Well, this certainly makes me feel better. at least knowing that Joss wants to give going to another network/cable channel a shot provides hope. I have been feeling sick to my stomach all weekend. I do not want to lose ANGEL. It is my favorite series. I am going to come out fighting on Monday and mail about 1,000 postcards out to UPN, TNT, FX, SciFi, FOX, and USA. This is the one show that I would pay for. If it wanted to go pay-per-view I would find the money to be able to watch it every week. THANK YOU JOSS!!!

kdeweb | February 16, 02:56 CET

I'm also happy about this and hope it's accurate. I didn't agree with the comment that UPN might not want "a show that everone knows is on it's way out" or something like that. I think Angel has been great this season. I hope we hear something soon. I think it will be a quick answer because Joss already has experience knocking on doors and trying to negotiate. Hopefully, things will work out better this time around. It will become worrisome and most likely hopeless if UPN gives a quick no because I think they are the best bet. I'm hoping they are still interested in a Buffy spin-off because Joss can use that as leverage.

Firefly Flanatic | February 16, 03:01 CET

My god, this is depressingly tense. When do y'all think is the earliest we could expect an announcement. 2 months? 6 months? a year?

As much as I love optimism and optimists, I can't believe this is likely at all. What network would (or even could) pay Angel's pricetag when they could probably have 2 or 3 reality TV shows for the same price, and probably have close to the same ratings.

I hope it comes true, but this seems like some false hope.

nicoblu710 | February 16, 03:01 CET

Crossing my fingers and hoping. I have to say that I am a major pessimist, so I find myself thinking this a rumor...but if it turns out to be truth...Go Get 'em Joss.

Coll | February 16, 03:06 CET

From reading through the posts it appears that this steeldog person is a close friend of someone who works for ME. If that's true, it's better than no information, I suppose. Maybe. It's still not first-hand info.

But it is nice to think that perhaps Joss hasn't given up the fight. His bronze beta post sounded so defeated. Of course, it was right after the horrible news came out.

phlebotinin | February 16, 03:12 CET

I feel like Giles in "Grave" when he sees Xander confront Willow and realise that all is not lost.
That sounds incredibly geeky, but its the best analogy I could come up with.

Ghost Spike | February 16, 03:22 CET

I hope another network picks up Angel, it is by far the only good thing on the TV and by what I have seen of series 5 (I live in the UK and we are only up to episode 5) they would be foolish not to, I mean look at what they say on the WB website about Angel ratings:
ANGEL outperformed "The West Wing," "King of Queens" and "Becker" in the time period to rank #3 among persons 12-34 (2.0/5) and men 12-34 (2.1/6). The series defeated both CBS and NBC in women 12-34 (1.9/5) and female teens (1.8/5). ANGEL also posted year-to-year gains in all 12-34 and teen demos as well as among adults 18-34 (up +6%) and men 18-34 (up +27%).

cwlaurie | February 16, 03:46 CET

They also mention somewhere on their website that it is their second highest rated show.

Firefly Flanatic | February 16, 04:00 CET

No, not geeky! An example of "perfectly sane devotion," to quote Joss (I believe). Great analogy, Ghost Spike. I feel the same way.

phlebotinin | February 16, 04:02 CET

A BUFFY-ANGEL MOVIE!!! it has been discussed before, and was held off until both shows were off the air, which, ya know, is now...

http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=17015

nicoblu710 | February 16, 04:17 CET

I don't buy the idea of someone associated with Mutant Enemy being a unidentified source on WB's own forums.

And if he is legit, I hope Joss fires him.

prufrock | February 16, 04:18 CET

I could buy it. It's a fan site that's linked with the show. Should fans who frequent that forum be penalized because it's hosted by the WB? Certainly until the 13th it would have been entirely reasonable for someone linked with ME to have posted on the WB site. Although I think that this person is not technically ME but someone who is good friends with an ME person, right?

Of course, this person could also be a total fraud. Or if not a fraud, just plain wrong. Or just kinda wrong.

phlebotinin | February 16, 04:42 CET

He's got a friend or close contact who works for ME. The guy himself is just a fan.

Prufrock - if he was an ME employee, why would you want Joss to fir him, I don't get it?

Invisible Green | February 16, 05:12 CET

What exactly is Mutant Enemy?

cwlaurie | February 16, 05:24 CET

Mutant Enemy is Joss Whedon's production company.

lalaa | February 16, 05:27 CET

Invisible Green,

Because the poster doesn't identify himself. I don't think any production company would want one of the their employees divulging inside information on an internet forum without knowing who it is and if they're authorized to do so.

Again, I think someone is just carrying out a fraud to get attention. And if I'm wrong, that person should be fired.

[ edited by prufrock on 2004-02-16 03:30 ]

prufrock | February 16, 05:29 CET

The individual who posted the info is a regular to that board...And from the testimonials given by the other regulars, he seems to be legit and often correct on his info...Just take it for what it is...ME has just probably gotten over the initial shock and is working with fervor to complete the current season and look for potential buyers to pay for AtS expensive production cost and franchise fee (I have heard that AtS and Buffy's franchise fees are/were several million dollars).

Simpleba | February 16, 06:04 CET

I didn't see this until just now. Luckily I got to enjoy most of my weekend...I actually feel sick to my stomach now.

I want to think that I'll do anything I can to save Angel, but Firefly was so hard on me. I don't know if I have another round of this in me.

I hate TV.

ringworm | February 16, 06:19 CET

I agree a Buffy-Angel movie would be ideal. I think the Buffyverse might find the commercial success in cinema it could never find on television. After the "Damage" episode on Angel a few weeks ago, I'm a firm believer that the Buffyverse is ready for the big screen. This all started with a movie, it's time Joss Whedon comes full circle.

mai | February 16, 07:14 CET

I'm a lurker at the WB message board and Steeldog has given many accurate info before, so his news gives me hope. Anywho, for those who have previously read his post, he has updated it and looks like he jumped the gun a bit. Click on the post to read again.

[ edited by nychick on 2004-02-16 06:35 ]

nychick | February 16, 07:49 CET

Well I hope it's true and I can see it being so. Still not all that optimistic though. Angel is simply an expensive show. Main contenders in terms of finding the ratings attractive would be Sci Fi or UPN or maybe channels like Spike TV (Would be fitting)or TNT or something. Dont know, just thinking out loud. But UPN isn't doing so hot and Sci Fi has apparently already dished out some big dough for other shows. Spike tv is pretty new. Ah the tv world is a complex one and seeing how this cancellation came out of nowhere it's safe to say it's all up in the air.

I did wonder why Joss didn't even mention the possibility of shopping around with it in his bit. Probably too soon to even say anything. BTW do we know for sure that that was Joss btw?? Just wondering. Sure seems to be but you never can be that sure with internet.

EdDantes | February 16, 08:41 CET

On a side note...AtS has been doing very well in its syndicated reruns on TNT, so EdDantes brings up some very good options...And Spike TV was simply a buy-out of the former TNN (The National Network). So Spike TV is actually a well established cable channel that has just gone through a little name change and a little program tweaking...But alas, I don't think AtS would mesh well with Spike's (hehe) current programing.

[ edited by Simpleba on 2004-02-16 06:58 ]

Simpleba | February 16, 08:57 CET

The cast and crew have passwords on the bronze archives so the readers can be sure it's really them. So, yes, it was him :D

abbylee | February 16, 09:43 CET

The VIPs also have special colour code on their user names at the Bronze Beta board (which is activated by the password).

Last year there was a fake Joss post that sounded kinda like him, and it did fool some people into thinking it was him. It was taken down pretty quickly though, since it didn't have the VIP colour on his user name. Unfortunately, it did fool the WB and Joss got into trouble for some other asshat that was pretending to be him.

lalaa | February 16, 09:53 CET

Ah good, thanks. I thought it was probably legit, but it's nice to have it confirmed. Certainly sounded like him.

As for Spike TV, yeah I forgot about where it came from. (I remember a funny lawsuit by that director who shall remain nameless but thought that him having a name meant he owned the word throughout the universe) But Spike TV's programming not fitting? Aren't they into guy stuff? I mean, Angel's action and adventure. Not to mention monsters, fight scenes and the odd babe.

Sure we know it's way more but all those elements are in there too. Ah, just grasping at straws here. Show for sale. It's a bargain.

EdDantes | February 16, 11:11 CET

Thankyou nychick, I've updated the link description with the new info.

Simon | February 16, 11:22 CET

Hi. I'm new here but been a poster on the WB Angel board for almost a year.Under Asisovr8s
Steeldog is the real deal.He's been our inside guy and has been totally accurate going back a year or so....note his retraction.
We at the WB Angel board love him and he's always been dead on.

P.s. come visit the WB Angel board if Anger, Hatred and Death threats amuse you..really some of us are sane....LOL

A8 | February 16, 12:50 CET

My alter ego is CalebsPickUpTruk....Shhh thats my darkside.
The WB board is soooo anal...we need alias' to raise hell...LOL

A8 | February 16, 13:23 CET

Would anyone who frequents the WB boards care to list some of the things this poster has been accurate about in the past?

Sorry for still being skeptical.

prufrock | February 16, 15:58 CET

I wish Joss would tell the fans that he's in talks with another network so we can start begging them.

Elo | February 16, 18:37 CET

I can accept the fact that the BtVS and Angel franchise is not going to be making new episodes forever. I simply don’t want to see it end this way though. It’s really insulting that network executives are telling us it needs to end right now. I want it to end when they’re out of fresh material, and I think we all want it to end that way. Buffy ended on a high note, and it ended how it was designed to end. Losing Angel like this is heart breaking, absolutely heart breaking.

Let me give the WB execs some words of advice. This isn’t the lottery people, this is a business. If Angel’s not making enough money, find better ways for it to make money. If it’s not attracting new viewers, start by marketing the show in some satisfactory manner. For the last two years, the WB has not made it an effort to do so with Angel. Sure, reruns don’t give you stellar ratings, but they do show the episodes to channel-surfers who might be popping by. If the show has a reliable time slot every week, some of those new viewers might keep watching. Hey, it’s okay if you need Dark Shadows, Charmed, and Smallville to help you make more money. Just don’t put them above the franchise that got you on the map in the first place. It is common knowledge that you will lose faithful viewers now. You owe us; it’s not the other way around.

You know, I should just go and post that last paragraph on the WB Angel message board.

G Thing | February 16, 21:29 CET