Charlie's latest Angel team
on a tabloid cover, 1979
In 1979, Shelley was proclaimed as Charlie's newest Angel and she became a Hollywood superstar virtually overnight. Her face appeared on magazines and newspapers around the world and her casting was even mentioned in the evening news. "I couldn't believe it. What was I doing in the evening news?" Shelley exclaimed, surprised. She joined the cast of one of the biggest hit shows on TV for its 4th season - joining incumbent Angels Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd. Her first episode was a cross-over between Charlie's Angels and another hit TV show The Love Boat; and it was partly filmed in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. "When I got off the plane, there were maybe eight million paparazzi. I looked around for Sophia Loren. It was for me. I couldn't believe it," Shelley said when they arrived in St. Thomas.
a tabloid writeup
about Charlie's latest Angel team, 1979
But as with the past three seasons of the series, rumors of catfights and jealousy was prevalent. The press, especially the tabloid press, claimed that the new
Angels team wasn't getting along. They said Jaclyn Smith felt "double-crossed" for not being consulted on scripts, wardrobe and the selection of Shelley (see above). They said Cheryl and her husband David Ladd felt that blonde Shelley would take away attention from blonde Cheryl; and that petite Cheryl was totally intimidated by the choice of long-legged Shelley as the new
Angel (For more, check out:
Set in Turmoil). They said that Shelley wanted to make Jaclyn and Cheryl her slaves (For more, check out:
Angel No. 5 in '79). They even said that the filming of Shelley's first episode was jinxed (see above); that it was plagued with mishaps and bad omens.
Shelley with Cheryl Ladd and Jaclyn Smith
on the set of the Charlie's Angels
episode "Love Boat Angels"
But the truth, it seems, is less exciting. Jaclyn Smith, who was consulted on the final selection of the new Angel, recommended Shelley. Jaclyn said, "I selected her because she was spunky and a perfect fill-in for Kate." She added, "I feel good about her. I think the three of us are going to get along great." Cheryl Ladd said, "Shelley seemed like a doll and we were going to have a lot of fun working together." And Shelley's fondest memory of Charlie's Angels was the first time she met Jaclyn and Cheryl. She said they were both so nice to her. To address the rumors, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd talked to Charlie's Angels executive producer Aaron Spelling and convinced him to throw a cocktail party for the TV critics of America. The party (which was graced by the entire cast and the executive producers of the show) was held in Los Angeles (when the cast and crew returned from St. Thomas) and formally introduced Shelley to the press. It it was meant to put an end to all the talks of discord among the new Angels team. As for Shelley's first episode "Love Boat Angels," it topped the Nielsen ratings when it was finally aired.
Shelley with Cheryl Ladd taking a break
from filming the Charlie's Angels
episode "Love Boat Angels"
