The WB Network has cancelled the Angel television series, which will end after five seasons on the air.  A spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel remained on the WB after Buffy departed for the supposedly greener pastures of UPN.  Created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, Angel appeared to gain some momentum after the cancellation of Buffy and the relocation of several key players from Buffy to the Angel series.  However the WB Network, which has less primetime 'real estate' than its major network competitors, evidently felt that it had too many other aging series (Seventh Heaven, Charmed) and wanted to revamp and revitalize its lineup, so Angel had to go.

With over 100 episodes already broadcast, Angel is a good bet to continue to make an impact in syndication.  Buffy theVampire Slayer is now seen more on cable and in syndication in most markets than it was when it aired first run on the WB and UPN.  Inkworks' seventh series of Buffy trading cards was released after the series was cancelled and sold out quickly just like the previous six series, which demonstrates syndication's effect on post-cancellation merchandise sales.  Buffy's strong record in syndication should lead to a similar run for Angel, which means that Angel merchandise could also have an extended run.