Angel

The WB cancels supernatural drama ’Angel’

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN

AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES — The WB has done what no vampire slayer could: It killed "Angel," the do-gooder bloodsucker with a soul.

WB network executives announced their cancellation decision earlier than usual to give series creator Joss Whedon, who spun off the supernatural comedy-thriller from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," a chance to prepare for a grand finale.

"Angel" stars David Boreanaz as an 18th century monster living in Los Angeles in the present day as he tries to redeem his past evil deeds. The series is in its fifth season.

Whedon, who overhauled the show with new cast members and story structure after barely avoiding cancellation last season, said he was "heartbroken."

"It seemed like we hit our stride, so this is a big shock," Whedon told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "It’s like a hale 49-year-old fellow just having a heart attack and dying like that."

The show maintains a small but loyal cult-fan base, but WB executives decided the numbers were not high enough to justify the program’s cost.

There may be hope for resurrection. Although nothing is finalized yet, the WB has proposed a few "Angel" TV movies to tie up any loose ends in the story.

"It’s my fervent hope that all my cast and my writers will be much too busy," Whedon said. "It’s not that I’m not interested in the idea, I just want steady jobs for my people. But I definitely think there are more stories to tell."

A lot depends on whether Whedon and 20th Century Fox Television, which produces the show, will succeed in shopping a sixth season of "Angel" to another network, such as TNT, which carries reruns of the show, or UPN, which previously picked up "Buffy" after it left the WB.

Whedon also plans to ask "Buffy" star Sarah Michelle Gellar about a possible guest role on one of the final episodes. Her character’s romance with Angel was one of the vampire’s defining storylines.

"I’m sort of assuming she wouldn’t want to," Whedon said. "But I intend to find out."