Oh, I'm not saying Monica's career should live-or-die based on whether she gets this particular gig. I'm sure she'll be doing fantastic things in her career -- including possibly developing her own original series.

Just that it remains to be seen whether the fanbase's hunger will outlive Whedon's career (which may very well be dead, already), itself. If the passion and hunger is still there from fans, there's no reason why one of the other writers from the "Buffy" team couldn't pick up the torch and modify it for the modern era. No one is expecting them to replicate "Hush" or "The Body," nor should they try to do so.

I suspect the bigger factor would be how many "Buffy" alum (actors) would be willing to reprise their roles. If it's a series merely set in the Buffyverse but with 100% new characters across the board, then it truly does become a matter of -- as you've suggested -- "Why bother?"