Angel Renewed! (merged, with more official-looking news)

[Josh-da-man]

Looks like there will be a fifth season after all.


(The third item in the link, "c", could be considered a spoiler for the Buffy finale.)

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=15044

Great news! Can't wait to see what they have in store.

[Chew]

I'll wait to celebrate until someone besides AICN confirms this, but

[Morf]

Originally posted by Chew
I'll wait to celebrate until someone besides AICN confirms this, but

Ditto.

[SeanValen]

I'll hate to get my hopes up, but my hopes are up from all the positive talk before this link, so it's looking good, but I'm still waiting for official news on all big sites.

But I would bloody love to celebrate this news, victory is near maybe.

[grunter]

Could someone please post the text of the story, since AICN is getting hammered this morning as usual and is impossible to reach?

[bboisvert]

Originally posted by grunter
Could someone please post the text of the story, since AICN is getting hammered this morning as usual and is impossible to reach?

Here's the text:

We’ve not been able to confirm this with our best sources, who appear to have retired for the evening, but the switchboard has been lighting up all Tuesday night with news from lesser sources that the WB finally decided to slide “Angel” off the bubble and into a fifth-season renewal.
For those just joining us, this is exceedingly good news, because:

Spoiler:

a) Tim Minear’s fourth-season finale script is an amazing knee-slapper, and spins the show into a wholly unexpected direction (hint: one of the show’s most prized elements returns to loom larger in the Team Angel lives than ever before);
b) Some of the best writers from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Firefly” are expected to migrate toward Team Angel, transforming the franchise into a kind of Mutant Enemy supershow; and
c) For the many asking if Spike will die at the end of the “Buffy” series finale or if Spike will be a component of the “Angel” cast next season, the answer is apparently “yes.” You heard me.

The WB announces its autumn slate on May 12.
All rejoice now.



I put a portion of it in spoilers (although it isn't too bad).

[Copenhagen]

argh fix your spolier tags

edit:...damn if I just wandered in here a few seconds later

[Rogue588]

Good news

I may actually become a viewer next season.

Also, thanks for the spoiler warning Josh-da-man. I didn't check the main text...just going on what you guys are saying..

[Also didn't read bboisvert's post until this was posted*..]

*[I have a weird way of reading DVD Talk...don't ask..]

[Copenhagen]

Ok I'll bite, what is your weird way of reading the forum?

[djbrown]

Originally posted by Copenhagen
Ok I'll bite, what is your weird way of reading the forum?

Hanging upside down, suspended from my ceiling.

[clemente]

AICN is usually pretty reliable when it comes to there TV bits, especially when it comes to the Whedon-verse TV bits, so short of the official announcement, this is done (I hope!)

Good news.

[Nathan Gervais]

Originally posted by clemente
AICN is usually pretty reliable when it comes to there TV bits, especially when it comes to the Whedon-verse TV bits, so short of the official announcement, this is done (I hope!)

Good news.

true that. Of the group, Herc is easily the most reliable. Nothing is done until it's done but I'm feeling pretty good about it. That and in a couple of interviews I've read, Whedon seemed pretty upbeat that a deal was in place so that Angel would be back on the air somewhere next season.

[KayUK]

I hope they keep drew Goddard on, the shows he wrote & co-wrote have been some of the best episodes of Buffy this season.

[adamblast]

As far as next year's season goes, I'm really going to miss...

Spoiler:

the Hotel if, as expected, they leave it completely in the finale and move the headquarters into Wolfram & Hart. I loved the Hotel as a setting...

[Slumbering Fist]

Well, I noticed Angels ratings went up last week (it dropped to 3.5 most of this season but was up to a 4.1 last week) , back to its old numbers, so that is a good sign.

Plus all of the other action/fantasy series WB tried this season, Birds of Prey, Black Sash, and that Lone Ranger thing did miserably so they'll probalby want to keep something familair around that although low rated is at least pretty consistent.

[Dr. DVD]

I too read the AICN article and actually thought this thread was an official announcement, not another tease with a re-hash of what the article said.
Then again, a big if this is true.

[SeanValen]

Originally posted by Slumbering Fist
Well, I noticed Angels ratings went up last week (it dropped to 3.5 most of this season but was up to a 4.1 last week) , back to its old numbers, so that is a good sign.

Plus all of the other action/fantasy series WB tried this season, Birds of Prey, Black Sash, and that Lone Ranger thing did miserably so they'll probalby want to keep something familair around that although low rated is at least pretty consistent.

Plus with Buffy off the air, Angel being the only link to that universe, and some appearances of those characters, Whedon and co have convinced them also, things could be even better on the rattings side for season five. Huge fan base, renewal campaign, great press full of praise, big dvd tv revenue for Fox, for all parties, it makes business sence as well as our enjoyment of the show, so May 12th can't get hear any sooner to hear the offical annoucement.


http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/go...wswire&id=5893

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- Things have been looking up as of late for the WB's struggling drama "Angel." Last week's episode was seen by 4.1 million viewers, its largest audience since moving to Wednesday nights three months ago. More importantly, that episode marked its best adults 18-49 numbers (2.3/6) since its season premiere and its best male demographics in more than two years.

Equally impressive has been "Angel's" recent ability to build on its lead-in audience. Since taking over the Wednesday, 9:00/8:00c slot in January the fourth-year drama has built on "Dawson's Creek's" numbers by 19% on average, including a cool one million viewers last week. That's a stark contrast from earlier this season when "Angel" was losing 17% of "Charmed's" lead-in on Sunday nights.

[Dr. DVD]

I just pray they don't pull a Farscape on us.

[CCGoldRush]

In case anybody is interested, today's Variety (5/1/2003) still has Angel as being listed in their production chart (Buffy is not). Since this past season has been done filming probably for a few weeks at least, this looks like a good sign.

[MvRojo]

'Angel' wings in

As for "Angel," Frog has ordered another full season of the Joss Whedon-creative skein and will air the show Wednesdays at 9 p.m., with relocated hit "Smallville" as its lead-in. Frog has an option for a sixth season.

What's more, Paradigm-repped Marsters has signed on to reprise his "Buffy" role as punker vamp Spike. Other "Buffy" regulars may also make guest appearances next season, while Whedon has vowed to write several scripts and direct episodes of the show.

Jeffrey Bell and Tim Minear will be exec producers/showrunners.

Charisma Carpenter, who plays Cordelia, is not expected to return as a series regular.

"Angel's" recent ratings perfomance should have made it a shoo-in for a renewal.

Still, WB execs wanted to see how their drama development turned out, and, more importantly, needed to hammer out a new license fee deal with 20th. While "Angel" isn't a particularly expensive skein to produce, it doesn't do very well in repeats, making it tougher for the Frog to turn a profit on the show.

"Until we knew at what price we could close a deal for the series, as well as what the rest of our schedule cost, we couldn't make the call," WB Entertainment chief Jordan Levin said.

Still, unlike the rancorous Frog-20th negotiation over "Angel" sibling "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Levin said the "Angel" talks repped "a cordial, non-emotional negotiation.

"It's a deal that's acceptable for both of us, and also ultimately respects the fans of the collective 'Buffy' and 'Angel' mythologies," Levin said.

[Jackskeleton]

best picture of dave ever!

[nny]

I recently read that Tim Minear was going to do another show. Maybe that show didn't get picked up.

[Wizdar]

This should be a "caption this"



"Man, I think that last fart scorched my shorts..."

[adamblast]

The headline over at Futon Critic is Marsters In, Carpenter Out as the WB Renews Angel...

I can't say I'll be sorry to see Cordy gone, although she was a character I once really liked... I don't know whether it was the actress or the writers, but it seems like they haven't had a clue what to do with her, for the last season and a half... Not just her pregnancy, but even before then... Haven't there been multiple rumors of discipline/substance abuse problems?

The drastic look changes, the ascension, the amnesia, the whole Conner affair... Whatever... Unless she was coming back like the old Cordy from a few years back, I'm not interested anymore...

So now we'll have *two* vampires with a soul on the same show? Will Spike turn out to be a good guy or a nemesis? I hope the latter... Now that there's no Buffy-romance-angle, maybe he can go evil again...

[Chopper]

Originally posted by adamblast
The headline over at Futon Critic is Marsters In, Carpenter Out as the WB Renews Angel...

I can't say I'll be sorry to see Cordy gone, although she was a character I once really liked... I don't know whether it was the actress or the writers, but it seems like they haven't had a clue what to do with her, for the last season and a half... Not just her pregnancy, but even before then... Haven't there been multiple rumors of discipline/substance abuse problems?

The drastic look changes, the ascension, the amnesia, the whole Conner affair... Whatever... Unless she was coming back like the old Cordy from a few years back, I'm not interested anymore...

I'm not sure if she's totally gone from the show. The article says that "Charisma Carpenter, who plays Cordelia, is not expected to return as a series regular", which seems to imply that she'll be on occasionally. Or maybe at least for the first few episodes to write her out of the storyline.