Blood tasting

In the original script for the Angel episode ‘City Of…‘, Angel was going to taste Tina’s blood after her death, but the scene was cut. The intention was to show that Angel is really on the edge, but it was decided that it was enough that he wasn’t able to save Tina.

City directions

The following are two stage directions from the script for City Of:

A woman’s laugh draws Angel’s gaze to three GOOD LOOKING GUYS shooting pool with TWO GOOD LOOKING YOUNG WOMEN nearby. They’re laughing, having a good time. One of the guys gets behind one of the women (JANICE, who may resemble Buffy) helping her line up a shot.

and

Angel leaps over the last car and - cool action hero that he is - lands in a convertible. Problem is: it’s the wrong convertible.

Whistler on Angel

There’s a rumour that the character of Whistler, seen in Becoming (Part 1), was originally intended to be in the spin-off show Angel, but Max Perlich (the actor who played Whistler in Becoming) wasn’t able to commit to the series so the character of Doyle was created.

Christian Kane

Christian Kane played Lindsey MacDonald in Angel. He and David Boreanaz are the only two actors to have appeared in both the first and last episdoes of Angel. Christian Kane was born in Dallas, Texas, on June 27th, 1974 and grew up in Norman, Oklahoma. He moved to L.A after dropping out of college and eventually landed the lead role in Fame L.A.
Christian has also appeared in Close to Home (as Jack Chase), Keep Your Distance, Her Minor Thing, Into the West, Taxi, Las Vegas, The Plight of Clownana, Just Married, Life or Something Like It, Summer Catch (with Marc Blucas - Riley in Buffy, and Freddie Prinze Jr.), Crossfire Trail, Dawson’s Creek, Love Song, and Edtv. Christian also voiced Peter Madsen in the video game 24: The Game.
When not acting, Christian performs with his band Kane.

David Greenwalt

David Greenwalt was a writer, director and executive producer on Buffy, and the co-creator, director, writer and executive producer on Angel. David was a director on The Wonder Years, and a writer and producer for The X-Files and Doogie Howser MD. David’s UPN show Jake 2.0 (which starred Christopher Gorham, who played doomed lover James in I Only Have Eyes For You) was cancelled after only the first season. The show ran at the same time as Angel. David used to be a body double for Jeff Bridges. His nickname is Greenie.

Glenn Quinn

Glenn Quinn played Doyle on Angel. He was born on May 28th, 1970, and raised in Cabinteely, Co Dublin. Prior to his role on Angel, Glenn was best known as Becky’s husband Mark on the sitcom Roseanne (on which Joss Whedon was a writer). Glenn was delighted to use his Irish accent on Angel and said in an interview with The Irish Times in July 1999, “I’ve been hiding it for so long that it’s amazing to have some freedom. It was like putting on an old pair of shoes—it’s bringing my soul back to life”.
Glenn Quinn’s filmography includes Dr. Giggles, Shout, Live Nude Girls, Covington Cross, Campfire Tales and guest star appearences on Jesse, Bagdad Café, and Beverly Hills, 90210.
Quinn sadly died on Tuesday, December 3 2002, at the age of 32, of a heroin overdose.

Russell Winters

Russell Winters was a rich vampire with a taste for young, attractive women. He paid his legal firm, Wolfram & Hart, to keep his murderous nature a secret and to supply him with victims. He killed Tina, whom Angel was trying to protect and turned his interests to Cordelia, who he saw at a video of a Hollywood party. After realising Russell was a vampire - and just how vulnerable she was - Cordy was saved by Angel, who later pushed Winters from a high-rise window in City Of. The sunlight dusted him before he even hit the ground.

Tina

Tina was a young woman who lived in fear of the powerful Russell Winters. Not realising he was a vampire, she got entagled in his life when he offered her money, and discovered heself unable to escape his clutches. Doyle had a vision that Tina was in danger in City Of and sent Angel to meet her at a coffee shop - Angel’s first case in L.A. After initially believing he was sent by Russell, Tina began to trust Angel, who saved her from thugs at a Hollywood party. After seeing Angel’s vamp face - Tina ran away from Angel - only to be killed by Winters in her own apartment.

Angel credits

In the episode Anne, there is a shot of a lonely-looking woman standing on the streets of L.A. The same image is used in the opening credits of the spin-off series Angel.

City of flashbacks

A few flashback scenes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are seen in the opening episode of Angel - ‘City Of…‘ - whilst Doyle is telling Angel the story of his life:

David and Sarah’s cameos

David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar had cameo parts in each others’ season premiere episodes. In The Freshman, Buffy notices someone who looks like Angel in the Bronze (we see David for a split second). In the Angel episode ‘City Of’, a lonely Angel calls Buffy’s house. She answers the phone (seen in The Freshman when she goes home to her mother) but he rings off. We briefly hear Sarah’s voice on the phone in ‘City Of…‘.

Not really a cure for that

In City Of, Cordelia says to Angel, “So are you still… Grr?” To which Angel replies “Yeah, there’s not actually a cure for that.” We later learn that there is a cure - in I Will Remember You Angel turns human after coming in contact with the blood of a Morah demon whose veins are said to run with the blood of eternity.

W&H’s L and M

On Angel, many of the Wolfram & Hart lawyers have first names that begin with ‘L’ and surnames beginning with ‘M’ (Lindsey MacDonald, Lilah Morgan, Lee Mercer, Linwood Murrow).

Angel theme

When looking for the theme tune for Angel, music co-ordinator John King put out a call to local bands who might be interested in having their music heard every week on TV. He describes what he was asked for in Angel: The Casefiles Vol 1.:

“I just quoted Joss. He said: “I’m looking for Batman meets Smashing Pumpkins a la cello-rock”.

Gus Gus

At Margo’s party in City Of, we hear “Ladyshave” and “Teenage Sensation” by Gus Gus.

Billy Dee Williams

Doyle says in ‘City Of…‘: “You kow, I’m parched from all this yakkin’ man. Let’s go treat me to a Billy D”. This is a reference to the Billy Dee Williams (Lando Carlissian in Star Wars) commercials for Colt 45 Malt Liquor.

Seen at 38.30 minutes:

When Angel kicks Russell Winters out of the window in ‘City Of…‘, you can see his reflection in the building windows when he is falling.