John Forsythe Dead at 92

Image from source, TV Squad

It would be odd to say that John Forsythe had an "untimely death," living well past the average human life-span and all. But I'm still sad. It's yet another reminder of my own mortality, and that of my generation (Generation X) moving on up from "middle aged" to "old." Forsythe was a presence in my "tween" and teen years as the voice of Charles Townsend, the horn-dog boss of Charlie's Angels (who oddly never even met any of the gorgeous girls he employed). And he was a fixture every week of my late teens and early adulthood as Blake Carrington on Dynasty. A program of which I never missed an episode.

But one of my favorites of Forsythe's TV career was as Senator Powers on a little-remembered The Powers That Be, a hilariously subversive sitcom by Norman Lear. It was a deeply warped show, with tragically flawed characters, and many fantastic character actors. David Hyde-Pierce (Frasier), Valarie Mahaffey (Northern Exposure) and Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) all had prominent roles in the show. It's a shame that it didn't catch on. Anyway, thanks to Mr. Forsythe for the memories, and RIP. Go be with the "real" Angels.*

[Excerpt]

'Dynasty' Actor John Forsythe Dead at 92

The distinguished actor and television leading man, John Forsythe, passed away yesterday at his home in Santa Ynez, California, following a year-long battle with cancer. According to his publicist, Harlon Boll, the 92-year-old actor succumbed to complications of pneumonia. . .

Read more at: TV Squad

*Asterisked because I'm agnostic and don't believe in actual angels. But it's a good line.

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

Mini DVD Review: Charlie's Angels The Movies

Image from source, Wikipedia

The past few weeks, having depleted my Joss Whedon DVDs (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) I have been watching season one of Charlie's Angels. I was inspired to buy the box set by Farrah Fawcett's Farrah's Story documentary. Since that time, Farrah has regrettably become an actual angel, and I've enjoyed (very much) watching her in her prime.

Charlie's Angels was criticised in its day for being "jiggle TV." The Moral Majority® crusaders heaped much abuse upon what is now seen as fairly tame. The show promised much more than it delivered when it comes to titillation. What it did provide is a nice little enjoyable 70s detective show, which while completely unbelievable, was also very entertaining. And the three stars, Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, managed to make the show something more than the sum of its parts. Shortly after buying the box set, I found the movie versions, both at steep discounts. So, I bought them.

When they made the movies based on the series, they missed the mark entirely. OK, maybe not entirely. Lucy Liu, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz did have something of the same chemistry and camaraderie as the original three. But the feel of the show, the very premise, was discarded. John Forsythe was still there, amazingly still able to pull the gravitas at his very advanced age, to be believable as their never-seen boss. There were two Bosleys, Bill Murray--apparently the same character as the late David Doyle--and Bernie Mac, as Murray's adoptive brother.

But the movie version was vastly different in concept. In McG's Charlie's Angels, the girls were like elite special forces operatives, akin to James Bond or Tom Cruise's character in Mission Impossible. Gone were the ordinary human women who would alternatively kick butt and become damsels in distress. The movie Angels were able to defy the laws of physics, while fighting crime on an international and almost supernatural scale.

There isn't a thing in the movie versions of Charlie's Angels that can be believed as "real world." Your suspension of disbelief must be put on absolute ignore. That said, both Charlie's Angels and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle are still a hoot. The girls have such enthusiasm, and are so entertaining, that I can't outright condemn their efforts. And major kudos to scoring a cameo by Smith, in character as original angel Kelly Garrett. The show and the movies may have very little in common, but the acknowledgement of what came before was appreciated.

And a little trivia: as unlikely as it might seem, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle was the very first Blu-ray disc issued. And Smith was the only TV angel to appear in every episode of the series, not to mention one out of two of the movies.

My ratings:

Charlie's Angels Season One: Highly Recommended (if you like 70s TV)

Charlie's Angels the movie: Recommended

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle: If you liked part one, Recommended. If not, no.

Frivolity Break: Dynasty With Special Guest Stars

Back in the early 80s, my best friend Keith turned me on to a show called Dynasty, a tawdry, trashy series about rich people in Colorado. I was hooked from the first episode I watched. Though I missed the (fairly tragic) season 1--only to catch in reruns a few years later--I never missed an episode after that. I even hung on after the fantastic Moldavian Massacre, and the unsatisfying resolution.

Krystle's evil twin couldn't scare me away. The fact that each Carrington offspring was played by two different actors couldn't do it. Stephen's "I'm gay!" "I'm straight" "I'm gay again!" storylines couldn't shake me. I watched until the bitter end, and beyond to the reunion movie. Aaron Spelling was the master of the "so bad, it's good" TV series, from Charlie's Angels to Love Boat, to Fantasy Island, T.J. Hooker and Hart to Hart, I was there. His shows are a huge part of my childhood. And it didn't stop there. Spelling recreated the trashtacular Dynasty in the 90s with Melrose Place, another show I watched until the (again) bitter end.

This re-imagining of the intro to Dynasty had me in stitches. I was literally in tears by the end. It just gets funnier and funnier. Given Dynasty's bombastic opening music, and lavish credits, the juxtaposition of different "stars" just hit my funnybone. Maybe you had to be there.



Source: TV Squad