There has been a fandom surrounding Shelley Hack as Tiffany Welles that's emerged in the four decades since CHARLIE'S ANGELS was cancelled. Fan sites dedicated specifically to the series have pages dedicated to her and how she was given a raw deal.
When thinking of who was apparently in the running to replace Kate Jackson in 1979 -- women such as Barbara Bach, Connie Sellecca, Shari Belafonte, newcomer Michelle Pfeiffer, and PRICE IS RIGHT model Dian Parkinson -- it was somewhat surprising that little-known model Shelley Hack was the won to win the role. Apparently it was costume designer Nolan Miller that suggested Hack to producer Aaron Spelling. Miller had reportedly "fallen in love" with Hack when she was the spokesmodel for the Charlie perfume ads. Despite her considerable lack of professional acting experience, Hack was thrust towards a mount of publicity in 1979 as Charlie's newest angel.
There were multiple problems that arose once Hack started filming her scenes for the Season 4 opener, a crossover with THE LOVE BOAT. The writers and producers noticed her nervousness in front of the camera, and there were many suggestions given to the script supervisors to have Hack's dialogue considerably trimmed down. One writer for that particular episode once said that he didn't want to say Shelley couldn't act, but yet he was constantly given orders to take lines away from her, especially in the earlier Season 4 episodes. In fact, in the first dozen or so episodes we see from the 1979-80 season, Hack's barely in them and hasn't many lines. Hack later commented "I don't know why that is" when questioned about her limited role in first episodes. The producers apparently offered Hack acting classes, but she rebuffed the idea.
It wasn't until the eleventh episode of Season 4 ("Angels on Campus") that we finally got an episode centered on Shelley Hack and her Tiffany Welles. The story took place at Tiffany's old college sorority, where murders of young college girls are taking place. Three episodes later ("Of Ghosts and Angels"), Hack was again front and center, this time as she is having psychic dreams predicting the downfall of a recently married friend of hers. The latter half of Season 4 does give Hack more substantial stories, although she still doesn't appear to be the "favorite" for the writers to write for.
Season 4 brought a sharp decline in viewership for CHARLIE'S ANGELS. The show had been a solid Top 15 hit for its first three seasons, but with the departure of Jackson and the introduction of Hack, the series fell to #20 by the end of the 1979-80 season (one episode that season, I forget which one, placed as low as #47 for the week). The natural point of blame was Hack ("the new kid on the block" as she called herself) and producers began considering her future with the show. There was also considerable public backlash to Hack's hiring. Johnny Carson made jokes about Hack lacking the "jiggle factor" that CHARLIE'S ANGELS had basically created, saying, "When you put Shelley's 'T' where her 'A' should be, it still doesn't jiggle."
On Valentine's Day 1980, the cast of CHARLIE'S ANGELS (i.e. Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd, and David Doyle) all received roses welcoming them back for a fifth season. Shelley didn't receive any roses. The decision had been made that she would be recast and not brought back for another season. Later, Hack commented, "I never expected to be there more than a year, and I wasn't." Hack apparently held no strong feelings towards her being fired, but co-stars Smith and Ladd often came to her defense. Ladd, in particular, once commented that there "wasn't enough time spent on her character" and that the issues Season 4 had from many different angles "certainly wasn't Shelley's fault." Smith, meanwhile, was less vocal about on Hack's treatment, but has been known to say complimentary things about working with her.
Despite her rocky and short tenure on the show, Shelley Hack has found a solid fan base among CHARLIE'S ANGELS fans. Her "look" I think is a factor, although I think the majority rally in her corner because she was treated so unfairly by the production staff. People like to root for the underdog, and Shelley was definitely an underdog when it came to ABC and the producers. Overall, I think the producers might've expected too much from Hack, and when she failed to deliver, they were disappointed and found it easier to recast her rather than work out any issues.
What say you? Are you a fan of Shelley Hack as Tiffany Welles?
