The End of Angel

[Vocenoctum]

From what I understand, Charisma left because her option was up, and she didn't want to be on the show anymore (commonly, actors are optioned for shows for seven years. After that time, the studio needs to renegotiate. That's why Terry Farrell left DS9 after seven years.), and possibly due to personal differences between her and Joss. I bet that in a Perfect World according to Joss, she would have remained on the show (and wouldn't have gotten pregnant).

Actually, in an interview, Charisma basically said she was fired, without notice. Something on the order of no one calling her, and when she called she found out she didn't work there anymore.

I didn't find the interview on a quick search, but this one doesn't paint a carefree picture;
http://theedge.bostonherald.com/tvNews/edgeTV.bg?articleid=14&format=

 

[John Crichton]

I wanted to share. This was posted by Joss Whedon from the www.bronzebeta.com boards...

"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 [Buffy episode] 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 grisly 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 FRIKKIN' SHOW.
I totally shoulda took the road
that had all those people on it.
Damn."

http://www.bronzebeta.com/Archive/BronzeArchive1076801504.htm

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Well, I guess I'll be going back to no TV after this season.

Not that I wasn't expecting this, but it is kind of sad. I really liked both BtVS and Angel.

 

[Henry]

For all the talk of lackluster ratings, and people talking about how the show was getting worse, in my eyes it was still like the choice of

1) Watching an all-star player batting .750 instead of the normal .1000 he enjoys, and

2) Watching a rookie bat about a .050

In other words, compared to the other material to watch in those time slots, it was head and shoulders above any reality-based garbage currently available. What, for the love of Joss, is out there better to watch? My Fat Obnoxious Fiance? The Apprentice? The Restaurant? Skanks on the Farm? Survivor: All-Geezer Edition? The O.C. 90210? Everwouldn't? One Trick Hill?

So far, all I have left is the CSI's (which don't always entertain me from week to week), Tru Calling (which can't even keep me for one show a month), Smallville (the only thing that's consistently holding my interest), Monk (which is a good show, but too few of them), and the various documentaries of Discovery and History Channels, and Mythbusters.

If the best show on TV is a show about debunking urban myths, something is SERIOUSLY wrong.

 

[dravot]

Yeah, I'm rather bummed out as well.

I'm down to the Simpsons, and Gilmore Girls after this (and occasional episodes of Queer Eye, MonsterHouse and Mythbusters).

OTOH, less teevee is prolly good for me.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

As a random comment, this:

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.

just kinda bugs the hell out of me... It really loses my sympathy when a writer, director whatever gets all "I was just too cool for them and they couldn't handle me". I considered Buffy and Angel to BE "mainstream TV", and they rose and fell as mainstream shows as far as I'm concerned. Good shows, sure. But just TV shows, produced for the television audience, like every other TV show... I felt sorry for Joss until I read that but all I can think when I read that sort of "They just can't get my brillience" crap is Get Over Yourself!

That aside, I'll be sorry to lose my Spike time, but I watch too much TV anyway, so its all for the best. It was a cool mythos, but maybe it will continue to evolve through novels and the RPGs. Much like star trek, third party stories within the angel/buffy-verse could fill the gap and make it a part of pop culture long after the initial run of a series.

Kahuna burger

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I felt sorry for Joss until I read that but all I can think when I read that sort of "They just can't get my brillience" crap is Get Over Yourself!

Whenever I hear Joss say something about how cool or brilliant he is, I can't help thinking "Dude, you're the guy who wrote Alien: Resurrection..." I loved Buffy and Angel, and will miss them, but come on, in the end they are just TV shows. Great TV shows, but TV nonetheless.

 

[Kesh]

From the sound of it, I wouldn't be surprised if Whedon drops TV altogether and goes back to doing films, just out of spite.

 

[Blue Prussian]

If you are interested, there is a petition drive going on right now:

http://www.petitiononline.com/ai5d0162/petition.html

I don't know that it will sway the WB, but there are already 26000+ signatures. I signed it just so I could protest their stupidity. If they drop the show, I guess UPN is the best possibility for keeping Angel alive. It certainly sounds like Whedon would love to find a way to keep it on the air.

 

[Pielorinho]

For all the talk of lackluster ratings, and people talking about how the show was getting worse, in my eyes it was still like the choice of

1) Watching an all-star player batting .750 instead of the normal .1000 he enjoys, and

2) Watching a rookie bat about a .050

While in some ways I agree with you, you're forgetting the option not to watch baseball at all . I'm sad for Joss and the crew, but frankly happy for the show. I love watching shows Joss writes, but am finding I don't always care for shows that Joss produces. Angel isn't holding my attention much this season, and I'd rather it end now than after two more years of limping along.

After this season, I'll probably cancel cable. Joss is better than anything else I've seen on TV, but that says more about TV than about Joss.

Daniel