The CA pilot was actually a 72 minute TV movie. Watch it again when you get the chance. It's so much different than the actual series...

1. Woodville the lawyer (played by David Ogden Stiers).
2. Sabrina's "glam" hairdo.
3. Farrah's noticeable lack of screen time.
4. The Angels automobiles (Pinto, Cobra. Mustang) are absent.
5. The Angels 6 note chime theme is heard at least 10 times during the movie. During the series it was mainly heard during the commercial bumpers.
6. The Townsend Agency building/office is much larger compared to what we see on the series.
7. The theme song's beat is much more busy/jazzy.
8. It was filmed in late 1975, but did not air until March 21, 1976.
9. This pilot was one of the highest rated TV movies at that time, receiving a 59% share in the ratings. ABC thought that was a mistake and they re-aired it a week later, and the ratings were just as high.
10. During this movie no Angel ever held, pointed or fired a handgun (Jill held a shotgun in one scene).
11. After the ending credits, you see a pic of the Angels (the prayer pose) and you hear Farrah say: "Call us when you need us"

Feel free to add more and discuss.

Yes it was a bit different from the series but I'm not surprised. Many pilot episodes/movies are a good bit different from the weekly show itself. At least this pilot retained most of the core cast and only lost Woodville the lawyer. Everyone else made the transition to the series.

I've also heard that as originally planned, Kate Jackson was to play Kelly Garrett as she helped co-create the series. She would have played the motorcycle riding heiress in the pilot but at the last minute changed her mind and decided to play Sabrina, which is why her part in the pilot is not as big as J. Smith's. Jackson is the top billed in the cast and had the most acting experience so she was the intended star. Of course, we all know that Farrah became phenomenally popular as a result of this series and her swimsuit poster. She was a beautiful woman.

9. This pilot was one of the highest rated TV movies at that time, receiving a 59% share in the ratings. ABC thought that was a mistake and they re-aired it a week later, and the ratings were just as high.
The brass at ABC didn't have faith in it?

The brass at ABC didn't have faith in it?

Apparently not.

CA was certainly in the right place at the right time.

I'm hoping we'll learn a lot more when Kate's book finally comes out... whenever that may be! :confused:

The pilot's writers, Ivan Goff & Ben Roberts (also credit as creators of the series) had nothing to do with the series after the pilot. They envisioned the show as a classy caper series. They didn't agree with the direction Spelling wanted to take the show in. That really accounts for the difference in tone between the pilot and the series. It's also one of the reasons Kate was dissatisfied with the series - she was promised a series that was more like the pilot.

The pilot's writers, Ivan Goff & Ben Roberts (also credit as creators of the series) had nothing to do with the series after the pilot. They envisioned the show as a classy caper series. They didn't agree with the direction Spelling wanted to take the show in. That really accounts for the difference in tone between the pilot and the series. It's also one of the reasons Kate was dissatisfied with the series - she was promised a series that was more like the pilot.


Good point about Goff and Roberts. To Spelling's credit, the show did become a monster hit. The majority of male viewers were not watching the show for the scripts/stories ;) :p

Kate signed on for $10K per episode, while the others got $5K. Kate threatened to leave a few times, so Spelling gave her more money. If memory serves me correct, I believe Kate was up to 50K per episode by the third season. That's much more than what Cheryl and Jackie were making.