Joss Whedon, co-creator of The WB's vampire series Angel, told SCI FI Wire that it has been an adjustment replacing co-creator and show runner David Greenwalt, who is stepping aside to run ABC's upcoming new supernatural drama Miracles. Greenwalt will remain with Angel as a creative consultant, but TV veteran David Simkins (Freakylinks) will take over the job of running Angel on a daily basis, Whedon said.

Greenwalt's decision to leave "was a bit of a shock to the system, because we obviously created the show together, and he's such a central part of it," Whedon said in an interview at The WB's fall preview. "But [executive producer] Tim [Minear] and I brought in David Simkins. ... We have built a staff over the years. It's now our fourth year, so we have enough people to sort of stop the gap. And the process is more difficult without David, but the show isn't going to suffer, because I won't let it."

Whedon added that Simkins brings a complementary sensibility to the show. He's "someone that we could really get into the story with, who can really work with the actors and do all the things we need a producer to do," Whedon said. "Unfortunately, though, Greenwalt was also a great director, which means we have to find new guys there. But Simkins ... has done a lot of shows, and he understands the dynamic when you're coming onto a show that suddenly has this vacuum, which is great. Because [with] a lot of people, ... it would be a real conflict, because it's a position of power. But he understands what that power is, and he's a really gracious guy, and he really fits with our sensibility, and so it's working out well."

Whedon, who is running a new SF series, Firefly, for Fox, in addition to overseeing UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will lean on Minear as well. Minear will also run Firefly with Whedon. "He is running Angel with me the way he is running Firefly with me. ... He is, like, completely bifurcated at this point. Eventually he'll be more on Firefly, when Angel gets on its feet, but for now, with the sudden hole that Greenwalt has left, ... Minear is spending a lot more time on Angel than we intended."

Angel co-star Alexis Denisof (Wesley) told SCI FI Wire that Simkins has been doing his homework in preparation for taking over Angel. "He sat down this summer with his wife and watched 66 episodes of Angel from beginning to end in a marathon," Denisof said in an interview. "Can you imagine? ... They just took one tape out and put the next one in. He was just hammering it. I mean, that's more than any hardcore fan would do. So ... he's already got the bible in his head of the show. He's done his homework, and he's ready to go."