Sweet baby Jeebus! Is Ripper (BtVS spin off) finally a go?

Is there any truth to this??!! (Sullivan, I'm looking at you for the scoop.) This is from yesterday...

Joss Whedon Confirms Buffy Spin-off Happening

Better sharpen those stakes.

In a surprise Comic-Con announcement, Joss Whedon has confirmed that the long gestating Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off, entitled Ripper, finally looks like it's going forward.

Whedon says that he's thisclose to signing a deal with the BBC to finance a 90-minute telepic that will star Buffy's Anthony Stewart Head as former Watcher Rupert Giles combatting the things that go bump in the night sans Slayer.

The deal hasn't been signed yet, so anything can happen. Whedon was quick to say that no U.S. distribution has been decided, meaning that it's still a bit soon to circle a launch date on your calendar or break open the bubbly.

Meanwhile, Whedon has launched a non-Buffy-related online comic called Sugar Shock with Dark Horse (the publishers of the Buffy Season Eight comic). It's free, it's online, and it might just tide you over until Ripper... or the next issue of the Buffy comic.

Speaking of things "Buffy": I somehow wound up watching the new Holly Hunter show on TNT called "Saving Grace". It's a little too hick accenty and bubba trucky (AND religious) for me, but I cracked up watching it: Bailey (of the Initiative) is one of the main characters and last night's villainous guest was none other than James Marsters. A James Marsters speaking in his regular (albeit hick for the show) American accent AND sporting brown hair. It was interesting to see those two things to say the least!

EDIT EDIT: Sullivan you SUCK if you don't write up about this panel. There was a PANEL for Joss at the Con? Come on! Spill more info! And I doubt I'll go to WWC, so any chances of seeing that preview electronically, eh?