LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- "Angel" co-creator and executive producer David Greenwalt is in final negotiations to ink a one-year, seven-figure deal with Touchstone Television to join the studio's new ABC drama "Miracles" as showrunner.

Greenwalt will also continue on 20th Century Fox TV's "Angel," which he co-created with Joss Whedon, as a creative consultant. Sources said David Simkins is expected to be named showrunner of the WB Network series, which will begin its fourth season in the fall. 20th TV declined comment on the matter Thursday.

"An unexpected thing happened to me when I first read and then saw the pilot for 'Miracles,' which is that I fell in love," Greenwalt said. "It's got everything -- it asks the big questions about existence, it's got irony and danger and horror and hope, and these are all the things that I love."

On "Miracles," a co-production with Spyglass Entertainment, Greenwalt will serve as an executive producer with Richard Hatem, Roger Birnbaum and Gary Barber. The show about a young man (Skeet Ulrich) assigned to find scientific basis for reports of miracles was picked up for midseason.

While he is excited about the new opportunity on "Miracles," Greenwalt said the decision to leave active duties on "Angel," a show "very near and a dear to my heart," was difficult.

Whedon, executive producer of "Angel" and creator/executive producer of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," who has worked with Greenwalt since the inception of "Buffy" in 1997, said he was "all broken up" by the news of Greenwalt's departure.

"It's a good move for him; he's still gonna consult for 'Angel,' so that's good for me, but it's killing me," Whedon said. "I'm losing a great writer, a great producer, a great director and a guy without whom I have yet to make an hour of TV. He's the real deal, and there aren't that many of those."

Greenwalt will still be involved in some of the most important parts of the production process on "Angel," including breaking the stories.

The pact with Touchstone comes as Greenwalt's overall deal with 20th TV, where he said he spent "six very happy and productive years," comes to an end.

In addition to working on "Angel" and "Buffy," Greenwalt's TV series credits include "Profit," which he co-created, and "The Wonder Years." He began his career as a screenwriter in the 1980s, co-writing several movies, including "Secret Admirer," which he also directed.

Greenwalt is repped by Robert Gumer of Kaplan-Stahler-Gumer and attorney Alan Hergott.

Simkins, who has an overall deal with 20th TV, most recently was a consulting producer on "Roswell" and "Dark Angel." He also was an executive producer/showrunner on "Freaky Links." His credits include "Charmed" and "Vengeance Unlimited."