The lowest, most maggot filled hole in hell is reserved for Levin. EVERY show BUT Angel? And the others are WB "cornerstones"?! Oh, okay, like Joss Whedon had absolutely no part in how your stupid little network actually made it into some semblance of life??

cubiclesatan | April 14, 08:02 CET

A show like One Tree Hill is supposedly cheaper to film, but that money would be much better spent on keeping Angel around.

[ edited by irish on 2004-04-14 14:12 ]

irish | April 14, 08:23 CET

death to the wb. I am boycotting after this season of Angel. Everything else on the network is garbage!

farbehindch | April 14, 09:29 CET

Honestly, it would be difficult for me to be more bitter about Angel's cancellation than I already am.

This is just more of the same from the WB. It's plain how they feel about the Whedonverse and its fans in general. We -- meaning Angel, and all who watch and love it, collectively -- don't figure into their master plan for network domination at all. It seems Angel's deal with Wolfram & Hart also erased the WB's memory of how loyal that audience was in their struggling, formative days. It's sad but true -- they just don't care any more about the fanbase that helped get them where they are today.

No, instead it's far more important to renew Charmed Alyssa Milano's cleavage than Angel. Because, between the antics of three barely-clad women stumbling through a minefield of flimsy plot contrivances and an ensouled vampire engaged in a powerfully compelling, heroic fight for personal redemption and forgiveness, there's just no contest. I mean, isn't that what good American TV should be? Flash (or should that be 'flesh') over substance?

(Now's the time when a sarcasm font would come in *really* handy...).

Wiseblood | April 14, 09:56 CET

Not to worry if what is going on with CBS right now filters through to the rest of the networks, like it seems it is - next year might well be the last year for the WB, period. CBS announced it's double-digit ad rate increase which is the first of the networks to announce what the advertising agencies have been expecting all along to happen, the ad agency have already made it known, "For months, ad agencies have been threatening to shift a big chunk of money from the broadcast networks to cable if the networks try to impose double-digit price increases for TV time next season." what their plans are.

So lets see the WB has slipped into 6th place among the networks this season, even with the UPN's weak offering it is now beating the WB in the overall thanks in large part to ANTM and WWE. They are returning a line-up almost identical to this year - minus Angel at this point. With a couple of expensive fantasy based dramas on the horizon for next season, Dark Shadows and Global Frequency, to name two. Not to mention the increase they will have to bare to go all digital and the affiliates having to pay a higher fee for their broadcast stations (could actually cost them a few affiliates)- add on top of that having to raise ad revenue by double digit increase and the fact that the WB lost 10% revenue last year. This could indeed spell the end for the WB network.

No big loss there in the over all.

Side Note : ABC in it's infinite wisdom has renewed Extreme Makeover, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and the long-running America's Funniest Home Videos. And yet they cancel Karen Sisco, while FOX cancel's Wonderfalls, and the WB cancels Angel. You know what I'm with the ad guys it's time to goto cable and forgo broadcast TV all together.

[ edited by RavenU on 2004-04-14 08:34 ]

RavenU | April 14, 10:23 CET

Yeah I've been noticing UPN has been beating the WB consistently for a while now which, a year or so ago would have been a rare sight. Well, couldn't happen to a nicer network.

Oh and I was quite bitter enough already but what the hey, I'll add to it.

EdDantes | April 14, 10:40 CET

So Levin thinks Everwood has had "an astonishing creative year". And Angel didn't?! I'm a non-violent person, but if there were a way for Levin to, oh, I don't know, trip on a crack in the sidewalk and suddenly be transported into outer space where he was sucked into a black hole and turned into cosmic spaghetti...
I'm not bitter. No, no. Not me.

bloodflowers | April 14, 15:35 CET

Levin sounds like such a prick, it seems he just has it in for Angel, the show's ratings went up, yet the (sarcasm font)truely wonderful, godgiven, holy (/sarcasm font) Smallville's ratings went down, in what has been considered the show's best year! I'm just glad my downloading of Smallville doesn't contribute in any way to the ratings, I wouldn't miss it if it were cancelled. And don't get me started on Charmed utter tripe, makes me think the only reason the WB renews that rather than Angel is that it has a higher breast count.

Ghost Spike | April 14, 15:47 CET

I'm really starting to think that Angel's cancellation was, among other things, due to the fact that I think the WB wanted to cut out shows that weren't produced in-house. Aren't all the other programs produced by the WB?

mchan | April 14, 16:02 CET

What goes around, comes around. I think it's safe to assume that Levin will be getting his, sometime soon. ;)

Christopher | April 14, 16:04 CET

My blood pressure rose to dangerous levels after reading Levin's insincere, ridiculous words. Everwood has had an "astonishing creative year?" "Charmed" is one of the WB's "cornerstones?"

Hello?

Nothing Levin says means anything. It's all hogwash. Levin is a robot programmed by demons.

phlebotinin | April 14, 16:08 CET

I agree with all the previous posted comments, especially the ones concerning "Charmed". It seems to me the WB canceled Angel to make room for Dark Shawdows, which I am guessing will be cheaper to make. I would have liked to give Dark Shawdows a chance but now if I watch it, all I will think is that it is one of the reasons Angel got canceled.

I hate the WB - I have never been so emotional over a show's cancellation as I am over the cancellation of Angel. It just wasn't time for Angel. The show was getting better all the time... the Shell episode was so good, it was amazing!

After the last episode of Angel airs I will find it very difficult to watch a show on the WB.

Passion | April 14, 16:14 CET

Can we please not post links starting with "WB renews..." ?

Elo | April 14, 16:14 CET

if there were a way for Levin to, oh, I don't know, trip on a crack in the sidewalk and suddenly be transported into outer space where he was sucked into a black hole and turned into cosmic spaghetti...

What we need is someone who can open a portal. Let's see... Pylea's definitely too nice for him, but Quortoth sounds attractive, eh?

melsta | April 14, 16:16 CET

Apologies for posting this again, but just in case anyone missed it, here is what a 6th season of Angel would have been like if another network had picked it up.

prufrock | April 14, 16:50 CET

Prufrock! A "NSFW" should be added to that! *quickly covers monitor*

cubiclesatan | April 14, 17:27 CET

Sorry about that. I thought it was pretty harmless.

prufrock | April 14, 17:41 CET

I am rooting for Angel's cancellation to bite the WB in the butt. They did it because of economics; they weren't making the money they wanted to make. So, they turned their backs on the franchise that put them on the map. They think all of us loyal Angel fans will faithfully watch Charmed and Smallville. Why would we continue to watch these ripoffs that are getting too old if you take away your best and most original fantasy show that still churns out quality television?

I mean, honestly, would the WB have been the hip highly-acclaimed network it once was if it had stuck with Seventh Heaven and Dawson's Creek and not Buffy? Neither of those shows will be remembered anywhere near as fondly. Want some proof? I just looked, and there are more than five times as many Buffy hits on Google than there are Dawson's. That network owes us.

G Thing | April 14, 18:47 CET

I have yet to see any sound business reasoning behind the decision to cancel Angel. Particularly in light of the other series that have been picked up.

Unfortunately that leaves the saddest theory of all: the cancellation was personal. Everything that's been said about what happened - a confrontation over dinner and a sudden "hit the road", coupled with the smear of not even showing the re-runs which could have garnered the show additional viewership - do lead me to believe that this whole thing is simply Levin taking a leak on Joss Whedon's fire hydrant, so to speak.

Unless Levin has repercussion-ridden accountability to someone higher up the parent/corporate food chain (and it doesn't appear that he does, at this stage), he can pretty much do as he chooses. He chose.

That doesn't mean he won't get canned if the WB fails to perform after all programming changes are complete, but nobody seems interested in his programming choices between now and then. One of the original statements/rumours was that they were dropping some of the dramas to go more reality, but clearly they've dropped just one: Angel. A one-hour timeslot does not reality-television channel make.

Then again, if there really is personal enmity in play, it could simply be that Levin's jerking Joss Whedon around. Levin could still renew the show before cast contracts expire, thereby making himself out to be a benevolent and get much PR. All the fan uproar of the last few months did nothing but garner the WB publicity. The entertainment media, for job-retention reasons, have focused stories about Angel's cancellation on the fans' activities, or on the state of television in general, and not on the WB leadership, so Levin has nothing to lose by playing such games.

Xieanthe | April 14, 19:45 CET

Very articulate Xieanthe. Even if Levin does renew it and try to take credit for that I would still support melsta's suggestion of packing him off to Quortoth. Or maybe a small cage of fire.

marmoset | April 14, 20:02 CET

-grumbles-
i think levin IS a demon...no speculation from me, i just know.
*curses upon him*!!!!

-ahem- ok..

buffyfanatic18 | April 14, 23:54 CET

[bitter] I don't believe Levin has the yarbles to pull off a last-minute Angel resurrection strategy. He's not brave enough, or honest enough, to admit he might have made a mistake cancelling the last vestige of the Buffy franchise.

In fact, Levin has given absolutely no sign he would even consider such a move. The WB hasn't shown the least shred of genuine understanding, sympathy or remorse for the fans' grief at the decision, and both Levin and the WB proper have distanced themselves from any formal connection to the fan's efforts, even the ones that benefit organizations which have nothing directly to do with the series.

A renewal reprieve would, perhaps, placate fans initially, and would certainly be a PR coup for the network that would capitalize on all the recent fan-generated publicity. But then, there's that pesky issue of those same fans having been jerked around by the WB for months (okay, years, if we're talking about Angel's lack of consistant, effective promotion and seasonal schedule shuffling). Backlash would be the likely result. It's just too messy and human to go back now. I think they'll stick to their stance if only to keep it a 'business' issue; god forbid the consideration of thousands of peoples' feelings and devotion should have an effect on programming!

At this stage of the game, I'm certainly not ready to forgive him for what he's put me through emotionally since Feb. 13th. If he crawled on his knees through a vermin-infested sewer lined in broken glass and presented me with a 6th season of Angel on a silver freaking platter, it wouldn't be apology enough. [/bitter]

I'm really not this bile-ridden all the time, honest (though you wouldn't know it from the way I've been posting lately). Apologies. After new Angel airs I'm sure I'll be feeling much better. *weak grin*

Wiseblood | April 15, 00:28 CET

No, renewing Angel at this point would be a loss of face, and if there's one thing you can't do in Hollywood, it's lose face.
Even if he knows he's wrong, he won't admit it.

Can we start a 'Fire Levin' campaign now??

Rogue Slayer | April 15, 01:06 CET

Levin should be tortured, like Puppy!Angel was by Vamp!Willow, except, instead of charming Willow straddling him, it should be that fat Balthazar(?) vampire! gah! I hate Levin!

pezwitch | April 18, 16:57 CET