Buffy The Vampire Slayer

So many TV travesties it’s tough to know where to focus. But since I’m still in denial about the "breakup," and too angry to speak about Wednesday’s AI, I say we turn our attention to more dishy, delishy fare: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which hosted a few reporter types on set last week.

The entire cast and crew were there, with the exception of one Ms. Sarah Michelle Gellar (Read into that what you will.)

More dish comin’ your way closer to the finale, but for now, I know many of you are jonesin’ for the 411 on any lingering hope for a spinoff, who might be heading over to Angel and, of course, the slightest clue as to what David Boreanaz might be doing on the last ep. So, let’s get to it.

Spinoff Spin: The cast and Buffy boss Joss Whedon all echoed the same sentiment: Definitely no spinoff this fall, but they are hopeful there will be one in the future.

"Somewhere down the line," says Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), "I reckon there will be a Buffy spinoff. There’s no rush on my part, and I know the fans will wait...Whatever happens here, Joss has created such a great stable of writers, directors and actors I have no doubt we’ll all work together in the future. He has an extraordinary family and an immense amount of talent in one place. I don’t see it disappearing—it’s very strong. Bottom line is, Joss is the core."

Both James Marsters and Nicholas Brendon (who’s now working on creating his own sitcom) said they would jump at the chance to reclaim their roles.

"Are you kidding?" Marsters asks. "I would be all about [a spinoff]. Spike is a Cadillac role, man. You don’t have to work very hard, but you get all the credit. It’s a sweet deal, so if they want to continue paying me really good money and making me look really cool and not working me very hard, I am there."

Crossing Over? Okay, so no spinoff this year, but what are the chances of the Buffy-ites ending up on Angel?

Time for a little guessing game, my sweets. All the Scoobs (sans S.M.G.) answered the question, "Will you be going to Angel next season?" Here are their responses—see if you can guess who said what. (And no, I won’t make you wait till next week, the answers are listed on the next page.)

1. "No, because [my character] and Angel never really got along, so it would be a hard thing to sort of plant myself on that show. It would be a strange mixture—or coupling, if you will."

2. "I think maybe I will. I talked to one of the writers about it and said it might be quite fun to bring me over there. It’s such an open book, and that’s what makes it so exciting."

3. "I don’t know. I never like to say no to anything, because if it’s something interesting and it’s a challenge, then why not? I do know I came from movies, and I want to go back to movies. It’s where I’m at home."

4. "Yeah, I think I am [going to Angel.] Definitely, we don’t know—but it is being talked about."

5. "I don’t know, probably not. Right now I’m in talks for features and stuff, but nothing I can go into."

Got it?

Good. Now, as promised, I’ll give the goods on who said what:

1. Nicholas Brendon (who seems fairly disappointed the door is not open)

2. Anthony Stewart Head (hurrah!)

3. Michelle Trachtenberg (who is shooting a teen movie this summer in Prague)

4. James Marsters (that’s a gimme if you read last week’s chat transcripts)

5. Alyson Hannigan

Now, of course, if anyone is going over to Angel, that would mean the show would have been renewed, which has not yet happened. But good news: Insiders tell me WB higher-ups are very excited at the possibility of a return of the Buffy actors to the Frog net—which could (fingers crossed) help the case for Angel’s renewal.

An Angelic End? If you’re like me, you’re scrounging for any morsel of info that might imply which way Joss is heading with the finale—will it be about Buffy and Angel...or Buffy and Spike? Here’s what the Buffy mastermind had to say about it:

"It was important for David to come and do [the Buffy finale], which is really sweet considering he’s all over the end of Angel at the same time. It means a lot to me and Sarah and David and the writing staff as storytellers, because Angel was there from the beginning and because their relationship transcends everything.

"Even though she has a romance with Spike, the relationship with Angel was Buffy’s first love. It’s too important not to cap it. You can’t put a final statement on it. I’m in the process of writing the script now. The show is about life, and the final statement on life is death. On this show, it’s not even that. You want to pay homage to the fact that he’s a big part of her heart, no matter what, without saying anything definite on what will happen for them in the future."

Infer to your heart’s delight. I, for one, am hoping for some series-ending sexual healin’.

In the meantime, something you Buffy buffs will want to know: Starting April 29, we’ll be showing exclusive clips of the five finale episodes of Buffy, every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on E! News Live. Tune in to watch some blubbering Buffy fan talk about how she’ll never be the same when the show is gone.

Also, as I mentioned in Monday’s chat, I’ll be talking very soon with Buffy boss Marti Noxon. So, if you have questions for her, send ’em in pronto.