Public Defender Role

a promo pic of Shelley

for Night Court, 1984

In 1984, Shelley joined the cast of the nighttime sitcom Night Court for its second season. She was cast to play Public Defender Christine Sullivan and the character was going to be romantically involved with Judge Harry Stone (played by Harry Anderson). Promotional pics were taken, scripts were developed and the announcement was made. "I'll be doing my research at the New York court," Shelley said, "I always look forward to researching a role. It will be interesting." Although better known, at the time, for being a dramatic actress, Shelley wasn't averse to doing comedy. "Comedy is a complete departure for me," she said, "but it's something I've always wanted to do and, besides, I love the show already just as a viewer."

pages of a second draft script for Night Court

with Shelley as Christine Sullivan

But when the series started shooting, at the last minute, producer Reinhold Weege decided she wasn't right for the part. And Shelley felt the same way. "I liked the show. They offered me the role. I went and met with them and liked them," Shelley said. "But what happened was the role was changed somewhere between that meeting and my first day on the set," she explained. According to Richard Moll, who played bailiff Bull Shannon on the show, "Shelley Hack was very sweet. She lasted about 16 minutes, as I remember, yeah. That was tough." So the actress and the producer mutually and amicably agreed to call the whole thing off. Ellen Foley was brought in for that season to replace Shelley - as a new character, public defender Billie Young. Markie Post took over the role of Miss Sullivan for one episode. A year later, Markie Post became a permanent part of the cast.

a promo pic of Shelley

and the cast of Night Court, 1984

Montgomery Ward Charlie Spread

Shelley in promo pics

for Charlie perfume and cosmetics, 1978

In 1976, Shelley signed a ground-breaking exclusive modeling contract with Revlon. She was hand-picked to represent the Revlon Charlie brand, as she was the embodiment of the brand's spirit - free, independent, confident. Shelley appeared in numerous commercials and countless print ads for Charlie. In 1978, she appeared on the Montgomery Ward Christmas 1978 catalog, in a spread for the Charlie collection, promoting the various Charlie products available for purchase and delivery straight to the homes of interested consumers. Available were Charlie 2 1/4 oz. Concentrated Cologne with natural atomizer, Charlie 3/4 oz. Touch Tip Perfume, Charlie 3 oz. Body Silk Perfumed Powder in shaker can, Charlie 5 oz. Dusting Powder in decorative crystal-look box, Charlie 2 1/8 oz. Concentrated Cologne aerosol spray, Charlie 3 1/2 oz. Splash-On Cologne, and Charlie 4 oz. Body Silk. All orders came with a free bottle of Charlie 3/4 oz. or 14.25 gm Perfume Spray, Charlie's compact travel-size or purse-size editions. And Shelley appeared on the spread, Charlie-Girl gorgeous as always.

Shelley in a Montgomery Ward promo

for Charlie perfume and cosmetics, 1978

Yuppie Series

a closeup of Shelley

from a paparazzi pic, 1986

Shelley's third foray into series television was Jack and Mike in 1986. Aired at the ABC network, the series explored the life of journalist Jackie Shea (played by Shelley) and restauranteur Mike Brennan (played Tom Mason), a married couple with busy careers trying to make their marriage work. The yuppie phenomenon exploded in the 1980s when more and more women began entering the workforce, climbing up the corporate ladder and holding positions previously held exclusively by men in past generations. It debuted to decent ratings and received decent reviews, with a few scathing writeups here and there. After a first order of a pilot and 12 episodes, ABC ordered more episodes; and the series looked like it was in for a long run. Then, it was suddenly canceled to the disappointment of fans, with the final episode aired on Mar 24, 1987.

a paparazzi pic of Shelley, 1986

Un-Clinging Slip

a closeup of Shelley

from an ad for JCPenney, 1971

Shelley appeared in many ads and catalogs for JCPenney in the 1970s. In December of 1971, she appeared in a JCPenney ad with the tagline "Un-clinging underthings. Our prices won't give you any static, either!" which featured a couple of slips, lightweight undergarments to be worn underneath dresses. It featured a half slip and a full slip, both in blue (but also available in white, nude, pink and yellow) and edged with delicate white lace. They were guaranteed not to cling or creep and ride up. Shelley wore the full slip and accessorized her look with a matching hair pin and a delicate chain bracelet. And Shelley looked terrific in her un-clinging slip.

Shelley with Betsy Cameron

in an ad for JCPenney, 1971

Angels Wardrobe 24 B

screen caps of Shelley

from the Charlie's Angels episode

"One Love... Two Angels Part 2"

1979 was a new era for the hit TV series Charlie's Angels. Supermodel Shelley Hack joined Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd to form Charlie's glamorous new Angel team. Nolan Miller, the wardrobe designer of the series, said, "I begged Aaron to hire Shelley. There was something about her I really liked; I was impressed with her Charlie perfume commercials and how she could create a look just by turning her collar up and putting her hands in her pockets." The wardrobe budget was increased to $20,000 per episode; and, according to People magazine, each Angel was to go through eight costume changes per episode (but it was more like three to five, with Farrah making the most - at eight changes - in "Fallen Angel").

screen caps of Shelley

from the Charlie's Angels episode

"One Love... Two Angels Part 2"

For the episode "One Love... Two Angels Part 2," Shelley went through three outfit changes. For her first scene, she wore a light purple sweater top over a pair of pleated khaki slacks. She finished her look with a horizontally-striped tan and khaki belt and a pair of beige open-toe high-heeled sandals. She accessorized her look with a beige shoulder bag. She next wore an all-white ensemble made up of a white V-neck sweater top over a pair of white jeans. She finished her look with a pair of beige-colored boots and accessorized it with a gold necklace. She wore the same ensemble with a blue hard hat for the construction site scene. She next wore an all-red ensemble made up of a red blazer-style blouse over a pair of red slacks. A gold chain belt finished her look. A pair of gold earrings and a gold necklace accessorized her look.

screen caps of Shelley

from the Charlie's Angels episode

"One Love... Two Angels Part 2"

Stayed a Hit - TV's Top 20 Shows

Shelley in a promo pic

for Charlie's Angels, 1979

Shelley told TV Tales: Charlie's Angels in 2002, "I never expected to be there more than a year and I wasn't." She added, "I did my year and I moved on. That was just fine. That was plenty for me." In 1979, for its 4th season, Shelley joined the cast of Charlie’s Angels alongside Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd - as Kate Jackson's fill-in. Shelley signed a one-year contract with the show which had a three-year option; and she opted to leave Charlie's Angels and move on to other things after a year. It seems Shelley felt so much pressure when she became the new Angel; it seemed everything was riding on her shoulders. In the Nielsen ratings, Charlie's Angels had fallen from #4 over-all in season 2 to #12 over-all in season 3. In season 4, Shelley was brought in with the hopes of bringing the series back into TV's top 10 shows.

a short writeup about Shelley

from 1980

But Shelley was given little to do or say early in the 4th season, a crucial time because her character was being introduced. "It was an awkward introduction. I was hardly in the first couple of shows. I don't know why that is," Shelley told TV Tales: Charlie's Angels. In 2021, Cheryl Ladd told Charlie's Angels historian and author Mike Pingel, "I just felt like they didn't help her (Shelley), kind of, really create something more solid for her character. It wasn't her fault. She just, kind of, got words." So, Shelley expected to boost the show's ratings by her "mere presence alone." Additionally, it seems she got the short end of the stick. In 2026, Kate Jackson told The Hollywood Reporter, "I met her (Shelley) and we talked about it. She said it felt personal. There'd be some event and the three of them were invited, but they sat her behind a big concrete post or something. She's really smart and funny. There was no reason to treat her that badly." Shelley told People magazine after she left the series in 1980, "I feel like I've been sunbathing on Three Mile Island." Nevertheless, Charlie's Angels finished at #18 over-all (tied with CHiPs) in the Nielsen ratings that year - it was a hit TV series and it stayed a hit. Charlie's Angels was one of the TV's top 20 shows for four seasons, from 1976 to 1980. (For more, check out: She Did Her Best)

Sakowitz 1975 2

a closeup of Shelley

from a pic that appeared in a spread

on Sakowitz Lifestyle catalog,

July 1975

Shelley appeared on many spreads for many catalogs from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. Mail-order catalogs were at the height of its popularity at the time. They were big-book size publications that contained a list of general merchandise from, usually, a department store that were available for purchase and delivery straight to the homes of consumers. Everything from homeware to toys were featured in these catalogs... as well as garments and the latest fashion pieces. Many Supermodels - like Cheryl Tiegs, Beverly Johnson, Patti Hansen and Shelley Smith, just to name a few - appeared in the most popular catalogs of the era. Many models who eventually became actresses also appeared in these catalogs - like Veronica Hamel, Erin Grey, Kim Basinger and Pam Dawber.

Shelley in a spread

on Sakowitz Lifestyle catalog,

July 1975

Shelley appeared on the pages of Sakowitz Lifestyle catalog, on their July 1975 issue. Often compared to Neiman Marcus, Sakowitz was a chain of high-end department stores that operated until 1990. Sakowitz had a hand in making European fashion designers familiar to the American consumer... Andre' Courreges, Yves St. Laurent Rive Gauche, Zandra Rhoades, Givenchy and Erminegildo Zegna were some of designers they carried. Aside from apparel, Sakowitz had "home & lifestyle" and "ultimate gifts" among its high-end merchandise, all of which appeared on Sakowitz's catalog. In their July 1975 catalog, Shelley appeared on the apparel and accessories section. She wore the "Denimite!" look - a smashing look with prewashed denim. She wore a yellow cotton tank top over a pair of back-yoked denim jeans with wider belt loops. She topped it off with a yoked denim safari jacket with 4 pockets, pocketed sleeves and an adjustable D-ring around the waist. She finished her look with a two-toned leather belt and accessorized it with a yellow-orange scarf around her neck. And Shelley looked fabulous as always.

a pic of Shelley

that appeared in a spread

on Sakowitz Lifestyle catalog,

July 1975