Joss Whedon

A third-generation Hollywood writer, Whedon started out as a story editor on Roseanne before penning the screenplay for the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1992. After reportedly script-doctoring big-budget blockbusters such as Speed and Twister, this geeky scribe resurrected his bloodsucking Buffy franchise by transforming it into a prime-time series in 1997 and creating the spin-off Angel two years later. As the shows' creator, writer, producer and, in the case of a musical episode, songwriter, Whedon maintained complete creative control over his striking blend of dark fantasy and campy humor. He took another one of his creations, Firefly, on the opposite journey, turning the short-lived series into the movie Serenity in 2005.