Pilot Review: Charlie’s Angels

Charlie’s Angels (ABC)
Premiered September 22 at 8pm

In the endless sea of TV remakes, we have this reboot of the popular 1970s franchise that more recently produced two films starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu. Now, it’s been brought back once again, though there are some notable changes. Firstly, this is one of those new fall shows that works hard to boast the hippest music, incorporating Rihanna’s “S & M” in its opening minutes and later Jennifer Lopez’s “On the Floor.” Yet it doesn’t seem content with losing its dated, somewhat corny feel, attempting to pull the sort of hybrid tone that the new “Hawaii Five-0” does but failing. The first extended scene is energizing and fun, but it quickly goes downhill as soon as Gloria dies, as the acting and dialogue are equally horrendous. Minka Kelly’s Eve is only a notch better than costars Annie Ilonzeh and Rachael Taylor. I don’t like Ramon Rodriguez as Bosley, since it seems they’re just trying to make him younger and hipper rather than appropriate comic relief. The entire investigation of Gloria’s death feels quite hokey, with lines like “What’s she doing with a kitty litter box?” paining the eardrums. Additionally, there are far too many “Angels” puns, which I’m sure will be prevalent in nearly every episode. Seeing the Angels dressed all in red at the party and having Bosley come in to seduce Nadia were among the episode’s only high points. This show needs tremendous work, otherwise it’s going to become another forgettable and lamentable imitation. I will say that I like Victor Garber as the voice of Charlie, so at least there’s a slight silver lining!

How will it work as a series? Now that the Angels have closed the Gloria chapter, they’ll likely be investigating crimes and stopping bad guys on a weekly basis, with the occasional back story and romance thrown in every once in a while. It’s standard fun, and it’s only a question of whether the dialogue and the acting will be too awful to bear.
How long will it last? Well, the ratings were certainly far superior to those of the short-lived “My Generation” from last year, which is good, but they weren’t as high as those of “Grey’s Anatomy.” The reviews were not strong and I don’t imagine this one succeeding, but ABC will probably at least give it a chance to try and finish out the season.

Pilot grade: C-