Charlie's Angels (The Original Series) (1 Viewer)

[younger1968]

There are few blogs on Charlie's Angels, but not one that talks about the show over its run. I have decided to watch the pilot for Charlie's Angels as it has been awhile since I seen it

The pilot is neat, especially the supporting cast. Jaclyn Smith was my favourite as she is reason I still love brunettes to this day! Kate is also special as well!

 

[cwilli]

What about Farrah Fawcett. Don't you like Farrah?

 

[younger1968]

What about Farrah Fawcett. Don't you like Farrah?

Sorry, but I am not into blondes. Farah was ok in the show and I did like when she did cameo appearances as well. Charlie's Angels too me is still the original members. Sorry Cheryl Ladd, but you were not an original angel!! The worst angels were Tanya Roberts and Shelley Hack. The show went downhill after Kate Jackson left and was not same show. Yes, Jaclyn was still there, but Kate to me made the show as she had good whit about her and was not about flaunting herself in front of the camera!

 

[John Hermes]

Sorry, but I am not into blondes. Farah was ok in the show and I did like when she did cameo appearances as well. Charlie's Angels too me is still the original members. Sorry Cheryl Ladd, but you were not an original angel!! The worst angels were Tanya Roberts and Shelley Hack. The show went downhill after Kate Jackson left and was not same show. Yes, Jaclyn was still there, but Kate to me made the show as she had good whit about her and was not about flaunting herself in front of the camera!

Maybe Tanya couldn't act very well, but to me, she was the most beautiful Angel - fantastic face (most beautiful blue eyes in the history of the world?) and body. Hey, that counts for something.

 

[Tooncy]

True, the stories in the later seasons were more contrived, but there's only so many things they could do. Watch the last two seasons again. Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts aren't that bad. I think all the seasons are better than the first one.

 

[younger1968]

Maybe Tanya couldn't act very well, but to me, she was the most beautiful Angel - fantastic face (most beautiful blue eyes in the history of the world?) and body. Hey, that counts for something.

Tanya did bring something to her character in S5 as such it was a good fit, especially how Tanya was introduced to the show. Shelley Hack did a decent job, but had a hard time filling Kate's shoes.

 

[Tooncy]

Go back and watch Season Four. Shelley Hack got a raw deal. I actually think it was a better show without Kate Jackson. All the angels were peers without her bossiness.

 

[younger1968]

Go back and watch Season Four. Shelley Hack got a raw deal. I actually think it was a better show without Kate Jackson. All the angels were peers without her bossiness.

Sorry, but I have to disagree as Shelly Hack was brutal. Kate was bossy and that is true, but someone had to be brains/captain of the team and it was Kate. Both Jaclyn/Farrah were the ones to flaunt their beauty and then Cheryl took over for Farrah. S4-S5 had a different approach, but I got the feeling that Jaclyn was captain for s3-S4, but her personality did not have the same approach as Kate!

 

[Tooncy]

I think the S4 episodes are more pleasant to watch. Kate Jackson wasn't bad, but I feel she had run her course. In retrospect, I just feel it's a better show without her. Most people probably don't really watch that season much because it is so maligned, but in my opinion, it's the best of the whole series.

 

[Brian Himes]

Season four isn't as bad as everyone says. At least not to me. Shelly Hack did get shafted. Yes, she was a bit wooden at first but the writers certainly didn't give her much to work with. Everyone simply expected Shelly to jump in and give a top notch performance without being given much time to actually prepare for the role. Also, up until Shelly was cast, all she had ever done was model and those Charlie commercials. Certainly she didn't have any on camera speaking roles that I am aware of prior to being on Charlies Angels. As the season went on she did more than adequate. There are several episodes from season four that I find to be very well done. What most people don't seem to remember is that Farrah Fawcett was also accused of not being able to act when she was on the show. A repuation that persisted until the mid 80's when she did the Burning Bed. People said the same things about Cheryl Ladd as well. I wasn't all that fond of Cheryl Ladd when she started on the show. I thought she came off as really dumb. She tried too hard to play the part as a young bubbly kid sister type and just came off as an air head. It wasn't until about half way into season two that Cheryl's character really started to be more serious. Especially after she shot someone for the first time. That was probably her shining moment on the show. Her performance in that episode (I can't seem to recall the name of it) in that particular scene was brilliant and totally believable. After that is when I really started to like Cheryl Ladd.

Now Tanya Roberts, well....she isn't the best on the show, but like Shelly, she warms up after a few episodes and is certainly believable. I think the main problem with the series is that by the fifth season (and maybe even the fourth) is that there really wasn't much more that they could do with the series. It was the same old thing over and over. By the last episode of the fifith season, the show as really starting to show it's age. It had just ran out of steam. Besides, going on without Jaclyn Smith (she was going to leave after the fifth season when her contract was up) would have been a mistake. I for one am glad it ended when it did. The first season was spectacular (for the most part) and seaons two and three the show really came into it's own and was at it's very best. Season four started off as a bit of a let down, but got better in the middle and stayed good until the end. Season five started off strong but just got weaker as it went along and eventually just plain fizzled out.

 

[Tooncy]

I agree with almost everything you said Brian. Except I don't think the first season was that great. I can barely bring myself to watch it. I guess I can see why it was popular at the time, but it looks so much worse than the other seasons. It really has the look and feel of an early 70s cop show, and even seems out of focus sometimes. The later episodes hold up better in my opinion.

 

[younger1968]

I agree with almost everything you said Brian. Except I don't think the first season was that great. I can barely bring myself to watch it. I guess I can see why it was popular at the time, but it looks so much worse than the other seasons. It really has the look and feel of an early 70s cop show, and even seems out of focus sometimes. The later episodes hold up better in my opinion.

I like S1, especially angels in chains. I still think in IMHO that angels in chains was one of the best episodes produced by Charlie Angels. The good thing about these forums is people can expressed their view and we can debate the different perspectives! I was Jaclyn Smith fan from day 1 as such I love her in Charlie's Angels. Yes, Jaclyn like to flaunt her sex appeal, but she never over did it, like Farah Fawcett. Farah Fawcett acting early on show me the director/writers had limite her lines and focus on Farah's sex appeal to the audience. Over time, especially in Farah's cameo appearances that her acting got better!

Let's face fact Aaron Spelling took a brave chance with Charlie's Angels by casting females as PI, especially when at the time tv was dominated by males, i.e. Rockford Files, Cannon, etc!! You could also say the samething about producers of Police Woman as well. Angie Dickinson deliver the goods on police woman, especially when the police drama genres were dominated by males!!

I was a kid when Charlie's Angels came out and remember the hipe, especially action figures or trading cards or posters!!

 

[Tooncy]

You're correct, Angels in Chains is a classic, and probably the best-remembered episode. The best one from the first season.

 

[HenryDuBrow]

I still need to buy this whole series on DVD, what I like best about it is the idea of going undercover ala Police Woman. Back in the days, I favoured Farrah but Cheryl Ladd (also one of the most beautiful women ever to appear on television), did fine when she joined the cast. Tanya Robert's nice too, a very sexy lady, but when she went blonde later in her career it wasn't exactly her best move (although it would probaby help her land the Bond role).

 

[Ron1973]

I purchased the whole enchilada from Amazon a few weeks ago but haven't had the chance to watch it yet.

From watching re-runs (and what little I remember from seeing it originally as a kid) I preferred Cheryl Ladd over Farrah. I thought Cheryl was more of a natural beauty than Farrah. Don't get me wrong, Farah was nice looking but Cheryl was more the "all-around" package to me.

Count me out as a fan of Jaclyn Smith. I'm sorry, I realize she's a fine actor but I never liked her character. There was just something about her that I didn't even like her shampoo commercials.

Tanya Roberts? Who cares if she can act! Wow wow wow!!!!

 

[younger1968]

I purchased the whole enchilada from Amazon a few weeks ago but haven't had the chance to watch it yet.

From watching re-runs (and what little I remember from seeing it originally as a kid) I preferred Cheryl Ladd over Farrah. I thought Cheryl was more of a natural beauty than Farrah. Don't get me wrong, Farah was nice looking but Cheryl was more the "all-around" package to me.

Count me out as a fan of Jaclyn Smith. I'm sorry, I realize she's a fine actor but I never liked her character. There was just something about her that I didn't even like her shampoo commercials.

Tanya Roberts? Who cares if she can act! Wow wow wow!!!!

We all have our favorites, especially actresses. I am a brunette fan and always have been one and it all started with Jaclyn Smith. Cheryl Ladd did a very good job, but early on it was more about sex appeal with her. However, Charlie's Angels did a good job over its life cycle were able to get each actress to lead bigger role in a particular episode!!

 

[jimmyjet]

i dont recall the last 2 angels.

but i do recall the first 3, and then cheryl ladd.

i really dont get why the color of hair has much to do with attraction ???

i did not find kate jackson to have a cute face. it was too skinny and pointy for my taste.

farrah was very cute. jaclyn had a more sophisticated look, with a very pretty face.

i think cheryl had a cute face. and by far the best figure of the 4 - in so much as i tend to like a more athletic sort of figure.

but other than kate, the other 3 were very high on the attractiveness scale, i would think to most guys.

 

[younger1968]

i dont recall the last 2 angels.

but i do recall the first 3, and then cheryl ladd.

i really dont get why the color of hair has much to do with attraction ???

i did not find kate jackson to have a cute face. it was too skinny and pointy for my taste.

farrah was very cute. jaclyn had a more sophisticated look, with a very pretty face.

i think cheryl had a cute face. and by far the best figure of the 4 - in so much as i tend to like a more athletic sort of figure.

but other than kate, the other 3 were very high on the attractiveness scale, i would think to most guys.

People have their preference with hair color just like they do for the color of their cars. I Jaclyn Smith just had a certain demeanor about her and that is why I liked her. The other gals, like cheryl and Farrah had the california blond bombshell look them and at the time it was all about selling sex appeal. Key is the angels had to use their sex appeal as way to solve their cases!! Bosley is the person I feel sorry for as he was the lackey on most of the cases.

 

[jimmyjet]

i did look up youtube clips on tanya and shelley. tanya's face is definitely more appealing to me.

but lets face it, all the girls are pretty good looking !!

i do think cheryl ladd is the most visually appealing to me.

i did not find cheryl to be ditzy though, like i felt farrah was.

she seemed to have more substance, which may be part of the reason she appeals to me more.

i havent seen the shows since the original airing. i may have stopped watching completely before the last 2 girls came on - cuz i dont really have any recall of their faces, now that i just watched.

 

[Ron1973]

Kate Jackson is okay but I can't get past the Mrs. King character, the whole ditzy thing. I caught CA's when I was really small and it didn't re-run much around here until Universal HD picked it up. My ex got hooked on Scarecrow and Mrs. King and so I now I have that image in my head. She's certainly a great actor but I just find it odd to see her in such a serious role. I really need to break out those DVD's and watch them.