A Promising TV Series

a closeup of Shelley from a promo ad

for Cutter to Houston, 1983

In 1983, Shelley starred in her second TV series Cutter to Houston alongside Alec Baldwin and Jim Metzler. It was about three young doctors  who were recruited to run a small hospital in the fictional rural town of Cutter, Texas. Shelley played ambitious surgeon Dr. Beth Gilbert, while Alec played internist/ladies man Dr. Hal Wexler and Jim played the idealistic GP Dr. Andy Fenton. All three had their reasons for being there, a stepping stone for Beth, probation for Hal and a thank you from hometown boy Andy, who was sent through medical school by Cutter. 

another closeup of Shelley from a promo ad

for Cutter to Houston, 1983

It was one of the most promising TV series that was on for that season. Shelley had honed her acting skills on stage and had been picky about the TV and movie roles she had been accepting and it seemed to have paid off. As one writer put it, "The surprise is that everybody (in the show) is very good, especially Hack, who may stage the acting profession's comeback of the year in this show."

Shelley in a promo ad for Cutter to Houston, 1983

Fancy Stitches

a closeup of Shelley from a pic

for Simplicity Fashion News,

May 1976

Simplicity Fashion News was a monthly pamphlet Simplicity came out with to showcase their latest patterns. The Simplicity Pattern Company had been manufacturing sewing patterns since 1927 and had allowed fashionistas on a budget and sewing aficionados to create clothes in a reliable manner. Shelley appeared on the pages of Simplicity Fashion News May 1976 issue. She appeared in the spread called "Fancy Stitches", which showcased tips on how to embellish and add design on lightweight or sheer fabric. She wore pattern number 7444, a pullover top that had a square neckline, pleating at the yoke and shoulder armholes and elbow-length set-in sleeves, over pattern number 7053, a below-the-knee flared skirt that gathered softly at the waistband and had a self-ruffle with embroidered eyelet edging. Pattern number 6439, a set of floral embroidery transfer designs, embellished her top. And Shelley looked summer-ready and fabulous.

Shelley in a spread

for Simplicity Fashion News,

May 1976

The Assassin A

Tales From The Crypt The Complete Sixth Season

and Tales From The Crypt The Complete Series,

released in 2007 and 2017 respectively

Shelley starred in an episode of Tales from the Crypt in 1994. The series was based on the horror comic anthology series of the same name which was published in the 1950s. The crypt keeper introduced and ended every episode during is entire run. In December 7, 1994, Shelley appeared in the season 6 episode called "The Assassin." She played Janet McKay, the wife of a suspected government assassin gone AWOL, who was finally tracked down and  was going to be eliminated. Shelley gave a fine performance in this must-see episode - as well as Corey Feldman, Jonathan Banks, Chelsea Field and Marshall R. Teague who all appeared in the episode as well. It is currently available on DVD.

screen captures of Shelley from the Tales From The Crypt

episode "The Assassin," 1994

The episode has since been considered one of the best episodes of the series because of its witty script and its unexpected ending. In 2019, the blog Genre Snaps gave the episode praise for its storyline, its ultimate twist ending as well as its perfect casting. Of the performers, the blog said, "Of course, Shelley Hack was great. I never understood why she wasn't a bigger star." In June 28 this year, the site Bloody Disgusting listed it as one of its 5 Tales of Queer Terror from TV Anthologies. It listed it down as one of the past horror anthologies that "are transparent with their representation and help articulate the characters’ frightening life experiences." As it turns out, Shelley's Janet McKay is a character ahead of her time.

screen captures of Shelley from the Tales From The Crypt

episode "The Assassin," 1994

Getting Fit Through Biking 2

a closeup of Shelley from a pic from Self magazine, 1983

The 1980s was the decade when fitness and health became a number one concern for many people worldwide. Fitness videos, gyms and sports activities became very popular and keeping fit became part of many people's daily routines. And Shelley was keeping herself fit as well. In August of 1983, she appeared on a spread for Self magazine about bikes. She modeled and tested bikes that were great for keeping fit at any weather. She tested the City Bike, which had fat low-pressure tires that were almost puncture-proof as well as a wide comfortable seat for a gentler, safer city ride - perfect for grass-strewn potholed city streets. And, of course, Shelley rode around in style, in a sweatshirt and pants by Ralph Lauren, shoes by Fratelli Rossetti. A matching scarf and a pair of black oversized aviator-style sunglasses finished her look.

Shelley in a pic from a spread for Self magazine, 1983

Charlie's Angels 1979

a closeup of Shelley from a 1979 promo pic

Charlie's Angels was again experiencing a major cast change in 1979. After its first season in 1976, Farrah Fawcett decided to leave the series and pursue a movie career. It has been revealed much later that the reason for her sudden departure was pressure from her then husband, Lee Majors, who couldn't understand why she had to spend all those hours doing the series when she only made $5,000 per episode. He made considerably more money per episode from doing The Six Million Dollar Man than she did doing Angels, but always got home earlier to fend for himself. Farrah was sued by Spelling/Goldberg but the case was settled out of court. She was to appear in 6 episodes in seasons 3 and 4 to the tune of (as revealed later by her then manager Jay Bernstein) $175,000 per episode, which totals to a little more than a million dollars.

Shelley in a writeup about her joining the cast of Charlie's Angels, 1979

Kate Jackson was the next to go. In 1979, after season 3, Kate was fired/left by mutual agreement (whichever you want to believe) at the end of that season. In 1978, she was offered the part of Joanna Kramer in the movie Kramer vs. Kramer. The film's writer and director Robert Benton wanted Kate to play Joanna (she was his first choice for the part) opposite Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer. Some reported that the divorce drama was to be filmed simultaneously with Angels - with Kate filming Angels on weekdays and Kramer on weekends. But Spelling/Goldberg wouldn't give her the go signal because of the scheduling conflict it would create with Angels, so Kate had to turn the part down (which went to Meryl Streep, who won an Oscar for it.) This dampened her enthusiasm for the series and she became difficult to work with. It resulted to her being terminated/leaving at the end of season 3.

Shelley in a promo pic from 1979

In 1979, Shelley became Angel no. 5 during the series' 4th season. Everyone was excited to see THE Charlie Girl bring her brand of beauty and glamour into the Townsend Detective Agency. The series experienced a significant drop in the ratings during its 3rd season (it dropped from #4 to #12 in the Nielsens) and Shelley, with her high-profile Supermodel image, brought just the right dose of publicity, attention and interest to get the series back within the TV's top ten shows. But then she was given little to do or say (especially in her first episodes). They said she couldn't act, but if you watch her performances on projects that aired at around that same time (Death Car on the Freeway and an episode of the Love Boat), she wasn't bad at all. They said she didn't integrate with her co-Angels, but moments of her rapport with Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd could be witnessed in the episode "Angels Go Truckin'" and some others. In some episodes, it can be noticed that her reactions and dialogue to her co-stars were either cut short or had no audio. So how was she supposed to save the show, by her MERE PRESENCE alone? In the end, she was blamed for the further drop in the ratings; and she left the series. But after so many years and after re-watching that season, many fans have changed their minds about her. Many have realized that Shelley was such a great addition to the show after all.

Sewing & Fashion 1973 C

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

on Woman's Day Sewing & Fashion 1973

Shelley appeared on the pages of many issues of Woman's Day magazine. Woman's Day magazine is one of the Seven Sisters magazines that have catered to married women with children rather than single working women. The magazine featured homemaking and crafts, food and nutrition, health and fitness, beauty and fashion advice and articles. Shelley appeared on the cover, as well as on the pages, of Woman's Day Sewing & Fashion magazine in 1973 with featured fashions and style ideas for the modern married woman.

Shelley on a spread for Woman's Day Sewing & Fashion 1973

On the cover, she wore coordinated  separates which were also featured inside on a spread called "Travel-Happy Coordi-Knits." The fashion set was deemed a "non-stop wardrobe color-keyed for morning to midnight wear." The coordinated separates she wore were ideal for traveling as they were easy to mix-and-match with each other as well as other pieces. The suit, pants and evening skirt were Butterick Pattern no. 3243 - while the surplice blouse was Butterick Pattern no. 6898. Matching necklaces, footwear and a shoulder bag finished her look. She also appeared in the spread called "Knit Know-How." It was a guide to sewing pattern designs that were intended for stretch knit fabrics. Shelley wore an evening ensemble made up of a wrap top with bishop sleeves and a self-tie belt over a long evening skirt. Matching evening pumps finished her look. Strands of pearls accessorized her ensemble. And in all looks, Shelley looked sensational.

Shelley on spreads for Woman's Day Sewing & Fashion 1973

Book of Sewing '72 A

a closeup of Shelley from a pic

in The Complete Book of Sewing, 1972

Shelley appeared in many sewing books when she was a model. In 1972, she appeared in The Complete Book of Sewing. The book taught readers the basics of sewing and many things readers could do to create one-of-a-kind fashion pieces that would surely make them stand out. One of the outfits she modeled was a plaid long dress with an empire waist and short puffed sleeves. Romantic ruffled details around the neckline and bodice made her dress interesting. Matching hose and footwear as well as a fabric bangle finished her look. Shelley looked fresh as a daisy.

a pic of Shelley from The Complete Book of Sewing, 1972