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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 2, 2004 19:25:25 GMT
Some new official publicity pics of Angel characters are now available to buy *coughandsavecough*, including a few of James/Spike that we haven't seen already ;D I saw them at www.creationent.com/ (click on the Angel logo)
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 5, 2004 22:28:42 GMT
Christian Kane Takes Direction from 'Angel' (Monday, January 05 10:22 AM) By Kate O'Hare
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - At the end of the last original episode of 2003 for The WB's "Angel," a Nov. 19 installment called "Destiny," longtime fans were treated to a final scene that reintroduced one of the series' most popular recurring characters. Throughout the run of the show, Angel (David Boreanaz), the vampire with a soul, has been at odds with the evil law firm of Wolfram & Hart, foiling their plans while trying to help the helpless in Los Angeles. Last season, W&H appeared to fold, handing over its L.A. office to Angel and his team.
One of Angel's early foes at W&H was Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane), an ambitious lawyer with a lot to prove. He also had a teeny bit of a conscience and occasionally took Angel's side. Lindsey eventually left town in a battered pickup truck two seasons ago and was not seen again -- until "Destiny," when a very tattooed Lindsey appeared to be in cahoots with Eve (Sarah Thompson), Angel's mysterious liaison to W&H's unseen Senior Partners.
"It's good to have Christian back," Boreanaz says. "He's my bud. It's all good. He's a great guy. I have fun with him, the tiny Texan. I was the one who recommended it. I told Joss [series executive producer Joss Whedon] to bring him back. I told Christian I wanted him back. I initiated it at the beginning of this season, and it came to fruition." After his brief scene in "Destiny," Kane's first full episode is "Soul Purpose," currently scheduled for Jan. 21. In that, Lindsey makes contact with Spike (James Marsters), the other vampire with a soul, now working with Angel. It also marks Boreanaz's debut as a director.
"It's not funky at all," Kane says of being back. "The character's very familiar to me. I don't have a problem with it. It was a little weird when I walked back the first episode, and Boreanaz directed. This guy, when he was single, we were out drinking beer until the sun comes up.
"All of a sudden, I'm walking in, taking direction from him, which was probably one of the best times I've ever had. He had an idea for what he wanted, and it was great. He really trusts me, I think he trusts James, so he let us run."
Kane did, though, have some requirements for his return. "I was in New York doing 'Taxi' with Queen Latifah, and Joss called and said, 'Hey, Whaddyah think about coming back on "Angel"?' Right off the bat, I said, 'Absolutely. I always would have.'
"But I told them, I didn't want to get beat up by chicks anymore. I still would have done it, even if he said, 'Every girl on the show's going to beat you up,' I would have said, 'No problem,' because I still want to work with him, and I still want to work with Boreanaz.
"I got beat up by everybody -- Darla, Drusilla. I was sick of it. But it's a new Lindsey now. In the past, I wasn't comfortable sometimes playing it, because everybody else got to be a superhero, and I was just a suit. But this is now probably one of the most fun roles I've played."
As for the tattoos, Kane says, "I can't give anything up, man. I went online the other day, and people are already onto them. I can't tell you what they are or anything, but they have a big part, obviously, or they wouldn't be on."
The episode also gave Kane -- who has his own Southern rock band, Kane -- the opportunity to do a little jamming with Marsters, who plays in a band called Ghost of the Robot.
"As soon as we're off the set," Kane says, "and we've got a little time, he comes over, or I'll go over to where he's at, we'll jump in somebody's trailer, and me and him will just trade songs back and forth on the guitar.
"He's got this little bitty amp that I've been trying to get him to get me one. We just sit there and trade songs. We should do a show together."
There just might be a record deal in Kane's future, but it might entail a move to Nashville.
"That's where the deal is," Kane says. "That's where some of the writers are that they want us to write with. Hopefully we don't have to move. If they say, 'Here's a record deal, let's make a record,' then I'll definitely take however much time off that's needed, if it's six months to a year."
Even if he does have to spend some time in Music City, Kane says it won't change the band's sound. "Just because they move me to Nashville doesn't mean that I'll play country."
.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|85524|1|,00.htmlAnd there's a cute ickle pic of CK....
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 14, 2004 21:39:41 GMT
WB are always throwing parties, it seems and some "Angel" guys were at this Stars 2004 bash. Pics on Wire Image, starting with DB on p2, then loads of him and his missus, Alexis having to take Joss as his date coz Aly's in London, MM, Sarah Thompson, Amy.... nos sign of James and he usually turns up to all these junkets!
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 25, 2004 14:39:33 GMT
Angel/DB is on the cover of US Guide (January 31st-Feb. 6th issue), and it calls him Romantic Hero - blaaah! There si also a biggish Angel spread inside, with a DB and JW interview, and "Best Moments" feature. Also DB saying Angel and Buffy 4eva *vomit*
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 26, 2004 23:15:53 GMT
Guide Online www.tvguide.com/angelsweeps 100 Demons, Vampires, Episodes Only 1 Angel Sweepstakes Guide wants to give you the chance to vamp it up in a Walk on Role this season and stake your claim on an all expense paid trip to the City of Angels. Plus, every week we will be giving away autographed scripts, DVD's and props from the show. Enter today and every day through February 13, 2004 for your chance to win! www.tvguide.com/freestuff/angel04/
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 26, 2004 23:30:38 GMT
More 100th episode coverage - a special edition of The Hollywood Reporter will contain features of Angel through the seasons, featuring cast and crew. It will be on sale Friday January 30th and is something of an Angel collector's dream I should think. I know people from all over the world were able to buy the issue last year featuring the JM thank you ad, so if you want it, I'm sure it can be tracked down. Their website is - www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/index.jsp
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 26, 2004 23:56:47 GMT
Angel Looks Ahead
Joss Whedon, co-creator of The WB's Angel, told SCI FI Wire that the show's upcoming fifth-season finale will wrap up the current storyline but leave open the possibility of returning for a sixth season. No word has come yet on whether the show, which recently shot its 100th episode, will be picked up for another year.
Capping the current season while setting up the next is "what I usually do, and I didn't do it last year, because I didn't know we were in danger of getting canceled," Whedon said in an interview. "And I didn't do it the year before, because I knew we weren't going to be [canceled]. But usually, my philosophy has always been, do an episode that ties up everything, but opens up some other things. And this season is no different. It's very much a good way to go out, and a good way to start a completely new season."
Reaching the 100-episode milestone was a chance to look back on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff's accomplishments, he added. "To take stock, that's really what a 100th episode is for," he said. "To go back and say, 'Here was the mission statement. If we made 100 of these, there's a reason we were talking about this. So let's talk about it some more.'" .html?2004-01/21/11.30." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-.html?2004-01/21/11.30.
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 27, 2004 13:20:56 GMT
Guide Online /coverstory/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.tvguide.com//coverstory/ Interview With the Vampire
David Boreanaz When Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon decided to hook up the show's heroine with a 245-year-old vampire with a soul, he didn't have high expectations. "I thought people would be like, 'That's so cheesy,'" he says. Instead, the chemistry between Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz turned the 1997 pairing into one of 's great star-crossed romances and transformed the unknown Boreanaz into a heartthrob and, in 1999, the star of his own WB spin-off, Angel. This week, the drama celebrates a milestone — its 100th episode — with an epic installment that marks the return of original cast member Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) in all her wisecracking glory. "She really is the person to say [to Angel], 'I was here when you started and look where you are now,'" Whedon says. Recently, Boreanaz and the man he affectionately calls "Boss" met up on Angel's Los Angeles set to talk about branching out from Buffy. TVG: David, what was your reaction to the idea of having your own show? Boreanaz: I'm very fortunate. I mean, to give me my own series — a character like this [who] is so diverse, so old. There's so much to him. When I read the breakdown for the character, it was something like, "245-year-old vampire with a conscience. If you knock him down, he'll get back up like Joe Louis." The Joe Louis line stuck with me.
TVG: Joss, you've said if you had to compare Angel to a superhero, it would be Batman. Is that how you always envisioned him? Whedon: He does have the Batman thing of "I am all alone... with my 12 sidekicks." There are, like, 48 guys with keys to the Batcave. But, and I think this is a human truth, you are still alone. You can be alone in a crowd of people who love you. That is our curse. And that's why I think vampires as a concept register.
TVG: In 2001, Buffy moved to UPN but Angel stayed on the WB. Did you worry that splitting the shows up would hurt Angel? Whedon: In terms of Angel I was pleased, just because it was time for people to realize that it stood on its own.
TVG: It must've been hard, though, to continue to deal with the WB after such nasty negotiations over Buffy. Whedon: Yeah. This was a negotiation where both [then-20th Century Fox chairman] Sandy Grushow and [WB chairman] Jamie Kellner went at each other. And when elephants fight, mice get trampled. It was really just about money.
TVG: David, what did you think the first time you heard about the story line in which Angel's infant son, Connor, would age into a teenager within a few episodes? Boreanaz: It's nuts, man. But when Vincent [Kartheiser, who played Connor] came on, I really enjoyed working with him. But now nobody remembers Connor [on the show] except me. Whedon: It's gonna come into play again. Assuming Vincent's available.
TVG: Were you shocked at how resistant fans were when you put Angel and Cordelia together? Whedon: "Resistant" isn't the word. They were chasing us through the streets with torches. They hated the idea. The Buffy-Angel [romance] has lingered. Boreanaz: The Buffy-Angel connection has got to win out [in the end]. They're perfect together. — Shawna Malcom
For more on Angel's 100th epsiode, pick up this week's issue of Guide magazine on newsstands now. Or head to the Guide Store to buy this week's Angel cover along with the May 2003 Buffy and Angel classic cover.
To enter our Angel sweepstakes, click here: www.tvguide.com/freestuff/angel04/
*barf*
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 27, 2004 22:46:50 GMT
James interview in the latest 'Dreamwatch' mag - as it is All.About.AtS I put it here, rather than the James thread. As usual he has me rolling his eyes at some of what he says about Spike - I can only assume that the moe thoughtful comments he made a bit higher up this tread were AFTER this interview! (although this one is after the Sacro gig, so it must just be James doing his "thing"!) Spike is NOT stupid, damnit!
Interview by Abbie Bernstein Marsters and Commander
After becoming one of BtVS's best-loved characters, Spike is now calling the shots on AtS. Actor James Marsters bares his soul to Abbie Bernstein about the bad boy vamp's new lease of life…
For six years, Spike was the ultimate Buffy bad boy. He was a leather-clad vamp whose razor-sharp put-downs and couldn't-care-less demeanour set him apart from the show's more well-meaning characters. But, by the time he was `toasted and ghosted' in the show's apocalyptic finale, Chosen, it seemed as if the bleached-blond bloodsucker had been through just about everything. How wrong could we be? Resurrected for AtS's fifth season, Spike has taken the corridors of Wolfram and Hart by storm. From barely escaping the jaws of oblivion in Hell Bound to swapping body blows with Angel in Destiny, the character's rediscovered zest for life is there for all to see. One person who's particularly delighted to see Spike back in action is his real-life alter-ego James Marsters. Dreamwatch catches up with the actor to hear in his own words why he's still undead and loving it....
DW: How does working on AtS compare with working on BtVS? JM: I'm having more fun than I ever had in this universe. I had a lot of fun with BtVS, but I'm having even more fun on AtS.
DW: After brooding his way through much of BtVS's seventh season, Spike seems to have really rediscovered his zest for life on AtS. Are you enjoying playing the character more this year? JM: Totally, because I tend to internalise the character. I really feel like you have to have that inside and not worry about what's showing, and then the camera's going to document you really feeling it. During the scenes over on BtVS where Spike was depressed, I really was depressed. I had gotten myself into a state of mind that was that bad. Probably no therapist would tell you that acting's healthy. I got all my crying out in season six and seven of BtVS. I'm serious. I had to dredge up every painful thing I could find and wring it dry. I don't think I've had a cry since then. Not that I couldn't use one – it just hasn't come out. I was coming up and whipping myself with everything I felt guilty about during my whole life, because I was trying to approximate what it would feel like to wake up with a soul and have to face 120 years of mass murder.
On AtS, I'm basically functioning a lot like I did originally on BtVS, which means I'm grit in the ointment, and I get to just have fun making Angel's life really dark. This is the interesting thing. You would think that after having gotten a soul that the character would take off in a whole new direction that we've never seen before. But this is the surprise – that he goes back to the beginning. This is more like the Spike that we originally saw – he's having fun and making it hard for other people.
DW: Has Spike made a conscious decision to be a good guy in AtS? JM: Yeah. The interesting thing about that is, once he makes that decision, he becomes a sucker. We'll see that coming up. That's one of the problems with caring and investing yourself in the world, because people can take advantage of that. And I thought that was a really deft thing to come out of the gate with. Right when Spike chooses the good side and thinks, "I'm gonna try to be a hero," he gets used.
DW: Although Spike has a soul and must come to terms with the horrific events of his past, he seems far less depressed than Angel was when he had to deal with his dark past.... JM: It was alluded to in one of the episodes that Angel spent 120 years contemplating infinite remorse, whereas Spike took two weeks of being depressed in a basement and everything was fine! Structurally, we got to explore Angel's long period of depression in back-story; we didn't have to take time out of the series to actually talk about that. If we put Spike through the same kind of journey, he'd be out of action for 120 seasons! And so he's got to get over it pretty quickly. But what's interesting is, I'm starting to come to the idea that Spike just might not be as deep as Angel. There's something beautiful about shallowness in that way. It helps you survive. If you can just slough that guilt off, better power to you! But it really may just mean that Spike is probably not that smart and he's probably not that deep. We love him anyway.
DW: Spike started on BtVS as an out-and-out villain, didn't he? JM: When he took a vampire kid into sunlight and fried him and laughed about it in his very first episode, yeah, I knew what the trajectory of the character was at that time – psychopath! [laughs]. But you don't think of yourself as a person, because no real person in life thinks of himself as a villain. Everybody thinks of himself as a hero. So if you're trying to be villainous, then you're on the wrong track as an actor.
DW: This is your sixth year playing a vampire. What keeps the role of Spike fresh for you? JM: The thing about Joss Whedon is he doesn't write because he enjoys employing what's tried and true; he doesn't write vampires because he wants to show a lot of bloodsucking. He's using the vampire mythology as a metaphor to talk about how hard it is to actually try to be a force of good in the world, how many pitfalls there are to that choice, how arrogant a choice it is to begin with, and how easily you're duped once you decide to care about the world. We live in a world where no one can be bothered to care about anything. And Joss is really swimming directly upstream from that and going "Here's someone who does care about stuff and is going to take the hits to try to create something good in the world." It's a morality tale about good and evil.
So it's not so much about just playing the vampire as it is exploring the person. And that's much more terrifying and much more exciting, because there are five or six things that you are is you're a vampire: you're strong, you're sexy, you're thin, you suck people's blood – even if there were 40 things, they would quickly get exhausted if you concentrated on them. But, really, the vampire thing is a leaping off point to talk about human experience.
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 27, 2004 22:50:25 GMT
continued... DW: Do you still think of Spike as a vampire? JM: No! When I think of Spike, I don't think of vampire right away. I think of punk rocker. I think of someone with a lot of passion and maybe not so much common sense. I think about his vulnerability and how hard he works to mask that – all the things that resonate as a human being.
DW: What's been the hardest part of playing Spike? JM: The pressure to look the same as you did seven years ago, like a vampire would, becomes enormous. You just hope the audience likes your acting well enough to forget what you looked like originally!
DW: In the opening episodes of AtS's fifth season , Spike is a `ghost'. As an actor, did you have to do anything differently? JM: Yes. One of the trademark Spike things is to lean against something as if you don't care enough to stand up. And that's great as an actor in the middle of a 16 or 20 hour day. You get to sit down a lot or lean against something. But at the start of the season, I couldn't lean against anything. And I had the biggest arguments with the writers, saying, "OK, I can stand on the floor [without sinking through it] – Spike can't touch anything? I accept that, but he can float where he wants to? So I could float as if I'm leaning up against the wall, right? And they said, "No, it looks weird, it looks too corporeal." So I had to stand up. And that sucked. I didn't feel like Spike. They really wanted me freaked out and weakened by the whole thing. They really wanted the fear of him fading away to be there for the audience. You're working so quickly on a television show, so I decided to play cold – I played it as if I didn't really have a body temperature and being a ghost is just really cold, almost as if you'd just saved someone from a freezing river. When you see those rescued people in the blankets and how they look – I tried to do that.
When Spike becomes corporeal again, basically, he gets unleashed. He gets to truly be a potent force in the world as opposed to just commenting on it and saying, "Hi, Angel, aren't you silly?" again. Now, I get to come and say "Come here, I've got something that has to happen!"
DW: Is that really you swapping blows with David Boreanaz in Destiny? JM: Oh yeah! Toe-to-toe the whole day. Both David and I have done enough fights that it's pretty much like working with another stuntman. You know, the concerns are the same. Neither of us are professional stuntmen – we're not that good – but for actors, we're pretty damn good. And pretty experienced, at this point. What's great about working with David is that you get the acting stuff as well. And I feel like we have really good trust between the two of us. It's never "Oh, he's going to do that to me – I don't trust that!" If I had to do a cliff scene and the only thing keeping me from falling over the edge was David, I'd be cool with it. Seriously. You could count on it.
DW: David Boreanaz made his directing debut this season with Soul Purpose. Will you be directing an episode any time soon? JM: Well, I think that I'd do well with actors – I was always good with actors as a stage director. But I need to know more about the language of film. I mean, in all honesty, yes, they could hire me as a director now and I could sit in the chair and say, "Action," and get it on my resume, but it would be a lie. I haven't done my homework. I don't want to do it before I've read a couple of books and really talked to a couple of good DPs and got my stuff down, because I don't want to weigh the crew down with someone who doesn't know what he's doing. David is a great director. He came in and he did better than any first-time director I have seen – stage, movies, or anything. He impressed everybody.
DW: How about writing an episode? JM: I've got a couple of ideas. Most of the writing that I did was when I had a theatre company. I was involved in a lot of projects I'm proud of. But I'm so busy right now, most of my writing is really more writing music. When I get rested and feel creative and the sunshine is beautiful again, usually a song comes.
DW: Speaking of songs, is it true that the band you're in, Ghost of the Robot and recurring AtS guest star Christian Kane's band Kane tried to do something together recently? JM: Oh, man, we tried! Kane was playing Club Lingerie in Hollywood, but our band was busy up in Sacramento. I would love to do something with Christian Kane – his CD sounds great and his voice is fabulous. His band is country-rooted and my band is rooted in blues and punk, and it's hard to reconcile those two musical styles, as far as making one sound. We could double-bill with each other – that would be really cool. But it would be fabulous if we could fuse something.
DW: AtS has enjoyed some of its highest ratings in the US this season. Do you think Spike has helped take the show to a new level of popularity? JM: I think some of the ratings increase is down to the fact that they've made some really daring choices about Angel, having him make a decision [to become CEO of the evil law firm W&H] that could possibly be a devastating mistake, for him and everyone around him. And that's inherently dramatic. I think that I've added something, but there's also a lot of other really good decisions that are helping to create the show that we have now. I think that the way that a show is going to succeed ultimately is by ensuring the lead character becomes more interesting season to season.
You might be able to squeeze out a couple of extra good episodes with your secondary characters, but if you forget about your home turf and abandon your lead, then the show's going to fail, no matter how good your supporting cast is.
DW: Has working on AtS turned out to be everything you hoped for? JM: I knew DB was a great guy, but I also knew that he'd been doing the world fame thing for six years, and that can really play with your head. But the man is more a man now than when I first met him [during the making of BtVS's second season] and he was a great guy when I met him. He is a really great guy to work with. He just wants to do it and go home to his kid. He's so respectful. It's a much happier set than I expected. I expected kind of the norm for television, and what I walked into was a really supportive group of people. I'm really lucky to be in this situation and I think it's coming across on screen too. I think my work is better than it's ever been. I'm just happy.
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 30, 2004 17:27:41 GMT
Hollywood Reporter 'Angel' 100th episode A vampire's search for redemption finds creative legitimacy and network success with 100 groundbreaking episodes
By Annabelle Villanueva When the cast and crew of the WB Network's 'Angel' wrapped their debut episode five years ago, series co-creator David Greenwalt leaned toward star David Boreanaz and wryly quipped, "One down, 99 to go!" But the actor had more modest goals. "While we were shooting the first pilot sequence, I wasn't concerned about getting to 100 episodes," he recalls with a chuckle. "I was more concerned with getting through the night."
Boreanaz need not have worried on either count. Although television spinoffs can be risky propositions -- after all, for every hit like NBC's "Frasier," there's a train wreck a la ABC's 1980s entry "Joanie Loves Chachi" -- "Angel" has proved a worthy heir to the WB's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" since spinning off from the pop-culture juggernaut. As "Angel" celebrates its 100th episode, set to air Wednesday, Buffyverse mastermind Joss Whedon finds the milestone particularly sweet.
"It legitimizes this bastard stepchild of 'Buffy,'" jokes Whedon, the show's co-creator and executive producer. "Because 'Angel' has flown under the radar a little bit and isn't as strictly structured as 'Buffy' was, we've been able to take some really interesting chances. I have an incredible staff, and they work hard to make each episode worth watching."
Like its predecessor, "Angel" uses a heady mix of fantasy, action, horror and hilarious wit to examine all-too-human foibles.
In 1999, Whedon conceived of a spinoff featuring Buffy's 200-year-old vampire-with-a-soul boyfriend Angel and recruited "Buffy" executive producer Greenwalt as a partner on the project.
They originally developed the show as a noirish monster-of-the-week drama that found Angel (Boreanaz) and his breezy girl Friday, Cordelia Chase (fellow "Buffy" alum Charisma Carpenter), helping other lost souls in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. The brooding bloodsucker's search for redemption offered an opportunity to tweak the superhero concept, and Whedon knew Boreanaz could sink his teeth into the challenge.
"What's great about David is that he's able to subvert the (hero) image very slyly while not taking away its power," Whedon says. "He gives me the necessary anguish but has no problem winking at himself as the big hero, which the show constantly does because my whole career is devoted to subverting that idea. He definitely plays both sides beautifully."
But a problem presented itself a few episodes into the first season: The self-contained detective-plot elements didn't quite have the emotional pull that the writers had expected. "We found we were more interested in the characters themselves than in the guest star of the week," Whedon says.
In response, he and Greenwalt subtly retooled the series so its story lines focused on sustained arcs featuring core characters -- which eventually grew to include vigilante vampire hunter Gunn (J. August Richards), bookish occult expert Wesley (Alexis Denisof), sweet science whiz Fred (Amy Acker) and Lorne (Andy Hallett), the golden-throated, green-skinned owner of a demon karaoke bar. With each subsequent season, "Angel" became more assured in exploring dark emotion, whimsical humor and a portentous mythology, often within the same episode.
"We can go to darker and lighter episodes than you would expect," Whedon says. "That opportunity to be very true to the intensity of these characters' lives and at the same time free-associate about the world they live in means that the show stays fresh. It differentiated itself (from 'Buffy') because it was a different world, different characters, a different feel. It's the same parents, different child."
The dramatic intensity reached a crescendo during Season 4, when the writers conjured a full-blown apocalypse for Los Angeles and Cordelia entered into a creepy affair with Angel's son before turning evil. Die-hard fans delighted in the ominous, complex action, and several critics hailed the series as one of the best on the air. Unfortunately, the acclaim came with a slight wrinkle: The arc was so all-encompassing that casual viewers who tuned in during the middle of the year were nearly unable to figure out what the heck was going on.
"Season 4, we were more linear than (Fox's) '24,'" showrunner and executive producer Jeff Bell says. "It wasn't our intent, but when you tell a story with as much gravity as an apocalypse, you can't really have stand-alones stuck here and there. When our 'previously on' (promos) were longer than the episode itself, we knew we were in trouble."
Complicating matters further, after "Buffy" jumped ship to UPN in 2001, "Angel" lost its lead-in and some of its audience, averaging a mere 4.4 million viewers a week. By the 2002-03 campaign, that number dropped to 3.7 million. Not helping matters was the fact that "Angel" had, as Whedon puts it, "danced the schedule dance": The network changed its time slot four times in four years.
"It certainly is a show that has a loyal following, and honestly, I think to some extent, we may have taken advantage of that, knowing that they would follow the show anywhere," the WB president of entertainment Jordan Levin says. "At the same time, it's a little bit more of a challenge to support a show that has such an impassioned audience simply because once they watch it, they're not always there for the repeat. Plus, they want storytelling that is open-ended and serialized and has a deep and complex mythology. That makes it very tough to bring a new audience in."
So tough, in fact, that last spring, the WB executives flirted with the idea of canceling "Angel." As "Buffy" wrapped its successful series run in 2003, viewers grimly faced the prospect of losing both their beloved slayer and her former flame. In an effort to convince the network to pick up the spinoff for a another year, the Season 4 finale concluded with Angel and his gang taking over the evil law firm of Wolfram & Hart, a setting that would help support a return to more stand-alone episodes.
"This whole idea of getting the keys to Wolfram & Hart was kind of marvelous but a little scary," says Greenwalt, who continues to consult for the series. "But what a great way to reinvent this show the first year 'Buffy' isn't on; it's almost like starting a new franchise."
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 30, 2004 17:28:42 GMT
continued....
The network approved of the concept and hammered out a deal with 20th Century Fox Television to renew the series. As an added show of support, the WB paired "Angel" on Wednesday nights with top-rated drama "Smallville."
"Actions always speak louder than words, and providing our strongest lead-in for a show in its fifth season I think says a lot about our company's love for 'Angel' and our appreciation for everything Joss, 20th Television and the two Davids -- Greenwalt and Boreanaz -- have done for us," Levin says. "What fun to take a show and reinvent it without undermining its core strengths."
Along with more contained episodes, the new season has brought another crucial change: the addition of fan-favorite punk vamp Spike (James Marsters), last seen sacrificing himself to save the world in the "Buffy" finale. Now a ghost of sorts, the delightfully sarcastic anti-hero provides an intriguing foil for Angel: Both vampires have a conscience, and both are desperately in love with Buffy.
"Some people were like, 'Uh-oh, he's the other vampire with a soul; it's redundant,'" Whedon says. "But he couldn't be any more different from Angel. I think of him in a way as the new ingenue. It's a very intense, contentious situation, and they bring out the worst in each other -- but ultimately, it's one of the strongest and certainly the oldest relationship in Angel's life."
The changes have helped ease new viewers into the show without alienating loyal Buffyverse aficionados. "Angel" also is performing well in syndication, enjoying triple-digit percentage growth in some markets. Meanwhile, DVD sets of the first and second seasons are selling briskly.
"How remarkable for a show at this point in its life to keep reinventing itself and to appeal to a group of people who, prior to this, weren't loyal viewers," 20th Century Fox Television president Dana Walden says. "It does very well internationally; it's done well on DVD. It's an incredible franchise."
The 100th episode strives to find balance between a stand-alone story and the deeper mythology, with Carpenter returning as Cordelia (the character has been in an offscreen coma since last year's season finale). "It's very much a 'Where did we start; where are we going?' episode," Whedon says. "We want to keep it new-guy-friendly, but an arc will begin to reveal itself toward the end of the season."
Subsequent episodes will include flashbacks to Angel's time on a World War II submarine and a lighthearted puppet episode that Whedon promises "will have to be seen to be believed." One story development not in the cards is a long-hoped-for visit from Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar); though Gellar has expressed interest in revisiting her signature role, nothing has materialized yet.
"I really don't know if it will happen -- the ball is in her court," Whedon says. "If she wants to come, I have two characters who are in love with her, so it's not like we'd be lacking for story. However, if she doesn't come, it's not like we're lacking for story, either."
Clearly, Angel has been more than able to make a go of it on his own. Whedon, on the other hand, credits the show's success to a dedicated team effort: Looking back on 100 episodes, he has noticed that most of his favorite installments are not necessarily those he has written or directed himself.
"My favorite 'Buffy' episodes tend to be my own, but not so much with 'Angel,'" Whedon says. "When the thing gets bigger than the person who made it, that's when it becomes art."
Published Jan. 30, 2004
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Post by PokerKitten on Jan 31, 2004 18:18:26 GMT
There's a knock-out report from an Angel set visit by members of MTS HEREWOW! ;D
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Post by Cyrus on Feb 4, 2004 20:47:24 GMT
tvguide.com InsiderAngel's 100th Birthday Bash
This weekend, Guide threw a party for WB's Angel to toast the Buffy spin-off's 100th episode. The cast and crew all celebrated at Hollywood's trendy Club Ivar, including four-time cover boy David Boreanaz and his lovely wife, actress Jaime Bergman. Natch, Party Boy was there — risking his neck in a roomful of vamps, I might add — to bleed some scoop out of Angel's insiders.
Among the festive guests were Buffy and Angel creator Joss Whedon and cast mates Alexis Denisof (Wesley), J. August Richards (Gunn), Amy Acker (Fred), Andy Hallett (Lorne) and, of course, James Marsters (Spike). Ever the instigator, I was just dying to know what folks think of Sarah Michelle Gellar canceling her May sweeps Angel guest spot?
We already know Boreanaz was grumpy, but he still wants her back for Angel's series finale (whenever that is). How did the others feel about Gellar's decision? "She seemed very committed to do it," Marsters told Party Boy. "I don't know what changed. I suppose she doesn't owe it to anyone, but it would've been nice. Frankly, the real star of this show and Buffy is Joss Whedon. If she wants to come and play in this wonderful universe, I would love to have her, because she's a marvelous actor. But we're having a lot of fun, anyway. If she doesn't want to come aboard, that's cool, too."
"I'll be surprised if it happens," Denisof said. "People tried to get that talk going when Buffy was finishing, and she was smiling and not saying yes or no, because it was the right thing to do politically. But I think Sarah's moved on. In this town, anything can happen."
Notably absent was Denisof's real-life wife, Alyson Hannigan, who played lesbian witch Willow on Buffy. But we forgive her. Hannigan's in London rehearsing for the West End stage version of When Harry Met Sally — costarring Luke Perry! — which opens later this month. (Word is, she beat out Reese Witherspoon for the role. Buffy's very big across the pond.)
One fun surprise guest was actress Juliet Landau — Spike's sublime bloodsucking ex, Drusilla. When Party Boy spotted her, she was sipping non-sanguinary cocktails with her partner-in-crime, Julie Benz, who plays Darla. Last seen in November sweeps, Dru's been sorely missed. Landau told me she wants to come back, but is unaware of any plans in the works. Still, she's chummy with Whedon — the two shared a nice Hollywood hug later on in the evening — so it's only a matter of time...
Former Angel regular Charisma Carpenter couldn't make the bash — her rep says she was out of town visiting family — but she previewed the 100th episode during my recent visit to the set. "I come out of my coma because The Powers That Be owe me a favor," she teased. "Cordelia needs to set Angel back on his path. Angel is confused and in doubt about what his destiny is, because Spike has returned from another dimension and he is working for redemption and he has a soul, too. It leaves Angel in a lot of self doubt. So I set Angel straight and then I leave. I'm in, I'm out!"
Angel's 100th episode — entitled "You're Welcome" — airs tonight at 9 pm/ET on WB. For even more scoop on the supernatural series, read the Jan. 31 issue of Guide magazine. For a preview of tonight's episode, click here. And for more from Carpenter about Cordy's future, come back here and read tomorrow's Insider!
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Post by PokerKitten on Feb 5, 2004 0:37:15 GMT
MSN Chat with David Boreanaz begins on Wednesday, February 4 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. From his start on “Buffy” to his current role as the eponymous Angel, David Boreanaz has captured both the fantasy loving audience and critics alike. In a very special event celebrating the 100th episode of “Angel” David joins fans on MSN to talk about the show and memorable moments with his co-stars including Charisma Carpenter who awakens from her coma in this episode. Don’t miss this inside look! (you will need to download the MSN Chat software to access the chat) chat.msn.com/msnlive_feature.msnw?id=artist/davidboreanaz_feb2004
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Post by Cyrus on Feb 5, 2004 0:59:08 GMT
OH COOL! I'm in the chat room right now... it's not scheduled to start for another 20 minutes or so, but there's tons of people there... David's not there yet... ;D ;D ;D
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Post by PokerKitten on Feb 5, 2004 1:17:23 GMT
Cool. Please be our Bloody Spike correspondent! I HAVE to go to bed!
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Post by Cyrus on Feb 5, 2004 1:30:36 GMT
Took long enough for this window to come up... It's started! ;D He sound rather dry though...
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Post by nightnurse on Feb 5, 2004 1:45:35 GMT
Can't get in....'MSN chat has closed in the UK'...that's all that comes up...oh well, I'd have only pissed him off by asking how he feels about being the 3rd sexiest bloke on his own show after Spike and Gunn!
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Post by Cyrus on Feb 5, 2004 2:17:57 GMT
MSN Chat with David Boreanaz logged manually by Cyrus Please do not reproduce or post this anywhere else without permission!
Angel star David Boreanaz Wed., Feb. 4 at 5pm PT, 6pm MTN, 7pm CT, 8pm ET THEN Psychic Sylvia Browne
DishDiva says: Welcome to MSN Live! DishDiva says: Now is a great time to enetr your question for David! DishDiva says: Click the submit question button and enter your comment now! DishDiva says: Or question! DishDiva says: Pick up "Angel" DVD's shopping.msn.com/link.aspx?ilId=18957 8Thank you! Our guest has received your question and will make every effort to answer it. However, due to the large number of questions submitted, not all questions can be answered. DishDiva says: This afternoon we are especially pleased to welcome David Boreanaz, star of "Angel." DishDiva says: Make sure tune in to "Angel" tonight after the chat on The WB. DishDiva says: Your hosts today are Ash, Fredia and Budd. If you have any questions about MSN Live, these are the experts to ask. DishDiva says: Pick up "Angel" Season 3 on DVD! shopping.msn.com/link.aspx?ilId=18958 DishDiva says: David, welcome to MSN Live! It's great to have you here! DishDiva says: We have so many questions so let's get started right now! David_Boreanaz_Live says: Hi. Thanks for tuning in tonight, the big 100th episode. We're all proud to reach this milestone and I want to congratulate everyone that has been involved and thank you all for watching. DishDiva says: Make sure to tune in after this event, if you are on the East Coast! DishDiva says: Tori_gurl14 in onstage1 says: What did you enjoy the most about making the 100th episode of "Angel" which airs tonight? David_Boreanaz_Live says: Really being around Charisma again was great and to revisit characters from Season One. Having a great time with everyone else. DishDiva says: Are you doing anything special tonight with the 100th episode? David_Boreanaz_Live says: I'm working. (laughs) --MR PRESIDENT-- in Onstage3 asks: Are you aware that there are 1,000's upon 1,000's of Cordy/Angel fans? David_Boreanaz_Live says: I'm not aware of that Mr. President, seeing them tonight was a nice touch that Joss gave both characters, and I hope you enjoy it, but I'm not aware of that. bobette1114 in Onstage4 asks: Good Evening, David. How is directing an episode differnt than just acting in one? David_Boreanaz_Live says: You have more responsibilities. The whole cast was very supportive and just encouraged them to do what they do best and it was a great success and I enjoyed it. Neha_DL in Onstage3 asks: Are you aware you have like a serious fan base in India. We love you here! DishDiva says: Does it amaze you that the show is seen around the world? David_Boreanaz_Live says: Neha, it is amazing it's seen around th world. I think it's fantastic to have such a large fan base in India, it's a place I've always wanted to visit. David_Boreanaz_Live says: A big shout out to everyone around the world and I think Joss has done a great job to bring you some new things and we'll need your support for another season. lafemmedarla in Onstage3 asks: David, how do you feel about the direction this season has taken so far? David_Boreanaz_Live says: My favorite season so far! It's been the best time I'm having on this show and I love the direction of the characters and have embraced the story line. I hope to have another season. I am really enjoying it. JArsenal1966 in Onstage3 asks: "Soul Purpose" was awesome. Do you plan on directing more episodes? David_Boreanaz_Live says: Yes. I hope to, not this year, but if Season 6 comes to fruition, then hopefully. I had a great story line for that one and I think that all the stories this year were good and fun to direct. I look forward to direct more in the future. Babskeschattie1 in Onstage4 asks: Hello a big huggle from Belgium - David_Boreanaz_Live says: All right! BuffyChosenWPower5 in Onstage1 asks: Do you ever associate the character Angel with yourself, especially this season how he's "lost the mission"? David_Boreanaz_Live says: The Mission may have been a bit lost, but after this 100th episode it will come back. As far as what I take from my own experiences, every actor takes from their own experiences, and it's viable for the character. There's things that come from me that I David_Boreanaz_Live says: heighten and explore and take a different look at. Fulgencia7239 in Onstage4 asks: Which one is your favorite Angel: early, sophisticated Angel, season 3 goofy, dorky Angel, present Angel or Angelus? David_Boreanaz_Live says: You know what, all the Angels have been great to play. Going through the list is a credit to the writers not being stuck with a certain personality and I've enjoyed playing them all. I am enjoying this season's Angel and the upcoming episodes. There's a David_Boreanaz_Live says: submarine episode coming up and there's an episode that I'm turned into a puppet, that you have to see to believe! angelfan07 in Onstage3 asks: I was shocked (and very happy!) to see Lindsey return. What's it like working with Christian Kane again? David_Boreanaz_Live says: We're good friends, we're the closest out of the crew and whenever you have a good friend working with you it makes you feel good. I am proud to be associated with him. His return will be brief, but he comes back again so don't worry about it. shipperxphile in Onstage3 asks: Are we going to see any more Angel/Darla? Those two are HOT together! David_Boreanaz_Live says: Yeah, Darla is another character. If the story dictates it it will be great. It's just a matter of finding the right story for her to come back. tiggzOr in Onstage1 asks: David, does being a new dad have any effect of your working and the seasons to come? David_Boreanaz_Live says: Every time you're blessed with a child your responsibilities change and you know what's important in your life and you bring that to work with. It's good for me to see him grow from day to day and laugh and smile. It's been a great thing for me to go David_Boreanaz_Live says: through. chibi_kaze in Onstage4 asks: Do you personally think that the Spike and Angel characters have any romantic interest in eachother, albiet a somewhat dysfunctional one? David_Boreanaz_Live says: No. I don't think there's any romantic interest. They have known each other for a long time. There's a lot of irony between the two, they really don't like each other. (laughs) lafemmedarla in Onstage3 asks: Which has been your favorite season five moment so far? David_Boreanaz_Live says: Lafemmedarla, the first show that Joss directed was fun. It was a new direction. I enjoyed when I directed and the puppet episode was a LOT of fun, I'm doing a lot of looping for that in the next couple of days. David_Boreanaz_Live says: Also #16 where there's a cast change that I can't talk about. Mike7883uk in Onstage3 asks: Hi from England David, when are we going to see you in the new Crow Film? David_Boreanaz_Live says: That's coming out this year, there's no release date and there's not a final cut yet. I'm hoping for the fall, it's just in their hands now. Aventurine6 in Onstage1 asks: Is there any chance we might see your lovely wife on Angel? David_Boreanaz_Live says: No, that won't happen, Aventurine6. bumbledee66 in Onstage3 asks: Do you believe that Buffy and Angel will end up together in the end? TheXmasHooker in Onstage3 asks: Do you believe Angel and Buffy are soulmates? I mean so much time as pasted for them. David_Boreanaz_Live says: I don't know. I think their characters are destined for some romantic gettaway again. Those two characters may be heading back together at the end. Where they're at in their lives they are in the same place, they're just not together. DamnSkippyToo in Onstage3 asks: We want Cordy back! Please tell us that door isn't locked shut. David_Boreanaz_Live says: Those doors aren't locked, all the characters that Joss created open. There have been many characters that come back. They may get killed off and die but there's always a beginning and can always be revisited. Rachel169424 in Onstage1 asks: You Are So Cool .. love the show TheXmasHooker in Onstage3 asks: David, will Drusilla (Juliet Landau) be returning this season? David_Boreanaz_Live says: I think that the type of character, I don't see that anymore this season. Her character is set up for a period and if a story fits she will but I don't see that happening. Babskeschattie1 in Onstage4 asks: David do you still think that Angel should finish by being hit by a bus - that quote just made me laugh. David_Boreanaz_Live says: (laughs) Yeah, someone asked me that question, if I became human and went outside and just got nailed by a bus. I will be happy with however he goes out. (laughs)
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