10 TV Shows That Were Unrecognisable When They Finished
3. Angel Goes From Supernatural Detective Procedural To Supernatural Law Procedural
Our third and final Joss Whedon show on this list, Angel distinguished itself from its predecessor, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, right off the bat by being SIGNIFICANTLY darker. Buffy went to some dark places, but when your spin-off show stars a guy who literally cannot be happy for fear of turning into a powerful, genocidal, utterly insane vampire, you tend to have an advantage.
Throughout the first three seasons of Angel, we saw the brooding vampire butt heads with Wolfram and Hart, a very corrupt and VERY powerful law firm that was tied up in a lot of demonic business. However, right at the start of season 5, several changes were made. Not only were two of the main characters straight up ditched, but perhaps most shocking, Wolfram and Hart HIRED Angel and his team to run the LA branch of the firm.
Anyone who tuned in to this season the first time spent every episode thinking that this was the one where Wolfram and Hart tipped their hand to show this was all an elaborate evil plan. But instead the premise completely shifts, as Angel and pals acclimate very quickly to their new roles and the show becomes more of a lawyer procedural with a supernatural twist, instead of the vampire cop drama it was before.