User reviews

For those of you not around for it's original run, Charlie's Angels was not just a hit TV show, it was a phenomenon. Every magazine and rag magazine had a picture of "The Angels" on their covers. Incredibly popular, it all came down to Farrah and her 70's fly away hair, her dazzling toothy smile, her skateboarding pose wearing Addia's, her shampoo, her toothpaste, THE bathing suit poster of the century, and then she was gone. Exiting after only one season Charlie's Angels never was the same again. Bolstered by Jill's kid sister, Kris (Cheryl Ladd) and then others, Charlie's Angels never again climbed to the heights of sheer madness of its first season. Owing its popularity to episodes such as "Angels in Chains" and "Angels on Wheels," it fulfilled many a preadolescence male's fantasy and "Jiggle TV" was born. It may be a period piece today but it was a product of the fun, wacky 1970's that gave it birth.

And God awful after Kate Jackson's departure. That is because, in the beginning, you had 3 young women who complimented each other: Sabrina was the brains and the elegance, Jill, the modern, athletic, all-American beauty and Kelly, the street wise beauty with a troubled past.

No better is this dynamic exemplified than in the classic "Angels in Chains Episode". While in prison, Kelly clashes with the guards. Sabrina orchestrates the escape while in the sheriff's car and then comes up with thee idea of the gasoline to throw the dogs off their scent. Finally while the Angels are being chased in the pick-up, Jill climbs her way to the back to throw the bushels of potatoes at the sheriff's car while Kelly exclaims "sometimes I worry about her!".

Sadly, once FFM left, the group not only lost its most charismatic member, but, more importantly, it lost the only real athlete of the group. Cheryl Ladd was a capable actress, but was obviously brought aboard for her physique and blond hair. Watching her run was just too painfully funny. No longer would the Angels have that someone believable capable of playing tennis, performing roller derby, riding a skateboard and hanging out the side of pickup truck.

While the show lost it's edge after the departure of the inimitable FFM, it still managed to be watchable for the next 3 seasons until Sabrina's departure. Kate Jackson always lent an air of believability to the silly goings on. When she left, the Angels lost their de facto leader. They needed to replace her with a decent actress who could play the role of the sophisticated, wise Angel. Instead, we were given the mindless Shelly Hack. I stop watching pretty much after a few episodes of that 4th season, so I couldn't even tell you anything about Tanya Roberts tenure.

In the fall of the bicentennial year of the founding of the USA, ABC aired Charlie's Angels, a spy series starring four sexy girls playing angels (One of them is in heaven while the other three are still alive) who are sent by Charlie, the invisible man whose voice comes out of the speaker on screen to direct them to missions of pleasure and action. It was also the first action hit for Aaron Spelling, and lasted for five seasons and spawned a remake show as well as two movies, videogames, soundtracks, merchandise, and a reboot movie which failed at the box office due to its much younger cast. Kids might like this show with their parents that grew up watching the show with their family. It's 1 hour of pure fun!!!

One of the reasons why this show is still big and popular after all these years, can be attributed to the Angels themselves. I can't think of any other stars in the history of television who can actually enticed the viewing public more than the Angels, especially the MAGIC FOUR namely, Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Jaclyn Smith, and Cheryl Ladd (Of course, the other two angels, Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts created a sensation too, but the "Magic Four" are the ones who started it all).

I didn't had a chance to see the first season when it was first broadcast, as I was very "young" then, but lucky me, it was a huge success and was re-played again and again, every year. Funny, because a lot of people thought the series lasted until 1983 or 1985 because it was like being re-played forever!

I must say, that the first season is the best of the rest and the chemistry of the original three are just wonderful. The second series with Cheryl Ladd was excellent too, but everyone knows that Jackson and Ladd were not in good terms, so, I guess, it affects the way the people look at them.

I started as a fan of Kate Jackson, I reckon, for she's the only known star before the series started. But the two other lovely angels are hard to ignore. Fawcett is so bubbly and appealing while Smith is the most beautiful angel you can think of. But,I am still surprised up to now, why Fawcett became the more popular angel during her time on the show.

She was even dubbed the sexiest of all the angels, where in fact, I believe, it is Jaclyn Smith, who's got the most curvaeous body of the three and looks great in that famous "white bikini" on the show. Even, in the hair department, I believe that Smith's hair is actually more flouncy and sexier than Fawcett. But then, I guess, Fawcett's popularity came right up with the released of her poster which was very timely for the show.But all in all, the original three are just wonderful.

Then came, Cheryl Ladd. She's a welcome addition to the show. She's sexy, beautiful and very charming. Her introduction to the show with ANGELS IN PARADISE is one of my fave episodes and one the best of the series. Who can forget the scene when they're about to rescue Charlie in the yacht? Ladd came out from the water in a bikini with Jaclyn Smith (in her tiniest in a "green" bikini). No wonder the second season became more popular than the first one. I called this, the BIKINI FEVER!

Then, Jackson, left the show. I believe, that Shelley Hack, did a wonderful job as the next angel, actually. Her characer speaks for her action in the show. Remember, the scene with Bosley in "LoveBoat Angels," when she told him that she's a bit scared to be part of the group because of what they have started already? Well, maybe her portrayal of her character was just too classy for the show but she's actually a stand out in the show. I also think that she's one of the two best-dressed angels on the show --the other one is Jaclyn Smith.

Smith and Hack are in they're best when they're together. I like their chemistry on the show. It's a pity, she only lasted one season.

The last of the Angels, Tanya Roberts is a fave, too. She's got this fabulous body and sexy eyes. Roberts, actually became more popular overseas and the bikini fever is back again. She was, obviously, given all the bikini scenes on the show. With Smith wanting to leave and Ladd, just happy to go along with the show, Roberts was given the responsibility to carry the show. Alas, the chemistry, didn't work out.

The show opened a lot of things to women on television. Sad, to say, none has the charisma of the angels. I think, that's one of the reasons, why television is not as exciting as before in the '70s!

June 2023

So i am reviewing the original Charlies Angels series which ran for 5 seasons back in the late seventies. I have gone through them all 2 or 3 times now, having just watched them all on blu ray recently.

I used to watch them growing up as i about 10 years old when they originally ran.

I think they hold up pretty well, the mysterious Charlie who we and the Angels never ever see, always added a humorous and mysterious element.

There were plenty of famous faces to be seen throughout the episodes and some of those turned up multiple times playing different characters.

I still prefer these to any of the remakes and movies there have been since.

So all in all not bad.

7 angels out of 10.

In 1976, Charlie's Angels took the television world by storm. A revolutionary concept for its time, featured 3 strong, independent female leads, Kate Jackson as Sabrina Duncan, Farrah Fawett Majors (as she was known at the time) as Jill Monroe and Jacklyn Smith as Kelly Garrett. David Doyle rounded out the cast as Bosley, the go-between for Charlie, who was never seen, and his 3 Angels.

Season 1 would be as perfect as it gets, with the chemistry between the 3 leads being undeniable. But, what really made the show a sensation was the" IT" factor provided by FFM. From her iconic hair to her cheesecake poster, people just couldn't get enough of her. She did not yet have the acting chops she would display in movies later, but no one cared. At that time, Kate was the established actress in the group and her "brains" character of Sabrina contrasted nicely with FFM's athletic glamour girl and Smith's orphaned beauty personas. And even though Farrah garnered most of the attention, people viewed their characters equally because something just "clicked" between the 3 and the show was more about the interaction of characters than the plots.

Kate Jackson is on record saying that the quality of the show lessened with the departure of FFM and for some reason she never warmed to her replacement, the very capable Cheryl Ladd, who played Jill's sister Chris. While still enjoyable, the show did lose the "pizazz" that FFM provided and there was a noticeable lack of chemistry between Sabrina and Chris. Many of the new plots involved Kelly and Chris taking on superficial roles together, whether as beauty contestants, ice skaters stewardesses or cheer leaders with Sabrina taking a more dignified cover.

Once Jackson left after season 3, the show lost steam, not because of Shelly Hack as the upper crust Tiffany Welles, but because of the loss of the Sabrina character. While still watchable, it was obvious that the show was losing steam.

In season 5, Hack was out, and Tanya Roberts was in as Julie Rogers, an ex-model who was mentored by a parole officer. Finally, the Angels had the original concept of blond, brunette and auburn haired angels. But, it was too little too late and the show had run it's course.

Bottom line is that this was a show ahead of it's time, featuring 3 independent female leads, launched the career of an inimitable and memorable celebrity, and despite major cast changes, survived 5 seasons.

This is the story of three girls, Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett), and Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith), who graduated from the police academy but ended up doing less-than-compelling work in the department. Secretive rich playboy Charlie Townsend (John Forsythe) hires them for his private detective agency. He only communicates with them by voice mostly on the intercom. There is the assistance of John Bosley (David Doyle). Kris Munroe (Cheryl Ladd) replaces her sister Jill in the second season. Tiffany Welles (Shelley Hack) replaces Sabrina in the fourth season and aspiring model Julie Rogers (Tanya Roberts) replaces her in the fifth and final season.

This was derisively referred to as Jiggle-TV. Other than a few bikini-clad episodes, there isn't actually much jiggling. Only the last season's Hawaiian Angels with its own Lifeguard Angels episode comes closest to Baywatch. If anything, it's model feathered hair TV. The stories are mostly old TV detective procedurals and lacking in any writing excellence. It's of its time and not that compelling. It is good that they do some limited action. For true female empowerment, this would be followed by Cagney & Lacey. This is still very much about the girls' model good looks, their flowing big hair, and their sex appeal. Popular opinion maintains that the show's ratings declined after Farrah's departure. That doesn't really hold true. During the third and fourth season, she would often return as a guest and the ratings only started to slide in the third season. There is no denying that her sex appeal is through the roof and Cheryl Ladd often feels like a light copy which actually fits her younger sister role. The departure of Kate Jackson is often ignored in this conversation. Jill is sex and Kelly is the PTA president. On the other hand, Sabrina is the spice. Unlike the others, she has a bite and a bitterness. She has more depth than her replacements. There's a reason why Kate Jackson would later lead her own TV show. Her sex appeal isn't so overt. She's the supposed smart one but they're all supposed to be smart. Her bitterness gives her an edge which this show misses. She's not a centerfold. Maybe that's why Tanya Roberts' character needed to be damaged and even Jaclyn Smith tries to have a darker past. The show gets flat and repetitive and out of gas. This will never be touted as a high point in television but there is something to the sexiness injection into the standard network fare.

Charlie's Angels is one of my all-time favorite shows ever. I fell in love with the adventures of the beautiful lady detectives and Bosley. Tiffany, Julie, Jill, Kelly, Kris, and Sabrina are the wonderful Angels. However, my favorite Angel team is Kris, Kelly, Sabrina,and Bosley. This is the Angel team that got me hooked on the show. The combination of sassy Kris, tough Kelly, brave Sabrina, and loyal Bosley was truly magical. Cheryl Ladd, Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, and David Doyle had AMAZING chemistry together!

Back in the 70s, I remember my friends and I (as children) loved playing Charlie's Angels. I would take turns being Kris or Kelly. I also had a Kris doll and a Kelly doll, as well as the Charlie's Angels lunch box. I was really fascinated with this show!

I always remember the show being fun with lots of action and great characters. I love all 5 seasons, but Seasons 2, 3, and 4 are my absolute favorites.

Previous to Charlie's Angels the only female private detective I recall from television was Honey West with Anne Francis. Anne was certainly a sight to behold, but the male of the species got to gawk at three lovely beauties, all working for the never seen Charlie but with the voice of John Forsythe issued them their weekly case.

Only Jaclyn Smith lasted the entire run of the show of the original female operatives. Kate Jackson and Farrah Fawcett were the other two original angels. Farrah was the breakout star, I can well remember that any kid whose hormones started to speak to him spoke the name of Farrah Fawcett. So what did she do but leave the show after one season for a career that never quite got off the ground. Proof of that her Jill Monroe character was guaranteed two or three guest appearances in succeeding years.

Other angels included Shelley Hack, Cheryl Ladd and Tanya Roberts. The only other regular was David Doyle as Bosley who functioned like Higgins did for Robin Masters on Magnum, PI. I'm convinced Bosley was gay or he would have made some kind of move on one of the angels.

Charlie's Angels featured beautiful women who competed and well in a man's game of private detective. I don't think Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler or Mickey Spillane ever figured on PIs like these.

I found watching some of these episodes again a mixed experience. Maybe memory makes some things seem like they were more exciting but I seem to remember seeing this show at various times in the past and thinking that it was a more exciting show than average. When I watched it recently it struck me as being a tad on the boring side and some of the characters reactions to things came off as a bit silly. For example Cheryl Ladd's character gets tackled by a bad guy and is virtually defenseless even though the character was supposed to be a trained Police Officer before going to work for Charlie Townsend's agency as one of "Charlie's Angels." There were a few other things like that and one episode in particular stood out because it was like watching a musical from the time of "The Sound of Music." I found that hard going. Maybe some shows remain more watchable than others over the years. This one-in my opinion -didn't age as well as it was expected to. Not unwatchable but nothing awesome either.

I have seen complaints about the original Charlie's Angels series and how having beautiful stars in it negated any feminist notions about the series. I would like to disagree.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were few enough female 'action' stars on television to be role models for young girls. The various women in 'Charlie's Angels' were (according to the OP) police officers before Charlie hired them -- and as female police officers, they were given stupid 'girl' jobs like handing out parking tickets, and handling switchboards, and so on. Charlie gave them jobs in which they could actually fight crime -- and they did fight crime, together. If one of them needed rescue, it wasn't a man that came to rescue her, but one of the other two 'angels'. They were independent, intelligent, single, employed women who worked well together and supported one another.

The show is dated now, given how strong feminism has become since then. Back then, however, it was more than enough for at least one little girl to see that she didn't have to grow up and get married and have babies to be happy in life. Charlie's Angels -- the original show, not the fluffy movies (which are fun in their own way) -- remains to this day in my opinion an excellent example of how women should look at life: it's a challenge; meet it head on, and on your own terms.

The fact that the women were all beautiful is irrelevant to the show except that it attracted a male audience.

This is one of my favorite tv shows from the 70s and the very first time I saw this I was almost 11 years old.

The three angels are absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word.

Jaclyn Smith was gorgeous and next to her Kate Jackson.

Seasons 1 2 3 were the good ones because after season 3 Kate Jackson left and was replaced by drabby Shelley Hack.

They sure don't make shows like this anymore.

I ashamedly admit to quite regularly tuning in years ago to this weekly drivel myself, though even back when it aired, I was appalled by its totally sexist perspective. I'm definitely no feminist but as I'll discuss later, would certainly imagine this series to represent the very opposite of feminist goals. However, I do admit it was all quite mindlessly entertaining.

The series portrays the adventures of three female police officers who are rescued from their mundane duties by a mysterious multi millionaire named Charles Townsend, who hires these gorgeous girls as operatives in his new private investigation agency. Charlie's assistant, Bosley, acts as a liaison with the ladies since the enigmatic Charlie never reveals himself in person. The three beauties, Sabrina, Jill, and Kelly, frequently go undercover as strippers, models, or whatever during the course of their investigations. When Jill leaves Charlie's agency to pursue an auto racing career, she is replaced by her younger sister, Kris. After Sabrina departs to start a family, she in turn is replaced by Julie and later by Tiffany.

There wasn't a woman watching this show who didn't secretly wish she looked like one of these beautiful, curvaceous ladies. Kate Jackson played Sabrina, the 'smart angel' and often the brains of the operation. The blonde & bubbly Jill was portrayed by Farrah Fawcett and notable mainly for her hairstyle, which spawned a popular new look in the late 1970's. Kelly, the truly pretty & sweet one and the only angel permanent to the series, was played by the lovely Jacklyn Smith. Cheryl Ladd (who went on to do some pleasant little Danielle Steele TV movies) was cast as the perky and charming young rookie, Kris. My personal favourite was Julie, a street smart but classy New Yorker with an Ivy League education, played by Shelley Hack, who later starred briefly in another series, Jack and Mike. Finally, the role of the red haired model turned detective, Tiffany (whom I personally saw less of and never quite 'bonded' with), was given to Tanya Roberts.

This series actually contradicts feminist philosophies, since it isn't really a show whose point is to depict that women can possess beauty, intelligence, and strength...all three. Instead, it's an excuse for displaying these gorgeous women in bikinis or other tight fitting clothing, and otherwise placing them in situations focusing on their sex appeal. The girls always wear beautiful designer fashions and however harrowing their circumstances, their make up never smudges, a nail never breaks, nor a single hair stray out of place. If you read the reviews here, you'll note that the common theme isn't the clever plots but how amazingly sexy these girls look in their bikinis! It's mainly all about the jiggle factor.

Some claim that it does support the feminist cause since the angels are single, smart, independent, capable, and mutually supportive. These lovely ladies don't wait around for a man to rescue them when danger befalls, but instead depend upon each other. And that's the point...one BEAUTIFUL woman is rescued by another BEAUTIFUL woman, not a plain or ordinary looking though equally bright, resourceful, and courageous female. In fact, these girls employ all their sexual wiles to their best advantage, more often than not using their looks and sex appeal rather than their wits to get themselves both into certain situations and out of others.

However, all that being said, it's a generally fun & entertaining show to watch. There's mystery, assorted engaging adventures, occasional exotic locales, and an effective chemistry of friendship & co-operation between these female private investigators. Just bear in mind that it's yet another monument to women with lovely faces, perfect bodies, and gorgeous clothes.

Farrah Fawcett was a huge part of the shows initial success. Some people may not remember that and want to re-write history or not give credit where it is due. No matter what your preference that is a fact. It was Farrah that sold 12 million copies of her poster. She is an American Icon. She brought a certain sexiness and charisma to the character of Jill Munroe. I was disappointed when she did not return to the series but ecstatic when she did the guest spots. Cheryl Ladd was absolutely the best choice to play Kris and saved the show. Jaclyn is a goddess and Kate is striking in her own right. Shelley Hack was a model before the show and added a scholarly feel to her character. And Tanya was just gorgeous. A great show, that I enjoy today. Farrah is my favorite actress so I am partial to Jill but I like them all. I am so thrilled to hear that Farrah has won her fight against cancer. I can't wait to see her beautiful face on TV again. Farrah Rocks!!!!!!!!!!!

Three beautiful women (Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett) are the only employees of a detective agency run by the unseen Charlie (voice of John Forsythe) and his helper Bosley (David Doyle). Every week these women went out to solve laughably obvious crimes and never break a nail or get one hair out of place. Just like real life huh?:) This came on TV when I was in high school and it was trashed (for good reason) by the critics but was a HUGE hit. The ratings went through the roof and this started the Farrah Fawcett phenomenon of the late 1970s. Also, for its time, this was pretty sleazy. The women all wore very tight and/or revealing outfits and in one episode ("Angels in Chains") they were sent to a prison camp, forced to strip and sprayed with disinfectant! There was a huge outrage over this show but the rating were incredibly strong. It was also originally broadcast at 10:00 at night so the kids couldn't see it (I was 14 and I remember being angry that I couldn't watch). However the series toned down the scripts and it was put on at 9:00 with (I believe) the second season.

Now this show WAS sexist to a ridiculous extreme but it did show strong female characters solving crimes each week. Of course they used every opportunity they had to get them in bikinis too:) Fawcett walked out after the first season (to become a movie star--which never happened) and was replaced by Cheryl Ladd. Then Jackson was fired (she rightfully complained that the scripts were "sh*t") and was replaced by Shelley Hack. Then SHE was fired and Tanya Roberts stepped in. By the time Roberts joined the series was seriously dying in the ratings and was cancelled right after.

I watched it every week for the first few seasons. Being a closeted gay teenager I wasn't watching it for the women or the acting (which was terrible) or the scripts (pretty bad). But the show was beautiful to look at and was pleasant in a no-brain sort of way. You could relax for an hour and not think at all:) But, after Hack joined, the series just got dull. This was not Hack's fault--the scripts just got plain boring! I stopped watching around then--that's around the time the ratings dropped steeply. They tried to pump life into the series by introducing another detective agency run by Toni (Barbara Stanwyck) and she has three hot guys solving crimes! However that was only for one episode. Also this is known as starting "jiggle" TV. So I won't say this is any masterpiece but it was fun to watch.

When this show first came on, it was dismissed as nothing more than a jiggle show. However, this was one of the first shows that showed that women could go out and get the bad guys just like the boys could. Of course, I was a fan of the Kate Jackson era. The three years she was on the show were its greatest era. She definitely was the star of that show and when she left I stopped watching. But, it was her chemistry with Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd and of course Farrah Fawcett that made it one of the top shows of the 1970's.

In its original run back in 1976 I got instantly hooked to it .... mainly due to one of the leading ladies; the blonde and super gorgeous Farrah Fawcett-Majors, known in the series as Jill, she achieved phenomenal popularity thanks to her striking beauty, best selling poster & famous hairstyle... boy! What an unforgettable lady she was.. at that point in time, I considered the other two Angels as ... well ... the other two! But obviously they where also extremely gorgeous girls, each one so unique: Kate Jackson as Sabrina, the 'leader' of the group, intelligent and charismatic and Jaclyn Smith, the 'perfect one', unbelievably beautiful! The three of them together became an obsession for this ( then ) young boy!

After only one season Farrah decided to leave to pursue more serious roles, leaving me inconsolably disappointed... in the beginning I "hated" all the subsequent Angels .. but then ... after the initial shock I got used to them all and actually learned to love them 'almost' equally!

Beautiful and talented Cheryl Ladd, sophisticated supermodel Shelley Hack and last but not least sultry Tanya Roberts.

Love them all.

First season was really the best of them all, the series then, in my humble opinion, had its highs and lows, with the "quality" of the stories declining very rapidly in the latter seasons ( especially from the end of season 3 onwards ). Loved when Farrah came back for 6 episodes as a guest star. The leading ladies, the most beautiful women in the history of American TV, are really the main reason this show is legendary! Sweet memories from a long long time ago.

Pure nostalgia.

Calling Charlie's Angels Jingle TV is a pilot and respectful way of calling it pure rubbish for these reasons.

• The scenario of the show is in its own right rubbish and cannot be in any way b respected non the less serious

• It's very nature is tongue in cheek that it tries to act seriously making it dysfunctional and laughable

• Wooden and over the top storylines that act more like comedy or exhaustive soaps then a thriller or genuine action series

• Relies too much on looks where we have Barbie and Sindy dolls trying to be agents or any other kind of law enforcement. They always changed the actresses every season to boost ratings no doubt because it was that bad.

Final verdict from this fair evaluation it just did not work and got charged with the label of jingle TV becoming a cult series brand name rubbish product.

This series caught of worked under a different name if it had been an American version of the Avengers and its sequel the new Avengers with Kate Jackson taking the female lead .. but another Hollywood tragedy and a lost opportunity.

Welcome to 1970's TV - Meet Cha-Cha-Charlie's "Barbie Dolls"... (Oops!) - I meant - Charlie's "Angels".

In this "Any-Job-Men-Can-Do-Women-Can-Do-Better" television program - 3 hot, female, police academy grads (who have absolutely no previous experience, whatsoever, dealing with the felonious underbelly of L.A. crime) are hired as P.I.s by mysterious millionaire, Charles Townsend.

These gorgeous gals are directed to get to the bottom of some very dead-serious criminal cases. And they, of course, do a fine job of it without even getting their hair mussed up in the process.

This Season One of "Charlie's Angels" (1976-1977) not only contains lots of improbable and equally laughable criminal situations - But, it also includes plenty of picture-perfect eye-candy, as well.

I never quite figured out what made me jump out of joy every time the show started when I was a kid. The 3 gorgeous girls or their personalities. Maybe it was also that their characters were somewhat.. extraordinary. C'mon do u know a lot of people's sisters or daughters who are detectives and they kick a**? Didnt think so. The show was brilliant. The plots were clever, excellent guest stars, (Remember Patrick Duffy?) But i was really unhappy when Farah left. It was only after sometime I got to love Cheryl Ladd, and be glad she stayed on till the end of the series....Still what a joy it was every time Farah returned for an episode or two..! Kate Jackson. The studios should have made whatever it took to keep her. The show was never the same after she was gone Shelley Hack, Tanya Roberts. Totally and utterly inappropriate choice. No further comments.

The new Angels..? Oh come on! Lets get serious. I was so dissapointed with the first movie but I am happy to see that Jaclyn Smith is going to be in the new release in the summer. That! I wanna see!

If u didnt have the chance to watch the original series, dont wait a sec. Go to get it NOW. 10/10