Angel

VG: David, what was your reaction to the idea of having your own show? Boreanaz: I’m very fortunate. I mean, to give me my own series - a character like this [who] is so diverse, so old. There’s so much to him. When I read the breakdown for the character, it was something like, "245-year-old vampire with a conscience. If you knock him down, he’ll get back up like Joe Louis." The Joe Louis line stuck with me. TVG: Joss, you’ve said if you had to compare Angel to a superhero, it would be Batman. Is that how you always envisioned him? Whedon: He does have the Batman thing of "I am all alone... with my 12 sidekicks." There are, like, 48 guys with keys to the Batcave. But, and I think this is a human truth, you are still alone. You can be alone in a crowd of people who love you. That is our curse. And that’s why I think vampires as a concept register.

TVG: In 2001, Buffy moved to UPN but Angel stayed on the WB. Did you worry that splitting the shows up would hurt Angel? Whedon: In terms of Angel I was pleased, just because it was time for people to realize that it stood on its own.

TVG: It must’ve been hard, though, to continue to deal with the WB after such nasty negotiations over Buffy. Whedon: Yeah. This was a negotiation where both [then-20th Century Fox chairman] Sandy Grushow and [WB chairman] Jamie Kellner went at each other. And when elephants fight, mice get trampled. It was really just about money.

TVG: David, what did you think the first time you heard about the story line in which Angel’s infant son, Connor, would age into a teenager within a few episodes? Boreanaz: It’s nuts, man. But when Vincent [Kartheiser, who played Connor] came on, I really enjoyed working with him. But now nobody remembers Connor [on the show] except me. Whedon: It’s gonna come into play again. Assuming Vincent’s available.

TVG: Were you shocked at how resistant fans were when you put Angel and Cordelia together? Whedon: "Resistant" isn’t the word. They were chasing us through the streets with torches. They hated the idea. The Buffy-Angel [romance] has lingered. Boreanaz: The Buffy-Angel connection has got to win out [in the end]. They’re perfect together. - Shawna Malcom