Shelley in a promo pic
for Single Bars, Single Women, 1984
Shelley starred in the TV movie Single Bars, Single Women in 1984. Inspired by the Dolly Parton hit song of the same title, it explored the new singles scene in the 1980s after the women's lib movement of the 1970s. Gender roles were changing, women were becoming more confident in going out on their own and looking for love and companionship. In the telefilm, Shelley played Frankie, a truck stop waitress looking for love after she catches her partner Gabe (Paul Michael Glaser) cheating on her. The telefim also starred Tony Danza, Christine Lahti and Mare Winningham. It has been released in VHS format in several countries including Japan.
Shelley with Mare Winningham
and Paul Michael Glaser
on the Japanese VHS cover
for the 1984 telefilm Single Bars, Single Women
Shelley had only good things to say about the telefilm. "I really sound Pollyanna, but that's the way I feel," she said in a telephone interview. "It's drama with humor," she said of the teleflick. About working in Hollywood, she said, "The more I do, the more I realize what a collaborative medium this business is. And my number one priority is to work with good people." By then, she had already worked with Robert de Niro, George Segal, Dick Van Dyke and Sid Ceasar, as well esteemed directors Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese. "I've been so lucky to work with so many different people," she said.
Shelley with Paul Michael Glaser in a screen capture
from Single Bars, Single Women, 1984