Frivolity Break: Charlie's Angels Returning to TV?

Image from source, Variety

Revivals of TV shows are a really mixed bag. But I get excited for new treatments of old favorites every time. Occasionally you get a Star Trek: The Next Generation, which improves upon and expands the franchise. Other times, you get a complete reboot like V, which takes a similar storyline and updates it to great effect (though the long-term success of this one isn't yet known). Most often, you get a boring reboot, like The Bionic Woman or a craptastic sequel like Knight Rider.

Charlie's Angels could go any of those routes. The original--a crime show with three gorgeous female detectives--is light and fluffy, but had a special something that gives me nostalgic, heart-warming happy thoughts. It also had an established habit of replacing "Angels" almost yearly (starting with Farrah Fawcett-Majors abruptly quitting when she got famous). So a new cast totally makes sense, and could be presented as though this is a continuation.

The two movies went that route, but cheated by turning the concept into a wild, action-packed hyper reality, with stunts right out of James Bond movies. Sure, John Forsythe was still doing Charlie's voice, and Jaclyn Smith finally turned up. But the movie Angels bore little similarity to the original three (or even the next three). They'd be better off, both budget wise and storytelling wise to go back to something like the original concept. They'd of course have to update the wardrobe and cars (no Ford Pintos!). They'd need much more intricate plots (which were along the lines of Scooby Doo Mysteries) and pacing (meandering as they did in the 70s).

The key to doing it right is not just hiring three hot chicks. They need a second dose of lightning in a bottle here. The original cast, Fawcett, Smith and Kate Jackson, had amazing chemistry in addition to being pretty. Jackson's Sabrina was brainy, Smith's Kelly was street-smart, Fawcett's Jill was athletic and charming. They had a nice mixture of mystery, humor and of course a dash of sexiness. But for all the "jiggle TV" reputation they garnered, the show also had an air of innocence about it. I'm not sure how easy it would be to recapture that.

The original show managed to integrate Cheryl Ladd in as Kris, Jill's sister, without losing that chemistry. But by the time Shelley Hack and Tanya Roberts came around, something was gone (I'm suspecting that Kate Jackson was the glue that held this show together).

[Excerpt]

ABC closing in on 'Charlie's Angels'

ABC is close to giving a pilot order to a modern version of the classic 1970s TV actioner "Charlie’s Angels."

Josh Friedman, who recently adapted the "Terminator" franchise for his Fox series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," is onboard to write and exec produce the new "Angels. . ."

Read more at: Variety