News - September 1999

NAME Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) A.K.A. Soliloquy Girl ADDRESS No. 4 Parkview BIO You'd think the plight of her parents – Mom suffers from Epstein-Barr virus; Dad recently lost the family fortune to the IRS – would make Sunnydale's Most Shallow more sensitive to others. "Not in this lifetime," says Carpenter, who will follow David Boreanaz to his new WB drama, Angel. "And probably not even the next." SPECIAL POWERS As Cordy points out to Buffy, when it comes to dating, she's the slayer. TURN-ONS Popularity ("not just my right but my responsibility"); cheerleading (she was the apex-naturally-of the squad's pyramid); her red Chrysler Cirrus (license plate, "Queen C"). TURNOFFS Buffy; Xander (when he's not turning her on); being mistaken for a member of the chess club; off-the-rack clothing (gives her hives); tact. THE GOOD NEWS "She's the girl you'd go shopping with who'd actually say, 'Oh honey, you look really fat in that dress,'" says Carpenter. THE BAD NEWS "People would rather not go shopping with someone like that."

NAME Angelus (David Boreanaz) A.K.A. Stealth Guy, Cryptic Guy, and Buffy's "cradlerobbing, creature-of-the-night boyfriend" BIO A drunken, whoring layabout mortal-turned-particularly vicious vampire 200-plus years ago. (As Angel tells Buffy, "For 100 years I offered a violent death to everyone I met, and 1 did it with a song in my heart.") His comeuppance came in 1898, after he killed the favorite of a Gypsy clan; they cursed him with the return of his soul and conscience (a drawback for those who suck blood for a living). Except for a brief relapse thanks to horizontal romping with Buffy (sexual healing is not an option for the cursed undead), he's been moping the world ever since, shunning other vampires and atoning for his multitudinous sins, even lending a hand to the slayer brigade. Lives off hospital plasma or (note to PETA) animal blood. Chills out with tai chi and poetry. DISTINGUISHING MARKS A tattoo of a bird on his fight shoulder blade. FEARS Sex, given its tendency to suck the soul right back out of him; the sun. TURN-ONS Demon Angel: Darla (the vamp who sired him); Drusilla (whom he sired on the day she took her holy vows); snapping spines. Benevolent Angel: Buffy-the only woman he's ever loved. He's also partial, says Boreanaz, to "anything Celtic-y, since he's from Ireland. Like Irish dancing after sex-though he's not getting much Irish dancing, is he?" TURNOFFS "Rude people and hairy women." THE GOOD NEWS "He's got great clothes," says Boreanaz, which he'll continue to sport on Angel. THE BAD NEWS Eternal celibacy.

From jcbuffyfan: Please share any Angel news.
I can tell you that Doyle is definitely after Cordy in a big way. He even asks Angel to put in a good word for him. Guess he doesn't know Angel doesn't exactly have a way with words. Also, Angel goes after a serial killer who's acting up in local singles' bars, which means Angel has to play the sexy-bachelor role.

Charisma Carpenter says she's only recently been inside a casino, but after what happened to her last time she may never want to go in again!

The Las Vegas native tells Britain's FHM magazine that the last time she visited home she stopped by a casino only to watch a man die right next to her. "There was this guy at a gaming table one minute, the next he was on the floor," she explains. Perhaps caught up in the British sense of understatement, she adds, "That kind of put a damper on my vacation."

With her leading role on the new WB show Angel (premiering October 5, 9 pm/ET), Carpenter has come a long way since her first break, a guest shot on Baywatch. "That was my worst job," she remembers. "They did a full-on butt-shot when they'd said it was going to be a silhouette. I wasn't naked — I had a bikini on — but I wasn't down with it, and it was my first disillusionment. I've had plenty since — now I'm fully jaded!"

Even in her innocent, struggling-actress days, Carpenter was at least pragmatic. Her ability to compromise proved vital on the set of a commercial. "I had to do a commercial where the food had been glazed to make it look better, but the stuff they'd used was poisonous. We'd put it in our mouths then spit it out, but there was one girl from Texas who kept saying she wouldn't do it because she wasn't raised like that. So they fired her."— John Aboud

I'm also consulting on Angel and have done a fair amount of writing on that show. Re-writing, that is. So you won't see my name on the eps. (that's called flying below the radar - if you hate them I won't take any of the blame...)

"A centuries-old vampire cursed with a conscience, Angel (David Boreanaz) has left the small California town of Sunnydale and the only woman he loved to take up residence in the City of Angels. Between pervasive evil and countless temptations lurking beneath the city's glittery facade, Los Angeles proves to be the ideal address for a fallen vampire looking to save a few lost souls and, in turn, perhaps redeem his own by restoring hope to those locked in a losing battle with their own demons.

"Angel's solitary existence is disrupted when he crosses paths with another Sunnydale escapee, Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter), who has come to Los Angeles with high hopes of living the glamorous Hollywood dream. A struggling actress who isn't afraid of anything except someone not recognizing her as the talented soon-to-be star that she is, Cordelia finds L.A. and the path to stardom to be rockier than she anticipated. The two discover that they need each other: she for a protective hand in a dangerous city, and he for someone with a little moxie to keep him afloat.

"They are joined by Doyle (Glenn Quinn), a disreputable spiritual mentor who has been sent by "The Powers That Be," a mysterious and powerful force trying to make things right. A half-human, half-something else altogether whose charge is to keep a balance between good and evil, he will guide Angel on his path to redemption, although he would generally rather be at the racetrack.

"Doyle's visions provide very little information beyond a name or a face, so it is up to Angel to reach out to people, become involved in their lives to learn how, why and form whom they need saving. No longer can he simply hide in the shadows, Angel needs to connect with people and let them into his heart to show that there's hope in this world – and hope for him."

THE PITCH: Buffy's boyfriend takes a bite out of crime.

THE PERSONNEL: Buffy buddies David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter team with Roseanne survivor Glenn Quinn (acting for the first time with his own Irish accent). Buffy creator/producer Joss Whedon will continue to oversee both shows.

THE PREMISE: Boreanaz's brooding undead avenger (just because he's a vampire doesn't mean he's not a nice guy) pulls up stakes and heads for L.A., where he sets up shop helping the helpless to wrestle their demons. Carpenter, now an aspiring actress, will run the office, with Quinn as the enigmatic, outcast, representative of the mysterious, "Powers That Be."

THE PROSPECTS: Though the full pilot was not available for preview, producers are promising a slightly darker take on the Buffy mythos - not to mention a crossover with the Buffster herself, 'round Episode #6. And with Buffy as its lead-in, really, how can it miss?

Do you think the more mature tone of Angel will make it easier for the show to get Emmy nominations than Buffy?
No. As you can tell from last night, the old-geezer voters are resistant to any change or risk.

So, will there or won't there be an actual Sarah Michelle Gellar crossover from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Angel?
There will be in November--conveniently in time for sweeps.

The finishing touches are still being added to this spinoff of cult-fave Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So, we can't really judge this show by a few clips. But this much we know: Love Buffy. Love Buffy and Angel. But Angel and Cordelia opening some kind of self-help business in Los Angeles? Color us skeptical. Granted, the mood is still dark and it is (sigh) David Boreanaz, but Charisma Carpenter as the show's main source of comic relief is pushing even Joss Whedon's luck. The big joke here is that L.A. is a thousand times scarier than anything found in the Hellmouth at Sunnydale. To be fair, final judgment must be reserved for the finished project.

Also starring: Glenn Quinn

TIME SLOT: 9 p.m., Tuesdays

PREMIERE DATE: Oct. 5

CAST: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, and Glenn Quinn

CHANCES OF SURVIVAL: 8 out of 10

CONCEPT: Buffy the Vampire Slayer's brooding vampire ex-boyfriend, Angel (David Boreanaz), heads to Los Angeles and opens a butt-kicking-for-hire business. With the help of that sarcastic prima donna Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) and street-smart Irish ruffian Doyle (Glenn Quinn), the hunky bloodsucker vows to make the mean streets seem a little less mean.

CRITIQUE: Anything written by Joss Whedon, the talented fellow who gave us Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is certainly worth sinking your teeth into, and Angel's post-Buffy time slot is, like, totally killer. Still, the beefcake Angel may prove a little less tasty without the blond stake-wielder and her pals around to add a little spice. Let's just hope that Angel's new gig doesn't similarly affect Buffy.

Stars: Glenn Quinn, David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter

Premise: Even for the undead, there is life after love. Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Angel (Boreanaz) leaves Sunnydale and the Buffster for new supernatural intrigues in the seedier back alleys of Los Angeles. The ever-petulant Cordelia (Carpenter) has also moved there, now an out-of-luck actress. Giving Angel his marching orders is the half-demon, part-Irish Doyle (Roseanne's Quinn, an Ireland native using his own brogue), who would rather be gambling.

They say: "The thing that excited me was that this character so desperately needs redemption for his evil past," says executive producer and Buffy creator Joss Whedon. "It works like an alcoholism metaphor. The idea of atonement is an older kind of story than Buffy. It's not about the rites of adolescence. It's about dealing with the life you've made." Lest you think it's all gloom and angst, Whedon says, "There's going to be a lot of humor and twists." Such as this show's droll notion of "organized evil" — lawyers from the mythical firm of Wolfram and Hart, whose job is to "make life easy for bad people."

We say: All we've seen so far are the first two scripts — the series was sold without a pilot, since Angel was busy on Buffy last season — but we are already intrigued by the deft blend of classic film noir and hip horror allegory. Similar in sensibility to Buffy (Cordelia's hilarious contributions will be most welcome) yet defined by Angel's conflicted nature, this is likely to attract an equally devout cult following. Unless it's too much of a ghoul thing.

There's a curse at the heart of the WB's new show "Angel," producers say, but it's not the curse of high expectations. They like the buzz growing around their show.

The star is cursed. When you're a 240-year-old vampire and your girlfriend is a vampire slayer, these things happen.

In fact, the show -- one of the most anticipated on the fall schedule -- has several built-in charms to ward off evil and entice viewers.

First, "Angel" is a spinoff of the WB's cult favorite, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and it is written and conceived by "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon and producer David Greenwalt.

Second, it features "Buffy" co-star David Boreanaz as the title character. He was Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) love interest. Also making the move to "Angel": Charisma Carpenter, who played Buffy's cheerleader nemesis, Cordelia Chase.

And it's locked in to air directly after "Buffy," Tuesday nights, starting Oct. 5.

Cursed by a gypsy never to experience true happiness, Angel ends his relationship with Buffy and moves to Los Angeles. He links with Chase, who pops in as a gal pal, trying to help Angel navigate through the seedy yet glamorous City of Angels.

Why the buzz? There's the pedigree, of course, but Greenwalt believes the show has the blend of "comedy, action and horror with a lot of metaphor" to make it a favorite beyond the "Buffy" cult.

"I think 'Angel' grows out of 'Buffy,' but still is its own show," he says. "While Buffy is a bright and sunny character in a bright and sunny town, Angel is a bit more dark and powerful character, but not ultra-brooding. He's a grown guy in a grownup city."

Angel is also older and, being a vampire, less outgoing than Buffy. "I think the stories for 'Angel' will be a little older, a little badder," Greenwalt says. "The shows are polar opposites that are drawn together."

While "Buffy" plots have centered around the joy and pain of high-school life, "Angel" is twentysomething, out on his own and trying to carve out a life for himself.

"Angel deals with issues about what it's like to be a young adult in the world, and with all the questions that have consequences that need to be figured out," Greenwalt says.

To make "Angel" compelling, Greenwalt says he will leave the audience guessing as to when and if Angel will fall back into nocturnal bad habits.

"Angel has done terrible things in his past, and I think we've all done things we're ashamed of," Greenwalt says. "He's seeking redemption, but he might go bad again."

We know Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) will have to carry on without her vamp boyfriend Angel (David Boreanaz): He's not only left town, he's got his own show. However, that doesn't mean they'll never see each other again.

Although series creator Joss Whedon has said that crossover appearances between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its new spin-off series, Angel, is a scheduling nightmare, it looks like he's found a way to make it work.

The New York Daily News' David Bianculli reports that Gellar will appear on at least one episode of Angel, in time for sweeps week in November.

David Greenwalt, the two shows' co-executive producer, tells Bianculli that two other Buffy regulars, guitar-playing werewolf Oz (Seth Green), and punk vampire Spike (James Marsters), will both appear in the third episode of Angel. No word on whether Spike's vampish girlfriend Drusilla (Juliet Landau), who was MIA on Buffy for a whole season, will appear on either show.

"We would love to see her resurfacing," Greenwalt says. "But so far, the scheduling hasn't worked out." Both the fourth season premiere of Buffy and the debut of Angel are currently scheduled for an Oct. 5 air date on the WB.

Fans of Green, AKA Scott Evil, will also want to tune in to the new Nickelodeon show 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd, which premieres Oct. 16. Green, who's already busy voicing teen Chris Griffin on Fox's Family Guy, will voice the lead character, Eddie, a bully who's turned into a talking dog, and must perform 100 good deeds before he can be changed back.

THE CONCEPT The handsomest vampire in history (David Boreanaz) moves to L.A., along with another Sunnydale deserter, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter); there they hook up with Angel's pal Doyle (Glenn Quinn).

THE SCOOP Veteran Buffy producer David Greenwalt says that, hurting from his split with the bodacious vampire slayer, "Angel decides to come to the big city and drown his sorrow by playing Batman. [He and Doyle] start a little helping-people business. The whole metaphor is everyone has their demons, and of course, Angel really has his inner demons."

THE BOTTOM LINE Don't get us wrong, we love a moody, broody vampire drama as much as the next magazine, but we hope this doesn't turn into Bloody EZ Streets.

Image of Article