David Boreanaz in "Angel" |
HOLLYWOOD - The WB network lost Buffy the Vampire Slayer to rival UPN, and now it's not going to have the slayer see her ex-paramour, Angel, anymore, The Associated Press reports."There will be no crossovers between Angel and Buffy," intoned WB entertainment president Jordan Levin.
The two shows shared many ties, which led to many crossover episodes where characters (and plots) from one show "visited" the other. That was when both shows were on the WB, however.
UPN then outbid the WB for Buffy, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the WB has said it doesn't regret losing Buffy. UPN paid a reported $102 million for 44 episodes (two seasons) of Buffy, which had been one of the WB's top performers in terms of ratings.
Turner Broadcasting System CEO Jamie Kellner, who oversees the WB, told the Television Critics Association that "this was not a good year to overspend on programming" given that TV advertising revenues are down.
Angel, which stars David Boreanaz, remains on the WB's lineup for the fall.