"Jaye Tyler lives in Niagara Falls. Her life, like her blurb, are a work in progress."
Wonderfalls, the new Friday night entry by Angel alum Tim Minear, is a quirky, well-written breath of fresh air.
Highlights from the Wolfram and Hart Annual Review
Originally published on a now defunct web magazine in 2004.
On Saturday, February 21, 2004, the Wolfram & Hart Annual Review was held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Over two hundred Angel fans, many members of the cast and crew, and some special guests were there.
On Saturday, February 21, 2004, the Wolfram & Hart Annual Review was held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Over two hundred Angel fans, many members of the cast and crew, and some special guests were there.
Eulogy for Star Trek
"All good things..."
May 13, 2005. The finale of Star Trek: Enterprise has just aired. I feel awful.
A failing Enterprise: is there hope for Star Trek, or is the franchise dead?
Once upon a time in the early 1970s, Star Trek was an underground hit. Original 1966-1969 series reruns were being stripped every weeknight at six. New fans were watching the episodes over the dinner table, and catching on in droves.
The Angel finale opinion poll
Before I begin, I want to thank the people from all over the net who answered the poll and forwarded it around to their friends. I received nearly one hundred and fifty responses, and the answers people gave were terrific; they made me laugh, and made me think.
The Dead Zone guys at Best Buy
Battlestar Galactica: An Exciting, Edgy Space Drama
[Originally published on a web magazine in 2005]I have a confession to make. I was willing to watch a few episodes of the new version of Galactica, but I was positive -- absolutely certain -- that I wouldn't like it. I rarely watched the original; I thought they took a really good dramatic concept and made a kiddie show out of it, and I didn't like it, even when I was a kid. I expected the new version to be spaceships and robots, pretty actors and cookie-cutter stories. Definitely not for me.
Depressed about Buffy, I turn to Highlander reruns for solace
May 3, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column.]
There are only three episodes remaining of Buffy, and possibly only one of Angel, since its fate has not yet been announced. In just a few short weeks, the finales will have finale'd (and I'll certainly be talking about them in my column). And then it will be summer. Or as I refer to it, the television wasteland.
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column.]
There are only three episodes remaining of Buffy, and possibly only one of Angel, since its fate has not yet been announced. In just a few short weeks, the finales will have finale'd (and I'll certainly be talking about them in my column). And then it will be summer. Or as I refer to it, the television wasteland.
Angel gets shaken up, Enterprise gets sexy, and the Dead Zone returns
April 20, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
The Dead Zone aired their so-called second season finale a couple of weeks ago. The second season was supposed to consist of thirteen episodes, just like the first season, but if you were counting, they only aired twelve. I hear that one of the episodes, called "The Hunt for Osama," was pulled because of the war. I don't know about you, but I'm really curious about that one; I hope they eventually air it.
The good news is that The Dead Zone's second season was just extended; there will be six new episodes airing in July and August. Just the thing to help us all get through the summer television wasteland, especially now that Farscape is gone. No news yet on a third season for The Dead Zone, but it's looking good.
No such luck for the X-Files religious clone, Miracles, which was cancelled by ABC. But it's looking pretty good for Angel. No official word yet, but there's a lot of interesting and encouraging buzz about Angel right now, and it has a lot to do with the Buffy spinoff that didn't happen.
The initial idea for the Buffy spinoff was supposed to be Faith as a fugitive, and it would have included Spike as a supporting character. Eliza Dushku said in a recent interview that she ultimately decided that she wanted to do something new rather than revisit a character she's already played, and I think we can all understand that. I'm not sure how I feel about Faith as Dr. Richard Kimble with superpowers, anyway.
After Eliza tanked the spinoff, Joss Whedon and his merry band of producers went to Fox and the WB and pitched a whole new direction for Angel. The show has a loyal audience and makes consistent ratings, but it isn't generating big numbers or pulling in new viewers; I'm fairly certain they decided on some radical surgery because Angel is also in danger of tanking.
David Greenwalt told Zap2it a few weeks ago, and I quote: "I'm not sure we're going to blow up the hotel, but the notion is of them going to a place that is more like an advertising agency, lots of glass and light. It's going to be great -- visitors from the Buffyverse, including a possible regular from the Buffyverse. I think these ideas are so strong that it could run two years. It would be a whole new show. We'd put the characters in a new situation, both financially and physically. It's all about us saying, 'OK, you've been on the Greenpeace ship saying, 'Hey, Shell Oil is bad.' What happens if you actually have to go work for Shell Oil? What happens if you had to be on the inside, grow up, get a real job?' I'm really excited about it."
What does this sound like to you? That Greenpeace/Shell Oil thing makes it sound like Angel and his crew are going to work for Wolfram and Hart, doesn't it? How on earth could they make that work? Not long after this announcement, we heard that both Spike and Giles might be moving over to Angel. (To which I say, hallelujah! My two favorite characters? There is a God, and it's not Gina Torres.) The addition of Giles makes one wonder... what if the new direction has something to do with the Watcher's Council? (Thanks to Dan for that idea.)
This week, David Boreanaz told an audience in L.A. that several Angel characters are going to bite the dust. "Several." He said, "several." I'm assuming it doesn't include him. Angel already has seven cast members; if they add Spike and Giles, that's nine, which is too many for a show with a WB budget. Heads are clearly going to roll, and I bet that they'll be making decisions based on who will work best in the new scenario.
I hope they take this opportunity to cut Charisma Carpenter loose; the character of Cordelia has been jerked around and screwed with so much that I don't like her any more. I used to love Cordelia, dammit. And the feminist in me hates to say it, but I'm not a big fan of Fred's, either. I think Connor is fascinating, but I wouldn't miss him. The two characters I like best are Wesley and Lorne. I'm also very fond of Gunn. If the new direction has anything to do with the Watcher's Council, Wesley is probably not gonna get the axe. Yay.
Want to bet that Joss Whedon plans to use the next year of Angel to lay the groundwork for another Buffyverse spinoff?
Okay, moving right along...
Remember awhile back when The Nashville Network acquired Next Generation and tried to revamp their image by changing their name to The National Network? Well, maybe you don't remember because nobody noticed the change, and they're still having ratings problems. So they're changing their name again to, I kid you not, Spike. Really. I'm really not kidding. They're targeting the male demographic, and they wanted a masculine-sounding name. I have a cat named Spike. He's a total wuss.
The National Network, soon to be called Spike, made one good move last week: they started running Highlander again. I forgot how much I loved that show; it's great to have it back. If you've never watched it, do yourself a favor and check it out. I'm considering buying the DVDs, if only to see the sexy European scenes that were cut for American audiences. Does anyone know if the second season is coming out in DVD anytime soon? Or at all?
And finally, there's Enterprise. The latest news is that they're gearing up for a huge finale that will include a great deal of death and destruction on Earth, and some big changes in the storyline. And T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) is going to go through ponn farr. Man, I knew that one was coming.
If you're not a Trek fan, this means she's going into heat, and will undoubtedly be running around in skimpy clothing attacking her male shipmates. You can undoubtedly tell from the implicit sarcasm that I'm leery of this idea, probably from the justifiable fear that they'll screw it up. I wonder if she's going to do the horizontal warp with Captain Archer, though? I can picture them afterward, totally embarrassed and unable to look at each other. Could be fun.
Please, Paramount. Fire Berman and Braga before it's too late.
And that's all for this week in sci-fi,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
The Dead Zone aired their so-called second season finale a couple of weeks ago. The second season was supposed to consist of thirteen episodes, just like the first season, but if you were counting, they only aired twelve. I hear that one of the episodes, called "The Hunt for Osama," was pulled because of the war. I don't know about you, but I'm really curious about that one; I hope they eventually air it.
The good news is that The Dead Zone's second season was just extended; there will be six new episodes airing in July and August. Just the thing to help us all get through the summer television wasteland, especially now that Farscape is gone. No news yet on a third season for The Dead Zone, but it's looking good.
No such luck for the X-Files religious clone, Miracles, which was cancelled by ABC. But it's looking pretty good for Angel. No official word yet, but there's a lot of interesting and encouraging buzz about Angel right now, and it has a lot to do with the Buffy spinoff that didn't happen.
The initial idea for the Buffy spinoff was supposed to be Faith as a fugitive, and it would have included Spike as a supporting character. Eliza Dushku said in a recent interview that she ultimately decided that she wanted to do something new rather than revisit a character she's already played, and I think we can all understand that. I'm not sure how I feel about Faith as Dr. Richard Kimble with superpowers, anyway.
After Eliza tanked the spinoff, Joss Whedon and his merry band of producers went to Fox and the WB and pitched a whole new direction for Angel. The show has a loyal audience and makes consistent ratings, but it isn't generating big numbers or pulling in new viewers; I'm fairly certain they decided on some radical surgery because Angel is also in danger of tanking.
David Greenwalt told Zap2it a few weeks ago, and I quote: "I'm not sure we're going to blow up the hotel, but the notion is of them going to a place that is more like an advertising agency, lots of glass and light. It's going to be great -- visitors from the Buffyverse, including a possible regular from the Buffyverse. I think these ideas are so strong that it could run two years. It would be a whole new show. We'd put the characters in a new situation, both financially and physically. It's all about us saying, 'OK, you've been on the Greenpeace ship saying, 'Hey, Shell Oil is bad.' What happens if you actually have to go work for Shell Oil? What happens if you had to be on the inside, grow up, get a real job?' I'm really excited about it."
What does this sound like to you? That Greenpeace/Shell Oil thing makes it sound like Angel and his crew are going to work for Wolfram and Hart, doesn't it? How on earth could they make that work? Not long after this announcement, we heard that both Spike and Giles might be moving over to Angel. (To which I say, hallelujah! My two favorite characters? There is a God, and it's not Gina Torres.) The addition of Giles makes one wonder... what if the new direction has something to do with the Watcher's Council? (Thanks to Dan for that idea.)
This week, David Boreanaz told an audience in L.A. that several Angel characters are going to bite the dust. "Several." He said, "several." I'm assuming it doesn't include him. Angel already has seven cast members; if they add Spike and Giles, that's nine, which is too many for a show with a WB budget. Heads are clearly going to roll, and I bet that they'll be making decisions based on who will work best in the new scenario.
I hope they take this opportunity to cut Charisma Carpenter loose; the character of Cordelia has been jerked around and screwed with so much that I don't like her any more. I used to love Cordelia, dammit. And the feminist in me hates to say it, but I'm not a big fan of Fred's, either. I think Connor is fascinating, but I wouldn't miss him. The two characters I like best are Wesley and Lorne. I'm also very fond of Gunn. If the new direction has anything to do with the Watcher's Council, Wesley is probably not gonna get the axe. Yay.
Want to bet that Joss Whedon plans to use the next year of Angel to lay the groundwork for another Buffyverse spinoff?
Okay, moving right along...
Remember awhile back when The Nashville Network acquired Next Generation and tried to revamp their image by changing their name to The National Network? Well, maybe you don't remember because nobody noticed the change, and they're still having ratings problems. So they're changing their name again to, I kid you not, Spike. Really. I'm really not kidding. They're targeting the male demographic, and they wanted a masculine-sounding name. I have a cat named Spike. He's a total wuss.
The National Network, soon to be called Spike, made one good move last week: they started running Highlander again. I forgot how much I loved that show; it's great to have it back. If you've never watched it, do yourself a favor and check it out. I'm considering buying the DVDs, if only to see the sexy European scenes that were cut for American audiences. Does anyone know if the second season is coming out in DVD anytime soon? Or at all?
And finally, there's Enterprise. The latest news is that they're gearing up for a huge finale that will include a great deal of death and destruction on Earth, and some big changes in the storyline. And T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) is going to go through ponn farr. Man, I knew that one was coming.
If you're not a Trek fan, this means she's going into heat, and will undoubtedly be running around in skimpy clothing attacking her male shipmates. You can undoubtedly tell from the implicit sarcasm that I'm leery of this idea, probably from the justifiable fear that they'll screw it up. I wonder if she's going to do the horizontal warp with Captain Archer, though? I can picture them afterward, totally embarrassed and unable to look at each other. Could be fun.
Please, Paramount. Fire Berman and Braga before it's too late.
And that's all for this week in sci-fi,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
We dress up for Bill Maher
April 14, 2003[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
Yes, I know I usually write about sci-fi/fantasy shows, but I had an interesting television experience this week and hey, it's my column.
Spike moving to Angel?
April 2, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
With only five new Buffy episodes remaining before the end of the series, fans are in a major state of freak-out about the future of the franchise. That includes me, by the way.
Although there have been no official reports as yet, rumor has it that plans for a spinoff have been permanently derailed by Eliza Dushku's defection to the proposed new Fox series, Heroine. This doesn't mean there will never be a spinoff; we just won't be getting one this fall.
And what about Angel? Angel's ratings are consistent, but not fabulous. Creatively, Angel is having its best season yet. I love Angel for itself, but I must admit that losing it now would have extra added angst. No Buffy, no Angel, no spinoff? Too horrible to imagine.
But there's hope. I'm still braced for the worst... but rumors and hints and other wonderful things are floating around the internet. It started (for me, anyway) with an article on Zap2it, in which Angel co-creator David Greenwalt says that he and Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, and Jeffrey Bell have talked with Fox and The WB about new plans for Angel's next season. These plans would include major re-vamping :) of the main story line, and crossing over characters from Buffy. And, I quote, "a possible regular from the 'Buffy'-verse."
Of course, the first thing that galloped into my brain was, PLEASE LET IT BE SPIKE.
Okay, it could be Willow, too; I adore Willow. But Alyson Hannigan has said repeatedly that she's ready to move on; I bet she'd be willing to do guest bits, especially since her fiance works on Angel, but she doesn't sound willing to sign on full-time.
And it could be Xander... except that his character has been seriously underutilized this year, and I don't think his permanent addition to the Angel cast would add drama or conflict. I think Xander would have been a natural for a Faith spinoff, since Xander and Faith have so much history together. But I don't really see him on Angel.
Giles and Anya are out, of course, because the actors have said so, and I don't think anyone would propose moving Dawn to Angel. Although the idea of Dawn and Connor as a couple is oddly appealing.
Why Spike? Let me count the ways.
Reason 1: James Marsters is an outstanding actor, and he plays a complex and popular character. Spike is second only to Doctor Who on the list of top ten sci-fi characters of all time. His acting talents were recently praised in the New York Times and the Boston Herald; his performance in the October episode, "Beneath You," has been referred to several times as an Emmy-caliber performance. He even made TV Guide's 50 Things to Love About TV, and I quote, "The James Dean of the undead, played with sardonic sex appeal by James Marsters, this peroxide paradox brings a brutally carnal bite and a bitterly anguished heart to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffeted between evil and good, regaining his soul but losing his mind out of love for the slayer, Spike is the sort of romantic antihero fan club cults were made for." And so say all of us.
Reason 2: Marsters has confirmed that he's interested in continuing to play Spike. It hasn't been seven years for him, after all.
Reason 3: Adding a popular Buffy character to Angel (as well as having other Buffy actors guest star) will almost certainly increase Angel's audience, and Angel needs the ratings. Plus it would keep the characters going and serve as a possible launching pad for another Buffyverse spinoff.
Reason 4: The characters of Angel and Spike have a century-long antagonistic relationship, and they're now romantic rivals. Remember their acting chemistry in Buffy's second season? Put them together on the same show, and the possibilities for dramatic conflict go through the roof. I get excited just thinking about it.
I think my two favorite vampires need each other.
A pro-Spike campaign is already in the works. I'm planning to write a postcard or email myself. Take a moment out of your day and help support our favorite blond vampire; letting the Powers That Be know how much we love Spike is a good thing. And while you have those postcards out, stop by and help the Renew Angel campaign. Nothing will happen if Angel isn't renewed.
MediaWeek just reported that Jordan Levin, WB entertainment president recently said, "Angel could return next season on either Wednesday or Sunday, and discussions are underway with show creator Joss Whedon to possibly include some characters from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, which ends its run on UPN this season."
I'm officially encouraged. Especially now that Angel was just named as one of the six shows you're probably not watching (but you should) in TV Guide.
Moving right along... Alias just keeps giving us one great episode after another, and Ron Rifkin is turning into one of the tube's most memorable villains. This past Sunday's episode, "Endgame," gave us an omigod moment as Sloane took revenge on Dixon for Emily's accidental death (see my review for more). I wasn't sure if this show could survive the shake up of its original premise, but it has; I dare say it's even getting better.
Finally, what's up with The Dead Zone? At the end of this Sunday's episode, "Playing God" (an outstanding if slightly maudlin episode featuring Ally Sheedy in a small Breakfast Club reunion), the preview for next week clearly said that it was the season finale. If I take my shoes off and count, that's twelve episodes. Is that all we're getting this year?
That's all for this week,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
With only five new Buffy episodes remaining before the end of the series, fans are in a major state of freak-out about the future of the franchise. That includes me, by the way.
Although there have been no official reports as yet, rumor has it that plans for a spinoff have been permanently derailed by Eliza Dushku's defection to the proposed new Fox series, Heroine. This doesn't mean there will never be a spinoff; we just won't be getting one this fall.
And what about Angel? Angel's ratings are consistent, but not fabulous. Creatively, Angel is having its best season yet. I love Angel for itself, but I must admit that losing it now would have extra added angst. No Buffy, no Angel, no spinoff? Too horrible to imagine.
But there's hope. I'm still braced for the worst... but rumors and hints and other wonderful things are floating around the internet. It started (for me, anyway) with an article on Zap2it, in which Angel co-creator David Greenwalt says that he and Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, and Jeffrey Bell have talked with Fox and The WB about new plans for Angel's next season. These plans would include major re-vamping :) of the main story line, and crossing over characters from Buffy. And, I quote, "a possible regular from the 'Buffy'-verse."
Of course, the first thing that galloped into my brain was, PLEASE LET IT BE SPIKE.
Okay, it could be Willow, too; I adore Willow. But Alyson Hannigan has said repeatedly that she's ready to move on; I bet she'd be willing to do guest bits, especially since her fiance works on Angel, but she doesn't sound willing to sign on full-time.
And it could be Xander... except that his character has been seriously underutilized this year, and I don't think his permanent addition to the Angel cast would add drama or conflict. I think Xander would have been a natural for a Faith spinoff, since Xander and Faith have so much history together. But I don't really see him on Angel.
Giles and Anya are out, of course, because the actors have said so, and I don't think anyone would propose moving Dawn to Angel. Although the idea of Dawn and Connor as a couple is oddly appealing.
Why Spike? Let me count the ways.
Reason 1: James Marsters is an outstanding actor, and he plays a complex and popular character. Spike is second only to Doctor Who on the list of top ten sci-fi characters of all time. His acting talents were recently praised in the New York Times and the Boston Herald; his performance in the October episode, "Beneath You," has been referred to several times as an Emmy-caliber performance. He even made TV Guide's 50 Things to Love About TV, and I quote, "The James Dean of the undead, played with sardonic sex appeal by James Marsters, this peroxide paradox brings a brutally carnal bite and a bitterly anguished heart to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffeted between evil and good, regaining his soul but losing his mind out of love for the slayer, Spike is the sort of romantic antihero fan club cults were made for." And so say all of us.
Reason 2: Marsters has confirmed that he's interested in continuing to play Spike. It hasn't been seven years for him, after all.
Reason 3: Adding a popular Buffy character to Angel (as well as having other Buffy actors guest star) will almost certainly increase Angel's audience, and Angel needs the ratings. Plus it would keep the characters going and serve as a possible launching pad for another Buffyverse spinoff.
Reason 4: The characters of Angel and Spike have a century-long antagonistic relationship, and they're now romantic rivals. Remember their acting chemistry in Buffy's second season? Put them together on the same show, and the possibilities for dramatic conflict go through the roof. I get excited just thinking about it.
I think my two favorite vampires need each other.
A pro-Spike campaign is already in the works. I'm planning to write a postcard or email myself. Take a moment out of your day and help support our favorite blond vampire; letting the Powers That Be know how much we love Spike is a good thing. And while you have those postcards out, stop by and help the Renew Angel campaign. Nothing will happen if Angel isn't renewed.
MediaWeek just reported that Jordan Levin, WB entertainment president recently said, "Angel could return next season on either Wednesday or Sunday, and discussions are underway with show creator Joss Whedon to possibly include some characters from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, which ends its run on UPN this season."
I'm officially encouraged. Especially now that Angel was just named as one of the six shows you're probably not watching (but you should) in TV Guide.
Moving right along... Alias just keeps giving us one great episode after another, and Ron Rifkin is turning into one of the tube's most memorable villains. This past Sunday's episode, "Endgame," gave us an omigod moment as Sloane took revenge on Dixon for Emily's accidental death (see my review for more). I wasn't sure if this show could survive the shake up of its original premise, but it has; I dare say it's even getting better.
Finally, what's up with The Dead Zone? At the end of this Sunday's episode, "Playing God" (an outstanding if slightly maudlin episode featuring Ally Sheedy in a small Breakfast Club reunion), the preview for next week clearly said that it was the season finale. If I take my shoes off and count, that's twelve episodes. Is that all we're getting this year?
That's all for this week,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Those anti-Spike hackers part deux, the Angel DVD, and Miracles
March 16, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
My column last week seems to have touched a nerve; I received several well-written messages of support, and one less well-written message full of exclamation points suggesting that I stuff it. I also heard that my opinion was slammed on a certain Buffy board, which is certainly their privilege... although the immortal words of William Shatner, "get a life!" come to mind.
Last week, I referred to letter-writing campaigns. Why would letter-writing campaigns be unfair? Certainly, very few letter-writing campaigns are fixed; a fan letter-writing campaign saved Star Trek back in 1968, giving it that all-important third season (a little ancient history there). If it hadn't been for the fans, the entire franchise -- the movies, the multiple series, the books, you name it -- would never have happened.
But what if a specific group organizes its members, feeds them form letters, and then instructs each member to send in multiple letters and/or messages?
Could this be what happened to Kristin's recent poll on whether Buffy should be with Angel or with Spike at the end of the series? (The results were Buffy/Angel, 56%, Buffy/Spike, 44%). But hey, probably not; perhaps the lack of Buffy/Spike sparks so far this year was the cause. It hardly matters in the grand scheme of things. Somehow I doubt that Mutant Enemy takes internet polls seriously when making decisions about what to do with their characters; focus groups and direct polling of actual human beings will carry more weight.
You know, I adore Angel and David Boreanaz, and I was a big fan of the Buffy/Angel romance back in the day. I just happen to like James Marsters more, and I'm not alone. Do I think Buffy will walk into the sunset with either of her vampire lovers? Come on. Would Joss Whedon go completely against type and give fans a trite Mulder/Scully ending? I don't think so.
The next new Buffy episode airs on March 25, and it is centered around Spike. It's about time. Many Buffy episodes this season have suffered from too much with the slayers-in-training, and not enough Spike, Willow, and Xander.
Spinoff talk is now focused on the character of Willow, possibly because of her crossover stint this coming Wednesday on Angel. By all reports, though, Alyson Hannigan does not sound enthused. Personally, I love all of the Buffy characters and will watch any spinoff... but please, whatever it is, let it include Spike!
Firefly star Nathan Fillion has been signed to play a key role in the last five episodes of the series. And Anthony Stewart Head has mentioned that talk of a spinoff series for his character, Giles, may be moving in a different direction -- a television movie, which would be a much easier-to-execute proposition for Joss Whedon than a BBC series. As far as I'm concerned, any Giles is good Giles; go, Joss, go.
Speaking of Angel, I'm currently working my way through the recently released first season DVD. Although I'm enjoying the uncut episodes, the extras are a non-starter. The four featurettes run a total of only about half an hour, and include short, unsubstantial comments by the producers David Greenwalt and Tim Minear, and actors David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards, and Elizabeth Rohm. There is little discussion of Glenn Quinn, which is not surprising considering that the DVD was packaged before his untimely death.
The high point of the DVD is definitely the episodes themselves, which is probably as it should be. There are several good ones, most notably those featuring crossovers with Buffy, Spike, Oz, and Faith; in fact, the two episodes with Faith ("Five by Five" and "Sanctuary") are critical to understanding what is going on with her character in the episodes airing now. "Hero," the last episode with Glenn Quinn, is much more of a tear-jerker now than it was when it aired. I was reminded of how much I originally disliked Alexis Denisof's Wesley, and how quickly he won me over; he's my favorite character now. I was also struck by how different David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter look now than they did three years ago.
There are also some colossally bad episodes, such as "I Fall to Pieces," "Expecting," and "She." In fact, there's a lack of cohesion in the entire first season; they seem to be feeling their way in the dark, as it were. Angel improved dramatically in its second year with the return of Darla and Drusilla, and the amping up of Wolfram & Hart characters Lindsey McDonald and Lilah Morgan.
Executive producer David Greenwalt left Angel last summer to co-executive produce the new show Miracles, which debuted just over a month ago on ABC. Unfortunately, I missed the debut and have only caught the last two episodes, but I'm catching up as quickly as I can.
Miracles is intriguing, although the plot lines of the last two episodes have not impressed me and I'm constantly reminded of similarities to The X-Files, Millennium, and The Sixth Sense. But the look of the show is captivating, the religious undertones are fascinating, and the acting is good; the show has promise, and I plan to continue watching.
That's all for this week,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
My column last week seems to have touched a nerve; I received several well-written messages of support, and one less well-written message full of exclamation points suggesting that I stuff it. I also heard that my opinion was slammed on a certain Buffy board, which is certainly their privilege... although the immortal words of William Shatner, "get a life!" come to mind.
Last week, I referred to letter-writing campaigns. Why would letter-writing campaigns be unfair? Certainly, very few letter-writing campaigns are fixed; a fan letter-writing campaign saved Star Trek back in 1968, giving it that all-important third season (a little ancient history there). If it hadn't been for the fans, the entire franchise -- the movies, the multiple series, the books, you name it -- would never have happened.
But what if a specific group organizes its members, feeds them form letters, and then instructs each member to send in multiple letters and/or messages?
Could this be what happened to Kristin's recent poll on whether Buffy should be with Angel or with Spike at the end of the series? (The results were Buffy/Angel, 56%, Buffy/Spike, 44%). But hey, probably not; perhaps the lack of Buffy/Spike sparks so far this year was the cause. It hardly matters in the grand scheme of things. Somehow I doubt that Mutant Enemy takes internet polls seriously when making decisions about what to do with their characters; focus groups and direct polling of actual human beings will carry more weight.
You know, I adore Angel and David Boreanaz, and I was a big fan of the Buffy/Angel romance back in the day. I just happen to like James Marsters more, and I'm not alone. Do I think Buffy will walk into the sunset with either of her vampire lovers? Come on. Would Joss Whedon go completely against type and give fans a trite Mulder/Scully ending? I don't think so.
The next new Buffy episode airs on March 25, and it is centered around Spike. It's about time. Many Buffy episodes this season have suffered from too much with the slayers-in-training, and not enough Spike, Willow, and Xander.
Spinoff talk is now focused on the character of Willow, possibly because of her crossover stint this coming Wednesday on Angel. By all reports, though, Alyson Hannigan does not sound enthused. Personally, I love all of the Buffy characters and will watch any spinoff... but please, whatever it is, let it include Spike!
Firefly star Nathan Fillion has been signed to play a key role in the last five episodes of the series. And Anthony Stewart Head has mentioned that talk of a spinoff series for his character, Giles, may be moving in a different direction -- a television movie, which would be a much easier-to-execute proposition for Joss Whedon than a BBC series. As far as I'm concerned, any Giles is good Giles; go, Joss, go.
Speaking of Angel, I'm currently working my way through the recently released first season DVD. Although I'm enjoying the uncut episodes, the extras are a non-starter. The four featurettes run a total of only about half an hour, and include short, unsubstantial comments by the producers David Greenwalt and Tim Minear, and actors David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards, and Elizabeth Rohm. There is little discussion of Glenn Quinn, which is not surprising considering that the DVD was packaged before his untimely death.
The high point of the DVD is definitely the episodes themselves, which is probably as it should be. There are several good ones, most notably those featuring crossovers with Buffy, Spike, Oz, and Faith; in fact, the two episodes with Faith ("Five by Five" and "Sanctuary") are critical to understanding what is going on with her character in the episodes airing now. "Hero," the last episode with Glenn Quinn, is much more of a tear-jerker now than it was when it aired. I was reminded of how much I originally disliked Alexis Denisof's Wesley, and how quickly he won me over; he's my favorite character now. I was also struck by how different David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter look now than they did three years ago.
There are also some colossally bad episodes, such as "I Fall to Pieces," "Expecting," and "She." In fact, there's a lack of cohesion in the entire first season; they seem to be feeling their way in the dark, as it were. Angel improved dramatically in its second year with the return of Darla and Drusilla, and the amping up of Wolfram & Hart characters Lindsey McDonald and Lilah Morgan.
Executive producer David Greenwalt left Angel last summer to co-executive produce the new show Miracles, which debuted just over a month ago on ABC. Unfortunately, I missed the debut and have only caught the last two episodes, but I'm catching up as quickly as I can.
Miracles is intriguing, although the plot lines of the last two episodes have not impressed me and I'm constantly reminded of similarities to The X-Files, Millennium, and The Sixth Sense. But the look of the show is captivating, the religious undertones are fascinating, and the acting is good; the show has promise, and I plan to continue watching.
That's all for this week,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Angel has Faith, and those anti-Spike hackers are at it again
March 9, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
We all knew it was coming, but did we know it would be this good? Eliza Dushku's character Faith returned for a three-episode run on Angel, starting this past week with an outstanding episode in which Wesley (Alexis Denisof) broke Faith out of jail so that she could save Angel. Well, actually, Faith broke herself out, in about fifteen seconds. After three Angel episodes, Faith will cross over to guest star on the final five episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
We all knew it was coming, but did we know it would be this good? Eliza Dushku's character Faith returned for a three-episode run on Angel, starting this past week with an outstanding episode in which Wesley (Alexis Denisof) broke Faith out of jail so that she could save Angel. Well, actually, Faith broke herself out, in about fifteen seconds. After three Angel episodes, Faith will cross over to guest star on the final five episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Q&A with David Boreanaz at the LA Comic Book & Sci-Fi Con
Originally published on a now defunct web magazine in 2003. It was then ripped off and posted other places, which still ticks me off.)
"The palette that I've had at my fingertips has been a very rare thing. I'm not flapping around in a cape, like Dracula."
On Sunday, May 4 [2003], David Boreanaz appeared at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention at the Shrine Auditorium, and did a question and answer session. He signed autographs afterward for the first one hundred and sixty people before leaving for his son's first birthday party. I know the exact number of autographs he signed because I was number 167.
"The palette that I've had at my fingertips has been a very rare thing. I'm not flapping around in a cape, like Dracula."
On Sunday, May 4 [2003], David Boreanaz appeared at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention at the Shrine Auditorium, and did a question and answer session. He signed autographs afterward for the first one hundred and sixty people before leaving for his son's first birthday party. I know the exact number of autographs he signed because I was number 167.
Is there life after Buffy? And can Star Trek be saved?
March 2, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
It's official; Sarah Michelle Gellar has quit her slay job to do movies. Movies like the Scooby-Doo sequel, I suppose. I wish her the best of luck; thank you for seven great years, Sarah.
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
It's official; Sarah Michelle Gellar has quit her slay job to do movies. Movies like the Scooby-Doo sequel, I suppose. I wish her the best of luck; thank you for seven great years, Sarah.
Who is your favorite Buffy character?
July, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
Let me begin with an apology for not posting a column in, like, forever. I plunged into a serious state of depression when my favorite show ended. My favorite character died, too. Fortunately, he's coming back.
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
Let me begin with an apology for not posting a column in, like, forever. I plunged into a serious state of depression when my favorite show ended. My favorite character died, too. Fortunately, he's coming back.
May finales hit the reset button
May, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
May is finally coming to an end with the Memorial Day weekend, and I've been writing my fingerprints off. My friend Tara DiLullo and I have been working on a series of articles to salute the end of our favorite series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I got to hear the divine David Boreanaz burp at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Sci-Fi Convention (see my transcript of his question and answer session). And nearly every show I watch (I know you might not believe this, but there aren't that many of them) came to a climactic seasonal close -- with some more climactic than others.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended with a bang. After a somewhat disappointing seventh season, I was very pleased by the quality and the surprises in the final episode (see my review for details). I probably would have been a lot more upset by Spike's glorious, redemptive demise if we hadn't heard the week before that the newly-transformed-in-the-plot-department Angel had been renewed, and that James Marsters was jumping networks to join the Angel cast. The icing on the cake was the WB's announcement last week that the brilliant Joss Whedon plans to spend next season working only on Angel. Yes, yes, yes.
Angel had a fascinating and creative year -- its best yet -- but even so, it was on the cancellation bubble. Whedon et al. pulled it out of the fire with a whole new direction, as the Senior Partners ceded Los Angeles to Angel in the season finale, and hey hey by the way also gave Angel control of Wolfram & Hart. It's an intriguing twist. Does Angel now have tremendous resources to fight evil, or has he gone over to the dark side? As cool as the new plot line is, I've heard through the grapevine that it was also James Marsters signing on the dotted line that kept Angel afloat. Have I mentioned how thrilled I am that my two favorite vampires are going to be on the same show again?
Alias, which is also returning next fall, completely re-set itself in mid-season with the surprising demise of SD-6; I was completely blown away when they went and DID IT AGAIN in the finale. (See my review for details.) What a water-cooler episode that was! The last few minutes completely changed the relationships of all of the major characters; I've never seen any show do something like this. The writers and producers are taking genuinely risky and creative chances with their series, and they absolutely pulled it off this year. Who dares, wins.
And who cops out, loses. As a life-long Star Trek fan, I'm almost embarrassed to bring up the re-set they did on the season finale of Enterprise. The show does need a new direction, and the franchise has always been known for taking current events and looking at them through a science fiction microscope, but... did they have to do September 11? Aren't we getting enough war and terrorism on the news? The wreckage in Florida even looked like Ground Zero, and Trip's tirades about revenge gave him a bizarre resemblance to Bush. As if that wasn't enough, they threw in the Suliban, the Klingons, and the prospect of Jolene Blalock in another costume next fall on top of it. PLEASE, Paramount. Fire Berman and Braga, and bring in a new creative team before your cash cow escapes from the barn forever.
The summer television wasteland is now upon us. But there are DVDs, and Highlander reruns, and The Dead Zone returns in July. And there are huge summer sci-fi movies. Could be worse.
Billie
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
May is finally coming to an end with the Memorial Day weekend, and I've been writing my fingerprints off. My friend Tara DiLullo and I have been working on a series of articles to salute the end of our favorite series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I got to hear the divine David Boreanaz burp at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Sci-Fi Convention (see my transcript of his question and answer session). And nearly every show I watch (I know you might not believe this, but there aren't that many of them) came to a climactic seasonal close -- with some more climactic than others.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended with a bang. After a somewhat disappointing seventh season, I was very pleased by the quality and the surprises in the final episode (see my review for details). I probably would have been a lot more upset by Spike's glorious, redemptive demise if we hadn't heard the week before that the newly-transformed-in-the-plot-department Angel had been renewed, and that James Marsters was jumping networks to join the Angel cast. The icing on the cake was the WB's announcement last week that the brilliant Joss Whedon plans to spend next season working only on Angel. Yes, yes, yes.
Angel had a fascinating and creative year -- its best yet -- but even so, it was on the cancellation bubble. Whedon et al. pulled it out of the fire with a whole new direction, as the Senior Partners ceded Los Angeles to Angel in the season finale, and hey hey by the way also gave Angel control of Wolfram & Hart. It's an intriguing twist. Does Angel now have tremendous resources to fight evil, or has he gone over to the dark side? As cool as the new plot line is, I've heard through the grapevine that it was also James Marsters signing on the dotted line that kept Angel afloat. Have I mentioned how thrilled I am that my two favorite vampires are going to be on the same show again?
Alias, which is also returning next fall, completely re-set itself in mid-season with the surprising demise of SD-6; I was completely blown away when they went and DID IT AGAIN in the finale. (See my review for details.) What a water-cooler episode that was! The last few minutes completely changed the relationships of all of the major characters; I've never seen any show do something like this. The writers and producers are taking genuinely risky and creative chances with their series, and they absolutely pulled it off this year. Who dares, wins.
And who cops out, loses. As a life-long Star Trek fan, I'm almost embarrassed to bring up the re-set they did on the season finale of Enterprise. The show does need a new direction, and the franchise has always been known for taking current events and looking at them through a science fiction microscope, but... did they have to do September 11? Aren't we getting enough war and terrorism on the news? The wreckage in Florida even looked like Ground Zero, and Trip's tirades about revenge gave him a bizarre resemblance to Bush. As if that wasn't enough, they threw in the Suliban, the Klingons, and the prospect of Jolene Blalock in another costume next fall on top of it. PLEASE, Paramount. Fire Berman and Braga, and bring in a new creative team before your cash cow escapes from the barn forever.
The summer television wasteland is now upon us. But there are DVDs, and Highlander reruns, and The Dead Zone returns in July. And there are huge summer sci-fi movies. Could be worse.
Billie
Billie's Bytes Bites the Dusts
In the winter of 2003, I started writing a column called Billie's Bytes for some wonderful people at a now defunct web magazine. It went pretty well and I enjoyed it, but after a few months, I got overwhelmed by all the other writing I was doing, and with a newly acquired appreciation for Dave Barry, regretfully called it quits.
I've gotten a few requests for those pieces from time to time (especially my long and crazy analysis of "Restless"), and of course, the column is gone from the web, so here they are, lame witticisms and faulty predictions intact.
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
I've gotten a few requests for those pieces from time to time (especially my long and crazy analysis of "Restless"), and of course, the column is gone from the web, so here they are, lame witticisms and faulty predictions intact.
- Do We Have a Lack of Faith?
- Is there life after Buffy? And can Star Trek be saved?
- Angel has Faith, and those anti-Spike hackers are at it again
- Those anti-Spike hackers part deux, the Angel DVD, and Miracles
- "Restless" from a Seventh Season Perspective
- Spike moving to Angel?
- We dress up for Bill Maher
- Angel gets shaken up, Enterprise gets sexy, and the Dead Zone returns
- Depressed about Buffy, I turn to Highlander reruns for solace
- May finales hit the reset button
- Who is your favorite Buffy character?
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Do we have a lack of Faith?
February 25, 2003
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
Welcome to my new column!
My major obsession first:
No solid news yet on the fate of Buffy, with only six episodes left and counting... but the handwriting is certainly on the wall that this is The End. Sarah Michelle Gellar is in negotiations to do a movie in August, after filming the (ick) sequel to Scooby-Doo, and August is when shooting on Buffy usually begins. Do the math.
And there's a rumor out that Eliza Dushku has signed to do a new series, and it's NOT a Buffy spinoff.
The good news, and I do mean super news, is that Spike is back -- still in possession of his hard won soul, but back in his duster, and fighting demons with an attitude. I must admit that the main reason I'm excited about a possible Buffy spinoff is the marvelous James Marsters; I can't imagine life without Spike. Marsters has gotten a lot of positive press this year, and he said in an interview recently that he's willing to continue as Spike.
"Get It Done" and the episode before it, "First Date", brought back a character from season five, "the subway slayer" -- but this time, the role was played by another actress. For the inside story of what happened, check out my interview with the "Subway Slayer," April Weeden-Washington.
The next new episode of Angel airs March 5. Unfortunately, we still don't know about a fifth season for Angel, yet... and the WB has chosen NOT to air Angel episodes during February sweeps. This is quite possibly not good, folks. Frog, my ass; as far as I'm concerned, the WB is the turkey network.
The Dead Zone continues to surprise and delight me. Anthony Michael Hall is just terrific as coma victim and genuine psychic Johnny Smith, who must deal with "seeing" murder, kidnapping, and the end of world, as well as the attentions of psychotic fans who are obsessed with his gifts. The Dead Zone manages to give us a mix of suspense, horror, romance, and comedy, and it keeps getting better. If you're not watching this show, you really should check it out; that is, if you can find it. USA runs it at very odd times, mostly late.
Fabulous Alias episode this week. Does Sloane give the word "devious" a whole new meaning, or what? Alias is still having ratings trouble, though; I don't understand why people aren't watching this show! Hopefully, the success of Daredevil will help get people watching Alias. Scheduling it after the StupidBowl didn't work because they had this long, idiotic post-game show with Jon Sell-out Bon Jovi, and everyone got tired and went to bed.
I hear that the Sci-Fi Channel is planning to bring back a new version of Battlestar Galactica, with Jamie Bamber (who?) as Apollo, and Katee Sackhoff (who?) as a female Starbuck. Okay, I'll try it out when it arrives, and I'll keep an open mind, but frankly, I didn't care all that much about the old Galactica.
And I'm still pissed at the Sci-Fi Channel for canceling the strange and wonderful Farscape. The new episodes started out wonderfully this January with that hilarious trip to Earth, but they seem to be reverting to old ground here, with Crichton once again searching for Aeryn. Maybe it really has run its course, but I'm still dreading the final episode, which is fast approaching; since they had no warning the show was canceled, I bet they leave us, permanently, with a killer cliffhanger.
Enterprise is having serious rating trouble, and serious writing trouble as well. I'm just about a loyal as a Star Trek fan can be, and I'm ready to give up on the franchise. If Star Trek: Nemesis had pulled in more of an audience instead of getting kicked to death by hobbits, it might have given Enterprise a much-needed shot in the arm. Surprisingly, according to an article in the SciFi Wire, UPN plans to hang on to Enterprise for at least another season. Expect rating gimmicks to warp in fairly soon.
Having said all that, I must also say that last week's episode, "Future Tense," was not entirely bad. We got an old Earth ship from the future that was bigger on the inside than the outside, a little Next Generation with time-looping, a little original series with Tholian ships. There was even a bit of outright flirting, with Archer casually asking T'Pol, "If a human and a Vulcan did have a child, I wonder if he'd have pointed ears?" But the infamous Star Trek re-set button was back at the end.
Twilight Zone was advertising a retread of a classic episode, "It's a Good Life," so I tuned on in. The new episode, "It's Still a Good Life," revisited the same characters forty years later, as Anthony (played once again by the wonderful Bill Mumy, from Lost in Space and Babylon Five) as an adult finds that his small daughter (Liliana Mumy -- any relation?) is very much a chip off the old block. The story was fairly good, but I felt a bit let down by the ending. I fell asleep during the second segment.
Just FYI, folks, I am now the "L.A. correspondent" for The Warp Zone, a radio show that you can catch on the web. (I've always wanted to be someone's L.A. correspondent.) You can hear me yakking away with the guys at The Warp Zone in the last half hour of the shows that aired January 12 and February 16; check the archives page.
That's all for this geekgirl's week in sci-fi,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
[Originally a Billie's Bytes column]
Welcome to my new column!
My major obsession first:
No solid news yet on the fate of Buffy, with only six episodes left and counting... but the handwriting is certainly on the wall that this is The End. Sarah Michelle Gellar is in negotiations to do a movie in August, after filming the (ick) sequel to Scooby-Doo, and August is when shooting on Buffy usually begins. Do the math.
And there's a rumor out that Eliza Dushku has signed to do a new series, and it's NOT a Buffy spinoff.
The good news, and I do mean super news, is that Spike is back -- still in possession of his hard won soul, but back in his duster, and fighting demons with an attitude. I must admit that the main reason I'm excited about a possible Buffy spinoff is the marvelous James Marsters; I can't imagine life without Spike. Marsters has gotten a lot of positive press this year, and he said in an interview recently that he's willing to continue as Spike.
"Get It Done" and the episode before it, "First Date", brought back a character from season five, "the subway slayer" -- but this time, the role was played by another actress. For the inside story of what happened, check out my interview with the "Subway Slayer," April Weeden-Washington.
The next new episode of Angel airs March 5. Unfortunately, we still don't know about a fifth season for Angel, yet... and the WB has chosen NOT to air Angel episodes during February sweeps. This is quite possibly not good, folks. Frog, my ass; as far as I'm concerned, the WB is the turkey network.
The Dead Zone continues to surprise and delight me. Anthony Michael Hall is just terrific as coma victim and genuine psychic Johnny Smith, who must deal with "seeing" murder, kidnapping, and the end of world, as well as the attentions of psychotic fans who are obsessed with his gifts. The Dead Zone manages to give us a mix of suspense, horror, romance, and comedy, and it keeps getting better. If you're not watching this show, you really should check it out; that is, if you can find it. USA runs it at very odd times, mostly late.
Fabulous Alias episode this week. Does Sloane give the word "devious" a whole new meaning, or what? Alias is still having ratings trouble, though; I don't understand why people aren't watching this show! Hopefully, the success of Daredevil will help get people watching Alias. Scheduling it after the StupidBowl didn't work because they had this long, idiotic post-game show with Jon Sell-out Bon Jovi, and everyone got tired and went to bed.
I hear that the Sci-Fi Channel is planning to bring back a new version of Battlestar Galactica, with Jamie Bamber (who?) as Apollo, and Katee Sackhoff (who?) as a female Starbuck. Okay, I'll try it out when it arrives, and I'll keep an open mind, but frankly, I didn't care all that much about the old Galactica.
And I'm still pissed at the Sci-Fi Channel for canceling the strange and wonderful Farscape. The new episodes started out wonderfully this January with that hilarious trip to Earth, but they seem to be reverting to old ground here, with Crichton once again searching for Aeryn. Maybe it really has run its course, but I'm still dreading the final episode, which is fast approaching; since they had no warning the show was canceled, I bet they leave us, permanently, with a killer cliffhanger.
Enterprise is having serious rating trouble, and serious writing trouble as well. I'm just about a loyal as a Star Trek fan can be, and I'm ready to give up on the franchise. If Star Trek: Nemesis had pulled in more of an audience instead of getting kicked to death by hobbits, it might have given Enterprise a much-needed shot in the arm. Surprisingly, according to an article in the SciFi Wire, UPN plans to hang on to Enterprise for at least another season. Expect rating gimmicks to warp in fairly soon.
Having said all that, I must also say that last week's episode, "Future Tense," was not entirely bad. We got an old Earth ship from the future that was bigger on the inside than the outside, a little Next Generation with time-looping, a little original series with Tholian ships. There was even a bit of outright flirting, with Archer casually asking T'Pol, "If a human and a Vulcan did have a child, I wonder if he'd have pointed ears?" But the infamous Star Trek re-set button was back at the end.
Twilight Zone was advertising a retread of a classic episode, "It's a Good Life," so I tuned on in. The new episode, "It's Still a Good Life," revisited the same characters forty years later, as Anthony (played once again by the wonderful Bill Mumy, from Lost in Space and Babylon Five) as an adult finds that his small daughter (Liliana Mumy -- any relation?) is very much a chip off the old block. The story was fairly good, but I felt a bit let down by the ending. I fell asleep during the second segment.
Just FYI, folks, I am now the "L.A. correspondent" for The Warp Zone, a radio show that you can catch on the web. (I've always wanted to be someone's L.A. correspondent.) You can hear me yakking away with the guys at The Warp Zone in the last half hour of the shows that aired January 12 and February 16; check the archives page.
That's all for this geekgirl's week in sci-fi,
Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Alexis Denisof and Andy Hallett in Santa Barbara
[Originally published on a now defunct web magazine in 2002.]On Saturday, December 14, 2002 I went to another autograph event at Metro Entertainment to see my two absolute favorite actors from Angel, Alexis Denisof (Wesley) and Andy Hallett (Lorne). (Let me add that I'm not alone in choosing these two as my favorites; see my Buffy/Angel Opinion Poll from last spring.)
Taken: Miniseries Review
"All your memories and all your fears..."Taken is an incredibly ambitious miniseries. It is immense in scope, thought-provoking, complex, moving, and genuinely scary. (Quite surprising, coming from a network that just cancelled Farscape in favor of Tremors.) Presented by Steven Spielberg, written by Leslie Bohem, with ten different directors for each two-hour segment, Taken covers over fifty years of life in America with one major focus -- alien abduction is real.
Christian Kane and Mercedes McNab in Santa Barbara
[Originally published on a now defunct web magazine in 2002]On Saturday, August 17 (2002), a friend and I drove to Santa Barbara, California for an autograph session with Christian Kane ("Lindsey McDonald" on the television series Angel) and Mercedes McNab ("Harmony Kendall" on Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Our Very Own Buffy and Angel Location Tour
Note: I no longer have our original photos for this article, but I've included some from the internet as substitutes.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer may be over, but loyal fans will never let it disappear. Books, magazines, merchandise, and spin-offs (more than one, hopefully) will keep the love alive.
Interview with Buffy author Nikki Stafford
[Originally published on a now defunct web magazine in 2003]Nikki Stafford is the author of Bite Me! An Unofficial Guide to the World of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, published by ECW Press in the fall of 2002.
Emma Caulfield, Juliet Landau, and Elizabeth Anne Allen in Santa Barbara
[Originally published on a now defunct web magazine in 2002]On Saturday, November 16, 2002 I went to another autograph event at Metro Entertainment in Santa Barbara to see Emma Caulfield (Anya), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), and Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy).
Joss Whedon, Amber Benson and Michelle Trachtenberg at Tower Records
[Originally published on a now defunct web magazine in 2002]There was a release party for the CD of the Buffy musical, "Once More, With Feeling" at Tower Records in West Hollywood on Saturday, September 28, 2002. Joss Whedon and Amber Benson were scheduled to appear and sign autographs. I absolutely had to go, of course; I stood for over two hours in the parking lot, in the rain, doing some serious bonding with a bunch of Buffy-obsessed strangers, and all for five minutes of sign-y goodness. But it was worth every minute of the wait for the opportunity to talk with Joss Whedon, Amber Benson, and Michelle Tractenberg, who appeared as an extra added attraction.
The Buffy/Angel Opinion Poll
[Originally published on a now defunct web magazine in 2002]This May, after both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel ended for the season, I composed and posted a short opinion poll on several listservs. Not realizing what I was getting into, I thought it might be fun to get a great many responses, so I asked for some distribution help from friends. The poll ended up on even more lists and scampered a bit around the net, and in the end, I got a LOT of replies.
Can Angel be saved? Or is Joss Whedon's Buffyverse gone for good?
My name is Billie, and I'm a Buffyholic.
I got hooked during the second season of Buffy, and started reviewing the show. Now, after seven years of Buffy and nearly five of its excellent spin-off, Angel, I can't imagine a new season without a show set in Joss Whedon's Buffyverse. Unfortunately, that's exactly what those turkeys at The WB intend to do to us.
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