There's really scary news for fans of the WB series "Angel" — co-creator and executive producer David Greenwalt looks likely to leave the show before next season begins.
At the very least, it appears he won't be working on the show on a full-time basis.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Greenwalt is close to signing on as executive producer — aka showrunner — of the ABC series "Miracles." And, if he takes that job, he can't be the showrunner for "Angel" as well.
("Miracles" follows a young man who investigates modern-day miracles from a scientific viewpoint — which can't always explain what he finds.)
Greenwalt would remain a creative consultant for "Angel," but how much time he would actually have to devote to his old show when he's trying to get a new one up and running is questionable.
The talented producer promised that he would never leave "Angel" entirely behind. In an interview with the Deseret News, he vowed to stay with the show "Till it dies. Till we can make no more."
He suggested that co-executive producer Tim Minear (whose credits include "The X-Files") was being groomed to replace him. Minear has written or co-written 17 episodes of "Angel" and directed half a dozen installments.
"Tim is certainly pulling half the weight over there with me now," Greenwalt said. "And I'd like to . . . start stepping back and doing other things. And Tim is the man."
Greenwalt promised, however, that he "won't ever go away completely."
Despite that promise — and despite Minear's obvious talents — this is a turn of event that's worrisome for "Angel" fans. After all, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" hasn't been the same show since its creator/executive producer, Joss Whedon, stepped back to work on other projects.
(Whedon, who, of course, co-created "Angel" with Greenwalt, has a new series on Fox this fall — the outer-space show "Firefly.")
"Angel" was already facing the challenge of a tough new time slot in the fall — it's moving to Sundays at 8 p.m. Making that move without Greenwalt will make it that much harder.
E-MAIL: pierce@desnews.com