Details of production staff on the fifth season of Angel have been released.

The big news is that series creator Joss Whedon will write and direct the season opener, the first time he has done so since the pilot.

Making the move from the Buffy universe is Drew Goddard, whose writing talent Whedon nurtured on season seven, where he made his debut with one of the year's best episodes, Selfless.

Other writers that will be working on Angel include Jeffrey Bell (Habeus Corpses, The Magic Bullet), Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain (Release, Players), Steven DeKnight (Apocalypse Nowish, Inside Out), Ben Edlund (Sacrifice), and David Fury (Salvage, Peace Out).

But two Buffy writers who won't be making the trip from Sunnydale to L.A. are Drew Greenberg and Doug Petrie.

It was hoped that Greenberg would join the Angel staff after his work on Buffy season six, and on the short-lived Firefly. Instead he has moved on to work on the WB's Smallville.

Petrie hasn't written for Angel since the show's second season, but many hoped that he would make a return. Instead Petrie has joined the staff of the new Eliza Dushku (Faith) vehicle, Tru Calling.

Neither is Angel co-creator David Greenwalt to return. After the cancellation of Miracles, he will now oversee UPN's Jake 2.0.

Other writers not joining Angel season five include Jane Espenson (who has committed to working on the Gilmore Girls), Rebecca Rand Kirshner (Help, Touched), Tim Minear, Marti Noxon, Mere Smith.