Angel Seasons 1-5

This is a spin-off from one of the characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show is based on a character named Angel, who was one of Buffy's loves. He's also a vampire with a soul, so he's a good vampire. Long back story that is explored throughout Buffy and this show. I believe it starts around the time of season 4 in Buffy.

This show is actually as good as Buffy, if not a little better at times. It is a little more grown up, and a bit darker. More in line with Firefly in how it explores the meaning of loyalty, the conflict of good and evil, and the main story line of Angel attempting to atone for a hundred years of evil that he had committed.

The minor characters are a little more interesting, and the setting is Los Angeles, so it feels more grown up than Sunnydale, which is where Buffy takes place. Sunnydale is more of a fictional small town that seems to be really generic. Whedon does a great job of mixing demons in the culture of Los Angeles that makes sense and is fun and believable, while at the same time dark and creepy enough when the show needs it to be. There is more room for the epic storylines to take place in Angel with this setting than in the setting of Buffy.

I won't comment in too much detail about the final season, but I will say it was not as good of an ending as Buffy's ending was. I think they were at least purposefully going for something with the final sequence in Angel that would resolve his arc and solidify the change in his character that would make the audience feel satisfied with the ending. This attempt just didn't feel satisfying to be though, and felt a little too open ended. Also, they left one important plot thread unresolved, which is always going to be aggravating.

One interesting thing about this show was that it basically serves as a supplement to Buffy at times, and the two shows often play off of each other. You could see it as pretty much the same show, and so in all, between Buffy and Angel there are twelve seasons.