Charlie's Angels - TV-PG

Jiggly, not-too-gritty '70s crime drama. Classic!

TV Rating: TV-PG Network: ION, Syndicated Cast: Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith Genre: Drama
Available on: DVD

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this classic crime drama was considered quite risqué for its time, given the subject matter and skimpy outfits. But it all seems pretty PG these days, actually highlighting how more tolerant viewers have become of sex, drugs, and nudity on television.

Families can talk about how times have changed when it comes to crime and the TV shows that tackle the subject. Does it seem like life is more violent now than before, or is that just what TV would have us believe? Why are crime shows so popular? What drives people to commit a crime? How does having different personalities working on a case together make crime-solving more effective? And, for fun, how about that funky 1970s fashion sense?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: S. Jhoanna Robledo

Once upon a time, this crime series about three girls who went to the police academy ruled the airwaves, goosing TV's sexiness and paving the way for other female-driven vehicles. It was all part of uber-producer Aaron Spelling's peculiar brand of TV world domination -- marry cuteness with Byzantine, soap-operaish plot lines that hook viewers. And the formula worked. This is classic, warts-and-all 1970s TV, though in truth, its aged fairly well (if not as beautifully as its lead actresses).

Brainiac Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), sultry and sporty Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett), and savvy Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) work for the Charles Townsend Detective Agency. Their unseen boss, Charlie (voiced by John Forsythe), relays each episode's case via the now-quaint intercom. Assisting them is the warm and fuzzy John Bosley (David Doyle), who makes sure the Angels stick to Charlie's rules as they go about solving crimes. It all makes for refreshingly frothy escapades -- a nice, though not deep, escape from the often-grim procedural drama of today's shows (no gross-out CSI-type forensics work, enhanced by dreary lighting, here).

That said, it's hard to take any of the Angels' cases seriously. Just a few of the over-the-top storylines: One of the Angels suffers temporary amnesia, an escaped convict spoils a cruise, and all three play bodyguard to no less than Sammy Davis Jr.(!). But it's clear that serious detective work is beside the point. Feminists may wince at the thought that the Angels are providing eye candy, but they are, though it's all done in the spirit of sunshiny -- this is L.A., after all -- adventure. (For confirmation, see the modern-day movie with Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, and Drew Barrymore.) On the plus side, they're also providing examples of strong, capable women (albeit with feathery hair).

Later on in the series' run, when the original cast broke up and Cheryl Ladd, Shelley Hack, and Tanya Roberts joined in, Charlie's Angels lost some of its magic. Jackson, Smith, and Fawcett had wonderful chemistry, and when their balance was upended, some of the show's charm was lost.

In the end, the show that came in like a lion left like a lamb, but its place in TV history is secure. Anyone who doubts its legacy need only look at some more-recent small-screen hits, including Desperate Housewives, to gauge the Angels' long-term legacy.

Fans may also enjoy Starsky & Hutch (the series, not the movie), Hart to Hart, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and even Baywatch.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content They may parade around in skimpy bikinis and miniskirts while solving crimes, but the Angels are as prim and proper as they come when it comes to romantic dalliances. They're rarely in serious romantic entanglements -- that is, anything serious enough for them to do more than kiss.
Violence Guns are drawn (and, gasp!, even shot) in the Angels' pursuit of justice, but the action is very tame for modern times.
Language So clean it's almost laughable, given that the lead characters are supposed to be hard-boiled detectives.
Message
	Social Behavior The Angels are great examples of strong female characters (especially for the '70s) and are tireless in their pursuit of justice. But in doing so, they deal with all kinds of criminals, including blackmailers who use prostitutes to do their dirty deed in Las Vegas, baddies plaguing a circus on the brink of ruin, and even a do-gooder whose main business is brokering illegal adoptions. Other crimes include theft, embezzlement, and even murder.
	Commercialism Nothing memorable, except maybe Farrah's trend-inspiring 'do.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Everything else might be tame, but this is a police drama, after all, so many of the cases revolve around drugs.