Whedon Says 'Keep Writing'
Fan Efforts Having Effect
In a message Angel fans have been waiting to hear, Joss Whedon praised the fan campaigns' effectiveness and urged continued action. On Friday [4/2/04], Whedon did a telephone call-in to KROQ's "Kevin and Bean" show. During the interview, he recounted how he was "shocked as hell when we got cancelled."
Whedon said, "I know the show was doing better than it's done before. I know people were receiving it well. We thought we were hitting our stride hugely... and it sort of came out of the blue." Of reasons given for the unexpected cancellation, he was told by The WB that it was Angel's repeatability, ad revenues and age, which the network expects to address by bringing in new series and reality programs. "Reality shows are in fact killing the landscape of television," said Whedon. Poking fun at the notion of The WB's target audience, he noted, "There's just no place for an old codger like Angel. He's like, two hundred and fifty, and that's not their demographic."
The fan efforts have allowed Mutant Enemy to discuss alternative production paths for the Buffy-Angel universe, including spin-off possibilities. Whedon suggested continuing to write to "everybody," in particular, 20th Century Fox Television Productions.
In discussing the final episode, Whedon said that while it will give closure, it should "leave enough stuff open that, should there be another season, there's plenty to do." Whedon declared, "Our stories aren't told yet; not quite yet."
An excerpt, calling for continued fan action, follows:
KEVIN: Okay, here's the real question, then, Joss: Is there anything anyone can do to help you at this point, or is it just in the hands of the suits?
JOSS: You know, I think all the noise that's been made by the fans does help. Because we're talking about different venues for not just Angel but the Buffy-verse in general.
KEVIN: Right.
JOSS: Spinoffs or TV movies, or whatever it is; the more interest that's shown, whether or not the show itself, as it is now, gets to come back, that registers with people.
KEVIN: Now, Bean and I are not the people who can bring it back, unfortunately.
JOSS: What?
KEVIN: If we were, we would.
JOSS: Oh, I've misdirected my fans.
KEVIN: So, Joss who should they write to?
JOSS: I believe Fox Studios [20th Century Fox Television Productions], who produces it, and... they should just keep writing to everybody: The WB, the other networks. The more the awareness of it is out there, the more it has a chance at finding some kind of life.
KEVIN: Oh, I see.
JOSS: Even though I honestly don't think it's going to come back in its present incarnation as the Angel series. I think there's a lot more to say about the Buffy-verse in general.
BEAN: So people could even write to, say, ABC, and say, "Hey, by the way, they're taking Angel off, I sure would watch ABC if you were to pick it up."
JOSS: If people have the time.
KEVIN: Wow.
JOSS: They could write to everybody.
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