Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26194 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-10-18
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Formats: Box set, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Dutch, French
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 958 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Taking the Spin-off genre to the extreme, Angel attempts to replicate the success of Buffy by taking the heartthrob as the lead. Spin-off shows rarely match the success of their parent programmes, especially in the superhero/fantasy genre (cf. The Girl From UNCLE, The Bionic Woman, The Green Hornet--Frasier being the notable exception). Characters who were perfectly useful as supporting figures dwindle when forced in the spotlight, and Angel takes a special risk by building an entire series around a character who is: (a) supposed to be a mystery man; (b) a vampire who once spent half a season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a dastardly villain who killed without remorse; and (c) played by David Boreanaz, who is well up on handsome and broody but still can't do an Irish accent to save his life and is visibly learning this acting lark as the series progresses.

The premise is that Angel, the vampire with a soul, has finally admitted he'll never get it together with Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), unless a reunion crossover episode or two are scheduled. He moves to Los Angeles, a city haunted not only by demons and vampires but lawyers and agents. Angel sets up as a private investigator and solves cases with a supernatural aspect, partnered with Doyle (Glenn Quinn), a half-demon with a proper Irish accent and the useful psychic ability to know when someone is in trouble (thereby predicting any given week's plot), and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), another Buffy refugee here trying to reinvent herself as a struggling big-city single girl.

Far less consistent than its parent show, but also not saddled with quite so much of a continuing story arc, Angel has a very different feel, cued by its effective semi-Goth violin theme tune and lots of film noir-ish LA street scenes, with a dose of cynical inside-the-entertainment-industry stuff. It has its share of familiar ideas (such as a Fight Club episode) and simply daft premises (a demon-centred show which allegorises the debate about female circumcision , for example). Angel alienated a lot of initial fans by killing off its most appealing regular a third of the way into the run, dusting off hideous English comic stereotype Wesley the Watcher (Alex Denisof) as a replacement. However, it also comes up with some ingenious moments: in a two-parter guest-starring sometime Buffy villainess Faith (Eliza Dushku), the show finally delivers something scary and emotionally powerful as Angel proves he can solve cases his ex-girlfriend can't. Meanwhile, the last couple of episodes--which beef up a satanic law firm as regular foes and resurrect a long-dead character as a major troublemaker for the future--go from promising to delivering. --Kim Newman

On the DVD: the DVD set is only moderately generous with features, compared to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series DVDs. There are two episodes with commentaries--creators Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt discussing the series' genesis and "City Of ". Added to this Jane Espenson, the resident queen of farce, talks us through the haunted apartment episode "Rm w/a Vu". Also included are four featurettes--introductions to the characters of Angel and Cordelia, a series one overview and a discussion of the show's demons--scripts for the two Faith episodes, cast biographies and a gallery of stills and blue-prints. Most importantly, given the way Angel was butchered by Channel 4 for an inappropriately early time slot, the show's violence and strong language are offered uncut. Presented in English and French Dolby Surround Sound 2.0 and with an aspect ratio of approx 1.33:1 --Roz Kaveney

Special Features
1.33 Full Screen
4.3
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround English
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Dutch\French

Synopsis
This box set contains the entire first season of ANGEL, the popular BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER television series spin-off starring David Boreanaz as a vampire attempting to atone for his past sins. Episodes include "In the Dark" (featuring Seth Green and James Marsters from BUFFY), "I Will Remember You" (featuring Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar), "Five by Five" (featuring Eliza Dushku), and many more.

Customer Reviews

L.A. story - and what a story it is...
Angel Season One is 'street' in many more ways than one. The most obvious is that it takes two (three when including Wesley, and three + when including the many crossover stars) out of the sleepy suburbs of Sunnydale and place them in the big bad city, and therefore having to deal with darker and more adult issues - metaphors for post one night stand pregnancies, racial issues, and 'street life' (gangs, drugs, etc.) are just a few of the topics touched up on. However, the way the show is produced is also very streetwise and flashy, separating it entirely from sunny Sunnydale. As the interactive menus prove, this is more cutting edge stuff. While I still prefer Buffy to this day, I feel this is the second best show on TV today and has succeeded in carving its own niche. Therefore, DVD - yay!

First of all, I'll give my view on the season and the series as a whole. David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, and Alexis Denisof all have a chance to shine much more than they did on Buffy - and, during the later episodes, these characters and the cast's performances are what make the show. The writing also compliments them, however. Whilst the comedy ingredient is not as apparent as it is in Buffy, there is a fair amount of gigglesome fun and very sharp wit, blended of course with action, suspense, innovative storylines, horror, and drama. The show plays about with the genre, much like its parent show, and proves it is worthy. Whilst not up to the standard of the second season, as the first eight or so episodes struggle to settle on what the show's format should be, there are many astounding episodes - notably the crossovers, especially Eliza Dushku's appearance as Faith, and all the episodes featuring Wolfram & Hart. Also notable are character studies such as Rm W/A Vu, Eternity, etc. The new show also brings in new talent, such as the awesome Elisabeth Rohm as tough cookie Kate, and Stephanie Romanov and Christian Kane as deceitful lawyers Lilah and Lindsey. Credit must also go to, most of all perhaps, to the production team who make the whole thing work!

Now, time for DVD stuff. First of all, I was a little disappointed by the featurettes (all four of them - how generous they are!). While, of course, a rare chance for UK viewers to see the cast and crew discussing the show, they seemed to run a little short and were made up of clips. However, I'm not one to falter a DVD set which looks so good - niiiiiiiiiice packaging! Meanwhile, we get some cool menus (as stated above), two fun-to-read-once-or-twice-but-still-informative scripts, all new cast and crew bios, photo galleries (including cast photos, demon sketches, and blueprints), and a nice little trailer. During the featurettes, there are also some never-before-seen clips from the Angel demo reel. Although it would have been nice to have the whole thing uniterrupted on here, it's nice to see bits and bobs of what sold the series. The main extras are the two commentaries, however. Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt walk us through the opening episode (City Of). While they are two of the best writers and directors and do seem awfully comfortable, whilst bouncing ideas off one another, there contribution is nothing special - they don't reveal too much we didn't already know and often explain what the story is about. However, queen of comedy, Jane Espenson is an absolute delight whilst talking about her Cordy-centered ep - she reveals fascinating and fun little tidbits, and seems very enthusiastic. All in all, the extras aren't too bad - but this boxset is a little emptier than the Buffy Season 3 set. More commentaries and more fulfilling featurettes next time, please...

However, I'm a very happy chappie! This is a brilliant start to a brilliant series and, while not widescreen, the picture is better than ever as is the sound. Spin these discs now - 22 episodes of pure quality...

Oh, and what a great price! Best I've seen anywhere. Buy now!

A spin-off that equals it's parent show
I was initially worried at the idea of a spin-off from my favourite show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", as spin-off's do tend to have a curse for failure. However, "Angel" breaks the trend, with a first season that actually equals, if not surpasses it's parent show.

To sum up the show, you basically have to think Buffy for grown-ups. Yes, Angel ditches the angst of Buffy's teen-core, and goes for a much darker, adult theme. In this first season alone, the show deals with unwanted pregnancy, death, and all the cash flow problems us adults are oh so familiar with, however it's sci-fi/fantasy roots still show through, with enough demon and vampire ass-kicking to keep you entertained. The familiar Buffy humour is also present.

Yep, creator Joss Whedon has done it again. Angel is definately a show to be reckoned with. Buffy fans and newbies alike will love it. Order it now!

"Uncut and Undead on DVD" - it's a winner
A chance to revisit the first season of "Angel," including the classic first nine episodes featuring Glenn Quinn as Doyle - how could it go wrong? Although I videotape most episodes, I've been waiting for a long time to get a high-quality DVD release of the first season of "Angel," and the superior video quality of this DVD set was worth the long wait and the inconvenience that it took to be able to view a Region 2 DVD. Jane Espenson's commentary on "Rm w/a Vu" and the close-ups of Glenn Quinn are worth the price of purchase. I'll be watching these discs many times.