Today marks 50 years since Farrah Fawcett helped launch “Charlie’s Angels,” one of the TV shows that defined the ’70s. Although the 90-minute movie pilot, which starred Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, premiered on ABC in March 1976, the show officially kicked off months later, on September 22, 1976.
“Charlie’s Angels” centered on three private detectives who faithfully carry out orders from their mysterious boss, Charlie. The trio were an instant hit with audiences, becoming the number one show that <a href="https://comicvibe.com/daredevil-born-again-to-end-with-season-three/” title=”DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN to end with season three”>season. And while she’d been acting for years and was already married to “The Six Million Dollar Man” star Lee Majors, “Charlie’s Angels” made Fawcett a household name. Her image as a blond bombshell, which was supported by the iconic red swimsuit poster published by Pro Arts in 1976, also helped bolster the show’s success.
Ultimately, “Charlie’s Angels” aired for five seasons, concluding in 1981 — although, by that point, Fawcett herself had long departed the show.
Farrah Fawcett left Charlie’s Angels after one season
Despite the success of “Charlie’s Angels,” Farrah Fawcett quit the series after the first season. In 1979, she opened up about her reasoning for departing the hit show. “I left Charlie’s Angels because I felt creatively stifled,” she told The Dallas Times Herald (via MeTV). But that wasn’t the only reason. “I think what has bothered me the most was all of the merchandising,” she continued, adding, “Things over which I had no control: the bedsheets and things like that. I didn’t like any of that, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it.”
Fawcett didn’t get a clean break, however, as “Charlie’s Angels” executive producer Aaron Spelling sued her for breach of contract. “She was very important to the show, and we tried hard to enforce her contract into question,” he wrote in his memoir (via MeTV). “We went to court over the issue, and settled when she agreed to appear in six Charlie’s episodes over a two-year period.” Fawcett’s departure made room for Cheryl Ladd, who was brought on as her replacement in Season 2. And while the show’s ratings initially remained strong in Fawcett’s absence, they eventually collapsed.
The legacy of “Charlie’s Angels” lived on, though. The show went on to inspire the successful ’00s film franchise starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu, as well as a less successful 2019 reboot starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska, and a failed ABC TV series in 2011.
