LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Early Friday (Feb. 13) an announcement was made to the cast and crew at The WB's "Angel" that this season, the show's fifth, will be its last.
"It's official enough to know it's real," David Greenwalt, who co-created the series with Joss Whedon, tells Zap2it.com, "but I haven't talked to anybody at the network or the studio. I can tell you that it's real, that it makes Mr. Whedon and myself very sad, that we wish it had kept going and we thought it was only getting better.
"Joss and [executive producer]Jeff Bell told the cast and crew today. We have no understanding of the inner workings of the corporate world, but we've had a long and fruitful relationship with [producing studio] 20th Century Fox and The WB, for which we are grateful. We just wish it could have gone on forever. Apparently, it's not going to.
"Joss literally called me this morning; so it's very new."
This news comes on the heels of airing the 100th episode of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spin-off, the taping of which was marked by a party on the show's sets last November.
At that time, the WB's entertainment chief, Jordan Levin, said, "The work that you all do, I cannot thank you enough. This is something that will last. You can see it in the DVD sales. You see it in the fans. They give an incredible amount of attention to almost everything.
"You've created a cult here, and it's pretty wonderful to be a part of it. So thank you and congratulations."
It's the network's regard for the show that prompted it to give the producers an early enough heads up for a proper send-off at the end of the season.
"Like some of the great series that are leaving the air this year, including 'Frasier' and 'Friends,' the cast, crew, writers and producers of 'Angel' deserve to be able to wrap up the series in a way befitting a classic television series, and that is why we went to Joss to let him know that this would be the last year of the series on The WB," the network says in a statement. "We have discussed continuing the Angel legacy with special movie events next year, which is still on the table. "
Next week, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, "Angel" airs one of its most innovative episodes, called "Smile Time." Written and directed by Ben Edlund ("The Tick"), and based on an idea by Whedon, it sees the show's title character, a crusading vampire with a soul, forced to fight evil after being transformed into a walking puppet (with voice by series star David Boreanaz).
"It's so brilliant," Greenwalt says. "I just love it. It's one of the finest pieces of filmmaking I've ever seen. It just cracked me up. It's so ridiculous and silly, and yet there's all this heartfelt stuff in it. It's just quintessential Whedon.
"But wait until you see the episode that follows it in terms of abject heartbreak. It's just searing."
Greenwalt stepped away from "Angel" a few years ago but has remained a consulting producer. Since then, he's worked on two short-lived but critically acclaimed series, ABC's "Miracles" and UPN's "Jake 2.0." But he's contemplating a possible return to his old stomping ground.
"I might just go direct episode 20 [of 'Angel']," he says, "so I can say my farewell to everybody. That's something that might happen."
As to the future of the show's star, The WB says, "David Boreanaz continues to be one of the finest, classiest and friendliest actors we have had the pleasure to work with and we hope that the relationship furthers from here.
"The same can be said for all the actors and producers on the show. "
Akaran of Mistmoore, formerly Akaran of Veeshan I know I'm good at what I do, but I know I'm not the best.
But I guess that on the other hand, I could be like the rest.
Animalor wrote:Who knows.. Maybe Joss is gonna try to get the show on another network if this special event negotions doesn't pan out.
Didn't The WB also pull Buffy after 5 years only to have UPN pick it up for another 2?
Yeah, and some of Buffy's best shows happened after the switch.
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt
Buffy vs The Mayor was the BEST season, period.
Second only to the final season.
Akaran of Mistmoore, formerly Akaran of Veeshan I know I'm good at what I do, but I know I'm not the best.
But I guess that on the other hand, I could be like the rest.
This sucks. There is barely anything left on TV to watch. Most networks show crap all the time. And I do watch some reality tv shows on occassion but its like When MTv actually played music but then all they had was shows. Bah this is just wrong. Whats next taking off Smallville.....be nothing left on that station to watch
Shashonna Illumenada
Enchanter Extraordinaire!
Owner of the Snake Stick
The Buffy seasons ranked in my order of preference:
3,2,1,4,7,5,6. I stopped buying the DVDs at season 4.
It started to suck hard when "Dawnie" was introduced and Willow became the most unconvincing lesbian ever. The last season was good but 5 and 6 are almost entirely awful apart from a few standout episodes. Usually Whedon's once-per-season specials.
Angel has steadily improved season on season IMO. I haven't seen much of 5 as it's only just begun here in the UK. I don't have satellite TV and have been too busy lately to go and watch it with friends. It's a shame it's ending though, kinda out of the blue.
