Angel

"Angel: Seasons One to Five DVD Collections," Fox Home Entertainment, $59.98 each

Some television shows keep going long after the life has been sucked out of them.

Others die before realizing their potential.

And then there’s "Angel."

Created as a spin-off of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel" was the saga of a centuries-old vampire cursed with a soul, striving to protect the helpless and earn redemption for the countless lives he had taken.

For four seasons, "Angel" seemed poise to be a really great show.

In its fifth season, everything clicked - and then it was canceled by the WB.

Thankfully for its fans, Fox Home Entertainment has released "Angel" on DVD. A box set containing the fifth and finest season arrived in stores Tuesday.

Season One teamed series star David Boreanaz with "Buffy" alum Charisma Carpenter as the vain and comedic Cordelia and the late Glenn Quinn as Angel’s unwilling half-demon sidekick, Doyle.

Early episodes mixed horror and humor though not as skillfully as "Buffy" had.

The first season relied on crossover episodes with "Buffy" star Sarah Michelle Gellar and that linked "Angel" to its more popular parent series.

Quinn was written out of the series during the first season and in the subsequent three seasons, producers added several new regulars Alexis Denisof ("Wesley"), J. August Richards ("Gunn"), Amy Acker ("Fred") and Andy Hallet ("Lorne").

Seasons two and three fluctuated between moments of horrific brilliance ("Lullaby") to the inane ("Through the Looking Glass"). "Angel" had it missteps, but more often than not it delivered.

Season Four marked a lowpoint for the series.

Carpenter understandably jumped ship after her character was transformed from a shallow valley girl into an evil entity who was bedding Angel’s teen-age son - a character that had been introduced as an infant just a year earlier!

Even "Angel’s" most loyal fans had to wonder how the series could redeem itself.

The fifth season witnessed the addition of James Marsters, who had played the vampire Spike on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

The writers took full advantage of the chemistry and comic timing between Boreanaz and Marsters propelled the series to new heights.

On the script pages, the battle between good and evil became more complex and all of the supporting characters were given chances to shine.

Of course, quality alone does not guarantee a hit TV series and WB programmers drove a stake through "Angel."

The series last episode, "Not Fade Away," drew 5.3 million viewers - edging out the 4.9 million who tuned in a year earlier for the final episode of "Buffy’s" seven-season run.

The Season Five DVD set offers plenty of extras on the making of the series, behind-the-scenes featurettes on its 100th episode, a blooper reel and commentary tracks with directors, writers and cast members that are as entertaining as the episodes themselves.