Jan Spears

Season 2 - Episode 19 - Angel Blues - 02/08/78 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley investigate the murder of a Country&Western singer by retracing her steps the night she died. Kris poses as a reporter for a Country&Western publication and rides along with the cabbie who ferried the singer around the night she died while Sabrina and Kelly investigate at each stop along the route. The good: As the follow-up to The Sandcastle Murders, this episode benefits from the same hazy, oppressive visual look that made its predecessor so distinctive. The lack of sunshine only adds to the ominous feel of the episode, and LA itself comes across as grim and uninviting. "Tight writing" is not a phrase you would normally associate with Charlie's Angels but this episode is exceedingly well-written. There are numerous twists and turns and it doesn't become apparent as to what is going on until the 40 minute mark. The grittiness of some of the on-location sites dovetail perfectly with the material as the Angels are thrust into the seedy underside of LA. The bad: As always, certain aspects of the production are very 70s -- henchmen in wide-collared shirts, disco/funk music on the soundtrack -- and give the production a dated feel. Interesting appearances: Vincent Schiavelli, so memorable in Ghost, plays a thug in this. Kate Jackson's old colleague, Georg Stanford Brown, directs again. Grade: A

After the Hawaii adventure and episodes like Circus of Terror (which was filmed first and in which Cheryl's part would have been written for Farrah), Kate's distance from Cheryl becomes obvious during the first half of Season 2. Cheryl was often paired with Jaclyn or David but not so much with Kate. If Kate had a problem with anyone replacing Farrah, then she should have blamed Aaron Spelling. Blaming Cheryl doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If Cheryl hadn't replaced Farrah, someone else would have. There was no way that Aaron Spelling and the network would have allowed the Angels to shrink from 3 to 2. (In the second half of Season 2, the balance is a little better with the distribution of the Angels, and Kate and Cheryl interact more.)

Season 2 - Episode 18 - The Sandcastle Murders - 02/01/78 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley investigate the "Sandcastle Murders" that have been occurring in Kris' beachside community. Kris has a personal stake in the investigation as a young drifter she knows goes missing and then becomes a victim of the "Sandcastle Killer". The good: Like Hours of Desperation and Diamond in the Rough, this is another intriguing episode that breaks out of the usual format. For starters, there is no client in the traditional sense. Instead, Kris is the client as she prevails on the others (and Charlie) to lend a hand in investigating the murders. The second unusual element to this episode is its visual look. Despite being filmed on location at Los Angeles-area beaches (which would suggest sun and fun), the entire episode is full of cloudy skies, mist and an oppressive haze. There are almost no brightly lit scenes at the beach and boardwalk locations. The effect is something straight out of Kate Jackson's old show, Dark Shadows, and gives the episode a creepy, atmospheric quality which really heightens the material. The episode also has some compelling action sequences including one with Kris duking it out with an attacker in her own home and a surreal sequence at the end at a boardwalk merry-go-round. The bad: Some of the scenes and characterizations are off in this episode. When Kris convinces the others to help her with the investigation, Sabrina volunteers to go with her. But then, at the beach, Sabrina disappears from the story and we only see Kris and Kelly working together. Bosley's penny-pinching is amusing in more comedic episodes but, here, his relentless focus on taking a paying case over helping Kris is obnoxious given Kris' obvious emotional state. It's also out of character for him as he was always one of Kris' biggest supporters. The ending is strange, too, as Kris makes a wistful comment about the case only to have all the others ignore her. The final sequence at the merry-go-round with the Angels and Bosley riding the ponies is fun, though, especially the last shot of Kate and Jaclyn riding the same pony. Interesting appearances: A very young Melody Thomas Scott, who would go on to play Nikki Newman on The Young and the Restless, plays Kris' ill-fated friend. Hunter von Leer, who had a prominent part in 1981's Halloween II, plays a lifeguard. Grade: A- (Marked down a notch because of the weird characterizations.)

Season 2 - Episode 17 - Angels in the Backfield - 01/25/78 Synopsis: The Angels join a women's professional football team in order to find out who is staging attacks on the players and why. The good: There is a fair amount of slam-bang action in this episode including two motorcycle attacks that are reasonably well-staged. Kelly dukes it out with another player on the team in the locker room. As I always say, tough Kelly is the best Kelly! The bad: Watching this episode reminds me of the old joke: "It's not half bad . . . but it's 49.99% bad." The biggest problem with this episode is the ongoing story of the team's female manager and her disapproving father. The daughter is insipid and the father spends the entire episode drinking from a beer can. In addition, this is one of those message episodes that hits you over the head with the message and leaves you feeling like the Angels have just crash-landed in the middle of The Afterschool Special. The football scenes are unexciting and made worse by the close-ups of the Angels "in action". They're very clearly faking it in front of a painted backdrop with clouds on it. Terrible! Interesting Fact: Kate Jackson's co-star from The Rookies, Georg Stanford Brown, directed this episode. Grade: C-

Season 2 - Episode 16 - Diamond in the Rough - 01/18/78 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley travel to a Caribbean country to help ex-jewel thief, Freddie the Fox, retrieve a priceless jewel from its unlawful owner, Salim. Freddie and Sabrina pose as a wealthy English couple, Bosley pretends to be their English valet, Kelly acts as the secretary to Freddie and Sabrina, and Kris ingratiates herself with Salim's good-looking son (of course!) The good: Hard on the heels of the offbeat and intense Hours of Desperation comes this offbeat but fun episode. Here, the plot owes much more to Mission:Impossible than it does to the standard Charlie's Angels formula. The change is a welcome one as there all kinds of entertaining things going on: Sabrina has an hysterical fake fainting spell, Kelly gets to do one of her sexy dances with Salim's chief henchman and Bosley hilarious pretending to be the valet. Best of all, though, is the set piece where Sabrina, Kris and Bosley have to steal back the diamond. The diamond is housed in a room with a secured door and barred windows, and a floor that sets off an alarm at the slightest footfall. To top it off, the diamond rests in a case that also serves as a home to a green mamba. One of my all-time favorite memories of this is show is of Kris suspended over the floor on a wire and managing to swipe the diamond without getting bit by the snake. Bonus: Kelly uses a submachine gun. Tough as nails Kelly is always the best Kelly. The bad: Sabrina and Bosley's accents are atrocious but they are atrocious in a funny way. As a kid, I was impressed with Salim's "Caribbean estate". As an adult, I realize they were filming in Beverly Hills! Interesting appearances: This episode is like a 'Who's Who' of 70s character actors, with Dan O'Herlihy, Bert Remsen and Sid Haig on hand. Rene Enriquez, who would go on to great success in Hill Street Blues in the 80s, plays Salim. Grade: A

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Hours of Desperation - 01/11/78 Synopsis: When one member of a trio of jewel thieves betrays the others and runs off with the take from the heist, the other two invade the Townsend Detective Agency office and hold Sabrina and Bosley hostage. The crooks force Sabrina to wear an explosive belt as a means of blackmailing Kelly and Kris into finding their former partner and the jewels. The good: By and large, Season 2 of Charlie's Angels was much lighter in tone than Season 1. There was a bigger emphasis on humor and most stories were geared toward the light touch. This was not the case for this episode, which sees Kelly and Kris trying to find the betraying crook before Sabrina gets blown up. The intensity of this episode harkens back to the more serious Season 1 and is a welcome change of pace from all the broad humor that immediately preceded it. What really adds to the suspense is the performance of the great character actor Stanley Kamel as the psychotic villain threatening to blow up Sabrina. His performance here is somewhat reminiscent of the actor Frank Gorshin's portrayal of The Riddler on the 1960s Batman TV show as he alternates between calm and mania with frightening ease. For once, it's nice to see a villain on Charlie's Angels who actually comes across as a match for the Angels. The bad: I've got nothing. Side note: Kris' "biker chick" outfit from Angels on the Air makes its reappearance in this episode. Interesting appearances: In addition to Kamel, this episode also features Paul Sorenson, who would go on to play the recurring role of Andy Bradley on Dallas in the 1980s. Taurean Blacque, of Hill St. Blues fame, has a small part as a doctor. Grade: A

Something definitely went out of the show when Pamela Sue Martin left the series after season 4 in Spring 1984. Martin brought an elusive quality to the part of Fallon that kept the show grounded no matter how outrageous the show became. She perfectly captured Fallon as being the girl who had everything but who was never quite satisfied. Martin's absence wasn't felt so much in Season 5 (1984-85) because the character of Fallon was almost like a ghost haunting the characters. Where things really went wrong was with the introduction of Emma Samms as Fallon. Samms takes a lot of heat for her portrayal of Fallon but, in her (partial) defense, the writing for Fallon on The Colbys was terrible. It was as if Fallon had had a lobotomy while she was missing and the character went from being an active driver of story to being a passive bystander in the battle between her ex-husband (Jeff) and her new husband (Miles). To Samms' credit, I do think she really responded to the much improved writing in Season 9 (1988-89). Some of the old Fallon came back into view and Samms was able to bring a certain amount of spirit back to the character.

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Game, Set, Death - 01/04/78 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley investigate who is trying to sabotage a women's professional tennis tournament. Kris joins the tournament as a player, Sabrina poses as a sportswear designer and Kelly pretends to be a model. The good: Like Angels on Horseback before it, Game, Set, Death is a good meat&potatoes episode of Charlie's Angels. There are some nice set pieces, including Sabrina and Kelly chasing after a sniper on foot, Kris duking it out with the sniper in the women's locker room (!) and all three Angels chasing after the lead criminal in Kris' Ford Mustang Cobra. Any episode where Sabrina is interacting with all of the other members of the team is a good one and so it proves here. The bad: The actual "mystery" is solvable in about five minutes. In addition, there's a lot of late-70s feminism content in this episode (i.e. how women playing sports are viewed) which is interesting from an historical perspective but doesn't exactly make for scintillating television 38 years later. Finally, the set design in this episode really looks cheap at points - even by 70s standards. Grade: B+ (Knocked down to a B because of the cheap look of the episode.)

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Angels on Horseback - 12/21/77 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley travel to a dude ranch to investigate the murder of a guest travelling to the ranch. The guest died on the courtesy bus taking him to the ranch but none of the other passengers on the bus claim to have seen anything. The good: This is a nifty little thriller with a good mystery at its heart: What happened on the van that no one claims to have seen? Everyone on the bus is a suspect and, as with Circus of Terror and Angel in Love earlier in the season, this episode takes its time revealing all of the suspects' motives and actions. What adds to the success of this episode is that there's a nice twist after the 30 minute mark which changes up everything. The bad: Over the course of five seasons, the Townsend Detective Agency confronted one opponent it could not defeat (or at least battle to a draw): the repetition of recycled plots. Angels on Horseback is very similar to Angel in Love from setting (a bucolic ranch) to finale (Kelly and Kris having to chase the villains utilizing horses). A season-and-a-half into the series and the creative team were already recycling ideas. In part, this would contribute to Kate Jackson's frustration with the series and, in Season 4, would lead to certain attempts (not always successful) to change up the formula. Interesting appearances: James Sikking, who would go on to great success in the 80s on Hill Street Blues, appears here as one of the suspects. The very distinctive and memorable character actor Woodrow Parfrey appears as the local sheriff. Grade: B+

Season 2 - Episode 12 - The Sammy Davis Jr. Kidnap Caper - 12/07/77 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley act as bodyguards for Sammy Davis Jr. when he becomes a target for kidnappers. They have to think fast when the kidnappers snatch Davis Jr.'s lookalike, Herbert Brubaker III. This episode is nearly impossible to rate as enjoyment of it depends entirely on how much Sammy Davis Jr. you can take. Not only does he play himself but he plays his lookalike, Herbert Brubaker, as well. I like Davis Jr. well enough in this episode but Herbert Brubaker makes this episode unendurable for me. The only enjoyable feature of this episode for this viewer is the parade of familiar faces in supporting roles. Norman Alden may not be a familiar name but his face sure is familiar to anyone who watched 70s television. A pre-CHiPS Robert Pine is on hand as Sammy Davis Jr.'s accountant. Finally, a pre-Cagney&Lacey and pre-Karate Kid Martin Kove plays one of the henchmen. Grade: No grade

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Magic Fire - 11/30/77 Synopsis: The Angels try to clear a magician suspected of causing various fires. Sabrina poses as a French fashion designer (w/ ridiculous accent to match), Kelly pretends to be the daughter of a famous magician, and Bosley and Kris go undercover as a magician and his assistant. The good: Like Angel Flight earlier in the season, this is a good meat-and potatoes episode. There's a decent amount of action and humor, although the humor emanating from Kate Jackson's French accent may have been unintended. David Doyle and Cheryl Ladd are funny in their magic act and once again show how well Cheryl integrated into the team in such a short amount of time. The bad: While Kate Jackson interacts more with the rest of the team than she had in prior episodes, there's still a pronounced feeling to this episode of a solo Angels episode being spliced into a team adventure. Interesting appearances: E.J. Andre, who plays the magician the Angels are helping, would go on to play Mr. Eugene on Dallas during the 1980s. Grade: B

I saw it this afternoon and really enjoyed it. It's a send up of a 50s-era movie studio (M-G-M in particular) but an affectionate one. I think a person's enjoyment of it may depend in part on how familiar you are with certain stars from that era. I broke down the characters as follows: George Clooney = Robert Taylor or any other actor from that era who played leads in over-the-top Biblical movies. Alden Ehrenreich = Audie Murphy Scarlet Johansson = Esther Williams but with the personality of Betty Grable or Betty Hutton grafted on to her. Tilda Swinton = Variations on Hedda Hopper Channing Tatum = Gene Kelly The Scarlet Johansson aquacal number and the Channing Tatum sailors number were both great. I loved the Scarlet Johansson character's predicament in the movie because that was 100% drawn from something that happened in real life in old Hollywood. (Won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil it for people.)

Season 2 - Episode #10 - Angels in the Wings -- 11/23/77 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley investigate why someone is trying to disrupt the filming of a musical. Kris takes a singing part in the film. The bad: After a run of good-to-great episodes, the show hits a brick wall with this disaster of an episode. The two lead guest stars, who play bickering former spouses and current leads in the movie musical, are completely obnoxious and unsympathetic. The numerous musical numbers bring the action to a dead halt whenever they occur (and they occur frequently). The action is minimal and there's no end to the constant "dramatic" monologues of the lead couple and their son. Cheryl sings in this episode but her presence in the movie makes no sense. If the movie is released with her in it, then her use to the Townsend Agency is over with. If she's cut out of the movie once the case is solved, then the production incurred thousands of dollars of cost for unusable footage. Truly this is a case where the plug should have been pulled on a nonsensical script like this before it ever reached a sound stage. The good: Cheryl sings in this so, if you're a fan of her musical career, this might be of interest. The only redeemable part for me is when Sabrina, Kelly and Bosley chase the main suspect through the cat walks high above the sound stage. There's a creepy ambience up in the rafters and the fact that the three of them are clearly out of breath once they lose the suspect only adds to the realism of the scene. Interesting appearances: Musical film star Gene Nelson gets special mention in the credits for his contributions to this. Grade: D+

Oh, I know. And it was wonderful to see Didi Conn included as she brought so much heart to the movie version. I just have always liked that scene between Joan Blondell and Didi Conn because it gave the tiniest bit of seriousness to what was, otherwise, a lighthearted (and lightheaded) musical.

One thing that I liked but I don't think has been mentioned is the conversation between Sandy and Rizzo after the drag race. In the movie, the conversation is between Sandy and Frenchy. As much as I love that scene for the way that it shows Frenchy's unstinting friendship toward Sandy, I liked how the Sandy/Rizzo scene showed them as bonded in a way that you don't see exactly in the movie. Sandy is one of the few people in the movie who displays kindness toward Rizzo during her pregnancy scare but they don't exactly become friends on-screen at that point. But, then, in the carnival scene, they're bosom buddies. The live show scene worked a lot better in showing that Sandy and Rizzo were friends. (From what I understand, this scene is more consistent with the stage show than the movie is.) I liked that they kept the scene between Frenchy and Vi at the diner. That was a very poignant scene in the movie due in large part to the world weary resignation of Joan Blondell as Vi. I was hoping there would be a little tribute to "Green Shirt Guy" (a.k.a. Daniel Levins/Levans) from the movie in the "We Go Together" number as he died in 2015. But, alas, I didn't see anyone sporting a green shirt: You really start noticing him at the 1:30 mark and, once you spot him, you can't take your eyes off him.

Season 2 - Episode #9 - Angel Baby - 11/16/77 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley investigate a baby trafficking ring. Sabrina and Bosley pose as would-be adoptive parents, Kelly goes undercover as an unwed mother and Kris tries to infiltrate the trafficking ring. The good: For whatever reason, some of the show's best episodes were the ones where the Angels investigated some kind of illegal vice. Maybe the seriousness of the material forced all concerned to adopt a relatively serious tone with these kinds of episodes. Regardless, this episode really benefits from the general seriousness of tone. There is some humor, mainly due to Kate Jackson's portrayal of a know-it-all would-be mother. For the most part, though, the material is not played for laughs. The best part of the episode is the ending when Kris shoots one of the villains. It's made perfectly clear that Kris had never shot anyone before and we see her visibly shaking. What follows is one of the all-time great moments in the show's history when Sabrina takes the gun from Kris and then comforts her. For all that we've heard about the coldness Kate Jackson displayed toward Cheryl Ladd behind-the-scenes, this scene proves that they were both professionals who got the job done when called upon to do so. The bad: I really have very little bad to say about this episode. I could have lived without the knowledge (conveyed to the viewer at the end of the episode) that the person Kris had shot was still alive. The prior scene and Kris's reaction works better when she (and the viewer) thinks she killed the person. The only other minor negative is the really 70s look of this episode, the men looking particularly ridiculous with big collars and flared pants. Interesting appearances: This episode is a mini-Dark Shadows reunion of sorts as John Karlen, who co-starred with Kate Jackson on that show during 1970-71 and appeared with her in the Night of Dark Shadows movie, appears as one of the villains. Karlen, of course, would go on to great success in the 80s as Harvey Lacey on Cagney & Lacey. Edward Winter appears as one of the other villains and he is best remembered today for his recurring role of Colonel Flagg on M.A.S.H. Finally, Scott Colomby, who appeared in Caddyshack and Porky's in the 80s, is the male protagonist here. Interesting note: The opening credits to the series tell us that Charlie took the Angels away from the mundane tasks they were given in the police department(s). But Kelly's interactions with the Scott Colomby character reveal that she was doing something more substantive than guiding school children through a crosswalk -- she was involved with the police department's gang unit. Grade: A

Season 2 - Episode #8 - Angels on the Air - 11/09/77 Synopsis: After a news radio reporter narrowly escapes death at the hands of a sniper, Sabrina, Kelly and Bosley go undercover at the radio station. Meanwhile, Kris investigates the leader of a cult who threatened the reporter. The good: I always forget what a strong episode this. The suspense is non-stop and there are plenty of worthwhile suspects. The Angels all have interesting assignments in this but the episode belongs to Jaclyn Smith. This is the tough-as-nails Kelly Garrett I love, especially at the end when she takes down the suspect on her own. Probably the best part of the episode is a very well-done car chase sequence along country roads on the outskirts of the Los Angeles area that morphs into a car vs. helicopter battle. This whole sequence is well-executed from beginning to end and the production team made excellent use of rural California, which is somewhat creepy even though the action occurs in broad daylight. Kelly finds herself in a world of trouble during the car chase and its only the well-timed intervention of Sabrina (via helicopter) that insures her safety. The bad: There's nothing truly bad about this although the actor playing the cult leader comes across as more stupid than sinister. Interesting appearances: Nicolas Coster, who plays the villain, was a daytime soap veteran during the 70s and 80s, appearing on Another World, Somerset and Santa Barbara. Linda Dano, who plays the reporter, would go on to play Felicia Gallant on Another World for 17 years. Grade: A

Season 2 - Episode #7 - Unidentified Flying Angels - 11/02/77 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley go undercover at the Celestial Research Foundation when a wealthy older woman disappears at the foundation. Sabrina poses as a loudmouthed reporter (w/ bad accent to match), Bosley and Kris go undercover as a sugar daddy and his brainless wife, and Kelly investigates the handsome ex-astronaut who is part of the foundation. The good: The basic premise of this episode -- UFOs -- is ridiculous but, the more ridiculous it gets, the more you'll enjoy this episode. Basically, this episode is a great excuse for all concerned to play different kinds of characters: Sabrina in full obnoxious mode as the reporter, the comical interaction of David Doyle and Cheryl Ladd as the "married couple," Kate Jackson and David Doyle pretending to be bank officials in order to get information out of the wealthy woman's fiscal agent, etc., etc. Most ridiculous of all is Kelly posing as an alien! It's all more comedy than anything else but it is entertaining. The team is much more united in this episode and we actually have Kris saving Sabrina at the end! Jaclyn Smith's second husband, Dennis Cole, appears in this episode as the astronaut and he and Smith have some nice scenes together. The bad: Kelly posing as an alien is funny but it really is groan-inducing and is the kind of thing that really dates 70s television. Interesting appearances: Veteran character actor Ross Martin appears as the chief villain. As mentioned, Dennis Cole, who was married to Jaclyn and was a fixture of 70s television, appears in this. It's a little bittersweet seeing him here at the peak of his looks and making such a handsome-looking couple with Jaclyn, and knowing that his later life would be filled with a fair amount of heartbreak. The marriage to Jaclyn didn't last and Cole's son from his first marriage (with whom Jaclyn remained close to even after her divorce from his father) was murdered in a crime that has never been solved. Just a reminder that the private lives of these very famous people aren't necessarily any happier than the lives of non-famous people. Grade: B+ (B if I grade down because of the alien bit.)

Season 2 - Episode #6 - Angel in Love - 10/26/77 Synopsis: The Angels and Bosley go undercover at a health resort to find out why a murder occurred at the resort. The good: The parts of the episode with Kelly and Kris acting as a team are interesting and suspenseful. Even though this is only Cheryl's sixth episode, she already has great chemistry with Jaclyn. Like Circus of Terror, what's really happening at the resort isn't immediately apparent. In a nice twist, there are multiple people with different agendas adding to the intrigue. The bad: After the team cohered so successfully in Circus of Terror, we are back to a fractured team in Angel in Love. Sabrina barely interacts with the other Angels (and doesn't contribute much to the investigation on her own) and Bosley is a non-factor as well. As previously mentioned, that leaves Kelly and Kris to actually manage the investigation. The "Angel in Love" of the title is Sabrina and, honestly, her depiction here makes her look like an idiot. Not only does she not contribute to the team's efforts but she ends up falling in love with one of the crooks. For those of us who love tough, no-nonsense Sabrina, watching a love struck Sabrina is hardgoing. The chase scene on horseback at the end is more side-splitting than exciting. It's blatantly obvious that the "Kelly" and "Kris" on horseback in the long shots are stunt men in wigs and the close-ups of Jaclyn and Cheryl make it perfectly clear that they're not riding horses. Stunt work on television has come a long way since 1977. Grade: Kelly and Kris scenes: B Sabrina scenes: C

Season 2 - Episode #5 - Circus of Terror - 10/19/77 Synopsis: A circus owner's son hires the Angels to investigate the acts of sabotage plaguing his father's circus. The Angels go undercover as a mime (Sabrina), a motorcycle rider (Kelly) and a knife thrower's assistant (Kris). The good: If you asked me to pick my Top 5 Charlie's Angels episodes of all time, this episode would probably make the cut. The episode is engaging from beginning to end, not least because the answer to the mystery of what's happening at and to the circus is not immediately apparent. Unlike many episodes, where you could deduce what was going on after about 5 minutes, this episode takes its own sweet time to unravel the mystery. Helping in this regard are the possible suspects: Is the owner's son trying to sabotage the circus so the father will have to sell and the son will profit? Is the mysterious knife thrower behind it all? And what about the sinister mime/clown? Adding to the general atmosphere is the circus setting itself, especially the nighttime scenes. Circuses at night can be creepy, especially when the only ones occupying the circus grounds are the performers. Another big plus is that all of the Angels (and Bosley) have fun undercover assignments and, more importantly, they are all constantly interacting with each other in different combinations. For the first time since Angels in Paradise, the team feels united. As much as I like Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and David Doyle in this, I think the episode belongs to Cheryl Ladd. She is very funny in the role of the knife thrower's assistant and she also displays some very good detective work along the way. Kris Monroe at her best as far as this viewer is concerned. David Doyle does a lot of comedic work in this with a member of the circus, Tinkle Belle, and most of it is actually charming (i.e. the "Bosley John Bosley" gag). The bad: There really isn't much bad in this other than the recurring gag with the head with no body. The gag works once and then it peters out. Interesting appearances: Marvin Kaplan, who plays the body less man, would start playing Henry on Alice around this time. Grade: A

Season 2 - Episode #4 - Angel Flight - 10/05/77 Synopsis: A college friend of Sabrina's, who trains flight attendants, receives threatening phone calls and ominous black roses. Kelly and Kris go undercover as new trainees at the flight attendant school to unravel the mystery. The good: This is what I would consider to be a good meat-and-potatoes episode of Charlie's Angels. It's not one of the classic episodes but it gets the job done. Largely this is due to there being something very real at stake. One of other trainees is murdered and this elevates the entire episode above the farce of the prior one. The bad: Once again, Sabrina is disconnected from the rest of the team (including Bosley). At least in this episode there's a compelling reason for it as Sabrina is shadowing her friend the flight attendant instructor. There's also a weird, peeping Tom type who works at the flight attendant school. He's so weird and peculiar that you wonder why they hired him in the first place. Finally, the sets in this episode look very cheap, even by 70s standards. It's amazing to me how much production design on television shows has advanced since 1977 when Charlie's Angels was actually considered glossy and expensive-looking. I watch this episode now and I can't help but think that the Internet has broadened everyone's tastes by an immeasurable amount in the last 20 years. Interesting appearances: Robert Gentry, who plays a pilot, would be a featured player on One Life To Live and All My Children during the 80s. Grade: B

Season 2 - Episode #3 - Pretty Angels All in a Row - 09/28/77 Synopsis: Someone is trying to sabotage a beauty pageant so Kelly and Kris go undercover as contestants and Sabrina and Bosley pose as a news crew. The good: The best thing about this episode is the friendly rivalry between Kelly and Kris to see who will finish higher in the beauty pageant contest. Also, we get to see the two Angels actually competing with Kris performing a magic act (which would feature prominently in her opening credits segment thereafter) and Kelly dancing yet again. The bad: Charlie's Angels was always balanced precariously on a ledge above farce and, unfortunately, this episode sees the show fall off that ledge into full-on farce. With the exception of the Angels and Bosley, everyone in this episode functions on a moronic level, especially the two good 'ole boys who are the ostensible villains. The whole episode is played at such a low brow level that, at times, it feels more like an episode of Three's Company than Charlie's Angels. Adding to the problem is the fact that, once again, Kate Jackson is separated from the other Angels. She is either on her own or working with Bosley. Interesting apperances: Don Starr, who would play Jordan Lee on Dallas for many seasons, makes a brief appearance here. Patricia Barry plays a judge and she would go on to become a company member on Guiding Light during the 80s. Finally, Dana Kimmell, who would go on to play the female lead in the third Friday the 13th movie in the 80s, has a small part. Grade: C-

Episode 2 of the second season, Angels on Ice, was another two-hour movie. When skaters associated with an ice show disappear, the Angels and Bosley go undercover to discover what is going on and why. The good: Unlike the season opener, Angels in Paradise, this episode is more of a hit-and-miss affair. But there are some exciting/suspenseful moments, particularly when Sabrina enters the apartment of one of the missing skaters without realizing that one of the kidnappers is in the apartment as well. Kelly also has a great moment when she performs a belly dance at a Middle Eastern restaurant for the assembled bad guys. As in Angels in Paradise, Sabrina is the one who provides leadership to the group, and she is also the one who acts as an intermediary with Charlie. Jim "Mr. Howell" Backus appears as a backstage worker at the ice show. The bad: Enjoyment of this episode really depends on how much 70s comedic shtick you can stomach. With Edward Andrews on hand as an alcoholic homeless man and Phil Silvers playing the owner of the ice show, the broad comedy goes on too long and often brings things to a dead halt. Adding to the general groan-inducing atmosphere is the very stereotypical depiction of the ice show's choreographer. How do the Angels thank the alcoholic Edward Andrews-character for his help at the end of the episode? They buy him a bottle of wine!!! This is the first episode where you can see Sabrina splitting off (to some extent) from the other Angels. As the case progresses, Sabrina either goes it alone or works with Bosley. Meanwhile, Jaclyn and Cheryl have plenty of scenes (and developing camaraderie) together. Interesting appearance: Sherill Lynn Rettino, who would go on to play Cliff Barnes's secretary for many years on Dallas, plays one of the missing skaters. Grade: B-

Just finished watching the season opener from Season Two, Angels in Paradise. (The original episode was a 2-hour movie but syndication and the DVD box set break it up into two episodes.) Some thoughts: The good: Even though Charlie was the titular head of the agency, I've always thought that Sabrina Duncan was the true leader of the Townsend Detective Agency and, in my opinion, this episode proves it. The Angels are up to their necks in trouble in this, and Sabrina is the one who has to find a way out of their various predicaments: Charlie's been kidnapped, Jill is gone, they have a new and inexperienced Angel to work with, and the entire team is caught between two rival gangland factions. Sabrina is the one who the other Angels (and Bosley) turn to for leadership and she is the one who formulates all of their counter-strategies against their opponents. Sabrina Duncan at her very best as far as this viewer is concerned. Cheryl Ladd steps in effortlessly as Kris and develops good rapport with Jaclyn Smith and David Doyle. She gets stuck with the worst set piece in the episode -- visiting a nude beach -- but she does it with enough humor that the whole thing feels more dumb than exploitative. The person who really adds to this episode is France Nuyen as gangland boss Leilani Sako. She is pitch perfect as the icy Leilani, who kidnaps Charlie in order to blackmail the Angels into breaking her husband, Billy, out of prison. It's a pity she was never asked back as she would have made an outstanding recurring villain. The bad: The rival gangland faction, led by Mr. Blue, is a joke. Somehow, overweight gangsters in a cheap-looking plaid suits don't exactly strike fear in the heart of the viewer and hardly seem like worthy opponents for either the Angels or Leilani Sako. Norman Fell also makes an appearance at the nude beach, and this is the kind of campy guest appearance that really gives 70s television a bad name. Overall grade: A-

I knew it was going to flop because I follow Executive Producer Greg Berlanti's Twitter feed and he barely mentioned it in the weeks leading up to the release. He had been chatty about it for a while but then the tweets trailed off. Either Warner Brothers eased him out of the picture to the point where he didn't feel any great loyalty to it or he knew it was going to flop and didn't want to be attached to it.