Whedon Speaks Out on Counterprogramming
It hasn't been a good season for those Big Guys who have been picking on the Little Guys. Tripod, web host to many fan pages, has admitted its error in "inadvertently" wiping out many fan websites, and has restored the deleted sites. Fandom Inc., which battled against an individual fan over the rights to the use of the word "fandom" in a domain name, has announced its intent to cease online operations.
Last but not least, Joss Whedon, who has been practicing the virtue of diplomacy in just about everything these days, has broken his silence at last.
With the battle over the future of "Buffy" still in progress, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" creator Joss Whedon has finally spoken out in public about the Fox counterprogramming of "Dark Angel" in the "Angel" timeslot, Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M.
20th Century Fox produces "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," and also "Dark Angel," which is scheduled directly opposite "Angel" on the Fox television network. Whedon told TV Guide Online:
"The fact that they put [Dark Angel] on opposite a show that they produce, thereby hurting it, shows that they really don't care. Their big picture is clearly so big that whatever I think and whatever I am doing doesn't matter, and I resent that." He goes on to say, "I watch [Dark Angel], and her name is not 'Angel,' and she's not an angel, so why the [expletive] would they call it that?"
The full interview appears at
Although Whedon has not yet spoken out publicly about this one, another series which is clearly aimed to the same audience as "Angel" and "Dark Angel" will join the competition on Tuesdays at 9 PM this summer. "Witchblade," which is produced by Warner Brothers (parent company of the WB network, on which "Angel" is broadcast), will premiere on June 5 on TNT, in the very same timeslot. Another occult-oriented action-adventure series with a strong female lead, the "Witchblade" series, like "Dark Angel," seems designed to draw the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" viewers away from "Angel."
Whedon's decision to speak out is well-timed. Not only does he have a new contract (which does provide some job security) but the critical buzz about the recent "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episode "The Body" strongly suggests that the long-overdue Emmy may soon be his at last.
The "Buffy" franchise, which already encompasses two series, two corresponding series of original novels, comics and graphic novels, is also following the "Star Trek" pattern in another way. A "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" animated series, featuring the "Scooby gang" in their high-school years, is now under development. It is still unknown whether the original actors will provide the voices for the animated characters. But, with a successful spinoff and now an animated series in the pipeline, can a series of theatrical-release movies be far behind?
Go To Page: 1 2
Articles in this Topic Discussions in this Topic
Latest Articles