The List: #2 Angel

#2
Number of Seasons: 5
Years Active: 1999 - 2004
Network: The WB

I actually think that this series is pretty much tied for my favorite show with the show that occupies the #1 spot on this list (it's pretty easy to figure out what it is, but for those of you who don't know, I won't ruin it), but I've separated them for certain reasons that I will address while talking about that show.

Anyway, Angel is the spin-off to the fairly successful cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Featuring Angel, the 250-year-old (I guess he's actually 350 years old due to the events of the end of Buffy's second season) vampire who fell in love with the Vampire Slayer, this series is about adult life. Using demons and magic as metaphors, Angel tackles issues such as getting a job, making ends meet, finding your first apartment, and eventually parenthood and finally becoming successful, even if you have to sell your soul to do so.

The show began as an anthological "supernatural detective show", but 2/3rds of the way through the first season, the writers realized that, like with Buffy, the heart of Angel was in its characters. Angel and his coworkers/friends are some of the best-written characters to grace the small screen that I've ever observed. Everyone has a complete human personality; they react to situations in ways that never waver from their established traits, have strengths and flaws, and each one has a purpose on the show. Their journeys through adulthood are believable, despite the fact that they deal with outrageous fantasy elements; its no exaggeration to say that this series, featuring vampires and demons, was one of the most human dramas ever on television (and this claim was made by many reputable publications about both this show and its predecessor).

Unfortunately, Angel was canceled while it was still in its prime. The stories were as good as they'd ever been (the addition of a certain cast member, though done by network mandate, worked better than I'm sure anyone could have possible imagined) and viewership was at an all-time high (I'm pretty sure; if not, it was approaching that lofty height). Joss Whedon claimed that The WB cancelled this show because it was the only series on the network that wasn't trying to be Buffy, and he was certainly right. Nearly every other show dealt with teenage or family issues. Angel was a very dark show about adult life (family was a part of it, but not the focus). It's too bad, because the loss of Angel robbed us of a very high-quality series.

Up next: #1...