Angel

Divine Intervention from Angel’s Admirers—and a Quippy Q&A with the O.C. OGs

by Kristin | March 12, 2004

(The artist formerly known as Wanda)

The results are in on this year’s Save One Show campaign—where you, the fans, voted for the endangered series you most want to save from cancellation.

I can think of only one word to describe them: holy-freakin’-poop.

Over the past two weeks, more than 400,000 (!) E! Onliners from around the world—Latin America to Australia and Asia—sounded off in our poll. The winning show received an astounding 85 percent (!!) of the votes.

That show is the WB’s Angel.

As promised, I am writing letters to the network suits (at both the WB and UPN, which has been pitched the show) to help make your voices heard. The original plan was to do this for the top three contenders, but because Angel took such a huge chunk of the pie, the other series—including Arrested Development, Boston Public, Enterprise, Ed, Miss Match, One Tree Hill and Tru Calling—each received only 1 to 3 percent of the votes. So, this year, SOS is all about Angel.

(We’ll also have some juicy O.C. scoop—since I just stalked, harassed and attempted to fondle the cast at an event—but first things first.)

To the Powers That Be at the WB and UPN: TV fans around the world have spoken through E! Online’s Save One Show campaign, showing overwhelming support for the recently canceled Angel. On their behalf, I am here to beg, plead and share with you the top five reasons this undead champ deserves to live.

1. The Fan Efforts Are Unprecedented. Not only have Angel supporters signed petitions (more than 75,000 on one site alone) and donated their own money for full-page ads in the Hollywood Reporter and Variety, they’re taking positive action by sending flowers to WB executives such as Jordan Levin (who, in turn, has passed them along to children’s hospitals), organizing rallies in Los Angeles and Hamburg, Germany—and even holding a blood drive to keep Angel alive. You will not find more dedicated fans!

2. The Ratings Are Strong. Its average of 3.7 million viewers this season—those aforementioned die-hard fans—proves Angel packs more Nielsen’s power than most WB and UPN shows. And thanks to syndication on TNT, many new viewers are discovering the series.

3. The Fans Deserve a Good Send-Off. The cancellation happened so late in the game that mastermind Joss Whedon simply doesn’t have time to work up an adequate farewell—one with all the brilliant touches I’m sure he’d imagined for Angel’s swan song. According to my sources, producers have contacted Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan and Michelle Trachtenberg about returning, but due to the late notice, none have yet been able to commit. Sarah might be available, but Alyson is starring in a London play and Michelle has been cast in a Disney movie, so they aren’t expected to be back.

4. The New Dynamic Is Working: It has been around for five seasons, but Angel really hit its stride this year with the addition of James Marsters and the big, fancy Wolfram & Hart set. The storylines have kept us on the edge of our seats—proving there is lots more life in the show.

5. It’s One of the Best Dramas on Television: Sorry, but it has to be said. With shows like The Help, The Mullets and Run of the House getting screentime this season, the WB and UPN should feel lucky to have a show like Angel to avoid sinking further into a pit of mediocrity. Angel has more heart and soul than any of that cheesy "family programming" and boasts some of the best writing on television, which is why it’s consistently championed by critics and fans alike.

It’s never too late to do the right thing. Save Angel, and you’ll be a hero to millions of fans around the world (and one lowly tube maven who’ll never be the same without it).

That’s the Way We Do It at the Paley Festival...Bitch! After last week’s too-good-to-be-true session with JJ Abrams, Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner, you know I couldn’t pass up the cast of The O.C. in the same locale. (Adam Brody? Yes, please!)

Earlier this week, the Museum of Television and Radio’s annual Paley Festival gathered the show’s producers and all the regular O.C. players—Adam, Mischa Barton, Rachel Bilson, Chris Carmack, Melinda Cooper, Tate Donovan, Peter Gallagher, Benjamin McKenzie and Kelly Rowan—for a powwow with fans.

One unexpected side effect? Hearing loss. That would be courtesy of the few hundred screaming girls who let out ear-piercing yelps every time Adam spoke, laughed or breathed. (The weirdest part? My throat hurt the next day.)

Beforehand, we reporter types got a little one-on-one time with the actors. And since it is the number-one question I get about the show, you know I had to ask whether anyone in the cast is canoodling off-camera (or face your wrath).

Sadly, no confessions. Rachel, Mischa and Adam artfully deflected and moved on, but Ben did give in, just a little. "I am a private person," Ben said (making me feel like the evilest mother around). "I prefer my life be kept private. But I understand that when you’re in this line of work, your personal life is going to be looked into. I just wish the rumors were true, that’s all."

There were a few decent onscreen revelations, however. It seems another O.C. regular, besides Anna (Samaire Armstrong), is leaving the show. Someone big. When I asked Adam about Samaire leaving, he replied, "It’s very, very sad. But it’s always sad when someone leaves, you know. First we lose Samaire and now...oh, wait, I don’t think I can tell you that." But Rachel did: "Another character leaves, that’s true, but I can’t tell you who or why or when."

According to creator and executive producer Josh Schwartz, one of the last four episodes (which they’re now working on) is called "The Proposal."

"That name works on many levels," he dished. "There is more than one proposal." And the recent departure of Anna and Theresa? "Theresa, I can tell you, will probably be coming back very soon. Anna, not so much." That’s probably because Samaire got a new gig headlining the new ABC series Gramercy Park.

Meanwhile, the next episode, with guest stars Paris Hilton and Colin Hanks, sounds hilarious. There is a show within the show called The Valley, which Summer and Marissa obsess over.

"Colin plays Grady Bridges, the star of The Valley, which is The O.C.’s O.C.," Schwartz explained. "Summer and Marissa go to L.A., and they’re invited to Grady’s 21st birthday party up in Hollywood. They run into Paris Hilton playing someone remotely similar to Paris Hilton, and she gets to say, ’Orange County. Ew.’ To Summer."

According to Adam, Colin’s character on The Valley is "basically a Seth Cohen, so there’s a ton of inside jokes." But he made it clear that Colin was not an Adam Brody. "He’s kind of a dick, so I hope not! He’s kind of a jackass, like more of a parody of an Ashton Kutcher."

A few more O.C. tidbits you might not know: Rachel Bilson is most like her character (she, like, actually grew up in "The Valley"), and Chris Carmack is the least like his character—he actually has a sense of humor, who knew?! When the moderator asked each castmember how they got on the show, C.C.’s was the best audition story. "I went in, read for them, and I knew I needed to make a big impression, so on my way out, I socked the next guy coming in, then slept with his mom."

Melinda Clarke initially read for Kirsten but didn’t get the part. Then her agent called her back for the role of Julie Cooper. "The part was described as ’Seven episodes only. 40 going on 16. Plastic everything. Tan skin becoming leathery,’ " Melinda said with a playful wince.

Meanwhile, that song you’ve all been asking about, the new rendition of OMD’s ’80s hit "If You Leave" (which they played in the Anna-Seth airport scene) should be on the second O.C. CD (yes, they’re coming). "Nada Surf, which is an awesome f—king band," Adam said, "recorded that just for our show." Josh Schwartz said he wanted that extra John Hughes feel.

There are many inside jokes on the show—most recently, the scene where Ben barked at Seth, "Do not insult Journey!" Here’s how Adam described it: "Ben told the producers, ’I want Journey in there, in that scene’ and Mischa was like, ’Who’s Journey?’ and he’s like, ’Oh, I gotta give you a CD.’ He gives her a CD, and she comes back the next day—if you’ve ever heard of a coincidence in your life, the lead singer is on set, visiting [director] Patrick Norris. He’s completely in earshot when she goes, ’I listened to that Journey CD, and it sucks!’ "

D’oh! As you can tell from my Wonderfalls rant last week, I too, am a closet Journey fan. (Reason number 487 Ben and I are perfect for each other.)

Which reminds me: Don’t forget to watch the Wonderfalls premiere tonight on Fox, and be sure to join me for our next chat, this Monday at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Happy tubing!