Spike is in; Cordelia is out

Despite the fact that he died in the series finale of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Spike (James Marsters) will indeed be joining the cast of "Angel" in the fall. However, while Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) isn't dead — she's just in a coma — that character won't be back on the WB series.

As to how, exactly, Spike will be resurrected after helping save the world from The First and closing the Sunnydale hellmouth, well, even the folks running the WB don't know.

"I'm waiting word from (creator/executive producer) Joss (Whedon) on that as well," said WB Entertainment president Jordan Levin. "He's obviously a very creative person who hasn't let us down in the past and I'm sure that he will figure out a way."

He's done it before. Buffy died and returned — twice. Lilah returned from the dead (as exactly what, we don't know) earlier this month.

And Darla (like Spike, a vampire) was resurrected on "Angel" — as a mortal. Which leaves open the question of what Spike will be.

As for Carpenter and Cordelia, nobody is talking much except to say that Charisma will not be part of the show next year. "It makes way for characters like Spike and others," said Levin.

"Others" like various members of the "Buffy" cast who will be making guest appearances. And, possibly, more.

"Not full-time cast members, but there will be appearances from other characters, and we'll see how that evolves," Levin said. As to whether Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) herself shows up, he left open that possibility. "Who knows?"

While there was a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering about a fifth-season renewal for "Angel," Levin said it was an "easy" choice that "felt like the right thing to do."

" 'Dawson's Creek,' I think, really taught us the value of being able to provide closure for a show that's been important to audiences and important, really, to the people who've worked on it for so long. Including us at the network. And with 'Angel,' it felt like it would've been extremely abrupt to have brought it to an end — brought the whole mythology of 'Buffy' to an end."

What it came down to was a negotiation with 20th Century Fox, which produces the show, over what the WB would be willing to pay for it. Similar negotiations for a sixth season of "Buffy" had failed, sending that show to UPN for its final two years.