"Angel" (1999) TV series 1999-2004

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Creators:

David Greenwalt
Joss Whedon

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

5 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

Live fast. Die never.

Plot:

The vampire Angel, cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and aids people with supernatural-related problems while questing for his own redemption.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Vampire Slayer | Redemption | Actress | Supernatural

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 10 wins & 41 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 9	6:00 AM	TNT	Hellbound	#5.4
Mon. Nov. 9	7:00 AM	TNT	Life of the Party	#5.5

Cast

David Boreanaz	...	Angel / ... (111 episodes, 1999-2004)
Alexis Denisof	...	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (101 episodes, 1999-2004)
J. August Richards	...	Charles Gunn (91 episodes, 2000-2004)
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase (90 episodes, 1999-2004)
Andy Hallett	...	Lorne (76 episodes, 2000-2004)
Amy Acker	...	Winifred 'Fred' Burkle / ... (70 episodes, 2001-2004)

Also Known As:

Angel: The Series (USA) (long title)

Runtime:

60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | UK:12 (some episodes) | UK:15 (some episodes) | UK:18 (one episode) | UK:PG (one episode) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Kuzui Enterprises

Trivia:

According to an interview, Nicholas Brendon who had played Xander on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) offered to jump to "Angel" (1999) after the Buffy finale on UPN. However, the producers turned him down, "because he wouldn't fit in."

Goofs:

Plot holes: Thoughout many of the episodes, Angel is often hit by sunlight, but it has no effect on him at all.

Quotes:

Angel: Stop calling me pastries!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ninjas vs. Zombies (2008)

Soundtrack:

Angel

Fresh blood...

When Angel (David Boreanaz) left Buffy: The Vampire Slayer for good in 1999, there was some concern over whether or not he'd be able to carry his own show. Certainly, the tortured vampire is a powerful character, but he seemed dependent on Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) presence, and the supporting cast seemed to be made up of the fat trimmed off Buffy: TVS after the end of the high school years.

Now, as Angel: The Series is in its third season, and Buffy: TVS in its sixth, those concerns seem unfounded. Angel is now, arguably superior, though it lacks the audience of the original show. The supporting cast has been fleshed out, most notably in the case of Cordelia Chase. (Charisma Carpenter) Once a snobby, Sunnydale rich girl, the Los Angeles years have turned Cordelia into a genuine, loving person. Angel and Cordelia are joined by Wesley Wyndham-Pryce (Alexis Denisof), a fallen Watcher, and another Buffy alum, Charles Gunn (J. August Richards) a vampire-hunting former gang member, and alternate-dimension refugee Fred Burkle (Amy Acker).

While it seems the original series is showing its age, Angel has been in high gear for nearly three complete seasons. The show lacks the goofy humor of Buffy, instead opting for a darker tone, as the characters strive for redemption and direction in a city that seems to encourage neither. Now that Buffy has moved away from the WB, fans have to go out of their way to continue to watch Angel. Do so, because it is certainly worth the effort.