The Most Ambitious Spinoff In TV History Is Now Streaming Free

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 19 seconds ago

Most television spinoffs are, by definition, very similar to the original show. For example, Star Trek: The Next Generation gave us new characters and a new ship, but it still had all the fundamentals of The Original Series: an intrepid crew seeking out new life and exploring strange new worlds.

Meanwhile, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the other countless spinoffs of Law & Order retain the original show’s killer combination of police investigative work and courtroom drama. The logic behind this is, of course, that you shouldn’t rock the boat too much with a new spinoff, and it should deliver the formulaic comfort food that audiences crave.

And then there’s Angel (1999), the spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While the original show was about a happy-go-lucky group of young people fighting both external and internal demons, Angel was a grim neo-noir centered on a centuries-old vampire with a soul.

If that’s not bold enough, this show reinvented itself almost every season, keeping its most fervent fans on their toes. For this and many more reasons, this decades-old show remains the most ambitious spinoff in television history.

Angels and Demons

Angel was introduced in Season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and he quickly became a fan-favorite character. Not only did audiences dig looking at hunky David Boreanaz, but they ate up the premise that he was a tortured vampire with a soul who inexplicably fell in love with a vampire slayer. Star-crossed lovers with a supernatural twist, the Buffy/Angel pairing would (for better or for worse) go on to inspire literature ranging from Twilight to A Court of Thrones and Roses. Sadly, their union wasn’t meant to be, and at the end of Buffy’s third season, Angel left Sunnydale to hang a shingle in Los Angeles.

He becomes a private detective seeking to “help the helpless,” and he is soon joined by Buffy’s former frenemy, Cordelia. The spinoff’s cast changes over time, introducing brand-new characters like Charles Gun and Winifred Burkle along with returning character (and former Watcher) Wesley Wyndham Price. While the faces and locations changed over time, one thing remained the same: Angel continued to expand everything we know about the beloved universe of Buffy. The final season completely changed things up, giving our heroes the keys to an evil law firm they hope to redeem with the help of Spike, who is inexplicably alive again after his heroic death in the final episode of Buffy. 

New Enemies, New Allies

Ironically, Angel’s greatest strength is that it’s almost completely different from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sure, there are some familiar elements, including colorful characters and quirky, Whedon-esque dialogue. But the show takes its tonal cues from its title character: while Buffy was as silly and quippy as its titular Slayer (Season 6 notwithstanding), Angel is as dark and brooding as its titular vampire.

Additionally, doing the right thing always comes at a price in Angel. Sure, your favorite characters save the city and save the world, but this often comes at the cost of their souls and even their lives. 

While Buffy the Vampire Slayer notoriously has an ultra-depressing, ultra-edgy sixth season, Angel evenly spreads its existential despair throughout the entire series. That’s why the show isn’t for everyone: if you’re expecting something as bright, happy, and funny as Buffy, you’re going to be disappointed.

However, if your vampire tastes are a little darker (more like Nosferatu than Dracula: Dead and Loving It), you’ll likely appreciate this more mature take on supernatural storytelling. It helps, of course, if you’re a big fan of neo-noir. Even if you don’t care that much for the deep Buffyverse lore, you can enjoy the show for its episodic, mystery-of-the-week stories.

Call Your Friends And Watch It Together

Without giving too much away (seriously, you need to watch this show for yourself), part of what makes Angel unique in television history is its constant reinvention. There are multiple cast shake-ups, and the show goes from being a small-time detective procedural to morality play to family reunion to bonkers legal drama. This can admittedly be off-putting if you prefer static TV shows. Personally, I really enjoyed the fact that, quite literally, I had no idea where this show was going to go from its humble beginnings to its unhinged finale.

While the rest of the cast is great (I particularly enjoyed Alexis Denisof and the late, great Andy Hallett), Angel only works because of David Boreanaz. He has gone on to headline multiple successful shows, but Angel remains his best work. Boreanaz doesn’t have the most range as an actor, but he is pitch-perfect as a vampire with a soul: he broods with the best of them, he’s a convincing action star, and he has charisma to spare. He’s absolutely compelling in this role, and Angel remains proof that Boreanaz can be (with the right material) one of the most captivating leading actors in television.

Obviously, Angel isn’t for everyone, especially if you want something more in the vein of Buffy’s earlier seasons. But it remains the most ambitious spinoff in TV history, fleshing out the borders of this universe while stretching the boundaries of genre storytelling.

Fortunately, you don’t have to give up your soul to experience this show for yourself.  Angel is currently streaming for free on Tubi, meaning you’re just one click away from watching the coolest, creepiest, and absolute craziest show on television. With this vampiric masterpiece, the storytelling stakes (pun full and bloody well intended) have never been higher!