Spreading the Word

[coalescent]

As mentioned by tomburnell here, there's a Dreamwatch interview with David Fury out in which he talks about budget cuts to Angel.

Bluntly, Angel's budget for season five is the going to be the same as Buffy's budget was...for season one.

No-one's got actual numbers, but unless Buffy S1 had an unusually high budget it seems likely that trying to make twice as many episodes for the same money is going to necessitate some cuts. I wouldn't hold your breath for impressive location shoots or flashbacks.

Comments

[despotliz.livejournal.com]

We don't know if it's the same overall budget, or the same per-episode budget. I think it's most likely to be the latter, since I guess the former would be about a 60-70% decrease in budget. We also don't know if the 1st season Buffy budget included the set up costs of having to build entirely new sets, more than they will need for s5 Angel, and whether this is a budget including or excluding actors' salaries. Plus you get a lot more bang for your buck special-effects-wise than you did 8 years ago. So I wouldn't sob into your cornflakes just yet.

[tizzle-b.livejournal.com]

You were away when I posted this to umta, weren't you?

We have all new sets for Season Five :)

And it is implied that they will sit around and talk, so pah to that.

Oooh, and umta had a little 'boom' over this. Must go read.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Oh, there's a lot we don't know. If they're comparing just production costs - ie not including salaries, or the costs of setting up the regular sets, or anything like that - then it's not the end of the world. On the other hand, the fact that Fury implied they'd be sitting around talking rather than having flashbacks tends to suggest it's not a non-issue.

[oxfordslacker.livejournal.com]

If fewer flashbacks mean less 'Oirish Angel', I for one am in favour.

Includes S5 cast changes

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

It's true that the flashbacks usually work in spite of David Boreanaz's facility with accents; but I think the show would be poorer without the view into the Hyperion's past. Without seeing Dru and Darla and Spike and Angelus in China. Without seeing Holtz throw his daughter out into the sun. Without seeing Faith's trip through Angelus' memory lane.

If they hadn't changed the cast in the way they have done then I wouldn't be bothered, because the format for S5 doesn't need fireworks. But in the absence of Cordelia, and with the addition of Captain Peroxide, there was a place for flashbacks.

Re: Includes S5 cast changes

[ajp.livejournal.com]

A place, if not a necessity. I felt certain that we'd get at least one episode showing the events between those two, in flashback. :-(