Appreciating Charlie's Angels

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Quite frankly, feminists seem like unhappy that were jealous of the female cop shows of the 70s because the women looked better than them and that men enjoyed watching. As attractive as Sharon Gless was, there was no way that feminists would be jealous of Gless/Daly as they were about the Charlie's Angels trios, Carter, etc.

And I've found if a feminist is complaining about something, then that something is worth checking out to see what all the fuss is about.

When comparing eras, there are always some complications and difficulties in comparing them by more recent content. It is best to try to evaluate the shows in their given timeframe, and within the context of the entertainment business (and at the end of the day, it is a business) It can be argued that CA was a step forward, at least in the sense that three women were front and center on a successful show that became iconic. Attractive leading ladies has been, and still is, the practice in casting, overwhelmingly, unless older demographics are the target audience.

"Cagney and Lacey" was a better written show for the the two leads, but IMHO it paled by comparison to "Hill Street Blues" as far as a
realistic portrayal of a police action/workplace drama, not to mention "Police Story" . "Police Woman" with Angie Dickinson didn't run as long, but that was also more grounded IMHO.
But again, C&L, as well as "Police Woman" were steps forward.

"The Bionic Woman" as a gender reversed "Six Million Dollar Man" was an above average show, and again, a step forward.
Lindsay Wagner was very good as the lead.

With regard to C&L, I seem to remember hearing somewhere that Tyne Daly was the original choice for
Claudia" on "Dynasty" Kind of a shame that 'Dynasty" missed out on arguably the best prime time actress of that era.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

This Jaclyn interview popped up in my YouTube suggestions today (I'm guessing I tickled the algorithms with some of the Paley Center videos):

Interesting that she's quite open here about being closer to Kate and Farrah than any of the actresses from later seasons, which she puts down to the three of them having bonded through the experience of launching the series together (to add balance she also mentions having just had Cheryl over at the time of recording).

With regard to C&L, I seem to remember hearing somewhere that Tyne Daly was the original choice for
Claudia" on "Dynasty"

I hadn't heard or read that before. I did read that Michele Lee was CBS's choice to play Lacey in the original telemovie, so perhaps if that had happened...

I'm glad it worked out the way it did, though.

 

[ClassyCo]

Being the CHARLIE'S ANGELS fan that I am, I have naturally heard the stories about Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd not getting along. Kate herself said in an interview with Joan Rivers that she and Cheryl "were never that close", while commenting that the original was very close, with she and Jaclyn being the closest. One of the show's producers said that "some days Kate was nice to Cheryl, and some days she wasn't", and said that Jaclyn was "scared to be nice to Cheryl" because Kate would get mad at her about it. Objectively, Kate doesn't seem like she'd be the easiest or nicest person to work with, and I'd imagine her personality would be even harder to get along with when you're the one replacing one of her closer friends.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Jaclyn was "scared to be nice to Cheryl" because Kate would get mad at her about it.

Well, scared to be too nice to Cheryl, I would think. But they all say Kate was an unhappy girl. And that most of the problems the show had on the set were because of Jackson.

I voted Sabrina my favorite angel. But the stories about the actress are just endless. Driven and neurotic.

And, frankly, you can see it on her.

 

[Soaplover]

I always viewed Jaclyn as sort of a peace-maker. I also think once Jackson left after season 3 that Jaclyn/Cheryl became closer because they had to weather the final two seasons together with two different replacements for Jackson.

Over the years, I've seen Jaclyn/Cheryl in interviews today and the two are pretty close... but Jackson was never at those interviews if Cheryl was there as opposed to when Farrah was alive.. you saw the original trio together at reunions and tributes. I'm sure Jackson has softened to Cheryl over the years.. but I also think that she also wishes Farrah could be there in 2026 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the show.

I did happen to watch a few season 4 episodes on Tubi last night.. and the show was pretty decent though Tiffany was more in the background with Kelly and Kris being the main focus. As these were earlier season 4, i wonder if Tiffany eventually gets more focus as the season carries on?

 

[ClassyCo]

I did happen to watch a few season 4 episodes on Tubi last night.. and the show was pretty decent though Tiffany was more in the background with Kelly and Kris being the main focus. As these were earlier season 4, i wonder if Tiffany eventually gets more focus as the season carries on?

Tiffany isn't at the forefront early into Season 4, presumably because the writers/producers worried Shelley Hack couldn't act. Tiffany is slowly edged into the main focus and is even at the center of her own episodes.

"Angels on Campus" (S4, E11) is Tiffany's first time in the spotlight when she goes back to visit her old sorority.

 

[Seaviewer]

nobody saw GET CHRISTIE LOVE! I kind of liked it -- it was kind of funny. But it never got any ratings (bad time slots

True enough. But I liked it, too. There are a bunch of episodes on YouTube but no DVD release (except for the pilot telefilm).

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The frustrating thing with so many media outlets' involvement is I've yet to find a straight, uncut interview.

Frustration over. The full PaleyFest Q&A has landed:

Seeing it in context, it's clear that the "girl power" element was in the editing. The full interview is very balanced and easy to watch and quite fun (Jaclyn on the original plan to have a blonde, brunette and redhead: "And they thought that was inclusive").

Police Woman and Get Christie Love get mentions. As does Satan's School For Girls. And I don't think I knew that Cheryl turned down The Burning Bed before it was offered to Farrah.

 

[ClassyCo]

I did happen to watch a few season 4 episodes on Tubi last night.. and the show was pretty decent though Tiffany was more in the background with Kelly and Kris being the main focus. As these were earlier season 4, i wonder if Tiffany eventually gets more focus as the season carries on?

Piggy-backing off of my reply from yesterday....

While Season 4 does have some decent-to-good shows (some might even be very good), I'd argue that there are two primary issues with the season as a whole. First, the mistake of sidelining Shelley Hack so early into the season, a pivotal time when they should've been trying to get her comfortable inside the angelic trio and developing her personality. Second, there are multiple episodes throughout the season that focus heavily on just one angel while the other two are off somewhere else and not directly involved in the primary story. That lessens the group effort of the core trio and eliminates their on-screen chemistry and friendship.

Cheryl Ladd has said, on numerous occasions, that "it certainly wasn't all Shelley's fault" when questioned about Shelley Hack's arrival, treatment during her tenure, and eventual dismissal. Ladd has also commented that the producers and writers didn't seem terribly concerned on how Tiffany was supposed to "fit in" with Kelly and Kris and the Townsend Agency in general. Hack, as it seems, wasn't concerned at all that the producers dismissed her after one season, saying, "I never expected to be there for more than a year, and I wasn't." The on-screen chemistry just never "clicks" during Season 4, with one reviewer saying, "You didn't get the feeling these girls hung out together outside of the office." That says a lot when you look at the two previous trios.

Even so, I've always defended Shelley Hack and her run as Tiffany. Once they finally decided to start writing for her, I thought she was a serviceable and even good addition and successor to Kate Jackson, even if their were kinks that never quite got ironed out like they needed to be. I also don't believe it was a good idea for the producers to can Hack after just one season, but they took the opportunity to blame everything on Shelley, fire her, and crank up the publicity machine for a brand new angel hunt for what would be the fifth and final season. As it were, Tanya Roberts remains my least favorite of the angels, with her modeling career standing in for police academy training throwing even the opening narration off balance.

 

[Toni]

True enough. But I liked it, too. There are a bunch of episodes on YouTube but no DVD release (except for the pilot telefilm).

Me too! With such an opening and theme, you knew what it would ensue, and it was quite enjoyable to me, at least when I was a (little) child.

​

PS: Miss Piggy asked me to mention that Teresa was her first power idol. Can you see her influence from this pic on her (our) current avatar...

 

[Toni]

Frustration over. The full PaleyFest Q&A has landed:

Seeing it in context, it's clear that the "girl power" element was in the editing. The full interview is very balanced and easy to watch and quite fun (Jaclyn on the original plan to have a blonde, brunette and redhead: "And they thought that was inclusive").

Police Woman and Get Christie Love get mentions. As does Satan's School For Girls. And I don't think I knew that Cheryl turned down The Burning Bed before it was offered to Farrah.

Did anyone notice how Kate Jackson passed on the host´s question about a role she might have played on "Dallas"? Who do you think she cold have played: Sue Ellen, Pam, or Miss Ellie (lol)?
Also, a big surprise about the "9 and a half weeks" that could have been with Jaclyn and John Travolta, which would probably disney-fied by both leads...

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I thought that the character of Julie Rogers had a lot of potential, especially if introduced earlier in the series.
To some degree, Demi Moore as Madison seemed to be a similar character, enhanced by different motivations.
It would have been a different show, though. People wanted to see the three angels as friends
However, by season 5, CA had run its course, and nothing was going to help that

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Did anyone notice how Kate Jackson passed on the host´s question about a role she might have played on "Dallas"? Who do you think she cold have played: Sue Ellen, Pam, or Miss Ellie (lol)?

Oh, Pam. The bitchy beauty of her Aquarius Rising (which Victoria has as well). In fact, in KILLER BEES (1974) with Gloria Swanson as queen of her hive, Edward Albert (a Sun in Pisces/Gemini Rising -- like Patrick Duffy (with different Moon signs) -- brings his new lady, Kate Jackson (with her beautiful-but-bitchy Aquarius Rising -- like Victoria) home to join his unwelcoming family dynasty whose fortunes were made in wine.

An almost decent (but not really) print of KILLER BEES:

More horoscopy: the Sun in Scorpio/Moon in Libra maiden (Kate) ultimately winds up taking over the vineyard from the Scorpio Rising/Moon in Libra dowager empress (Gloria).

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Also, a big surprise about the "9 and a half weeks" that could have been with Jaclyn and John Travolta, which would probably disney-fied by both leads...

Even though I've yet to watch the film, I know it by reputation and I get that it would have lost its edge with Jac and John leading.

his new lady, Kate Jackson (with her beautiful-but-bitchy Aquarius Rising -- like Victoria)

And she's even named Victoria.

Out of interest, is Kate's horoscopy anything like Teri Hatcher's? There seems similarity not just in their features but in how they (and VP) are sometimes perceived by colleagues.


I've always got Killer Bees mixed up with (the Academy Award nominated!) The Swarm. One or the other always seemed to show up on TV late at night in the Eighties, but I never ended up watching either in full.

 

[Chris2]

Kate didn’t leave CA until 1979 when Dallas had already been up and running for a year. How would she have been up for one of the original roles?

I think they changed the format of the show in season 4 (one angel often taking the lead rather than a team approach) to give Jaclyn and Cheryl more time off (and presumably Kate had she stayed). And that hurt the show more than Shelley, though I think she was a weak addition regardless with her cool, standoffish persona. I also disliked the Julie/model angle.

Surely there were some other actresses out there who would have made a decent replacement for Kate as the third angel. Maybe they should have brought in Kate Mulgrew to boss everyone around. But I guess she was busy on Mrs. Columbo lol.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

And she's even named Victoria.

Out of interest, is Kate's horoscopy anything like Teri Hatcher's? There seems similarity not just in their features but in how they (and VP) are sometimes perceived by colleagues.

No, not really Hatcher. But there is at least one interview (from the late-'80s, early-'90s??) with Kate Jackson in a shortish hair-bob, and people are mentioning in the YT comments that she keeps making them think of Victoria Principal.

Laymen see it.

Aquarius Risings, though, make great slappers. (PSM, too). The only two times I was ever slapped as an adult were by Aquarius Risings -- they're so good at it! And so willing!!

PS: Not only does Kate play "Victoria" in KILLER BEES, she's Victoria Welles! So maybe Tiffany is her sister -- her boring sister!!

I've always got Killer Bees mixed up with (the Academy Award nominated!) The Swarm. One or the other always seemed to show up on TV late at night in the Eighties, but I never ended up watching either in full.

THE SWARM was nominated??

Kate didn’t leave CA until 1979 when Dallas had already been up and running for a year. How would she have been up for one of the original roles?

I think they changed the format of the show in season 4 (one angel often taking the lead rather than a team approach) to give Jaclyn and Cheryl more time off (and presumably Kate had she stayed). And that hurt the show more than Shelley, though I think she was a weak addition regardless with her cool, standoffish persona. I also disliked the Julie/model angle.

Surely there were some other actresses out there who would have made a decent replacement for Kate as the third angel. Maybe they should have brought in Kate Mulgrew to boss everyone around. But I guess she was busy on Mrs. Columbo lol.

I still say a spectacular charismatic black actress should have been hired once Kate took off.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

No, not really Hatcher.

Ah well. So much for my horoscopic skills.

But there is at least one interview (from the late-'80s, early-'90s??) with Kate Jackson in a shortish hair-bob, and people are mentioning in the YT comments that she keeps making them think of Victoria Principal.

I can completely see it in the Killer Bees pictures.

Aquarius Risings, though, make great slappers.

Oh, this took me another sentence or two to crystallise. I'm guessing the cruder definition of "slapper" might be a British thing (though it might apply in this case as well).

THE SWARM was nominated??

Yep. For Best Costume Design. It lost to Death On The Nile.

It made me chortle that a film with that reputation is being touted on Prime as an "Oscar Nominee", complete with laurel wreath symbol.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Ah well. So much for my horoscopic skills.

Don't feel bad. There are overlaps.

Oh, this took me another sentence or two to crystallise. I'm guessing the cruder definition of "slapper" might be a British thing (though it might apply in this case as well).

Should I google??

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Don't feel bad. There are overlaps.

Whew.

Should I google??

It's rarely a compliment, but neither is it particularly bad. You'll be safe with its dictionary definition.

 

[Soaplover]

Piggy-backing off of my reply from yesterday....

While Season 4 does have some decent-to-good shows (some might even be very good), I'd argue that there are two primary issues with the season as a whole. First, the mistake of sidelining Shelley Hack so early into the season, a pivotal time when they should've been trying to get her comfortable inside the angelic trio and developing her personality. Second, there are multiple episodes throughout the season that focus heavily on just one angel while the other two are off somewhere else and not directly involved in the primary story. That lessens the group effort of the core trio and eliminates their on-screen chemistry and friendship.

Cheryl Ladd has said, on numerous occasions, that "it certainly wasn't all Shelley's fault" when questioned about Shelley Hack's arrival, treatment during her tenure, and eventual dismissal. Ladd has also commented that the producers and writers didn't seem terribly concerned on how Tiffany was supposed to "fit in" with Kelly and Kris and the Townsend Agency in general. Hack, as it seems, wasn't concerned at all that the producers dismissed her after one season, saying, "I never expected to be there for more than a year, and I wasn't." The on-screen chemistry just never "clicks" during Season 4, with one reviewer saying, "You didn't get the feeling these girls hung out together outside of the office." That says a lot when you look at the two previous trios.

Even so, I've always defended Shelley Hack and her run as Tiffany. Once they finally decided to start writing for her, I thought she was a serviceable and even good addition and successor to Kate Jackson, even if their were kinks that never quite got ironed out like they needed to be. I also don't believe it was a good idea for the producers to can Hack after just one season, but they took the opportunity to blame everything on Shelley, fire her, and crank up the publicity machine for a brand new angel hunt for what would be the fifth and final season. As it were, Tanya Roberts remains my least favorite of the angels, with her modeling career standing in for police academy training throwing even the opening narration off balance.

It didn't help that two of the three Farrah episodes happened shortly after Tiffany joined the show.. and it became either a Jill/Kris duo episode or more of a Kelly/Kris/Jill focus.

Tiffany was an East Coast born and raised individual.. and having her vibe explored and developed as a contrast to the west coast Kris and Kelly would be interesting.. and explained why there was a disconnect with the three as a trio.