9. Angel
With Buffy in full swing, Whedon, to the sheer joy of the WB Network, decided to create a spin-off series for the fan favourite Angel. While it was similar to Buffy in tone, Angel represented a much darker experienced aimed more at teenagers closer to the twenties than the tens. When many of us started to outgrow Buffy around the time the tween Slayerettes started appearing Angel was there as the logical next step. Sordid, noirish and reeking of Batman, Angel was a different kind of awesome, at a time when Buffy was maybe growing that little bit too sickly-sweet.