Angel: Complete Season 1 [DVD] [2000]

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!

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!