"Charlie's Angels" (1976) TV series 1976-1981

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Creators:

Ivan Goff
Ben Roberts
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | unknown

Release Date:

22 September 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Action

Plot:

The adventures of three sexy female private eyes.

Plot Keywords:

Female | Hidden Character | Beauty | Anonymous Backer | Secret Agent

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Jaclyn Smith	...	Kelly Garrett / ... (113 episodes, 1976-1981)
David Doyle	...	John Bosley (113 episodes, 1976-1981)
John Forsythe	...	Charles Townsend (109 episodes, 1976-1981)
Cheryl Ladd	...	Kris Munroe (90 episodes, 1977-1981)
Kate Jackson	...	Sabrina Duncan (69 episodes, 1976-1979)

(more)

Series Directed by
Dennis Donnelly		(13 episodes, 1977-1981)
Don Chaffey		(12 episodes, 1978-1981)
Allen Baron		(11 episodes, 1976-1980)
George McCowan		(9 episodes, 1976-1980)
Georg Stanford Brown		(8 episodes, 1977-1979)
Kim Manners		(8 episodes, 1979-1981)
Cliff Bole		(7 episodes, 1977-1981)
Bob Kelljan		(5 episodes, 1977-1979)
Paul Stanley		(5 episodes, 1977-1979)
Ronald Austin		(4 episodes, 1977-1979)
George W. Brooks		(3 episodes, 1976-1977)
Richard Lang		(3 episodes, 1976)
Lawrence Doheny		(3 episodes, 1977-1978)
Richard Benedict		(2 episodes, 1976)
Phil Bondelli		(2 episodes, 1976)
Leon Carrere		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Curtis Harrington		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Lawrence Dobkin		(2 episodes, 1979)
Les Carter		(unknown episodes)
Harry Falk		(unknown episodes)
Bernard McEveety		(unknown episodes)
Sutton Roley		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Ivan Goff		(108 episodes, 1976-1981)
Ben Roberts		(108 episodes, 1976-1981)
Edward J. Lakso		(25 episodes, 1976-1981)
B.W. Sandefur		(8 episodes, 1979-1981)
Lee Sheldon		(6 episodes, 1977-1980)
Laurie Lakso		(5 episodes, 1977-1979)
William Froug		(4 episodes, 1977-1980)
Ronald Austin		(4 episodes, 1977-1978)
James D. Buchanan		(4 episodes, 1977-1978)
John D.F. Black		(4 episodes, 1977)
Robert George		(4 episodes, 1980-1981)
Rick Husky		(3 episodes, 1976)
Brian McKay		(3 episodes, 1977-1978)
Richard Carr		(3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Katharyn Powers		(3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Robert C. Dennis		(2 episodes, 1976-1978)
Les Carter		(2 episodes, 1976-1977)
Jack V. Fogarty		(2 episodes, 1976)
Robert Janes		(2 episodes, 1977-1980)
Jock MacKelvie		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Skip Webster		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
Bob Mitchell		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Esther Mitchell		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ray Brenner		(2 episodes, 1978)
Michael Michaelian		(2 episodes, 1979)

Series Produced by
Leonard Goldberg	....	executive producer (110 episodes, 1976-1981)
Aaron Spelling	....	executive producer (110 episodes, 1976-1981)
Shelley Hull	....	associate producer (73 episodes, 1976-1981)
Elaine Rich	....	assistant producer / co-producer / ... (36 episodes, 1977-1981)
Edward J. Lakso	....	producer (28 episodes, 1977-1981)
Robert Janes	....	producer (8 episodes, 1979-1981)
Rick Husky	....	producer (6 episodes, 1976)
Ronald Austin	....	producer (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
James D. Buchanan	....	producer (5 episodes, 1978-1979)
Barney Rosenzweig	....	producer (4 episodes, 1976-1977)
David Levinson	....	producer (3 episodes, 1976)

Series Original Music by
Jack Elliott		(110 episodes, 1976-1981)
Allyn Ferguson		(53 episodes, 1976-1981)

Series Cinematography by
Richard M. Rawlings Jr.		(26 episodes, 1978-1981)
Richard L. Rawlings		(12 episodes, 1977-1979)
Dennis Dalzell		(8 episodes, 1976)
Donald H. Birnkrant		(5 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Film Editing by
Joseph Dervin		(16 episodes, 1977-1981)
Leonard Malek		(8 episodes, 1978-1980)
Jack Harnish		(5 episodes, 1976-1978)
Arnold Baker		(5 episodes, 1981)
Leon Carrere		(4 episodes, 1976-1977)
Dick Wormell		(4 episodes, 1976-1977)
Stanley Frazen		(4 episodes, 1979-1980)
John F. Schreyer		(3 episodes, 1980-1981)
James Baiotto		(2 episodes, 1976)
John McSweeney Jr.		(2 episodes, 1978-1979)
Benjamin A. Weissman		(2 episodes, 1981)
Jim Faris		(1 episode, 1980)
Mel Friedman		(unknown episodes)
Mike Newman		(unknown episodes)
Jeff Zacha		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Robin Lippin		(12 episodes, 1980-1981)
Cathy Henderson		(11 episodes, 1979-1981)
Melinda Gartzman		(4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Rachelle Farberman		(3 episodes, 1978)

Series Production Design by
Alfeo Bocchicchio		(3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Paul Sylos		(2 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Art Direction by
Paul Sylos		(38 episodes, 1976-1981)
Alfeo Bocchicchio		(20 episodes, 1978-1980)
Serge Krizman		(13 episodes, 1980-1981)
Lester Green		(11 episodes, 1976-1978)
Tracy Bousman		(6 episodes, 1976)

Series Set Decoration by
Bob Signorelli		(26 episodes, 1976-1979)
Bonnie Dermer		(8 episodes, 1979-1980)
Joseph A. Armetta		(8 episodes, 1981)
Richard Wineholt		(4 episodes, 1980-1981)
Dave L. Love		(3 episodes, 1976-1977)

Series Costume Design by
Nolan Miller		(41 episodes, 1976-1981)
Joanne Haas		(unknown episodes)
Lee Peters		(unknown episodes)
Ray Phelps		(unknown episodes)
Eilish Zebrasky		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Mel Berns Jr.	....	makeup supervisor / makeup artist / ... (65 episodes, 1976-1981)
Norma Lee	....	hair stylist / hair stylist: Miss Ladd (56 episodes, 1977-1981)
Emma M. diVittorio	....	hair stylist / hair stylist: Miss Smith / ... (53 episodes, 1978-1981)
Fred C. Blau Jr.	....	makeup artist: Miss Hack / makeup artist / ... (52 episodes, 1977-1981)
Dorothy D. Fox	....	hair stylist: Miss Hack / hair stylist / ... (41 episodes, 1979-1981)
Don L. Cash	....	makeup artist: Miss Ladd / makeup artist / ... (37 episodes, 1977-1980)
Mark Bussan	....	makeup artist (16 episodes, 1980-1981)
Naomi Cavin	....	hair stylist (12 episodes, 1976-1977)
Lester Burns	....	makeup artist (10 episodes, 1976-1977)
Charlene Johnson	....	hair stylist (8 episodes, 1976-1977)
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 1977-1978)
Carol Mercatoris	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 1978)
Hazel Catmull	....	hair stylist (3 episodes, 1979)
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist (3 episodes, 1981)
Les Berns	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1976)
Joy Zapata	....	hair stylist (2 episodes, 1978)

Series Production Management
Norman Henry	....	executive production manager (80 episodes, 1976-1981)
Al Kraus	....	supervising production manager / production manager (56 episodes, 1976-1981)
Kim Manners	....	production manager (42 episodes, 1978-1981)
Dick Reilly	....	post-production supervisor (35 episodes, 1976-1980)
Barry Stern	....	production manager (9 episodes, 1976-1977)
Lynn M. Morgan	....	production manager (9 episodes, 1980-1981)
Mel A. Bishop	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1977-1978)
James A. Westman	....	production manager (4 episodes, 1980-1981)
William A. Calihan Jr.	....	production manager (3 episodes, 1976)
Don Hall	....	post-production supervisor (3 episodes, 1981)
Bert Gold	....	production manager (1 episode, 1980)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Leslie Moulton	....	second assistant director (14 episodes, 1978-1980)
Jack Breschard	....	second assistant director (13 episodes, 1980-1981)
Nathan Haggard	....	assistant director / first assistant director (12 episodes, 1977-1979)
Robert Della Santina	....	assistant director / first assistant director (9 episodes, 1976-1981)
Jefferson Kibbee	....	second assistant director (8 episodes, 1979-1980)
Lorin Bennett Salob	....	assistant director / first assistant director (7 episodes, 1976-1977)
John Hockridge	....	first assistant director / assistant director (5 episodes, 1981)
Kim Manners	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1977-1978)
Miles Tilton	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1978)
Lynn M. Morgan	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	second unit director (3 episodes, 1979-1980)
Marty Gold	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1980)
Robert Webb	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1981)
Blair Gilbert	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1979)
Paula Marcus	....	assistant director (1 episode, 1979)
Lou Watt	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Gordon Kirschbaum	....	construction manager / construction coordinator / ... (69 episodes, 1976-1981)
Bob Henderson	....	property master / prop master (41 episodes, 1979-1981)
John Hollis	....	construction coordinator (41 episodes, 1979-1981)
Marco A. Campos	....	propmaker (16 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jerry McFarland	....	property master (13 episodes, 1976-1977)
Frank McCully	....	property master (12 episodes, 1977-1979)
Sam Capello	....	construction coordinator (5 episodes, 1977-1978)
John Sutton	....	construction coordinator (2 episodes, 1980)

Series Sound Department
Tommy Thompson	....	sound mixer / sound engineer / ... (65 episodes, 1976-1981)
Jerry Rosenthal	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Greg P. Russell	....	sound recordist (unknown episodes)
William L. Stevenson	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Bill Ferrier	....	special effects (67 episodes, 1976-1981)

Series Visual Effects by
Dick Reilly	....	post production supervisor (25 episodes, 1979-1981)
Don Hall	....	post production supervisor (6 episodes, 1981)

Series Stunts
Julie Ann Johnson	....	stunts / stunt coordinator (109 episodes, 1976-1981)
Jean Coulter	....	stunt double: Farrah Fawcett / stunt double (29 episodes, 1976-1980)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunt double: Tanya Roberts / stunt double: Kate Jackson (18 episodes, 1976-1981)
Gary Epper	....	stunt coordinator (12 episodes, 1980-1981)
Dick Ziker	....	stunt coordinator (11 episodes, 1976-1978)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (10 episodes, 1976-1981)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunt coordinator (7 episodes, 1978-1980)
Ron Stein	....	stunt coordinator (6 episodes, 1976)
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1978-1979)
Richard Epper	....	stunt performer / stunts (2 episodes, 1978-1980)
May Boss	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Donna Garrett	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Leslie Hoffman	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Daniel P. Murphy	....	stunt motorcycle preparation (unknown episodes)
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Regina Parton	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Darlene Tompkins	....	stunt double: Cheryl Ladd (unknown episodes)
Greg Walker	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Ernie Reed	....	camera operator: second camera (94 episodes, 1976-1980)
Allan Gornick Jr.	....	underwater cinematographer (2 episodes, 1979-1980)
Randall Robinson	....	first assistant camera (2 episodes, 1979)
Jack Gittings	....	underwarer cinematographer / underwater cinematographer (2 episodes, 1980)
Richard L. Carden	....	key grip (unknown episodes)
Howard Ford	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Paul Jacobsen	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Rolf Mendez	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Richard M. Rawlings Jr.	....	camera operator / first assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Jim Shelton	....	best boy grip (unknown episodes)
Patricia Van Over	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Susan Newell	....	casting supervisor (12 episodes, 1976-1977)
Melinda Gartzman	....	casting supervisor (4 episodes, 1977-1978)
Richard Kindelon	....	location casting (3 episodes, 1980-1981)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joe McCloskey	....	wardrobe: men / costumes (43 episodes, 1979-1981)
Charlotte Iwata	....	wardrobe: women (28 episodes, 1979-1981)
Ray Phelps	....	costumer / costumes (22 episodes, 1976-1978)
Carolina Ewart	....	costumer / costumes (12 episodes, 1977-1979)
Lily Yamada	....	wardrobe: women (12 episodes, 1980-1981)
Lee Peters	....	costumer (8 episodes, 1976-1977)
Joanne Haas	....	costumer / costumes (4 episodes, 1976)
Orpha Barry	....	costumer (3 episodes, 1977)
Eilish Zebrasky	....	costumes: women (3 episodes, 1980-1981)
Ann Gray Lambert	....	costumer (2 episodes, 1976)

Series Editorial Department
Virgil E. Hammond III	....	post-production (6 episodes, 1977)
Jeff Bradley	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Rocky Moriana	....	music supervisor (68 episodes, 1976-1981)
Greg Patterson	....	assistant music editor (2 episodes, 1980)
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
William Pierre	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Jack Smalley	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Stanley Storc	....	driver (34 episodes, 1977-1978)

Series Other crew
Melody Greene	....	script supervisor (25 episodes, 1979-1980)
Doris Chisholm	....	script supervisor (13 episodes, 1977-1981)
Helen Parker	....	script supervisor (12 episodes, 1976-1977)
Bret Garwood	....	executive coordinator (8 episodes, 1981)
Elaine Rich	....	assistant to producer / assistant: producer (7 episodes, 1977-1978)
Edward J. Lakso	....	story editor (6 episodes, 1976-1977)
Donna Kemp	....	script supervisor (6 episodes, 1978-1979)
Jack V. Fogarty	....	story editor (5 episodes, 1976)
Nancy Hansen	....	script supervisor (4 episodes, 1980-1981)
Carline Davis-Dyer	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1978)
Tad Tadlock	....	choreographer (2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Kenneth S. Eiland	....	assistant choreographer / choreographer (2 episodes, 1981)
Nancy E. Barr	....	production coordinator (unknown episodes, 1979-1980)
Lynn A. Aber	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)
Robin Ruse-Rinehart	....	production coordinator (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976-1981) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia Pictures Television
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2003-2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 1 and 2)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• Independent Television (ITV)
• Radio Télévision Luxembourgeoise (1979) (Luxembourg) (TV)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (season 4)
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)
• Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting (TROS) (1977-19??) (Netherlands) (TV)

Other Companies

• 20th Century Fox Studios  studio
• Ford Motor Company  automobiles furnished by
• Motion Picture Marine  yachts
• Organically Grown  fashion courtesy of
• Unique Movie Cars  picture cars

Also Known As:

"The Alley Cats" (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

45 min (106 episodes) | USA:60 min (116 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Canada:PG (DVD rating) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | USA:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

189 N. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Trivia:

Jill, Kelly and Sabrina were all former members of the Los Angeles Police Department. Kris worked for the San Francisco police and Tiffany was with the Boston police. The only Angel who was never a cop was Julie, who originally was a model.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in No debes estar aquí (2002)

Beautiful does not mean weak

I have seen complaints about the original Charlie's Angels series and how having beautiful stars in it negated any feminist notions about the series. I would like to disagree.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were few enough female 'action' stars on television to be role models for young girls. The various women in 'Charlie's Angels' were (according to the OP) police officers before Charlie hired them -- and as female police officers, they were given stupid 'girl' jobs like handing out parking tickets, and handling switchboards, and so on. Charlie gave them jobs in which they could actually fight crime -- and they did fight crime, together. If one of them needed rescue, it wasn't a man that came to rescue her, but one of the other two 'angels'. They were independent, intelligent, single, employed women who worked well together and supported one another.

The show is dated now, given how strong feminism has become since then. Back then, however, it was more than enough for at least one little girl to see that she didn't have to grow up and get married and have babies to be happy in life. Charlie's Angels -- the original show, not the fluffy movies (which are fun in their own way) -- remains to this day in my opinion an excellent example of how women should look at life: it's a challenge; meet it head on, and on your own terms.

The fact that the women were all beautiful is irrelevant to the show except that it attracted a male audience.