Network change

[VisionGirl]

Can somebody tell me the background of why this happened? Why did Buffy jump from the WB to UPN, but Angel did not?

 

[Primal Slayer]

Joss wanted more money for Buffy, TheWB didnt want to fork it over and thus cancelled the show. Since they gave up the rights to the show by cancelling it, it started a bidding war between networks and UPN won. Angel was still licensed to TheWB. And when it was cancelled, UPN didnt want to look like the network that picked up leftovers (since they picked up Buffy/Roswell from WB). Plus TheWB wouldnt cancel Angel since then they knew that UPN would have probably picked up it and aired alongside Buffy. TheWB was known for being cheap in its later days, it cut costs for just about every one of its shows. Charmed got its budget cut every season after S5.

Heres some articles about it from back then
'Buffy,' Moving to UPN, Tries to Be WB Slayer

 

[VisionGirl]

Ahh, thanks for that info. When Buffy & Angel were both on WB, they aired back to back weekly episodes, correct? When Buffy moved to UPN, were they aired the same night? I'm assuming that most Buffy fans & reviewers thought the move ended up being a good one for the show, right? Did it change anything WRT crossover storyarcs, or not because they were both produced by FOX.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Angel was moved to Sunday nights and Monday nights after Buffy was gone from TheWB. And TheWB also put a ban on crossovers thus why Buffy/Angels meeting was never shown on screen in S6 of Buffy. They only lifted that ban in S7 since Buffy was ending and they could use it for more promotion and thus why they told Joss that he had to add a Buffy charecter in S5 of the show. The move was good for Buffy since UPN gave them more money and more freedom (the constant sex scenes in S6 never would have passed w/TheWB).

But I dont think it affected any storylines that much, I think Angel was suppose to show up at the beginning of Bargaining but it was changed (not 100% sure) and we were suppose to see some affects of the sun blackout in LA start to spread to Sunnyday but I guess they changed thier minds.

 

[VisionGirl]

Angel was moved to Sunday nights and Monday nights after Buffy was gone from TheWB. And TheWB also put a ban on crossovers thus why Buffy/Angels meeting was never shown on screen in S6 of Buffy.

Thank you so much for explaining that! I seriously never knew that & couldn't figure that out. Still doesn't explain why neither Angel nor Buffy give any details about the meeting. Oh well.

They only lifted that ban in S7 since Buffy was ending and they could use it for more promotion and thus why they told Joss that he had to add a Buffy charecter in S5 of the show. The move was good for Buffy since UPN gave them more money and more freedom (the constant sex scenes in S6 never would have passed w/TheWB).

Ah, I do remember hearing that last part.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I think it was just easer for the writers to not have to worry about what went on between them. Though darkhorse did produce a comic about it with The Scoobies imagining what happened between the two.