Category: TV/Web

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.

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 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.

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.

A Family Christmas Gift - Written By Amber Benson To Be Shown on UK TV Today

12/18/2021

Here is some exciting news for Amber fans in the UK. A Family Christmas Gift written by Amber will be shown on UK TV today (the 18th of December)

Amber wrote the original story for A Family Christmas Gift and she also co-wrote the teleplay with Alex Wright. The movie was written for the Hallmark Network in the USA.

A Family Christmas Gift centres on Amber, a busy New York-based executive played by Holly Robinson Pete. She is persuaded by her Aunt Dora (Patti Labelle) to join her for Christmas in Colorado and help plan the annual Christmas concert.

Holly Robinson Pete's name may be familiar to Amber fans as she plays the role of Billie Blessings in Morning Show Mysteries. Amber wrote the script/teleplay for A Murder In Mind and Death By Design two movies in the popular series in 2019.

A Family Christmas Gift will be shown at 7 AM & 7 PM today the 18th of December on Christmas 24. It is also being shown at 12 PM on Christmas 24+ today

Unfortunately, Christmas 24 doesn't seem to have a reliable online presence from what I've been able to find out and is currently showing on sky channel 325, Virgin Media channel 419 and BT channel 513. I have Sky so I can confirm Sky channel 325 is the right number. I would advise virgin and BT customers to check their on-screen listings to be sure these channel numbers are correct. I haven't been able to find channel numbers for Christmas 24+ for Virgin Media or BT, again my advice would be to check your on-screen guide. Christmas 24+ is on Sky channel 326

I have embedded a trailer and extended a sneak peek clip of A Family Christmas Gift. There are some spoilers so if you would rather wait-and-see what Amber has in store for us then I'd avoid it for now. I just wanted to place it here in case there are some fans who would like to see more.

This is a fun family film and a real treat for Amber fans I am excited in that fans in the UK will get another chance to see it. I'm sorry I couldn't give my fellow Amber fans more notice that A Family Christmas gift was going to be shown on TV again.

Joe

Disclaimer: AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the writing or production of A Family Christmas Gift. All rights belong to Amber Benson and Hallmark. This post is for informational purposes only. We are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting movie written by Amber Benson.

Amber Gives A TV Interview About the Magical Trail In LA She Recently Curated

10/29/2021

A few days ago, we posted an exciting article about Amber teaming up with Friends of Residential Treasures: LA (FORT) to curate a trail of five properties in LA with a spooky or magical history called: Witch Houses 2: Fairytales, Castles and Cottages. To read the original post and find out more about FORT LA click here.

Amber recently gave a television interview to Los Angeles TV station SPECTRUM NEWS 1. While Amber walks part of the trail she shows off her great eye for detail and her fantastic sense of humour which always makes me smile.

The good news for us here in the UK and elsewhere is that we can watch Amber's interview via the SPECTRUM NEWS 1 website for free just click this hyperlink.

I'd like to thank friend and fellow Amber fan Katie for tracking down the video. For more information about this fascinating and spooky magical trail click the link below and enter your email address. This will allow you to download a PDF which will give you more information about all five locations included on the trail and the rules that are to be followed for anyone who wants to experience it for themselves.

www.fortla.org

The interview is a must see for all fans and I'd encourage anyone who lives in the LA area to check out this witchy trail, it looks amazing.

Joe

Disclaimer: AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with FORT LA and we have no connection to any of the properties featured in the Witch Houses 2: Fairytales, Castles and Cottages trail. We also have no connection to SPECTRUM NEWS 1 This post is for informational purposes only. We are simply trying to spread the word about an exciting project and a TV interview by Amber Benson.

Fans In The UK Have Another Chance To See Morning Show Mysteries: A Murder In Mind Written By Amber Benson Tuesday 1 June on Channel 5

5/30/2021

After years of working as a successful novelist on her Calliope Reaper-Jones series and The Echo Park Coven Trilogy she also co-authored The Ghosts of Albion series with Christopher Golden. Amber is now developing a growing body of work as a writer for television.

She researched and wrote the scripts for Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer and Terror in The Woods for the Lifetime network, describing the events surrounding two real-life tragic murder cases. In 2019 she got the chance to pen two fictional murder mystery for the small screen the first of these was Morning Show Mysteries: A Murder In Mind for Hallmark which aired on their 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 pair remained friends and occasionally find themselves at the heart of another mystery.

In A Murder In Mind Billie comes to the aid of a friend and former employee who has recently got her big break in the lead role of a brand-new TV drama Kelso's Law. Excitement turns to horror as a dead body is uncovered. The finger of suspicion soon falls on Billie's friend after it's revealed that she was being blackmailed by the victim. Billie again teams up with Detective Jackson in a race against time to clear her friend and uncover the identity of the killer.

Amber fans in the UK will have another chance to see Morning Show Mysteries: A Murder In Mind on Tuesday the 1st of June 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.

The Channel 5 website has nothing listed at all in the 2:15 PM time slot. It is displaying on my electronic channel guide though so I can only assume the omission from the website is a mistake. However if anyone sees or knows anything different let me know via email or our social media channels. I've embedded the US trailer below so you can get a taste of the movie.

I'm thrilled that UK fans will get another chance to see and enjoy Amber's words in another exciting mystery.

Joe

Disclaimer: Amber Benson.TV is not involved in any way with the making of Morning Show Mysteries: A Murder In Mind. 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.

Fans In The UK Have Another Chance To See Morning Show Mysteries: Death By Design Written By Amber Benson this Wednesday on Channel 5

3/14/2021

After years of working as a successful novelist on her Calliope Reaper-Jones series and The Echo Park Coven Trilogy and co-authoring The Ghosts of Albion series with Christopher Golden, Amber is developing a growing body of work as a writer 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.

Amber fans in the UK will have another chance to see Morning Show Mysteries: Death By Design on Wednesday, 17 March 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.

The Channel 5 website has nothing listed at all in the 2:15 PM time slot. It is displaying on my electronic channel guide though so I can only assume the omission from the website is a mistake. However if anyone sees or knows anything different let me know via email or our social media channels.

I've embedded the US trailer below so you can get a taste of the movie.

I'm thrilled that UK fans will get another chance to see and enjoy Amber's words in another exciting mystery.

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 & Charisma Carpenter To Hold A Meet And Greet With Fans Online In February

1/27/2021

There was some exciting news for fans earlier this week as Amber confirmed via her official social media accounts that she and Charisma Carpenter will hold a virtual meet and greet event with fans online in February.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the lives of everyone around the globe one of the many things that has been halted temporarily is traditional conventions where fans can meet their favourite stars. Charisma Carpenter decided to give her fans the chance to meet with her online via the MyCon.live website where fans can buy one-to-one video chats via Zoom, autographs and more.

For this latest exciting event Charisma has teamed up with her fellow Buffy The Vampire Slayer star and friend Amber Benson. Amber and Charisma never had the opportunity to work together on Buffy which is a shame, I think it would have been interesting if Tara and Cordelia had crossed paths. The pair did work together however on a movie, The Griddle House which was released in 2018.

The meet and greet will be similar to a roundtable discussion which are sometimes called "guest encounters" at traditional conventions. Guests talk to a limited number of fans who can ask questions. This event will last for 45 minutes and is strictly limited to just 25 people and it will be held on the Zoom video calling platform. Tickets are still available for this event at the time this post was first published on AmberBenson.TV.

The meet and greet is set to take place on Saturday the 27th of February at 12 PM Pacific Time which I believe is 8 PM GMT in the UK. For full details and to buy tickets click the link below:

https://mycon.live/shop/p/meet-amp-greet-with-amber-benson-and-charisma-carpenter

This promises to be a fun and exciting event. I already have my ticket and I look forward to seeing Amber, Charisma and fellow fans too of course.

Joe

Disclaimer: Amber Benson.TV is not involved in any way with the meet and greet event with Amber Benson and Charisma Carpenter or the MyCon.live website. This post is for informational purposes only, we are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting online event featuring Amber Benson.

Amber Benson Is Set To Be A Guest At "Meet The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer” Online Event 30 January 2021

12/31/2020

Exciting news for fans around the world as it has been announced that Amber will be one of the guests at an online event called “Meet The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer”. This is an online, convention style event being held by convention organiser Galaxycon.

Amber will be joined by her former Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars James Marsters, Clare Kramer and Emma Caulfield. Mark Metcalf who played The Master in Season 1 will also be there.

The event will feature a free online panel featuring all of the guests. As part of the event
Galaxycon are offering fans the chance to purchase one-to-one video chats with Amber and/or all of the other guests. They are also giving fans the chance to purchase autographs from any of the guests including Amber of course.

The Meet The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer event will be held on Saturday, 30th of January 2021. The free panel will take place at 4 PM ET which I believe is 9 PM GMT. The one-to-one video chats with guests are set to start at 5 PM ET which I believe is 10 PM GMT. Any autographs that are ordered will be posted out after the event and are available worldwide.

To find out more about the event itself and all of the options and prices for autographs and one-to-one video chats click the link below:

https://galaxycon.com/blogs/january-2021/jan-30-buffy

I'm delighted that Amber fans both here in the UK and beyond will have the opportunity to see and speak to Amber. This will definitely give fans something to look forward to in 2021.

I’d like to wish all of my friends and regular visitors to the site, a Happy New Year. I hope 2021 brings you all only good things, best wishes.

Joe

Disclaimer: Amber Benson.TV is not involved in any way with the "Meet The Cast of Buffy The Vampire Slayer event" or organisers Galaxycon. This post is for informational purposes only. We are simply trying to spread the word about an exciting online event featuring Amber Benson.