is back to lend her vocal talents to the audiobook version of Seasonal Fears and help transport the listener back into Seanan's shadowy and dangerous world where alchemy exists.

Below is the official publisher's summary of Seasonal Fears. No copyright infringement is intended this is for informational purposes only:

“Summary
From New York Times best-selling author Seanan McGuire, Seasonal Fears is the extraordinary companion novel to Middlegame.
The king of winter and the queen of summer are dead. The fight for their crowns begins!
Melanie has a destiny, though it isn’t the one everyone assumes it to be. She’s delicate; she’s fragile; she’s dying. Now, truly, is the winter of her soul.

Harry doesn’t want to believe in destiny, because that means accepting the loss of the one person who gives his life meaning, who brings summer to his world.
So, when a new road is laid out in front of them—a road that will lead through untold dangers toward a possible lifetime together—walking down it seems to be the only option.

But others are following behind, with violence in their hearts.
It looks like Destiny has a plan for them, after all....
“One must maintain a little bit of summer even in the middle of winter.” (Thoreau)

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor.com Imprint Quarterly.

©2022 Seanan McGuire (P)2022 Macmillan Audio”

Seasonal Fears audiobook is unabridged and out now. The audiobook is available to buy from Audible both here in the UK click here and in the USA click here. Both sites offer the facility to buy the audiobook for a one-off fee for non-members.

Audible also offers a range of packages where in return for a regular monthly fee a user is entitled to download Seasonal Fears as well as access to a vast library of audiobooks also available on the site. The number of books you can download in the month will depend upon your individual package, for full details see the respective Audible websites.

This update took me longer than I would have liked to add to the site due to work and other commitments but I'm really looking forward to listening to Seasonal Fears and I hope everyone enjoys it.

Joe

Disclaimer: AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the writing or production of Seasonal Fears. audiobook. All rights belong to Seanan McGuire and Macmillan Audio. This post is for informational purposes only, we are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting audiobook narrated by Amber Benson.

Amber Benson To Attend Cross Roads Convention In Birmingham UK In October

5/15/2022

Hugely exciting news, Amber is set to return to the UK to meet fans in person for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are the details.

Star Fury Conventions have confirmed via their website that Amber will be a guest at their fifth annual Cross Roads convention. Cross Roads is a three-day event celebrating CW's long-running hit television show Supernatural.

After playing the role of ground breaking and much loved Tara Maclay for three seasons on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in 2006 Amber made her Supernatural debut in Season 2, Episode 3 'Bloodlust" as mysterious vampire Lenore. Amber would reprise the role of Lenore again in 2011, Season 6, Episode 19 "Mommy Dearest." Joining Amber will be fellow Supernatural actors Steven Williams, Alexander Calvert, Cindy Sampson and more. The convention will include autograph sessions, photo opportunities, guest talks, themed party nights and more.

Cross Roads will be held between 30th of September - 2nd of October 2022 at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, Birmingham. I attended another event organised by Star Fury a few years ago which was enjoyable but they are much smaller than larger scale conventions. I have seen a tweet to say that they have already sold more than 50% of the available tickets for this event. This was before the website for this particular event went live so I can only assume people who attend regularly had already bought their tickets in advance.

For more information about the Cross Roads event including, tickets hotel accommodation and more please visit the official website at the link below.

http://seanharry.com/home/cross-roads/

This is hugely exciting news and I hope to be there with other fans to welcome Amber back to the UK.

Joe

Disclaimer: AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with Cross Roads and/or organisers Star Fury Conventions, or Supernatural. This post is informational purposes only. We are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting UK appearance by Amber Benson.

Amber Benson To Attend Awesome Con In Washington DC This June

5/15/2022

Here is some really exciting news for Amber fans in the USA particularly if you live in or can travel to the Washington DC area. As organisers of Awesome Con confirmed recently via their official website that Amber will be among the special guests attending their upcoming convention.

This news comes hot on the heels of it being announced that Amber is said to attend Fandom Fest 2022 in New York in August (click on the hyper link for details). As Awesome Con is in June I believe I'm correct in saying that this will be the first time Amber has met fans in person since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Awesome Con brings together stars of television, the movies, the comic book world and much more. It is set to take place between Friday 3rd and Sunday 5th June 2022. The Awesome Con convention is being held at:

The Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mt Vernon Pl NW
Washington, DC 20001
USA

If like me, you're also a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as Amber there is more exciting news as Amber will be joined at the event by her friend and fellow Buffy The Vampire Slayer actor Charisma Carpenter. Amber and Charisma will take to the stage together to look back at twenty-five years of Buffy in what I'm sure will be a very exciting panel/conversation.

For more information including how to buy tickets, autographs, photo opportunities and more click the link below to visit the official Awesome Con website.

https://awesome-con.com

I hope everyone who is able to attend has a fantastic time. I'd like to thank fellow Amber fans Katie and Nigel for both giving me a heads up about this exciting appearance by Amber.

Joe

Disclaimer: Amber Benson.TV is not involved in any way with the Awesome Con Convention or Fandom Fest, we own nothing. This post is for informational purposes only we are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting event featuring Amber Benson.

Morning Show Mysteries: Death By Design Written By Amber Benson will be shown again on UK TV Today

5/2/2022

Here is some good news for UK Amber fans as Morning Show Mysteries: Death By Design written by Amber will be shown on UK TV again today. Amber has forged a successful career as a novelist as both the author of the Calliope Reaper-Jones series and The Echo Park Coven Trilogy amongst others, in recent years Amber has focused on writing for television.

In 2019 she got the chance to pen two fictional murder mysteries for the small screen, first she wrote the teleplay for Morning Show Mysteries: A Murder In Mind. Then quickly followed this up by writing Morning Show Mysteries: Death By Design. This is the second time Amber has written for this popular series both of which aired on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel in the USA.

The Morning Show Mysteries series centers on Billie Blessings (Holly Robinson Peete) a successful restaurateur who also hosts the cooking segment on Wake Up West Coast, a popular TV show. Billie was once suspected of murder but after clearing her name with the help of Detective Ian Jackson (Rick Fox) the two remained friends and are growing even closer as they find themselves at the heart of another mystery.

In Death By Design Billie’s best friend Marian is hired to redecorate the Wake Up West Coast studio. The decorating comes to a sudden and shocking halt when Marian’s twin sister is found murdered. So naturally Billie and Ian are hot on the trail of the killer.

The exciting news for Amber fans in the UK is that Morning Show Mysteries: Death By Design will be shown again today at 2:15 PM on Channel 5 and at 3:15 PM on Channel 5+1.

There are different channel numbers depending on which digital TV platform you use. I would check on-screen guides and any local channel listings for the correct channel numbers. I've embedded the US trailer below so you can get a taste of the movie.

This will be a Bank Holiday treat for all fans in the UK, I'm sorry for the short notice on this particular post I only found out they were showing it again this morning I hope you still have time to catch it.

Joe

Disclaimer: Amber Benson.TV is not involved in any way with the making of Morning Show Mysteries: Death By Design. We have no connection to Hallmark or Channel 5. This post is for informational purposes only, we are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting movie written by Amber Benson.

Amber Benson To Attend Fandom Fest 2022 In New York This August

4/30/2022

Here is some really exciting news for Amber fans in the USA. The organiser’s of Fandom Fest 2022 have confirmed on their website that Amber will be among the special guests attending their upcoming event this August.

Fandom Fest is a celebration of all fandoms from movies, television and more. This exciting three-day event will take place between Friday the 12th and Sunday, 14 August 2022. Fandom Fest will be held at Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady.

I believe I'm correct in saying that this will be the first time Amber has met fans in person since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Amber is also set to be joined at Fandom Fest by her friend and fellow Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast member James Marsters.

For more information about Fandom Fest 2022 including how to book tickets, contact details and more click the link below to visit their official website.

https://fandomfest.org/

This looks to be a really exciting event and a great opportunity for fans living around the New York area and those who can travel from further afield to meet Amber in person. I hope everyone who is able to attend has a fantastic time.

I would like to thank fellow Amber fan Nigel for the heads up about this exciting event.

Joe

Disclaimer: AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with Fandom Fest 2022. This post is for informational purposes only, we are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting event featuring Amber Benson.

Amber reveals the reason she chose not reprise her role as Tara Maclay in season 7 of Buffy

3/21/2022

Amber Benson recently revealed to author Evan Ross Katz the reasons she chose not to reprise her role as Tara Maclay in the seventh and final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is part of a new book Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts which includes interviews with Amber and her fellow co-stars including:

Sarah Michelle Gellar
Charisma Carpenter
James Marsters
Anthony Stewart Head
Seth Green
Marc Blucas
Nicholas Brendon
And many more cast and crew members

The book has already been released in the USA and hits shelves in the UK on the 21st of April

Website comicbook.com shared part of Amber's interview in an article that was released yesterday. I shared the article written by Jamie Lovett on our Twitter and Facebook feeds but I also wanted to put a transcript of that article here in the Latest Amber News Section for people who don’t follow us on social media.

To view the original article, click here

One of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's (which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2022) most controversial moments came when Warren Mears, one of the three early villains in its sixth season, shot and killed Tara Maclay. By that point, Tara's relationship with Willow Rosenberg was a rare, early, iconic representation of LGBTQ love on television. Many fans consider this moment an example of the "burying your gays" trope and a betrayal of Buffy's LGBTQ fans. There were also several seemingly missed opportunities to bring Tara back for a least a few episodes in the show's seventh and final season, such as in the episode "Conversations with Dead People" or in a discarded early version of the show's series finale.

Amber Benson, who played Tara, has previously said that she didn't return in "Conversations with Dead People" because she would not have been playing Tara but a manifestation of The First Evil, the season's "big bad." In the new book Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts by Evan Ross Katz, Benson reveals why she chose not to return at all, including for Tara's proposed resurrection in the season finale, citing a combination of frustration with an unidentified person involved with the show and simple lousy timing:

"This is the first time I'm talking about this. I had had some issues with somebody on the show, and it had kind of come to a head as I was getting ready to leave. Leaving the show was sad because there are some of the crew and the writers and some of the cast that I just adore, but I had made my peace with that person and the show and I was done: 'I'm leaving everything in a good place. I don't need to come back.' And then all the s–t hit the fan and Joss realized he had messed up. I mean, this is a time when people are, like, sending faxes to that production office, like this was a big, horrible thing, and it was devastating to a lot of people.

"And I think it hit Joss that he had made a mistake, that he had been short-sighted. I truly, for all of his faults and for all of the things about him that are frustrating, I don't think he ever meant to hurt the LGBTQ+ community. He just wasn't thinking. I can truly, from the bottom of my heart, say [that] this was nothing intentional This was a thoughtless error. But I didn't want to come back. He really wanted me to come back and we just couldn't come to an agreement on it. And most of that was my schedule. I was gonna miss going to England, not being able to direct The Ghosts of Albion if I had said yes.

I didn't really trust what was going to happen to the character. I think that's something if you've talked to some other cast, people are like 'Yeah, I came back… and then he just did what he wanted. Even though he told me that he wasn't going to kill me in this way, he killed me in that way.' I just didn't feel super trusting of the situation. And I felt like people had already been really hurt by this. And I'm not the writer. I can't decide what's going to happen to this character. I don't have the reins. And so between the schedule, and not really having a hundred percent trust in what was going to happen and some other things, it just didn't work out."

Those last comments may refer to Charisma Carpenter's return to Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff Angel to reprise her role as Cordelia Chase in its final season. Carpenter returned under the condition that Cordelia the show wouldn't kill off Cordelia, but Cordelia did die at the end of Carpenter's return episode. Benson has previously backed up Charisma Carpenter's accusation of emotional abuse against Whedon, calling the Buffy the Vampire Slayer set a toxic work environment.”

I will post a separate article about the book closer to the UK release date.

Joe

Amber Benson.TV is not involved in any way with the writing or publication of Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts. Nor are we involved with website comicbook.com. This post is for information of purposes only, we are simply trying to spread the word about a new interview with Amber Benson.

Lights Out Audio Drama Written by Amber Benson & Christopher Golden Is Now Available via Audible

2/16/2022

I have some exciting news for Amber fans. I recently discovered that Lights Out written by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden is now available to buy via Audible both here in the UK and the USA as well.

If you're not familiar with Lights Out let me tell you more. In 2010 Amber teamed again up with her long time friend and collaborator Christopher Golden to write Lights Out, an audio drama made for the BBC. Lights Out is set within the walls of Her Majesty’s Prison Stanwick. Prison life holds no fear for newly arrived inmate Sarah well that is until she is plunged headfirst into a dark and potentially deadly mystery.

The role of Sarah is played by Jasmine Hyde who fellow Amber fans may remember was the voice of Tamara Swift in the online animated drama series the Ghosts of Albion which was also written by Amber and Christopher.

Lights Out was made by the BBC as part of The Man in Black series. Mark Gatiss stars as the man in black a mysterious individual who you could meet almost anywhere. He could be a fellow passenger on the bus or bump into you in the supermarket. Wherever it happens to be this mysterious figure is eager to tell you a dark tale of death madness and murder etc one thing is guaranteed his tales will leave you horrified.

Lights Out was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 7, which went on to become BBC Radio 4 Extra and it has been rebroadcast a number of times since its debut. I've listened to it over the years whenever it was being broadcast on the BBC. I always hoped they would make it available to purchase and much to my excitement I recently discovered the BBC have done exactly that.

Lights Out is now available as part of The Man in Black: The Complete Series along with 19 other macabre and chilling audio dramas each performed with a full cast of actors.

The Man in Black: The Complete Series is available to buy from Audible both here in the UK click here and in the USA click here, both sites offer the facility to buy this collection of audio dramas for a one-off fee for non-members.

Audible also offers a range of packages where in return for a regular monthly fee a user is entitled to download The Man in Black: The Complete Series as well as access a vast library of audiobooks also available on the site. The number of books you can download in the month will depend upon your individual package, for full details see the respective Audible websites.

I'm thrilled that Lights Out is now available to buy as part of this exciting collection of audio dramas and if you have never had the chance to listen before now is the perfect time, trust me you don't want to miss this.

Joe

Disclaimer: AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the writing or production of Lights Out. All rights belong to Amber Benson, Christopher Golden and the BBC. This post is for informational purposes only. We are simply trying to spread the word about an exciting audio drama co-written by Amber Benson.

Happy Birthday Amber!

1/8/2022

I’d like to wish Amber Benson a very Happy Birthday. I hope you have a fantastic day and that the year ahead brings you happiness and only good things.

Followers of the website’s social media feeds will know that I posted Happy Birthday messages there too of course. I also wanted to write a post here in the Latest Amber News section as well.

I've been a huge fan and have followed Amber's career for many years and in that time, I've been fortunate enough to meet her on a number of occasions.

Amber is not only a hugely talented she's also a kind and generous person too. If it had not been for the encouragement Amber has given me, I never would have attempted many new things. I’m a very grateful for all of her support and kind words.

I know you will all join me in wishing Amber a very Happy Birthday!

Joe

Holiday Wishes Starring Amber Benson Is Now Available on Demand for UK Fans To Stream Via Amazon Prime Video

12/23/2021

I have some exciting news for UK Amber fans as Holiday Wishes is once again available to stream on demand via Amazon Prime Video just in time for Christmas. I checked earlier this month and it was showing as unavailable which would’ve been disappointing news for fans especially as to my knowledge it’s not being shown on UK TV this year. I'm happy to say fans will be able to stream it again this year. I’d like to thank fellow Amber fan Samantha for letting me know Holiday Wishes has returned to Prime Video.

Holiday Wishes is a fun festive movie in which Amber plays Danni Hartford, a professional party planner. She is asked by a client to drive her spoiled teenage daughter Britney to a school Christmas dance.

Britney crosses paths with high school new girl Katie and each of them make Christmas wishes that go awry. Danni decides to help the teenagers put things right and in the process she might find something that she's been looking for.

I've embedded a trailer below, however it does contain some major spoilers so if you haven’t had a chance to watch Holiday Wishes before I would avoid it for now.

If you are an Amazon Prime member Holiday Wishes is included in your subscription. Unfortunately, there is currently no option to rent or purchase it digitally as there is with some of the content on Amazon Prime. If you have a Prime membership you can stream it on a number of devices including computers, smartphones, tablets and more. So this festive period you can watch it wherever and however you like, for more information click here.

Watching Holiday Wishes is still one of my Christmas traditions and I'll definitely be taking the opportunity to watch it on demand. If you’ve never seen it before check it out, it’s a must see for Amber fans.

Joe

Disclaimer: AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the making or production of Holiday Wishes, we own nothing. We have no connection to Amazon Prime Video. This post is for informational purposes only. We are simply trying to spread the word about another chance to see a Christmas movie starring Amber Benson.