As the world undoubtedly knows, the long-awaited, hotly contested (behind the scenes, anyway) “Charlie’s Angels” flick will finally open Friday.
In case you haven’t already heard, in the Y2K version, there’ll be Natalie (Cameron Diaz), the nerdy one who can dance; Dylan (Drew Barrymore), the street-smart one; and Alex (Lucy Liu), the sexy one.
And, of course, the new angels are all across-the-board beautiful and equally trained in the discipline of martial arts.
But as seasoned tube watchers know, before Drew, Cameron and Lucy, there were Farrah, Kate, Jaclyn, Cheryl, Shelley and Tanya.
Feeling Nostalgic? Well, it’s a good thing that we have below the handy biographical profiles of these titular old-school Angels.
WHO: Jill Munroe AKA: Farrah Fawcett TENURE: One season: 1976-1977, with regular guest appearances throughout. M.O.: As the athletically gifted one, Jill is versed in all sports and sports-related trivia. When she is not fighting crimes, she dedicates her free time to coaching a girl’s b-ball team. Jill’s other hobbies include driving really fast in her sports car. WHY DID SHE LEAVE: Always living on life’s edge, Jill left the detective agency to become a professional racecar driver.
WHO: Sabrina Duncan AKA: Kate Jackson TENURE: Three seasons: 1976-1979 M.O.: Maybe it’s because of her signature turtleneck and slacks combo, but Sabrina has always been known as the smart one. Before joining the Townsend Agency, Sabrina was an LAPD officer and once married. Among the brunette’s other attributes is her ability to speak fluent Spanish. WHY DID SHE LEAVE: Comparatively more straitlaced than her colleagues, Sabrina eventually left the agency after three years of dedicated service to remarry and raise a white picket-fence family.
WHO: Kelly Garrett AKA: Jaclyn Smith TENURE: All five seasons: 1976-1981 M.O.: Though her experience as a Vegas cocktail waitress and an airline stewardess had endowed the wavy brunette with a certain spunky street-smartness, the fact remains that Kelly is, hands down, the sophisticated one. Orphaned since birth, Kelly — also a former LAPD officer herself — enjoys living a single and romantically uncommitted life with her oversized pet poodle. WHY DID SHE LEAVE: Kelly was shot in the head while confronting an embezzler during the series’ swan song episode, wherein the Angels saw the end of the Townsend Agency and Charlie in bodily form.
WHO: Kris Munroe AKA: Cheryl Ladd TENURE: Four seasons: 1977-1981 M.O.: Little sister of Jill Munroe, Kris joined the rank of the Angels after the elder sibling’s departure. Like Kelly and Sabrina before her, Kris also served once as the officer of the law (though in San Francisco, not Los Angeles). But unlike her older sis, Kris does not exhibit the same natural talents in the area of sports. WHY DID SHE LEAVE: The Townsend Agency folded (see entry on Kelly Garrett).
WHO: Tiffany Welles AKA: Shelley Hack TENURE: One season: 1979-1980 M.O.: Though she’s the daughter of one of Charlie’s good friends, Tiffany proves that it is her strength and not nepotism that got her foot in the Townsend Agency. Studied in the field of parapsychology, Tiffany is also an accomplished violin and volleyball player. WHY DID SHE LEAVE: The wanderlust had gotten the best of Shelley after only one short year of detective work. She left the agency in favor of new and unidentified adventures on the East Coast.
WHO: Julie Rogers AKA: Tanya Roberts TENURE: The final season: 1980-1981 M.O.: Undoubtedly due to her late entry into the angelhood, not much is known about the mysterious Julie. But here is what is known: Julie is a world traveler, has two good friends and would sometimes go scuba diving. WHY DID SHE LEAVE: See entry on Kris Munroe.
