Angel

Boreanaz is feeling the heat of the spotlight as he goes from "Buffy" supporting player to "Angel" star. "Pressure is something you bring upon yourself," he reasons. "I was fortunate enough to have two great parents who instilled a lot of confidence, and also a lot of humility, in me. I learned just to take things for what they are, work hard and be loose. With those ingredients, along with great cast members and a great support team, it works out."

Sarah Michelle Gellar is expected to make at least one crossover appearance as Buffy, with Seth Green and James Marsters of the parent show also set for "Angel" guest shots. However, Boreanaz feels there's freshness to be mined from his alter ego. "Within each episode, I learn something different about the character," he says. "He has a tortured soul and a guilty conscience, but at the same time, he's trying to make amends and become a better person. I think we'll see that happen slowly but surely."

Charisma Carpenter also transfers her "Buffy" character into the new show as Cordelia tries to start an acting career while helping Angel on his missions. He also gets frequent assists from Doyle ("Roseanne" alumnus Glenn Quinn), an otherworldly mentor.

The key link between the mythologies of "Buffy" and "Angel" is, of course, Joss Whedon, who is the creator and executive producer of both shows. Whedon says he sees the programs as "companion pieces. They belong in the same family and will hopefully draw a lot of the same audience, but at the same time, 'Angel' will have a more adult tone. Angel is a different kind of character, and the worlds he's going to be traveling in are different than Buffy's. I think (the two series) belong together because I don't think they're too similar."

Whedon adds that Angel's vampirism will remain at the forefront: "It informs the show enormously, because it's about that isolation. He's trying to reclaim his humanity even though, on some level, he's not (human). That deals with the feeling, 'Everyone else is normal, it's just me who's different.' It's a liability, but at the same time, he's stronger and faster and harder to kill than other people."