a writeup about Shelley from Glamour magazine, 1980
Shelley was cast as one of Charlie's Angels in 1979; and before she even filmed anything for the series, she was hounded by the press and the paparazzi. Everyone wanted to get to know this fabulous Charlie Girl; and everyone was excited by Aaron Spelling's choice to take over Kate Jackson's Angel duties. She was pure class and looked fantastic with Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd; and with the new season's emphasis on the latest in fashion, Shelley, a New York clotheshorse, fit right in.
Shelley in a silk sweater by Richard Callahanand
and shorts by Betsy Gonzalez
When the season began (with the first episode "Love Boat Angels") the ratings went through the roof. The episode finished at no.1, at the top of the ratings. Clearly, viewers were interested in this new Angel and what she brought to the table; and, predictably, the critics lambasted the show, especially Charlie's newest recruit. The second episode "Angels Go Truckin'", finished high in the ratings; Shelley meshed perfectly with Cheryl and Jaclyn. The three had chemistry and were fun to watch.
writeup about Shelley from May, 1980
But the next two episodes focused on just one Angel - Jaclyn Smith (The cast wanted more time off, so single Angel episodes were produced). The episode after those focused on Farrah Fawcett (she was fulfilling her obligation to appear on the show for 3 episodes for one more season). The next episode focused on Cheryl Ladd. By the time the episode focused on Shelley ("Angels on Campus"), viewers had lost interest in her and the show and the rating had taken a plunge. Too bad, because Shelley was great on her first solo episode. In fact, she was great during the latter part of the season, when her part got bigger.
Shelley in a Theodore Design Studio peach cotton sweatshirt and pants
and Chris Craft Footwear tennis shoes
and Chris Craft Footwear tennis shoes
By Feb of 1980, gossip about Shelley being replaced were circulating. It seemed she was being blamed for the ratings decline - which was very unfair. How could she be responsible for that when you hardly saw her in the show? Plus, when her part got bigger, the ratings had already plummeted. Things seemed to be working against her. Yet despite all of that, Charlie's Angels still managed to finish within TV's top 20 shows for the season - at no. 18, tied with CHiPs.
Candy Smith reported that Shelley signed a one-year contract with a four-year option. Either her option wasn't picked up for the next season or Shelley decided that a year was enough for her. Like Kate Jackson before her (it was unclear whether Kate was fired or not), Shelley's departure from the series was left unexplained. A 1980 Glamour mag writeup attempted to clarify everything; but, actually, it left more fans confused.
