TMC
03-06-2016, 02:58 AM
for the ratings drop in Season 4 (http://www.bonethefish.com/viewtopics.php?240) and 5 (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125247/http://www.jumptheshark.com/c/charliesangels.htm) (and subsequent cancellation)? Bare in mind that in Season 4, it was the first without Kate Jackson (http://soapchat.net/index.php?threads/cheryl-ladd-unhappy-with-kate-jackson.80756/)/Sabrina, who many saw as the defacto "leader". When Jackson left (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=262998), it perhaps just wasn't very surprising that a blonde model-esque girl (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=109499) was joining the show. In other words, they didn't think outside the box when it came to replacing Kate Jackson. When Farrah Fawcett left, they could ride purely on the publicity of her leaving and the curiosity of who the new girl was going to be.
Other factors that arguably led to the series' demise, was that writing had gotten stale, and the show never evolved from the 1970s. If it makes sense, Charlie's Angels entered the '80s midway Season 4, and it still felt like a show in the old '70s style, unlike newer programs. Also during Season 4, many of the stories featured one Angel while the other two girls were regulated to the background. Charlie's Angels was always an ensemble show and a lot of the charm was seeing the friendship between the Angels.
ABC also moved Charlie's Angels out of Wednesdays for the first time, and put it on Sundays against then ratings champ Archie Bunker's Place on CBS, and the hot new series Chips on NBC. Of course, the ratings for CA fell hard. ABC then moved the show to Saturdays, where it was soon cancelled.
In June 1981, ABC ran the final four episodes, returning the show to Wednesdays, although airing an hour earlier at 8PM. Although they didn't go through the roof, the ratings none the less went up. However, the series quietly left the air, after summer repeats on Wednesdays in August 1981 (which rated pretty well).
Plus, if I'm not mistaken, Jaclyn Smith had announced Season 5 was her last, as did Cheryl Ladd. ABC pretty much knew that the "writing was on the wall", and promotion wasn't too heavy after the Season 5 promo launch.
Other factors that arguably led to the series' demise, was that writing had gotten stale, and the show never evolved from the 1970s. If it makes sense, Charlie's Angels entered the '80s midway Season 4, and it still felt like a show in the old '70s style, unlike newer programs. Also during Season 4, many of the stories featured one Angel while the other two girls were regulated to the background. Charlie's Angels was always an ensemble show and a lot of the charm was seeing the friendship between the Angels.
ABC also moved Charlie's Angels out of Wednesdays for the first time, and put it on Sundays against then ratings champ Archie Bunker's Place on CBS, and the hot new series Chips on NBC. Of course, the ratings for CA fell hard. ABC then moved the show to Saturdays, where it was soon cancelled.
In June 1981, ABC ran the final four episodes, returning the show to Wednesdays, although airing an hour earlier at 8PM. Although they didn't go through the roof, the ratings none the less went up. However, the series quietly left the air, after summer repeats on Wednesdays in August 1981 (which rated pretty well).
Plus, if I'm not mistaken, Jaclyn Smith had announced Season 5 was her last, as did Cheryl Ladd. ABC pretty much knew that the "writing was on the wall", and promotion wasn't too heavy after the Season 5 promo launch.