Summary
- The first three seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" should be watched before starting "Angel" as they precede the spin-off.
- "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" ran for 7 seasons, while "Angel" had 5 seasons, meaning crossovers were frequent.
- "Angel" season 5 should be the final "Buffyverse" season someone watches.
introduced in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1.
Ultimately, Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for five seasons on The WB before moving to UPN for its final two seasons. Meanwhile, Angel's five seasons aired on The WB, meaning the switch to another network for the original series made crossovers between the two shows difficult. Nevertheless, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel remained connected until they ended, and characters would often jump between series single episode arcs (which unfortunately signifies the difficulty of binging both shows in chronological order without becoming confused).
Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel Seasons In Release Order
The shows collectively ran from 1997-2004.
The first three seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer solely aired on The WB until the network began producing Angel. The two supernatural dramas were released simultaneously on Tuesday nights, beginning with Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 4. However, this changed once the original series moved to UPN, and consequently, Buffy and Angel's schedules began to differ. Nevertheless, the release order for both television shows is as follows.
Season |
Release Date |
---|---|
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1 |
March 10, 1997 - June 2, 1997 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2 |
September 15, 1997 - May 19, 1998 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 3 |
September 29, 1998 - July 13, 1998 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 4 |
October 5, 1999 - May 23, 2000 |
Angel season 1 |
October 5, 1999 - May 23, 2000 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5 |
September 26, 2000 - May 22, 2001 |
Angel season 2 |
September 26, 2000 - May 22, 2001 |
Angel season 3 |
September 24, 2001 - May 20, 2002 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6 |
October 2, 2001 - May 21, 2002 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7 |
September 24, 2002 - May 20, 2003 |
Angel season 4 |
October 6, 2002 - May 7, 2003 |
Angel season 5 |
October 1, 2003 - May 19, 2004 |

8 Best Buffy The Vampire Slayer Theories That Change How You See The Show
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was an incredibly well-written show, with some details that hinted at wild theories that could change the whole series.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Seasons 1-3 All Pre-Date Angel
These should be watched first before Angel.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer
- Release Date
- 1997 - 2003
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.
- Cast
- Harry Groener, Charlie Weber, D.B. Woodside, Iyari Limon, Clare Kramer, Bailey Chase, Leonard Roberts, Sarah Hagan, Lindsay Crouse
- Seasons
- 7
As mentioned above, seasons 1 through 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer precede Angel, so they should be watched before tuning into any of the spin-off's episodes. Many regard Buffy season 3 as the best season of both supernatural dramas, so it won't be too hard to get through it before starting Angel. Plus, the original show's pilot episode introduces David Boreanaz as Angel.
Boreanaz gets upgraded from a recurring star to a series regular by season 2. So, Angel has a significant role in the first three seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, especially in "The Prom," one of Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz's favorite Buffy episodes. However, Angel leaves Sunnydale during the season 3 finale, setting up his story in the Angel pilot episode.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 4/Angel Season 1 Crossovers & Watch Order
The show had 6 crossovers this year.
Even though David Boreanaz left Buffy the Vampire Slayer to star in Angel, he still appeared in the original series, and other characters frequently jumped between the shows via crossovers. Buffy season 4 and Angel season 1 aired simultaneously on The WB, and, as a result, they contained the most crossovers (six), starting with their premieres. While one might want to watch one season fully before starting the other, the storylines might get confusing since they often start in one show and end in the other. So, it's best to be up-to-date with Buffy and Angel to enjoy the crossovers.
Buffy and Angel characters crossed over in a total of 11 episodes, but Buffy season 4 and Angel season 1 technically contained six crossovers since many start in one episode and end in another.
Show |
Episode |
Title |
Release Date |
---|---|---|---|
Angel |
Season 1, Episode 1 |
"City Of" |
October 5, 1999 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 4, Episode 1 |
"The Freshman" |
October 5, 1999 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 4, Episode 3 |
"The Harsh Light of Day" |
October 19, 1999 |
Angel |
Season 1, Episode 3 |
"In the Dark" |
October 19, 1999 |
Angel |
Season 1, Episode 7 |
"The Bachelor Party" |
November 16, 1999 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 4, Episode 8 |
"Pangs" |
November 23, 1999 |
Angel |
Season 1, Episode 8 |
"I Will You" |
November 23, 1999 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 4, Episode 16 |
"Who Are You?" |
February 29, 2000 |
Angel |
Season 1, Episode 18 |
"Five by Five" |
April 25, 2000 |
Angel |
Season 1, Episode 19 |
"Sanctuary" |
May 2, 2000 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 4, Episode 20 |
"The Yoko Factor" |
May 9, 2000 |
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 5/Angel Season 2 Crossovers & Watch Order
The show had 5 crossovers this year.
The crossovers continued in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5 and Angel season 2, with five total. This was the last time the two supernatural drama series aired on the same network, which is why they have more crossovers than the following seasons. Like the previous two seasons, Buffy and Angel interacted a lot in Buffy season 5 and Angel season 2.
Show |
Episode |
Title |
Release Date |
---|---|---|---|
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 5, Episode 7 |
"Fool for Love" |
November 14, 2000 |
Angel |
Season 2, Episode 7 |
"Darla" |
November 14, 2000 |
Angel |
Season 2, Episode 9 |
"The Trial" |
November 28, 2000 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 5, Episode 14 |
"Crush" |
February 13, 2001 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 5, Episode 17 |
"Forever" |
April 17, 2001 |
Angel |
Season 2, Episode 17 |
"Disharmony" |
April 17, 2001 |
Angel |
Season 2, Episode 22 |
"There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb" |
May 22, 2001 |

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Real-Life Band That Played The Bronze
Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans have fond memories of The Bronze, the show's in-universe club. Let's look at every real-life band that played there.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 6/Angel Season 3 Crossovers & Watch Order
The show had 0 crossovers this year.
Unfortunately, due to Buffy the Vampire Slayer's move to UPN, the supernatural drama television show and its spin-off had no official crossovers in their sixth and third seasons, respectively. However, Angel season 3, episode 4, "Carpe Noctem," included Angel receiving a phone call from Willow, but she isn't seen. Episode 4 of the dark sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer also featured Buffy on the phone with Angel, but like Willow, he isn't shown in the episode.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 7/Angel Season 4 Crossovers & Watch Order
The show had 2 crossovers this year.
For the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the producers made two crossovers between the show and Angel work. Buffy season 7 and Angel season 4's stories didn't connect until later in both series, but they are still significant, especially for the original supernatural drama. David Boreanaz reprised his role as Angel in the final two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was the last time he shared the screen with Sarah Michelle Gellar in the Buffyverse.
Show |
Episode |
Title |
Release Date |
---|---|---|---|
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 7, Episode 17 |
"Lie My Parents Told Me" |
March 25, 2003 |
Angel |
Season 4, Episode 15 |
"Orpheus" |
March 19, 2003 |
Angel |
Season 4, Episode 22 |
"Home" |
May 7, 2003 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 7, Episode 21 |
"End of Days" |
May 13, 2003 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
Season 7, Episode 22 |
"Chosen" |
May 20, 2003 |

New Buffy The Vampire Slayer Cancellation Means Disney's Reboot Must Finally Happen
Disney has canceled Slayers: A Buffyverse Story after just one season, which should really mean it's bringing Buffy the Vampire Slayer back.
Angel Season 5 Is The Final Buffyverse Season
Why this should be watched after Buffy season 7.
Following the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel continued for one more season before The WB canceled it. Sadly, Sarah Michelle Gellar didn't appear as Buffy in Angel season 5, but James Marsters as Spike became a series regular on the spin-off during its final season. Regardless, since the events of Angel season 5 occur after its predecessor's series finale, it should be watched after Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7.
Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off audio series, was released in October 2023 on Audible and featured the return of several cast , like James Marsters as Spike and Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia. However, there are no plans for it to continue.

Angel
- Release Date
- 1999 - 2004
A spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel is a drama series with supernatural elements that stars David Boreanaz, reprising his role as the titular vampire. An immortal cursed with his human soul returning to his body, which makes him susceptible to human emotions such as remorse. Angel lives in Los Angeles as a private detective, seeking redemption for his murderous past as a vicious warlord. Angel will face threats such as humans and demons that rival his own cruel potential as he ventures to help those in need.
- Cast
- David Boreanaz
- Seasons
- 5