How many television shows are still fondly remembered after 50 years? Quite a few around here, I know – but among the non-tv obsessed? That thins the herd to a much smaller number. But I think Charlie’s Angels belongs in that company – and apparently so do the folks at The Paley Center for Media, who recently hosted a 50th anniversary celebration of this iconic series at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
I cowrote The Charlie’s Angels Casebook back in 2000 so it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the company of the show’s stars. Was it worth the trip to see Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd together again? I thought so, but after it was over I left the theater with mixed feelings.
Just as an aside – “Hollywood” gets more awful every year. I feel for the tourists, especially those from overseas expecting something glamorous as they stroll the Walk of Fame. And I’d also like a word with whomever scheduled this event on a Monday when Musso & Frank Grill was closed. If the reunion turned sour, at least I’d have had a decent steak to salvage the evening.
There was indeed a chance that things could have gotten tense, as this was likely the first time Kate and Cheryl were in the same room since the series ended. The Casebook detailed their strained relationship, and some of the stories shared were too incendiary to print without risking a lawsuit.
The video clips selected to highlight why the show is worth remembering were poorly chosen. There was no mention of David Doyle, who provided able support throughout the series’ five-season run while Angels kept coming and going.
Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts were included in the film clips (to appreciative audience applause) but were likewise ignored in the discussion.
Perhaps most disappointing was a lack of warmth among the trio of stars. Questions that should have been easy to answer, if their memories were happy and vivid, received almost no response. There wasn’t much laughter over shared recollections, favorite moments or favorite episodes. Only one episode (“Angels in Chains”) was specifically mentioned, and Cheryl Ladd wasn’t even in that one.
As a result, what should have been a celebration came off more like an obligation among three coworkers who once shared the same office. They were happy with the show’s success but not eager to fully embrace it beyond the opportunities it provided later.
Disappointments were mentioned but not deeply explored or felt – Jaclyn missing out on Moonraker, Cheryl on Family and of course Kate with Kramer vs. Kramer. Maybe I was too close to the real stories to appreciate the PG versions that helped preserve the illusion of a happy production.
That said, there were a couple of memorable moments, such as the discussion about how all three Angels received a breast cancer diagnosis – what are the odds? But here they had something more substantive to talk about than an old TV show, and opened up about fear, and faith, and the importance of early detection and exams.
I also enjoyed Kate Jackson relating how, in 2000, she received a check for the use of her likeness on the hundreds of dolls, toys, games, and other licensed merchandising of Charlie’s Angels. The amount – about 80 bucks.
There was indeed a chance that things could have gotten tense, as this was likely the first time Kate and Cheryl were in the same room since the series ended. The Casebook detailed their strained relationship, and some of the stories shared were too incendiary to print without risking a lawsuit.
The good news is that it wasn’t acrimonious. But it wasn’t joyful either. The moderator - apparently chosen because he won five Emmys and not because he knew anything about the show - did not do a great job. Some of his questions were silly and merited the polite cold shoulder they received. Any real fan (or anyone who even read the book) could have better focused on where the nostalgic sweet spots were, while avoiding the minefields.
Perhaps most disappointing was a lack of warmth among the trio of stars. Questions that should have been easy to answer, if their memories were happy and vivid, received almost no response. There wasn’t much laughter over shared recollections, favorite moments or favorite episodes. Only one episode (“Angels in Chains”) was specifically mentioned, and Cheryl Ladd wasn’t even in that one.
As a result, what should have been a celebration came off more like an obligation among three coworkers who once shared the same office. They were happy with the show’s success but not eager to fully embrace it beyond the opportunities it provided later.
Disappointments were mentioned but not deeply explored or felt – Jaclyn missing out on Moonraker, Cheryl on Family and of course Kate with Kramer vs. Kramer. Maybe I was too close to the real stories to appreciate the PG versions that helped preserve the illusion of a happy production.
That said, there were a couple of memorable moments, such as the discussion about how all three Angels received a breast cancer diagnosis – what are the odds? But here they had something more substantive to talk about than an old TV show, and opened up about fear, and faith, and the importance of early detection and exams.
I also enjoyed Kate Jackson relating how, in 2000, she received a check for the use of her likeness on the hundreds of dolls, toys, games, and other licensed merchandising of Charlie’s Angels. The amount – about 80 bucks.
Fifty years is a long time – a point repeatedly expressed from the stage when the guests of honor were unable to recall a favorite scene or a favorite outfit. But the fanfare for this event and the attention it received is a testament to how deeply this show impacted our popular culture and the television landscape. The reunion garnered headlines in all the trades, magazines, entertainment websites, and was even a featured story on ABC World News Tonight.
This was not a series that was respected, including it would seem by those who were in it. But it was, by whatever measuring stick we use to assess such things, a big deal. And a half-century later it proved that again by drawing a packed theater to pay tribute. The fans – some dressed to the nines, others in Charlie’s Angels t-shirts bearing images that had faded from decades of spin cycles, all seem to have left satisfied.
My happiest memory of the evening was when the Angels first took the stage to a long and loud standing ovation, and that alone almost made it worthwhile.
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