What's New?
If you're familiar with my websites at all, you'll recognize this page as being similar to my "Katherine's Event Journal" on my House of Fools (SCA) page. But hopefully this will be updated a little more often. This is just a place for me to ramble on and share any news or spoilers that I'm particularly excited about (or need to rant about, as the case may be). Quotes from other sources will be italicized, everything else will be me. :)
Saturday, December 18th, 2004: This sounds interesting:
Written by Kate O'Hare for Zap2It.com:
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Adam Busch, who played the nefarious geek Warren Meers on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" -- and was seen most recently as acerbic court bailiff Steve Dixon in the short-lived FOX series "The Jury" -- returns to FOX in time for February sweeps.
Busch (also the frontman of the band Common Rotation) has signed on for at least three episodes of the new supernatural drama "Point Pleasant," executive-produced by former "Buffy" exec Marti Noxon, whose last FOX series, "Still Life," never aired.
"Point Pleasant," however, is set to premiere after "American Idol" on Wednesday, Jan. 19, then airs Thursdays after "The O.C.," starting Jan. 20.
Busch begins in the show's third episode, playing Wes, an apprentice working with the mysterious and charismatic Thomas Boyd (Grant Show). Boyd has come to the seaside New Jersey town of Point Pleasant to insinuate himself into the life of teenage Christina (Elizabeth Harnois). The daughter of the Devil and a mortal woman, Christina washed up on the shores of Point Pleasant, which has become the battleground for her soul and those of its inhabitants.
And the news just keep on comin':
Buffy Stars Battle Over Wonder Woman Role
From Contactmusic.com - 2004-12-17th
Ex-BUFFY stars SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR and CHARISMA CARPENTER are allegedly competing for the lead role in forthcoming superhero movie WONDER WOMAN.
The actresses - who played BUFFY SUMMERS and CORDELIA CHASE in the hit TV series - are battling for the iconic role after their former boss, JOSS WHEDON, agreed to direct the movie remake of the 70s television show, reports British newspaper the DAILY RECORD.
An insider says, "Joss has told the studio that Sarah is his first choice followed by Charisma. Sarah expressed an interest, but the producers are more interested in Charisma because she is less well known."
Source: buffy.nu
Personally, I think either one of them would be fine in the role. I am mostly looking forward to the fact that Joss is involved. :)
Friday, December 3rd, 2004:Nifty little tidbit of news, and as a sidenote, Try Calling may or may not be back, at least 6 eps were filmed. On to the tidbit, culled from The Bitten Boards...
Extract from The Futon Critic:
THAT '70S SHOW (FOX) - Eliza Dushku ("Tru Calling") is set to guest on an upcoming episode of the veteran comedy as Sarah, a hot girl who works at Donna's (Laura Prepon) radio station. Said installment is expected to air during the February sweeps period.
[Edited by Lioness on 12/3/2004 7:35 AM]
I wish that wasn't up against, what, Smallville? :P I really like that 70's Show, but it's had a bad history of being on up against other shows I watch. They pretty much lost me when they went up against Buffy. :P Oh, today my husband met another "Spike widower" (you know, like how women can be football widows) at a comics shop while picking me up a (Buffy) xmas present. They bonded, formed a support group. :D
Kay, that's all I got for now. :)
Thursday, November 18th, 2004: This sounds like fun, I picked this up from the SupportSpike yahoo mailing list:
Chud.com
http://chud.com/thud/471
THUD: THE BEST OF BUFFY
11.15.04
By Devin Faraci
Tomorrow the seventh and final season of one of my all-time favorite
TV shows hits stores on DVD: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was a late
convert to the show, having been turned off by the original film,
the network it aired on, and the title. But by season three I had
been convinced to check it out and it didn't take long for me to
fall in love with the unique mix of monsters, humor, continuity,
great writing and sexy babes kicking ass.
While the Buffyverse continued on for one more year with Angel (and
you know, I think season five of that show may have been its best
and bravest), when Buffy came to a close it felt like a real ending,
with solid closure - and not just for the characters who died/were
maimed. And as of tomorrow we'll have a chance to see that ending
again and maybe go back and follow the whole story from the
beginning if you're like me and watch the DVDs obsessively.
So I says to myself, this is good THUD territory. Something to
explore. Why not do a list, I thought. A list of the ten best
moments in the entire televised Buffyverse? Then I thought why not
do more - saddest moments, sexiest moments, funniest, etc. But then
I realized that I hate compiling lists because I always forget
stuff - but I love getting email. And that ten was not enough.
Here's what I came up with: You guys send me your favorite televised
Buffyverse moments (Buffy or Angel, no movie, no books or comics)
and I'll gather a big list. Then we'll vote on it and we'll decide
the TWENTY FIVE best moments in the most democratic way possible.
There won't even be an electoral college to muddle it , as much as
smaller characters like Clem would like it.
I need your help for more than that, though. For this to be the best
list of best moments in the Buffyverse, I need you to forward this
to all your friends who are fans. I'll be contacting some Buffy
webmasters and others in the nerdy online community, but I don't
know everybody, so feel free to send this to everyone you know who
is even remotely interested. Let's get a ton of responses for this
thing. Maybe somebody has Joss Whedon's email - I'd love to have him
weigh in.
Send me an email at devin@chud.com with BUFFY in the subject line.
There's no prize here beyond the sheer joy of getting together with
your fellow fans and celebrating the 110 episodes of Angel and 144
of Buffy. List up to 10 of your favorite moments, and go into as
much detail as you like - we'll use your words when the final list is tallied up!
I'm still working on collecting the DVDs...takes a little while when you have no credit and your finances suck. But everyone who is able should go out and buy what is, in my opinion, Buffy's best, season seven on DVD. Ta for now.
Monday, October 25th, 2004: I don't like the sounds of this...but I guess, after redaing the entire article, I understand. I just miss my Buffyverse.
Whedon wants out of TV
Scribe wends his way out of deal at 20th TV
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon is done with TV --
for now. Twentieth Century Fox TV has approved Whedon's request to
halt his overall deal at the studio, effectively shuttering his
Mutant Enemy production shingle.
Besides wanting to focus on his feature career, Whedon said he
decided to take a break from TV because, quite simply, he had run
out of series ideas.
"I spent a lot of time trying to think what my next series would
be," Whedon said. "I couldn't think of anything. When that happens,
it generally means something is just not working. I didn't feel like
I could come up with anything that the networks would want."
Whedon had a little over a year left on his overall pact with 20th
Century Fox TV. Under terms of his departure, the scribe can't work
on TV projects anywhere else. And if Whedon decides to return to TV,
20th gets first dibs.
"It would be a lie to say that I'm not disappointed, because I will
miss working with Joss," said 20th Century Fox TV prexy Dana Walden.
"Hopefully, sooner rather than later, he'll have an inspired TV idea
that he can't help himself from doing. ... We're just glad that when
he decides to do TV again, it will be with us."
The departure doesn't affect Whedon's film career; the scribe is not
set up anywhere on the feature side.
Whedon currently is writing and directing the feature "Serenity,"
based on his short-lived Fox skein "Firefly." He also has an
animated TV version of "Buffy" in the works; that project will
continue to be developed.
Mutant Enemy is expected to close shop as soon as this week;
departing are the label's handful of staffers, including company
president Chris Buchanan, who's been with Mutant Enemy since 2002
and is exec producing "Serenity."
"My career has always gone through phases of swelling and
shrinking," Whedon said. "It's just a different phase, but this is
hopefully not the end of my TV career. There are a lot of people I
won't be working with that I will miss."
Mutant Enemy will continue with Whedon as the sole proprietor.
Whedon's decision caught some insiders off-guard. Given 20th's
tremendous success with "Buffy" and its spinoff, "Angel," Whedon has
more than earned his keep at the studio. So it's conceivable he
could have finished out his deal at 20th without developing anything
new -- and without anyone at the studio minding.
But Whedon dismissed that idea.
"It's possible, but I'm not interested in taking money that I don't
earn," he said. "And I found out from 'Firefly' that I'm not the
kind of producer who can throw something up on the wall every year
and see if it sticks."
Whedon said his decision also was helped by personal matters: His
second child is due to be born shortly. And, Whedon admits, he's
discouraged by TV's reality boom.
"I have a bitter taste in my mouth with where TV has gone in the
past five years," said Whedon, who called TV's reality
trend "loathsome."
Whedon got his start on laffers like "Roseanne" and "Parenthood"
before turning his attention to features. Scribe's credits
include "Speed" and "Toy Story," as well as the original film
version of "Buffy."
"When we did the pilot of 'Buffy,' Joss' agent told us he'd be with
the show for the first 13 episodes and then go back to his feature
career," Walden said. "Given that we're hundreds of episodes of TV
shows later, he's finally turning back to features. It would be
unfair of me not to understand."
So we still have the Buffy cartoon coming, but I wish it would hurry up, I just really miss my Buffyverse! I am reading 2 different virtual seasons right now, Heroes and Angel: No Limits, and they are both really well written, but it's not the same as watching them on TV, or if Joss and Jane and Marti and the Davids, etc etc were writing them. I blame reality TV for the lack of a Jossverse or Buffyverse series on TV. I already had, but it seems now like Joss is confirming it. Grrr. Argh.
Thursday, October 21st, 2004: Sorry for the lack of updates...I didn't see a whole lot of good news on the horizon and didn't have anything to new to say. But, I got this bit today:
The WB Prays For An "Angel"
Posted: Thursday October 21st, 2004 9:15pm
Author: Garth Franklin
The WB is a TV network that earned the ire of the millions of loyal fans of the Joss Whedon-universe earlier this year when they cancelled "Angel" in May after five seasons. At the time the move made no sense, here was one of only two high-concept drama series (the other being "Smallville") they had that appealed largely to the male teen demographic (on a predominantly female audience network), it was doing well in the ratings, and had no real problems with continuing for at least one more year.
Now, several months on it seems a little thing called poetic justice is biting the network back in the ass. The network opted out of continuing "Angel" and developing two other high profile series - new incarnations of "Dark Shadows" and "The Robinsons: Lost in Space" - in favour of launching two sudsy dramas this Fall. "Jack & Bobby" and "The Mountain" many saw as safe bets that appealed to their current young female demographic.
Now, "The Mountain" is considered a disaster which won't last the year whilst "Jack & Bobby" although drawing good critical acclaim is failing to find an audience and shedding viewers every week. On the other hand, the networks older shows like "Smallville", "Gilmore Girls" and last year's newcomer "One Tree Hill" are doing boffo business.
Now, Cinescape reports that according to a source of theirs, The WB is still pursuing the notion of resurrecting "Angel". It seems that the network's new chairman Garth Ancier has spoken with Joss Whedon about doing "something" with "Angel", be it a series of spinoff movies or - bringing the show back.
There's a problem though - "Most people have moved on. The creators of "The Mountain" are impressed with James Marsters and are hoping he'll stay on, David Boreanaz is solid-booked with films, and Amy Acker is hanging out for Superman as she's tested for Lois and has good chemistry with B.J Routh".
One thing is for sure: There's no plans to launch a spinoff starring Acker's character of Illyria on her own. The source says "Yes, there will be more Angel - just hard to say when. If Amy gets Superman - she's out, if James stays on The Mountain - that'll be a juggle, and if David Boreanaz gets any more anti-Angel, they'll have to recast."
Ok, so not *all* great news...I am disappointed that David is so against reprising Angel, but hopefully the UK Halloween Event will change his mind. Here's hoping, anyway. Notice, though, that in reference to James Marsters the source says "that will be a juggle", but doesn't say he wouldn't be a part of it. Woot. And my final thought: Take that WB! Ha!
Tuesday May 16, 2004: Got this from TheStar.com , website for the Toronto Star:
May 16, 2004. 08:42 AM
Father of all vampires mourns show
Joss Whedon took the cancellation of Angel very hard
As always, he's willing to ease his pain by sharing it
MALENE ARPE
TORONTO STAR
Who is going to make us take our bitter, healing medicine now that the Buffyverse is closed for business?
For eight years and a total of 12 television seasons, Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and the spinoff series Angel, has given the audience, as he once declared, not what we want but what we need.
He's given us pain, suffering, shocking deaths of major characters (there are no better portrayals of grief than the death of Buffy's mother in "The Body," and the death of Angel's Fred in this season's "Shells") passionate, un-pretty love stories and a parade of selfless sacrifice. He has managed that most difficult of all balancing acts: to take a staunch moral stand without ever being preachy. And while they made us shudder in horror as the characters we loved were chopped to pieces or shot or sucked into faraway hell dimensions, the shows were written with sparkling wit and more downright dirty innuendo than any other show on television.
Buffy quit her job a year ago; Angel was fired by the WB and fights his last fight Wednesday with the
series finale, "Not Fade Away." Whereas Buffy was allowed to have a somewhat triumphant, happy-ish ending, it doesn't look good for the characters on Angel. But that's in keeping with Angel's much darker vein.
There will be death. There will be sorrow.
"Oh yeah, baby," Whedon says. "The pain that I felt when they cancelled the show, I'm going to share."
Whedon � who says had he thought the passionate fan campaign to save the show had any hope, he would have been out there with his placard and bullhorn � would have liked one more season to tell his tale of the vampire with a soul and his search for redemption.
"I always felt there was more to say about all these people, that the show was kinda cut down in its prime. We did have a sort of final statement prepared for the end of the season, because you go into every season not knowing your fate, and I do feel like we finished the series saying what I wanted to say in a grand fashion. But I don't have the feeling I had with Buffy, which was: We are done, thank you, good night," he says during a conference-call interview.
Angel (David Boreanaz) and his fellow evil-fighters Wesley, Fred, Gunn, Lorne and the other souled vampire Spike (James Marsters) � the latter added this year from Buffy's cast � have spent this season working inside the nefarious law firm of Wolfram & Hart. They've tried to fight the good fight, while being tempted by the lure of power.
"In past seasons, Angel had always been the loner hero in one form or another and sometimes he'd been just a bad-ass and sometimes he'd lost sight of his goal, but he was always just a champion, fighting. This year was about, if you're inside of a structure, be it corporal or societal, that is by its nature corrupt, do you affect it or does it affect you?"
Since the announcement of his show's cancellation, Whedon's heroes have found themselves increasingly at odds with that power structure. Coincidence?
"We knew as writers we were projecting a little too much. The fact of the matter is if it only reads that way, then you're doing the wrong thing. I actually don't have as contentious a relationship with the executives as I, trying to seem like a cool rebel, would have it seem. The fact is, they let me put on my weird show for a total of 12 years and I'm grateful for that.
"There's definitely some executives that I'd like to take a ball-peen hammer to, (but) there's just as many who have been supportive and creative. Definitely, we were feeling the hurt and it definitely informed what we were doing."
Whedon says his show was "old and in the way," as the WB is trying to divest itself of expensive properties to make room for more reality television � a genre for which Whedon obviously has no love.
"Ultimately the (vampire) shows were cult shows; we didn't make Friends, so nobody is going to use us as a financial model. And the financial models are what changed television. If I had created reality television I would have had a much greater influence, but then I would have had to KILL MYSELF."
With shows like his own, as well as the Star Trek franchise and other science fiction and fantasy shows struggling to find backing while the ratings soar for dating, surgery and survival programs, Whedon still believes that well-written genre television is important and can survive.
"Genre TV is a great way to speak to people, very directly without being either didactic or maudlin or, you know, boring. It's a way to really hit home emotionally and societally without having to lecture people, and it can be very beautiful, it can be very direct and get to a place no other show can, because people love to imagine themselves in a fantastic universe, especially if that universe is not just in the service of cute tricks," he says.
"In that sense it has a good chance of surviving, of going on. But it also faces peril in that there are very few mainstream hits that use that mold; people don't take genre seriously. They don't want to spend the money. The fact of the matter is that's a very big issue when you're dealing with fantasy."
Whedon, who says he doesn't believe we've heard the last of the Buffyverse and will find ways to explore his own creation, be it via comic books, miniseries, spinoffs or feature films, will be going to work in two weeks on Serenity, the major motion picture take on his short-lived Fox project, the sci-fi western Firefly, which is set for a 2005 theatrical release.
As for rumours the Angel finale has a cliffhanger ending, leaving the door open for further explorations?
"I do not think of it as a cliffhanger at all. It is not the end of all things. It is not a final grace note after a symphony, the way Buffy was. We are definitely still in the thick of it, but it is, and was meant to be, a final statement about Angel. ... The point of the show is, you're never done. Whoever survives the show, to get that point, will embody it, but no matter who goes on, the fight goes on.
"Did I make it so that it could lead into an exciting sixth season? Yes I did. But it still is a final statement, if that is what it needs to be."
Full article can be found at: TheStar.com.
Finale party at my sister's house tomorrow night. I'm taking my kleenex. Yeah, ok, so I read the episode already. I admit it, I'm a spoiler whore. But seeing and reading are two WAY different things. I'm really looking forward to Spike's drunken poetry reading. I am not looking forward to Lorne shooting Lindsey and walking away, from that, from AI, from LA...He's supposed to be the fun guy, not the dead serious guy. I already feel my heart breaking at that scene. When I was reading, that, and the MPD (major player death - gotta leave you guys *some* surprises!) were the only parts I really freaked out about, yelling at my computer screen. That and the ending. Because I don't care what kind of spin Joss wants to put on it, it IS a cliffhanger!! But I understand what he said, about it symbolizing that the fight always goes on. I get that, I really do. But I'm still gonna yell at the TV.
Wow, the next time I write, Angel will be over. It still feels like there so much more left, or that there SHOULD be. Argh.
Oh, side note, that rumor about NBC picking up Angel was a crock. >sigh< I knew that, but geez, someone likes to play with our emotions, and that's just sick. Argh.
Till the world weeps, I bid you adieu.
Wednesday May 12, 2004: Here's a news bit, but I'm not sure of it's reliability. Of course, I think all of us Angel fans are a little hesitant to believe anything that sounds like good news. :) At any rate, I'm not posting this as gospel, just whats floating about in the rumor mill today:
NBC is in talks to pick up Angel
Posted on Tue, 11-May-2004
Fantastic Frickin' News for "Angel" fans.
NBC is in negotiations to take on "Angel" for a
sixth season. Yep, true. No Bullwhackies.
The network let Buffy.nu know that “It has come
to our attention that there has been a vast public
interest to see a return of this series. A
forthcoming series is in negotiation, and NBC will
go ahead with a sixth season if the public response
is strong enough."
The reliability of the source has been checked with
NBC Internal Documents, says the site, adding “We
already know that the final meeting with angel
writers and producers has been set up in a few
weeks (we got the date), so you have time to show
your support to these negotiations by replying to
this article.
Apparently the network's going to keeping a close
eye on the site to make sure interest keeps up.
Hip Hop Hooray.
Tuesday, April 20th, 2004: Ok, now I'm gunna cry again.... :)
James Marsters Shaves Head For Charity
PLEASE HELP GET THE WORD OUT:
Actor James Marsters (aka 'Spike' from "Buffy The
Vampire Slayer" and "Angel") will be appearing on the
Ryan Seacrest Show, Tuesday, April 27, 2004 from 12
noon to 1 pm. James will be shaving off his famous
platinum blonde locks to help raise money and
awareness for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS
Foundation. The top 10 donors will receive a
personalized autographed photo along with a lock of
James' hair. To make a donation go to:
www.pedaids.org and make an on-line donation no
later than noon on Monday, April 26, 2004. Be sure
to mark your donation in honor of James Marsters.
Also, for those fans who can come to the taping,
please do so. James will be making an appearance
after the show in the courtyard sporting his new
look!! This is for a great cause!
**Photo and lock of hair will be mailed out within a
week of the event.
Thanks in advance for all your support,
Steve Himber
Manager for James Marsters
Ok, so it's for a good cause. And hair grows back. Man, I wish I could afford to donate enough to get a lock of James' hair. I hate being poor. :(
Monday, April 19th, 2004: Just a quick note about James, from the savingangel.com newsletter:
* * * * * * * * *
SPIKE ON SHARON OSBOURNE�S SHOW
* * * * * * * * *
SavingAngel.org received confirmation from a producer on The Sharon Osbourne Show
that James Marsters (Spike) will be taping a segment
with Sharon on Monday, April 26 at the 7pm taping session.
If you are interested in tickets, you should call (323)491-2022 ask for Margeritte
and tell her that you are James Marsters fans from SavingAngel.org/ SavingAngel.com.
If you're planning to attend, you can download
a T-SHIRT IRON ON at: http://www.savingangel.org
We are also working on getting SavingAngel T-shirts up at Caf� Press for purchase -
more details to follow.
Additional ticket information can be found at:
http://sharon.warnerbros.com/showinfo/tickets/index.html
(They tape twice that day � so when you call or e-mail for tickets,
be sure to specify the 7pm taping session.)
Sharon was very impressed by the efforts of the SavingAngel fans/campaigns.
In her segment that aired Tuesday, April 13th with Julie Benz (Darla),
Sharon commented: "What everyone has been doing, it's just incredible."
She knows we love ANGEL and want him back on the air.
Sharon loved our billboard truck and
holding up a SavingAngel candy bar she later added:
"It's so cute. People just love the show."
We do love the show and
it would be awesome to fill the audience with SavingAngel fans, wearing SavingAngel T-shirts.
Friday, April 16th, 2004: Now that I'm done crying (I think)....here's a post from the SupportSpike newsletter:
Subject: Watch With Kristin: Fan Fervor Runneth Over to Save Angel--See If All Your Energy Paid Off
I've removed the few bits that I thought were spoilerish. To read the complete article, please visit
E!Online at:
http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/index.html
Watch With Kristin
Fan Fervor Runneth Over to Save Angel--See If All Your Energy Paid Off
by Kristin Veitch | Apr. 16, 2004
(The artist formerly known as Wanda)
I used to consider myself the most die-hard TV fan on the planet. It was a badge I wore with pride, sorta like my "I heart Bo & Luke Duke" T-shirt back in the good ol' days of the good ol' boys. (Sigh.)
But you "Save Angel" folks put me to shame.
This week, even though we asked readers to send in questions for the huuugest show on television right now, The Apprentice (those answers are coming Tuesday), you Angel fans still managed to send in more queries than people asking what the bejesus is up with the Donald's hair. And that's saying something.
You've written letters. You've sent flowers. You've organized blood drives and food drives and candy-bar drives and truck drive-by drives. You've raised thousands for ads in the Hollywood Reporter and Variety and given the show more publicity in a month than it received in five years at the WB.
Your fervor amazes me...and it breaks my heart.
For weeks now, I've been trying to break it to you gently that, sadly, there is no promising news about the fate of Angel. And still, you keep asking. And asking. And asking. To the point where I want to cry because I so badly wish I had something good say.
Instead, I think I'll just tell you the truth on where Angel stands.
I've spent considerable time over the past few weeks talking to network, studio and production insiders, as well as a few of the actors (we'll get to them below), and I can tell you this with a fair amount of certainty:
Angel is not coming back. At least not as the weekly TV series we now know and love. It sucks, and it's wretched and wrong. But the sooner we all accept that, the sooner we can move on.
Now, I know from my dear friend Mary that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, so here are two of the sweetest people I know (no dookie) to give it to you straight.
"It's over," James Marsters (Spike) told me Wednesday. "And we've known for a while. It was a shock. I've never in my wildest dreams thought they would do that. But it's their game, their football, and it seems they want to pass it to someone else."
An emotional Amy Acker (Fred) also weighed in Thursday before going to set for her final day of shooting. "I guess they had just sort of decided the cancellation was for good, at a point. So, it seems so sad all these people were working so hard and nothing happened. The whole thing has been so sweet, and we all have been like, 'Oh maybe it will work!' But it seems like they're pretty set in their way."
That's the consensus I've gotten from various sources -- the WB suits aren't changing their minds on Angel. Though the cancellation seemed like a whack-job, crack-induced whim to us fans, Frog net insiders tell me the higher-ups feel strongly that Angel had "limited moneymaking potential," due to limited advertising revenue and what they consider to be a substantial budget. The fan base is clearly devoted, but these bigwigs see little hope of that audience expanding.
The final stake through Angel's heart? Dark Shadows, that remade vampire series the bigwigs believe to have "vast potential." Presumably, the man behind it is John Wells (ER, West Wing). If J.W. created a series about three young witches or, say, a reverend's family, things may have been different.
Meanwhile, UPN and Fox have both passed on Angel. UPN has a strict new edict not to pick up "other networks' scraps" (the same message given to the producers of Wonderfalls, though when you read on you'll find some promising news on that). And even if they did want these "scraps," quite frankly they can't afford 'em. As for Fox, well, one look at its midseason lineup and you know they're going for a slightly different angle than quality scripted television. Littlest Groom, anyone?
I'm told the feeling on set is not morose these days--but rather like graduation. Though it's been rip-out-your-heart difficult, the actors are learning to accept the show's fate and move on.
"I'm used to things being over," James said. "Coming from theater, I'm used to plays being wonderful or less than wonderful, and even if they're fabulous, they do have to come to an end. And you kind of come to a point where you're at peace with that."
And I can't help but mention that David Boreanaz seemed ready to move on before the show was even canceled: "I'm really itching to explore other characters and do other projects," he told me in January. "I think I've been stuck in this medical school for a while, and I need to open up and get out."
Not so much the case for Amy. She admits she's the weepy one. "I just keep crying, and everyone is like, 'Stop it! Or I'll cry, too.' It's hard because last Friday was Alexis' last night, and yesterday was Andy's last day. And today will be everyone's. It's hard to imagine you won't be spending 12 hours a day with them anymore."
All that said, you Save Angel folks, please, for the love of TiVo, do not despair. Though the campaign might not have accomplished exactly what we'd hoped, James points out that it managed to do something else truly magnificent.
"It may not have saved the show," he explained, "but what it does for the entire cast and crew is give us a little pop as we go out. Everyone takes notice that we connected well enough with the audience to give them that passion...And I have to tell you, it feels so good. After all these years of, frankly, battling time and money and always having to give up what you were planning to do and getting frustrated, at the end of it, to see everyone really going out of their way to try and save it, it just feels really, really good. So, big warm vampire fuzzies over here. It really took the sting out of getting canceled."
And really, after five years of stellar television, it seems the least we could do, no?
"I just want to say to the fans, thank you," Amy says. "I think that [Save Angel] has been so awesome and it has made us feel better when we've all been so sad. For people to come up and say, 'Did you hear there's a rally today?' or 'I saw the big poster today.' That has been as comforting as it could ever be."
Still, the best news is this: According to sources, the finale is supremely open-ended (Amy says it "opens new doors" and "doesn't tie up any strings"), and I hear the Powers That Be at the WB have approached Joss Whedon about doing at least a movie-of-the-week or two (possibly as many as six) next season--thanks in large part to the folks at Save Angel. "I think a Buffy movie is more likely to happen now," James said, "and they may be given better budgets, seeing this kind of interest, because there's a feeling that there's a guaranteed audience. So, the effort that I've seen, it is not in vain."Rumor Patrol: While we're in the mood for telling it like it is when it comes to Angel, we should address a few more burning Q's for any and all conspiracy theorists.
Wonderfalls Update: Though the ship may have sailed on Angel, there is still hope for another quality scripted series, Wonderfalls--which happens to be helmed by former Angel boss Tim Minear. Sources tell me UPN has passed on picking up the former Fox series for the same reasons they passed on Angel. However, the WB execs have decided to review an episode of Wonderfalls along with its pilots, which means it is in the running for the fall season.
That said, time to rally before it's too late. Send your support letters (and if you want to throw in a little zsa-zsa-zu, some kind of animal figurine) to:
Jordan Levin
CEO, Warner Bros. Network
4000 Warner Blvd., Building 34R
Burbank, CA 91522
After you send off your letter, postcard, what-have-you, join me for our next chat at our new time, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT for all the usual goodies. You need to be an E! Online Insider to enter the chat, so save yourself some time and join now.
Happy Tubing!
I think I may just stop watching TV altogether.
Wednesday, April 14th, 2004: Just saw the new ep of Angel...I know the Effexor is almost worn off, because when Mercedes McNab appeared in the opening credits for the first time, I almost cried. So it sounds cheesy, but one of my beer vendors, Seth, has a sister who lives in LA and hangs with Mercedes, I guess they're such good friends that she (Mercedes) spent Xmas with his family last year. So 2 degrees, ya know? I just thought "Good for her!" when I saw it. Then the nod to Buffy's Anya (from the Buffy ep "Superstar"), when Iliriya talked about a dimension with nothing but shrimp....I about lost it. I think the next five Wednesdays are going to be very emotional. Lindsey's little speech about "that's not what heroes do" got to me too. A little melodramatic, but effective. All I can think now is, HOW CAN THOSE BASTARDS CANCEL THIS BRILLIANT SHOW?!?!? It's so frustrating. Time for a smoke, ta for now.
Thursday, March 25, 2004: Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been recovering from carpal tunnel surgery and have been limiting my typing. I would like to take a moment to wish those behind the efforts to save Angel the best, I am continually amazed by the fans, wishing I could do more to help out. But I am with you in spirit every inch of the way. And now, on to the lastest news on the show:
TV Guide Online, Thursday, March 25, 2004
Buffy's Angel Reunion Nixed
by Michael Ausiello
Bloody hell! This bites! This sucks! Whichever vampire pun you choose to express your feelings on the subject, the sad fact remains: Sarah Michelle Gellar will not be resurrecting Buffy the Vampire Slayer for Angel's swan song after all. As foreshadowed in this week's issue of TV Guide magazine (on sale now), the in-demand actress' busy schedule was a deal-breaker. But that's only half of the story.
You see, Gellar wasn't asked to appear in the series finale, she was invited to return for the second-to-last episode (airing May 5). Unfortunately, when that hour was being shot, she was in Tokyo working on the supernatural horror film The Grudge and, obviously, quite unavailable. However, she was free to pick up stakes in the spin-off's capper (airing May 19). So why isn't she doing that installment? Executive producer Joss Whedon didn't want Angel's send-off to "revolve around a guest star," he says simply. "We will deal with the issue of Buffy and how much she means to Angel and Spike, but I want to end the show with the people who've been in the trenches together, the characters who have lived � and occasionally died � together... the regulars."
Whedon's Angel partner, Jeffrey Bell, adds that the idea of building the finale around the long-running Angel/Buffy/Spike love triangle "seemed to undermine the bigger picture. [So Gellar was left off the roster] in the same way that David Boreanaz wasn't involved in the series finale of Buffy." (Editor's Note: Boreanaz did in fact appear in Buffy's last episode; his penultimate cameo carried over into the first five minutes of the finale.)
Before you start sharpening Mr. Pointy and aiming it at the execs' hearts, you should know that, despite their well-thought-out rationale, at the point when they learned Gellar was free to participate in Angel's last hurrah, it was too late for her to do so. "We had already written and shot the episode [for which we originally wanted her] which emotionally dealt with [the romantic rivalry]," Bell says. "So, to go [back] and force her into the very last episode to retread stuff that we already dealt with didn't make any sense.
"By the time it became a possibility," he goes on, "the ship had sort of sailed."
Fine. So, how then will this much-ballyhooed (by us) May 5 episode give closure to Angel, Spike and Buffy � not to mention Angel/Buffy and Spike/Buffy proponents � when the superheroine in the middle of the muddle will be nowhere to be seen? "Angel and Spike arrive at an understanding � that's all I'll say about that," Bell teases. "And without her being involved, Buffy's character has come to some sort of understanding, too."
After that, the vamp-dusting ghostbusters will forge forward toward their final showdown (a two-parter airing May 12 and 19). "We're gonna get to the bottom of why we've been in Wolfman & Hart this whole time and what we're gonna do about it," hints Bell. And, though he refuses to drop any clues as to who will be "left standing at the end," he does promise this: "It's gonna be big!" As Buffy might have replied, "Well, duh!"
I dunno, part of me thinks, if Angel's appearance didn't detract from Buffy's finale, why would the reverse be true? But part of me is kinda glad she won't be there. SMG was never my favorite actor in the Buffyverse; her appeal to me was only that she was Buffy, as no other actor could be. But she was never what drew me to the show. I think Angel will do just fine without her. Ok, kids, my hand is tired, I must sign off for now. Till next time,
Kate
Friday, March 8, 2004: Just an iddy bit from TV Guide Online...
BUFFY SPEAKS!: Former Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar has not ruled out making a guest appearance on Angel's upcoming series finale. "I go back and forth on the idea, especially because Angel had such a hard time, in my opinion, getting out from Buffy's shadow," she tells SCI FI Wire. "And it never got to stand on its own. And I would hate for it to go out being about Buffy." One key factor sure to impact her decision: Gellar, currently in Tokyo shooting the horror film The Grudge, might not be home in time for Angel's last stand. What's more, the erstwhile Chosen One claims no one has approached her � which sounds a little shady considering what Joss Whedon told me last month.
Friday, March 5, 2004: The Saving Angel campaign truly astounds and inspires me. A Hollywood Reporter ad, a Variety ad, and 2 billboards! WOW. Go to http://www.savingangel.org for more info. UPN decided to pass on Angel. Idiots. Quote from IGN FilmForce:
"Too expensive," says network. March 03, 2004 - In response to a news report at SyFy Portal, sources within Mutant Enemy have confirmed to IGN FilmForce that the UPN network has passed on the option to pick up Angel. No official statement has yet been released from either Mutant Enemy or UPN but from all indications, the series will end with episode 22 of this season. Fans behind the Save Angel movement have asked fans to stop sending messages to UPN, further indicating that the future of the series is dim. Co-Executive Producer Jeffrey Bell told IGN FilmForce last weekend that any decision by UPN would be based on their financial situation. That situation has been in steady decline over the past several years, partially due to an exceptionally high license fee paid by the network to Fox for the rights to Buffy the Vampire Slayer's final seasons. As always, stay tuned to IGN FilmForce for any developments on this series.
It sounds like HBO is the new target. Go Team!!! Too tired to write more now. Will write more later.
~Kate~
Wednesday, February 18, 2004: Ok, I suck at keeping this updated. But with the recent announcement by the WB that they're dropping Angel after this season, I felt I should stop procrastinating. The quote below is from today's TV Guide Online:
HIGH STAKES: Angel fans may be deeply divided as to whether or not a certain slayer should play a part in the show's series finale in May, but exec producer Joss Whedon isn't: He wants Sarah Michelle Gellar back. "We'll put out some feelers [again] to see if there's some interest there," he told TV Guide Online last night. "We'd certainly love to have her." But Gellar nixed an earlier offer to guest-star on Angel this season and Whedon says he isn't "banking" on her changing her mind. Still, we had to ask: If the Chosen One were to reappear in the Buffyverse, which of her undead loves would she be returning for � Spike or Angel? "You think I'm going to tell you that? I'm not going to tell you that," Whedon says. "If she were to come back it would be to answer that question." MORE HIGH STAKES: In other Angel news, rumors that the axed WB drama could follow in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's footsteps and put down stakes at rival network UPN are just that � rumors. "We've talked about the possibility," Whedon says, "but it's a long shot." A UPN spokeswoman had no comment, but an Angel insider confirms that execs at Twentieth Century Fox (Angel's producer) are putting together a proposal for UPN.
Be sure to visit RenewAngel.com to see what you can do to help save the show. I just can't believe that just when Angel is doing so well in the ratings, and winning critical acclaim, *that's* when WB decides to pull the plug. Just further proof that TV execs are idiots, I suppose. I am so disappointed. I have two more quotes to share, this is the official WB announcement (taken from the WB website), followed by a response from the godly man himself, Joss Whedon, over on Bronze Beta:
IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT ANGEL
A statement from The WB:
For the last seven years Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer have been cornerstones of our network. The sum total of the work done on those shows has produced some of the proudest moments in our history. 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. We have discussed continuing the Angel legacy with special movie events next year, which is still on the table. In a perfect world, all of these details would be completed before this information went to the press so that we could be definitive about the show's ongoing future. But in any case, we did not want to contemplate this being the last year of Angel without giving the show the option of crafting their own destiny for this character and for this series. 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.
joss says:
(Sat Feb 14 22:31:16 2004)
Some of you may have heard the hilarious news. I thought this would be a good time to weigh in. to answer some obvious questions: No, we had no idea this was coming. Yes, we will finish out the season. No, I don't think the WB is doing the right thing. Yes, I'm grateful they did it early enough for my people to find other jobs.
Yes, my heart is breaking.
When Buffy ended, I was tapped out and ready to send it off. When Firefly got the axe, I went into a state of denial so huge it may very well cause a movie. But Angel... we really were starting to feel like we were on top, hitting our stride -- and then we strode right into the Pit of Snakes 'n' Lava. I'm so into these characters, these actors, the situations we're building... you wanna know how I feel? Watch the first act of "The Body."
As far as TV movies or whatever, I'm not thinking that far ahead. I actually hope my actors and writers are all too busy. We always planned this season finale to be a great capper to the season and the show in general. (And a great platform for a new season, of course.) We'll proceed ahead as planned.
I've never made mainstream TV very well. I like surprises, and TV isn't about surprises, unless the surprise is who gets voted off of something. I've been lucky to sneak this strange, strange show over the airwaves for as long as I have. I don't FEEL lucky, but I understand that I am.
Thanks all for your support, your community, and your perfectly sane devotion. It's meant a lot. I regret nothing (except the string of grisley murders in the 80's -- what was THAT all about?) Remember the words of the poet:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the road less traveled by and they CANCELLED MY FRICKIN' SHOW. I totally shoulda took the road that had all those people on it. Damn."
See you soon.
-j.
It's like you can hear his heart breaking in his words. The mention by the WB of some sort of TV movie or something later is no consolation, in my opinion. Like throwing out a few crumbs to someone you just ripped the guts out of. Bleh. In personal news, more of my friends are beginning to share my interest (ok, "obsession" in my case...my husband would quickly point that out if I didn't!) in the shows, which I am thrilled about. Now I just have to get all of both series on DVD and I'll be a bit happier. I only have the first seasons of both right now (but I have the rest on VHS and VCD), although I just won a season 3 Buffy DVD on Ebay. Ok, I've babbled enough for now (just trying to make up for 3 months of not writing, dontcha know). TTFN.
~Kate~
From Spoiler Slayer, October 31, 2003:
ATS: Guest Star Rumors Rumors are flying about the upcoming appearances of some former members of the 'Angel' cast and possibly even someone from the Buffyverse. Kristin at E! Online writes that she's confirmed that Charisma Carpenter will return for at least one episode (supposedly the 100th, which according to my calculations will be Episode 12, the one that David Fury hinted about having someone return in). She also checks in the possibility of Sarah (not likely) or Alyson (likely) dropping in for a visit. I've also heard, via word of mouth, that Vincent is going to appear in Episode 10. No confirmation or source on that, but judging the nature of that episode, I wouldn't rule it out.
It sounds like ep 10 will have a number of dream sequences, so perhaps that's why Vincent will be there. Also, Spike will be reenacting a bunch of scenes from Angel season 1, ep 1. Sounds interesting.
October 20, 2003: Hard to keep this updated (much less get this site posted on the web), but I am SOOO looking forward to this week's Angel ep. This must be the episode that James was talking to E!Online's Kristin about when he said he had just gotten done filming a nude scene. Eeeeeeeee!!! :) And it also looks to showcase James Marsters *incredible* acting talents. Oh, some quotage,
From restlessbtvs.com:
Joss Whedon reportedly wants Cordelia back for season 5 of Angel. He told Scifiwire that, "She has an important part to play this season to bring some closure." Joss also admitted that he's "not banking" on Sarah Michelle Gellar making an appearance this season. Meanwhile, Alexis Denisof is hoping to get his new wife Alyson Hannigan on to Angel. He said "I'll certainly be trying to talk her into it."
Aly on Angel would be way cool. Did you see the real-life sparkage (Between Aly and Alexis, duh) on "Orpheus"? I thought it was really cute. :) And I really think they need to wrap up the Cordy storyline. Too much loose ends there. I think if Sarah guested on Angel, they would be hard pressed to work up *just* the *right* storyline. But it should happen. Fans want to know what the Scoobies are all up to now! :)
From City of Angel, October 5, 2003:
Can't seem to get enough of David Boreanaz this month? Trying to find out what will happen with our favorite vampire on Angel this season? Here is your chance to get another dose of the man behind the legend. David is scheduled to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show airing Tuesday, October 14th, 2003 on WB network at 2:00pm (EST).
From the Futon Critic.com, October 9, 2003:
ANGEL (WB) - Network topper Jordan Levin confirmed to Daily Variety the WB will go forward with a full season of 22 episodes for the show's fifth season. The Frog previously had the option to trim its run from 22 episodes to 13 should it have faltered behind "Smallville" this season. Last night's episode saw "Angel" holding a solid 84% in households and 87% in adults 18-49 of "Smallville's" lead-in audience according to fast national data.
October 11th, 2003: Woo hoo! Well, not that I doubted, at all, of course. I didn't know about the danger of the short season until I heard that the show had been picked up for the full 22 ep run. But it's still good to know!