Excerpted from the Oakland Tribune:

'Angel' will explore flashbacks

The set for "Angel" looks like you just descended into the bowels of a deserted inner-city building. Inside the vampire Angel's living quarters, we were treated to fruit on a stake (well, skewer) and blood punch (OK, dark fruit drink). And inside Angel's refrigerator?

"Blood and butter," says David Boreanaz, who plays Angel. "Go figure. I mean, why butter?"

Above the bathroom sink, there is, of course, no mirror. Just a bronze artworkthat suggested a looking glass, since no self-respecting vamp would own a real one. Yet it was good to see that he brushes his fangs every day with the ordinary toothbrush and toothpaste sitting near the sink.

Hanging around Angel's gritty digs were co-stars Charisma Carpenter and new cast member Alexis Denisof, who played Buffy's recently banished Watcher on "Buffy,the Vampire Slayer."

Denisof replaces the departed Glenn Quinn. Quinn was abruptly written out of the show by having his character killed off. Creator Joss Whedon says that was always the plan.

Look me in the eye and say that, buddy.

So Whedon actually goes eyeball to eyeball, his bulging out at me, and says "That was always the plan."

Hard to call the guy a fibber after that.

Whedon admits he got quite a bit of hate mail concerning the decision, but thinks that offing a main character keeps the viewers on their toes.

"Not to mention the actors," Carpenter chimes in.

Whedon says the show will explore Angel's roots and an upcoming episode will include flashbacks as to how the guy ended up on the dark side. Boreanaz says he'd like to do more flashbacks.

"I want to go back to the '60s," he says. "Can you see Angel in San Francisco,living in the Haight?"