By Liane Bonin (Entertainment Weekly)

Buffy's boss dishes on the series' future. Anthony Stewart Head tells EW.com about Giles' dark side and explains why you shouldn't put your feet up on the sofa.

''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' star Anthony Stewart Head has plenty to celebrate this summer. First, his fuddy-duddy character Giles proved that Buffy isn't the only butt kicker worth watching on the show's recent finale; and this month a DVD boxed set of ''Buffy'''s second season hits stores.

EW.com talked to Head, 47, about why Europeans get the best ''Buffy'' goodies, what he's been up to since returning to his native England, and why he isn't worried that the end might be near for his beloved vampire-bashing show.

Last year you asked ''Buffy'' creator Joss Whedon to limit Giles' screen time so you could return to England to be with your family. What else have you been up to?

I did a series in England called ''Manchild.'' BBC America will be showing episodes in August. It's a very funny show about four men in their late 40s who have all the toys: the fast cars, the bikes, the young model women, all that stuff. But the show reveals that everything has its price. My character finds he has some problems with his libido.

So you've had some love scenes? Giles would be shocked!

Yes! As soon as I came back to England I did another love scene in a show here called ''Spooks,'' so I seem to be doing a lot of them for the first time in my life, which is very odd. Even in the Taster's Choice commercials [a popular series of ads that ran in the 1980s], we never got our kit off. All we did was kiss, and even then there was debate over whether I should have my feet up on the sofa, because that means you've made out, apparently.

Originally you were scheduled to star in a British ''Buffy'' spin-off called ''Ripper,'' but Joss Whedon's new Fox series, ''Firefly,'' seems to have gotten in the way. What's ''Ripper'''s status now?

''Firefly'' hasn't bumped it; it's just displaced it slightly. ''Ripper'' is still on the map, and the BBC still wants to do it. Fox [the studio that produces ''Buffy''] is still interested, so it's ultimately about when Joss has some time. But I'm doing another season of ''Manchild'' until mid-October, so I won't be available at least until then.

Why ''Ripper''? Sounds like a pretty tough name for Giles.

It's his nickname from when he was younger, and basically it implies a darker side. There's a side to Giles that kicks butt when he has to and that loses himself in the darkness. He's not all paternal.

Will we be able to see ''Ripper'' in the United States?

UPN has expressed an interest in it, but they would want 22 episodes. And Joss said no, because he wants to do what we do in England, which is produce about six episodes a year. How that would work for American television I don't know. You could bill them as TV movies, I guess, but that much hasn't really been resolved yet.

The season finale of ''Buffy'' hinted at what Giles has been up to in England. Will this be carried over onto the series?

We'll see. Joss is constantly thinking about where Giles is going. It's not just ''Tony's left the country and his character's stopped.'' From the moment he brought me back in episode 3 or 4, Giles was telling Buffy he had a flat in Bath and a whole life going on. Joss has created a real existence for him separate from Buffy. And I hope we see into that.

A lot of critics have complained that ''Buffy'' wasn't up to par last season. Do you agree?

As a whole, the season was more introspective, with the characters wondering, ''What do we do now that suddenly we're responsible for ourselves?'' I know some people complained about the three human bad guys, but if it had just been another evil demon, it wouldn't have had the same effect. It was much more subversive this way, and made so much sense for the story arc. So yes, I've read some of the reviews, but it's crap, to be honest.

Will we see much of you on ''Buffy'' next year?

I'm keeping my dance card as open as I can so when Joss calls for me I'm ready. But obviously there are limitations to that, and things are happening here. But we have some plans for next season, and we'll see where they lead.

The DVD boxed set for ''Buffy'''s second season was just released in the U.S., but in Europe season 4 is available on DVD, and season 6 is available on VHS. What gives?

Well, it's the first time we've ever been ahead of America on this kind of stuff. But the English and the American versions differ. Americans have much more additional material on their DVDs, because here everything that goes on the DVD has to be rated, and the rating board charges by the minute. So the English lot tend to be much thinner in that respect.

There are rumors that a ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' movie may happen. Any details?

Just the other day I read that Sarah [Michelle Gellar] said she'd never make a ''Buffy'' movie, but that's the English press. Who knows? I think we'd all like to make it. But I think if it's ever made, it will be a while after the last episode of ''Buffy.'' It's not something that can be made while the show is current. Then, if it's two years down the road from when the series ends, it becomes about whether anybody's still interested enough for there to be a ''Buffy'' movie, plus where Sarah Michelle's movie career is, where Alyson Hannigan's movie career is, where we all are. But most of us would like to make it just for Joss. I personally would like to see the ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' movie he always wanted to make, that he directs.

How are things different now that ''Buffy'' is on UPN?

People have been saying it's more risqué than it used to be, and that may be because UPN doesn't have a specific age demographic. I can just imagine the smile on Joss' face at the stuff he's managed to get through the censors. The only other real difference is that more money is available, and the show can do more in terms of production value. When you read the scripts now, you say, Hello, we never could have done that two years ago, because the special effects would have been too expensive.

There's buzz that next season could be ''Buffy's'' last. How do you feel about that?

It's all subject to contract, and it's all subject to where Joss' head is. Personally, I think it would be a good thing if the show finishes on a high. If you pursue something until it's beaten to a pulp, there is no possibility, no future, because it's done its thing and everyone's tired of it. I think Joss is on the same wavelength. I would hope the network and the studio would allow him to do what he feels is right. And if that is that the next season is the last, then so be it. Besides, you know the show will be around in repeats forever.

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