An executive producer's role can be varied, from none at all (just lent their name for credibility, say, or was a major investor and wanted to see their name in lights) to overseeing every last detail. As I understand it, the executive producer acts as a shepard to make sure the original vision of the filmmakers is carried through into the final product. I think that somebody associated with Buffy and Angel would have an aethetic similar to my own, but also both of those shows featured characters who did unlikable things but you kept caring for the characters anyway, wanting to know what drove them to be who they were.