If you were a kid or teenage boy in the late 70’s, Wednesday nights were all about Charlie’s Angels.
The series was about a trio of beautiful female private investigators working for a mysterious and unseen millionaire.
The show was huge hit for ABC and helped usher in puberty for millions of American teens. Even though critics weren’t kind to it, and some women derided it as “jiggle TV,”
It was immensely popular for much of its five-year run. The show was entertaining- and critics missed the point.
Charlie’s Angels ranks at number six on our Top 10 TV Shows Of The ’70s.
Charlie Townsend and Bosley
Charlie Townsend (voiced by John Forsythe) was the millionaire who employed the Angels at the Townsend Agency. He would only communicate with them through a speaker phone, and neither the Angels nor the audience ever saw him in person. The only glimpse the viewers got of him was of his back, while he was accompanied by beautiful women- the epitome of cool.
John Bosley (David Doyle) was the Angels’ helper- he was around to assist them with their cases and was the funny, likable everyman among the beauties. Much of the show’s humor came from Bosley being kind of a lovable bumbler. He was also the only character to have actually seen Charlie, and a running joke on the show was how Bosley would never reveal what Charlie looked like to the Angels, no matter how they tried to get him to.
Undercover Assignments
Many of the cases the Angels solved over the years involved going undercover in a variety of places. They went undercover at the roller derby, at a massage parlor, a dude ranch, a UFO club- the list is extensive. They also went undercover as models a bunch of times. This made for a good amount of variety in the stories, but the best part for men is that it led to the Angels dressing the part. Undercover as nurses? They’d dress in a nurse’s outfit. Undercover at an army base? Dressed in an army uniform. Undercover at a tennis court? They’d wear a tiny tennis skirt.
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The Game
Kelly, Sabrina, and Kris make up the team of Charlie’s Angels. Charlie’s phone calls give this beautiful squad of crime busters the information needed to capture the target villain. They work as a team, each using her special talents to apprehend the culprit.
If you wanted to see gorgeous women in an assortment of costumes, Charlie’s Angels had you covered.
The Brunettes
Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson and Tanya Roberts (changed her hair color around, but I’m sticking her here anyway) were the dark-haired lovelies on the show, and they each were hot in their own way. Jaclyn Smith was the classic beauty, (and the only actress to stay with the show for its entire run) Kate Jackson was more like the girl next door and Tanya Roberts was the sex bomb in bikinis much of the time. Brunette fans had a lot to like on Charlie’s Angels.
The Blondes
Last, but not least, (full disclosure: I’m a sucker for blondes) Charlie’s Angels had Shelly Hack, Cheryl Ladd and Farrah Fawcett steaming up the screen. Shelly Hack and Cheryl were stunning, but the breakout star was Farrah Fawcett, even though she left the show after only one season.
Farrah Fawcett ranks at number one on our Top 10 Hottest Women of The ’70s.
