Origins Co-producer Greenwalt points out, "There's no denying that Angel grew out of Buffy." Several years before Angel debuted, Joss Whedon developed the concept behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer to invert the Hollywood formula of "the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie."Billson, Anne, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BFI TV Classics S.). British Film Institute (December 5, 2005), pp24–25. The character Angel was first seen in the first episode and became a regular, appearing in the opening credits during seasons 2 and 3. According to the fictional universe first established by Buffy, the 'Buffyverse',The term 'Buffyverse' is used amongst fans of Buffy/Angel online to describe the fictional universe established by Buffy/Angel. It is also used in published materials such: Walton, Andy, "Slang-age in the Buffyverse", CNN (February 18, 2004 ), and the book, Ouellette, Jennifer, Physics of the Buffyverse , Penguin Books (January 2007). Angel was born in 18th-century Ireland; after being turned into a soulless, immortal vampire, he became legendary for his evil acts, until a band of wronged Gypsies punished him by restoring his soul, overwhelming him with guilt. Angel eventually set out on a path of redemption, hoping that he could make up for his past through good deeds. In Buffy's Season Three finale, he leaves Sunnydale for L.A. to continue his atonement without Buffy. Whedon believed that "Angel was the one character who was bigger than life in the same way that Buffy was, a kind of superhero."Havens, Candace, Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy Benbella Books (May 1, 2003), p103. Whedon has compared the series to its parent: "It's a little bit more straightforward action show and a little bit more of a guys' show."Bassom, David, "Buffy, Angel and Me", from Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine #12 (UK, September 2000), page 6.
Origins Co-producer Greenwalt points out, "There's no denying that Angel grew out of Buffy." Several years before Angel debuted, Joss Whedon developed the concept behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer to invert the Hollywood formula of "the little blonde girl who goes into a dark alley and gets killed in every horror movie."Billson, Anne, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BFI TV Classics S.). British Film Institute (December 5, 2005), pp24–25. The character Angel was first seen in the first episode and became a regular, appearing in the opening credits during seasons 2 and 3. According to the fictional universe first established by Buffy, the 'Buffyverse',The term 'Buffyverse' is used amongst fans of Buffy/Angel online to describe the fictional universe established by Buffy/Angel. It is also used in published materials such: Walton, Andy, "Slang-age in the Buffyverse", CNN (February 18, 2004 ), and the book, Ouellette, Jennifer, Physics of the Buffyverse , Penguin Books (January 2007). Angel was born in 18th-century Ireland; after being turned into a soulless, immortal vampire, he became legendary for his evil acts, until a band of wronged Gypsies punished him by restoring his soul, overwhelming him with guilt. Angel eventually set out on a path of redemption, hoping that he could make up for his past through good deeds. In Buffy's S.eason Three finale, he leaves Sunnydale for L.A. to continue his atonement without Buffy. Whedon believed that "Angel was the one character who was bigger than life in the same way that Buffy was, a kind of superhero."Havens, Candace, Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy Benbella Books (May 1, 2003), p103. Whedon has compared, the series to its parent: "It's a little bit more straightforward action show and a little bit more of a guys' show."Bassom, David, "Buffy, Angel and Me", from Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine #12 (UK, September 2000), page 6.