'Morning Angels!

In 1976, my favorite new series was CHARLIE'S ANGELS. I had been a fan of Kate Jackson since the latter days of DARK SHADOWS and of Farrah Fawcett-Majors since a TV movie a few years earlier with David Hartman. I had seen jaclyn Smith on a then-recent episode of McCLOUD and she had made a good impression. 

But let's face it. I was 17 and they weren't wearing bras. That was the real attraction of CHARLIE'S ANGELS. That we got to see strong, capable, intelligent women kick the bad guys' butts week after week was just a bonus to the cheesecake.

Kate was smart Sabrina, Jackie and Farrah, as Kelly and Jill, were...well...gorgeous. 

The trio solved crimes for Charles Townsend, a mysterious voice on an intercom belonging to someone that they'd never seen. Charlie's voice was authoritatively provided by John Forsythe.

Bosley, played by David Doyle, was Watson to Charlie's Sherlock or Nero Wolfe with the girls acting as his Archie Goodwins. 

When Farrah's popularity skyrocketed before the end of the first season, she headed off to make movies, returning only for an occasional guest shot. She was replaced by the lovely and personable Cheryl Ladd as her sister, Kris. Although the series was originally intended as a vehicle for her, Kate eventually left, also, replaced by model Shelly Hack. The changing chemistry just didn't work as well.

Hack was in turn ousted by Tanya Roberts but unfortunately that made for the least palatable combination yet. Roberts would go on to some good roles in other things but didn't really fit here.

In the end, it became obvious why CHARLIE'S ANGELS was so popular originally. See below.