Question: I just read that CBS is adding yet another detective show to the lineup: Moonlight, about a vampire private detective. Wow, how did they come up with such a creative, original concept for a show? That was sarcasm, by the way. Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt created this show years ago. It seems our friends at Angel Investigations should take a break from helping the helpless help themselves. How can CBS get away with so blatantly ripping off one of the best television series in the last decade? Do Whedon and company have a potential lawsuit here? And if they can squeeze some money out of the top-rated CBS network, shouldn’t it then go toward an Angel, Buffy or Firefly TV-movie or theatrical release? Actor Alex O’Loughlin, son of AC/DC frontman Bon Scott, is going to have some big fangs to fill, but I say hells bells to CBS and this show. I doubt my fellow Whedonites and average television viewers will invest their time in Moonlight.- John L.

Matt Roush: I can’t remember a more aggravating mindset. At the moment, to my knowledge, only a very short clip from a presentation reel exists of Moonlight (that’s all I’ve seen, anyway), and while it didn’t look especially promising to me, I’m not going to judge it before I actually see it. The trades are already reporting the recasting of a female lead, so I think we have to look at this one as a work in progress right now. Still, I can’t imagine why it would be instantly condemned by the very audience that should be enthusiastically embracing a return to an often-neglected genre. Yes, Moonlight has strong precedent to live up to, and it would be a pleasant surprise if it had even a touch of the magic of Buffy and Angel. As far as I know, Joss Whedon hasn’t announced a return to TV just yet (we can dream), so what’s the gripe? Is every show about a supernatural crimefighter going to be seen as a rip-off from this point on? Give it a chance, if not a break. Again, I can’t guarantee this show will be worth my or anyone else’s time. I’ll take each and every show on its own merits. But waving the torches like mad villagers before sampling the product is unworthy of a fan base once known for being willing to go out on a limb.