The Naked Gun’s Akiva Schaffer has revealed that one specific joke involving TiVo andBuffy the Vampire Slayernearly didn’t make the final cut after a “polarizing” audience response. The action-comedy legacy sequel, starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., has earned an impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, drawing praise for its sharp blend of nostalgia and modern spoof humor.
With its rapid-fire gags, visual puns, and meta-humor,The Naked Gunhas been widely praised as a worthy modern successorto Leslie Nielsen’s beloved original trilogy, with Neeson’s comedic performance being a surprising standout. As a result,The Naked Gunhasreached over $30 million at the domestic box office, with the second-best opening weekend for the franchise.
In an interview withSlashFilm,directorSchaffer revealed that many people wanted to cut theBuffy the Vampire Slayerjoke fromThe Naked Gun.Schaffer stated, “it was always polarizing,” and it divided test audiences, but he actually kept it in for “self-indulgent” reasons, saying, “it’s the only joke that still makes [him] laugh” after hours of editing.
In fact, even Neeson himself wasn’t sure of the scene where Frank finds out hisBuffyrecordings have been wiped from his TiVo. Talking about Neeson’s reaction,Schaffer said he is aware that “it only plays for half the audience,“but he couldn’t bring himself to cut his “favorite joke” from the film. Check out Schaffer’s full quote below:
Well, it’s so funny ‘cause in some of these interviews, I talk a lot about momentum and how the movie just had to move and how if a joke didn’t work, I would always cut it. Even things that went further, like sometimes we’d cut the last beat off if it climaxed at one part. Then when it gets to the Buffy joke, it’s indefensible. That’s just me.
I think even for people who don’t love it, if they watched the movie another time or two more times now knowing it, I think it will become their favorite joke. That’s how much I believe in it.
What The Buffy Joke Means For The Naked Gun
The scene in question happens when Frank visits Beth’s (Pamela Anderson) apartment after a day of mishaps, only to discoverhis old TiVo (which was loaded withBuffy the Vampire Slayerrecordings) has been connected to the internet, wiping the expired episodes from the device.Neeson’s following rant inThe Naked Gunis extremely funnyas his frustration peaks.
The TiVo gag works on multiple levels, giving a nostalgic nod to early DVR frustrations, a tribute toBuffy, and a way to inject a moment of absurd pauseinto the non-stop action. Moreover, the scene highlightshowThe Naked Gun’shumor has evolvedwith the times, including modern references toSex and the Cityand Microsoft Office’s Clippy.
Our Take On The Naked Gun’s Buffy Joke
TheBuffy the Vampire Slayerjoke inThe Naked Gunis understandably “polarizing,” as Schaffer points out, asit depends on the age of the viewer and a certain knowledge ofBuffyculture. However, not every joke is expected to land, and the film fully acknowledges this by instilling variousfunny moments inThe Naked Gun,which roll into each other.
It’s also not the only divisive moment, asSchaffer was also pushed to cutThe Naked Gun’shilarious snowman scene. Yet, the film is perfect the way it is, asThe Naked Gunreboot doesn’t just replicate Leslie Nielsen‑style absurdity, it adds its own twist, and Akiva Schaffer has made sure there’s a joke for everyone, evenBuffyfans.
