Sunday Scribblings: Charlie's Angels


(Since I spent so much time writing yesterday's post, I'm exhausted, which is why this post is what it is today.)

Aaron Spelling died on Friday (R.I.P.). So while watching CNN retrospective clips, Charlie's Angels was part of the montage—my all-time favorite television show. Hearing the music, I was instantly brought back to my childhood running around the backyard, pretending to be "Kelly" (Jaclyn Smith). She was the "classy" one, and apparently the smart one with a successful TV afterlife and popular clothing line at Kmart. It was one of the few shows with independent women in lead roles. (I'm also thinking about "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child.) I guess the music makes me feel empowered.

The music in every scene was a variation on the main score. So when the Angels were in the office talking to Charlie and Bosley, it sounded inquisitive. When they investigated a scene, it sounded riskier. The chase scenes were full orchestra blasts. And the wrap-up scenes were peppy and humorous, usually because one of the cast members made a joke. I think most of the shows ended on an upbeat.

Besides the sexy clothes and formulaic scripts, the one thing I always laugh about is this, and you see this in lots of shows today: whenever an Angel needed something out of her purse, there was never anything in the bag besides the object needed for the scene. So if Farrah Fawcett needed her gun, which was like a hand cannon back then, she'd pull it out and that was it. If I even attempt to pull out my wallet, I have to dig through receipts, my iPod, my cell phone, etc—I’m an accident waiting to happen! But I digress …

Even though the show went downhill once Shelley Hack joined the cast (as if!), the music stayed the same. So thanks, Aaron. The Charlie's Angels' theme song will be my theme song today.

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meghan said…
I absolutely LOVED this! I agree so much with what you said. I was a huge Charlie's Angels fan but since I was a blonde, I always wanted to be Chris. (Farrah intimidated me!) and I so agree with the Shelley Hack episodes - ugh! I have the music from the show on my ipod and I still listen to it with a smile on my face. I'm glad to hear someone else agrees with me!!
2:15 PM
Jennifer S. said…
we used to play Charlie's Angels too when I was little. I barely remember the actual show but I have lots of fond memories of my squirt gun and bike... so cool
2:53 PM
paris parfait said…
I loved that show too - although I alternated between wanting to be Farrah Fawcett or Jaclyn Smith. I didn't like Shelley Hack in the show either. Great nod to Aaron Spelling and his television show's influence on so many of us. Thank you!
5:23 PM
Anonymous said…
Great take on the music scribble -- you've got me thinking back to my favourite TV shows from the past wondering about the music I'd hear there!
9:01 PM
Kristine said…
Remember the Charlie's Angels trading cards. hey were like baseball cards for girls. If you turned the cards over there was a part of a poster size puzzle that could be assembled with all the cards. Better yet - remember the dolls? Oh, I loved Charlie's Angels.
I'm laughing about your remarks about the purse! My purse is a bottomless pit!
10:29 PM
January said…
Yes, I do remember the trading cards. In fact, I had the dolls, the van (so I could solve my own crimes) and the lunchbox! What can I say--I'm an only child.

Every once in a while, I'll catch an episode on TV Land and watch it as if it's the first time, theme song and all.
5:21 AM
claireylove said…
We had the show here in the UK but we missed out on the dolls and the trading cards - maybe this is why I never got round to chosing which Angel I was, as I wasn't party to the awesome power of merchandising ;-) - great post!
7:18 AM
Suzie Ridler said…
I loved Charlie's Angels too. I was so inspired by female private detectives who were gorgeous and most of them pretty intelligent. As a young girl, this affected me profoundly! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
11:57 AM
Dani In NC said…
I didn't realize that Aaron Spelling died! This is what happens when you have Tivo. Most of his shows don't stand the test of the time, but he certainly knew the viewing habits of a certain demographic. Thanks for sharing your memories.
6:13 PM
wendy said…
The only Angel that didn't intimadate me was Kate Jackson...Sabrina I think...But I loved Charlies voice. Now there's a mans voice!!

The thing about the purse made me laugh. If I was tring to get a gun out of my purse, the attacker would have more that suffient time to kill me about 12 ways to Sunday...my only hope would be to bang him upside with it...GOd knows it weighs a ton!
9:43 PM
Annie Jeffries said…
I just loved this. It will keep me smiling through the morning. I'm hearing those little transitional tunes as the scenes change right now.
12:20 PM
Colorsonmymind said…
I liked Charlies Angels too. Good recap about the music and yeah what was it with those purses? Mine is a mess of stuff and I always drop stuff when searching for something.
Guess I wouldn't be a good angel.
2:07 PM
Anonymous said…
no, sorry, the show was already getting atale in season 3, even before shelley hack joined it... shelley actually sorta injected new interest in the show. she was pretty, fashionable, smart and fun. and she was just everywhere! she brought in a a whole lot of publicity for the then slipping show... it was unfortunate that the writing was so bad, shelley got buried in it... in the last season, inarguably the most horrible period of the show, not only have they lost sight of what makes an ideal angel (the softporn actress that was tanya roberts was so crass she stuck out like a sore thumb) but all the writing skills seemed to have been jiggled away as well from this once beloved show!
5:10 AM
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