Shelley on the cover of the National Examiner, April 1980
Shelley lost her halo in 1980 when she left Charlie's Angels after only one season, season 4. She was unfairly blamed for dip in the ratings that season. But the truth is, the series already experienced a huge dip in the ratings in season 3. It dropped from #4 to #12 from seasons 2 to 3. By the 3rd season, the series was out of the top 10 shows of that year. So when season 4 came around, the production had to do something to propel it back to its previous position. With the addition of Shelley, they were able to generate enough buzz to renew interest in the show; and it seems that was it. It seems the production then put the burden on Shelley's shoulders - she was supposed to catapult the show back to #4. But how cold she? At the beginning of the season, she had limited lines and screen time - plus, the scripts seemed recycled and her character remained underdeveloped. It seems Shelley was fighting a losing battle. But in spite of all that, the series still landed at #18 (tied with CHiPs) in the ratings, in the top 20 shows that year.
Cheryl Ladd, Shelley and Jaclyn Smith
in a sexy promo pic for Charlie's Angels season 4
in a sexy promo pic for Charlie's Angels season 4
