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Original air date Nov 8, 1978
Directed by Allen Baron
Written by Lee Sheldon

Regular Cast
Kate Jackson as Sabrina
Jaclyn Smith as Kelly
Cheryl Ladd as Kris
David Doyle as Bosley
John Forsythe as Charlie

Guest Cast
Peter Brown as Mark
Janet Paige as Joan
Jack Murdock as Doc
Hector Elias as Sanchez
Doug Sheehan as Ben
Parley Baer as Capt. McGuire
Derek Murcott as Capt. Brunner
Prudence Wright Holmes as Lisa
Tara Leigh as young woman

CHARLIE'S ANGELS

"Angels Ahoy"

Charlie's Angels (1976-1981) was a t&a predecessor to shows like Baywatch and V.I.P. Despite the fact that she left the show after the first season, it made Farrah Fawcett a 1970s sex symbol. The show pandered to the male audience by sending the Angels undercover to places like cruise ships, women's prisons, strip clubs, massage parlors and other locales where skimpy outfits were du rigor. But women watched too. Although many preferred Kate Jackson to Farrah, except when it came to imitating the hairstyle.

Girls had slim pickings when it came to female action figures on American television, Annie Oakley in the 1950s, The Avenger's Mrs. Peel for a couple of years in the 1960s, Honey West for the 1965-66 season, Wonder Woman in the late 1970s. Later came women like Xena, Buffy, Dark Angel and the women of shows like Andromeda, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, NYPD Blue and Third Watch. Even Bond hangs out with women who can do more than fill out a bathing suit. Of course, many (but not all) of today's female martial arts experts, fantasy swordswomen and women of the law still dress in t&a outfits, but they frequently look genuinely athletic.

Someone is using the Southern Queen cruise ship to smuggle escaped convicts out of the country. The Angels and Bosley go undercover on the Queen as employees and passengers. As usual, Sabrina is stuck with the "bad girl needing escape" role. She rarely got the sexy jobs. Potential bad guys include the surly captain, the alcoholic doctor, the sexy music director (Peter), the low level bad guy and the four time widow Bosley is romancing. Kris flirts with the music director and later finds incriminating evidence in his quarters. She clearly attracted his interest.

Most of the action takes place during a costume party where mistaken identity can abound. Peter dresses as Don Juan. As usual, Kate Jackson gets stuck with the unsexy costume, a fully made-up clown. Kris is stuck in the closet when Mark and Leo come in as she's searching Mark's room. She overhears Leo telling Mark they have to kill Kelly because she's a detective. Mark is upset at the idea of killing "a broad." Shortly thereafter, Kris, Sabrina and Bosley discover Kelly is missing. Mark has her at gunpoint in his room.

When Kris comes looking, his attitude convinces her to bring the others back to his room. However, by the time they get there the room is empty. Mark and Leo have taken Kelly at gunpoint down to the pool.

There the alcoholic doctor reveals himself as the criminal mastermind. He splashes Kelly with alcohol and throws her in the pool, announcing his intention to make it look like she drowned in a drunken stupor. Never mind that the alcohol will wash off in the pool and she won't have any in her blood. Mark does his bit by trying to hold Kelly under water from a distance with a pool skimmer, a truly unwieldy murder weapon. When Sabrina interrupts the party wearing Leo's cowboy suit and carrying his gun, Mark comes up with a gun of his own.

However, Kris chucks a box over the balcony at him; he ends up in the pool and everyone else is rounded up. The bad guys include Joan, he woman Bosley has been romancing. Apparently she killed one husband too many and had need to flee out of the country.

NiteOwl Review: Although Peter does look pretty fine in his Don Juan costume, his part in this episode isn't interesting enough to warrant it being high up on a collector's list. But if it runs on a station near you, it's worth saving on your dvr.

Our Favorite Scene: There were no scenes of exceptional interest in this episode but there was one little bit that was a quirky reminder of Peter's westerns days. When Leo informs Mark that Kelly is a detective, Mark sweeps off his feathered hat and swats it against his leg in exactly the same "damn it" facial expression that Peter used as Chad Cooper in Laredo when Chad reacted in disgust over something.

Official Peter Brown Fan Site