Starring: David Boreanaz, Glenn Quinn, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisoff

Before I begin to review this excellent release, I have one question. Why do Fox assume that anyone who has a DVD player, can afford to pay nearly £80 for the entire series when the VHS brigade can buy them seperately? What's the deal with that?

That moan aside, the first season of Angel is very impressive, with the stand alone first few episodes giving way to an impressive story arch involving Wolfram and Hart. Starting with the excellent opening episode, the season went from strength to strength (albeit it with a few duds amongst the excellent).. In the lead David Boreanaz is so convinving as the tortured, dry witted Angel that you can't believe that he isn't a 400 year old vampire, Carpenter, as Cordelia Chase, is given a much fuller character (eventually) and turns Cordelia from helpful school bitch, into a geniunely likeable female lead. As for Wesley, Alexis Denisoff, who replaced the likeable Glenn Quinn as Doyle, has become one of the best characters in the 'Buffy verse'.

The extras are as many as they are impressive, which is the norm with Buffy DVD releases, and include an insight into the behind the scenes of Angel and cast interviews.

This release is all in all very good, but let down by the fact that I have had to fork out £80 to buy it.