It is still unclear which network 20th Century Fox TV drama Angel will call home in the fall.
Following the move of fellow 20th Century Fox TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer from The WB to UPN late last week, spin-off Angel's future is still up in the air. Angel, which is currently in its second season on The WB, is a free-agent at the end of current season. The WB owns the right to match any offer made for the series going forward, but sources say its 50-50 if WB executives will want to keep Angel after losing Buffy in a bitter renewal battle with 20th Century Fox. As part of UPN's pact with 20th Century Fox for Buffy, UPN agreed to pick up Angel for two seasons if The WB passes on it. The final decision will likely not be made right up until The WB's up-front presentation on May 15.
Angel has been flat in adults 18-49 vs. last season (1.9 rating/5 share) and is down 15% in total viewers (4.0 million vs. 4.7). The WB is expected to replace Buffy's Tuesday 8 p.m. ET/PT time slot with a new drama from co-owned Warner Bros. TV coined Smallville. The WB has given Smallville, the tale of teenage Superman, a 13-episode commitment for the 2001-2002 season. WB executives had no comment. - Joe Schlosser
