Shelley with Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd
in a promo pic for Charlie's Angels, 1979
Charlie's Angels is an unforgettable and groundbreaking TV series and it aired from 1976 to 1981. The premise was simple - three beautiful women working as detectives for a millionaire recluse named Charles Townsend. They got their assignments via speaker phone and weren't allowed any face time with the boss for his protection as well as their own. The series broke new ground because aside from having women as leads (a first for TV), it portrayed women as buddies, helping each other through jams and having each other's backs. It portrayed women as independent, liberated and capable of taking care of themselves without the help of men - which was perfect for the time when women's lib was at its peak. Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett (then Majors) and Jaclyn Smith played the first ever team of Angels in season 1. Cheryl Ladd, Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts followed suit in seasons 2, 4 and 5 respectively. The series was a phenomenal hit around the world, and all the Angels garnered their own fan following and became superstars in their own right.
Jaclyn Smith was interviewed by Bill Alexander
last March 1, 2022
check it out at:
S1 E35 Guest - actress Jaclyn Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWql71iqj9A
Jaclyn Smith was interviewed by Bill Alexander in The Bill Alexander Show last March 1, 2022. She talked about her early years growing up in Texas, her modeling days, being a Breck Girl, and her early guest parts on TV shows like on McCloud, Switch, and The Partridge Family. And, of course, Jaclyn was asked and she talked about about her experience and thoughts about being one of TV's most iconic characters, Kelly Garrett on Charlie's Angels. She talked about her fellow Angels as well - Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Cheryl Ladd and, as she always would (and I love LOOOOVE Jaclyn for always including them), Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts. I love how she said that each and every Angel was good for the show and had something special to bring to the show. Like she said in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle:
"Angels are like diamonds; they can't be made.
You have to find them. Each one is unique."
The various Charlie's Angels teams from 1976 to 1981
Here is a partial transcript of Jaclyn's interview where she talked about the other Angels - Kate, Farrah, Cheryl, Shelley and Tanya. Starting at 11:14...
BA: So when you did the program, the original three, Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and yourself...
JS: Um-hm.
BA: Did you think the program was centering around Farrah? Because it seems that that was the way doing it. Or was it just because of her popularity at the time?
JS: I think it was her popularity. She was just a... You know, her hairstyle was just as popular as she was.
BA: Right.
JS: It was something. And, you know... The concept of the show was three girls alive on the screen at all times. As that show went on, we would say, "Hey, let this Angel carry that show and we'll sit back and have a little break." Aaron (Spelling) and Len (Goldberg) didn't believe in that. They wanted three women on the screen at all times. So her popularity, you know, was just the magic of Farrah. You know. It wasn't that they centered it around her. She just was an extremely, you know, popular and... Yeah, she just appealed to millions. Her poster did...
BA: Oh, yes.
JS: ...and it hung in every boy's room.
BA: Yes, I had that and I also had the poster of the three Angels in my room also, which was of you, Kate and Farrah. So again, I had that one also. But...
JS: Right.
BA: But when you look at it, you were the only individual that stayed with the show from beginning to end. Correct?
JS: Yes. Well, yeah, after you see what Farrah went through with the lawsuits and...
BA: Right.
JS: You know, she did come back and do two different seasons, a certain amount of shows I think in the third and fourth season. And Kate, toward the end, they didn't pick up her option because she was not that happy on the show. And that was the producers' decision to say, "Hey, we'll introduce a new Angel. She's not that happy." So... As far as my standpoint, Cheryl, four years, and she was wonderful and easy to work with and I love Cheryl. But that bond of the first three, that was never repeated. You know, it didn't happen that everybody just was on the same rhythm and wavelength. That was only the first season and... But what can you do? Farrah did not want to stay. I think she regretted maybe not staying. And then Kate, there was some difficulties. So you sort of... My upbringing is you sign a contract, you fulfill it.
BA: Right.
JS: And that's what I did and I'm happy I did.
BA: Cause, when... And you're right. You said that first season there was that connection.
JS: Yeah.
BA: And if you watch it now, and me being an adult watching it, you can see that every subsequent season, you could see that there was some type of tension going on...
JS: Yeah.
BA: ...with introducing different characters like Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts. Now Cheryl Ladd was very close to the original chemistry. But the last two, I don't think really came even close.
JS: Well, I think they were all good. It's just hard for an audience to, um... What can I say? They get attached and, um... You know, I thought each Angel had something very special. Tanya...
BA: Okay.
JS: I think Shelley did. But I think the audience... It's like the last movie of Charlie's Angels (2019). They changed it too much.
BA: Oh, I agree.
JS: It was too dark. It was too hard. There were three Bosleys. I mean, come on. Stick with the original concept or call it something else.
BA: Right.
JS: And they didn't. And as far as the new Angels, people missed who they loved.
BA: Yeah.
JS: And... You know, I think giving those girls... It was difficult to come in and replace people that had been on the show and a show that had been going so... I think they each had something special. It just didn't click like the first three.
The iconic TV Angels in 2000
