2019 Charlie’s Angels reboot woes traced to ‘girls didn’t get along,’ says Jaclyn Smith

Speaking with journalist Marc Malkin, original Angel Jaclyn Smith said the issue with the 2019 reboot wasn’t the talent behind it — she praised Elizabeth Banks — but a core shift in the concept: the Angels didn’t feel like a unit, and Bosley wasn’t a single figure anymore.

“They want the original idea. But this had several Bosleys. The girls didn’t get along. Our whole essence was, we were a sisterhood, a fellowship,” she said.

Smith, who made a cameo in Banks’ film starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, doubled down on what made the ’70s series tick: solidarity first, everything else second.

“We had each other. It was loyalty before romance. We used our s** appeal to help us, and yet it still had a strong feminist backbone. I think it changed women’s roles on television.”

She also singled out Drew Barrymore’s take — alongside Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu — as a smart extension of the original show’s DNA. The numbers back up the cultural memory: the 2000 movie pulled in $264.1 million worldwide, and 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle cleared $250 million. By comparison, the 2019 reboot took in $73.3 million globally on a reported $48–55 million budget.

The franchise ’s staying power was front and center at the Emmys, where Smith reunited with Kate Jackson and Cheryl Ladd to mark the show’s 50th anniversary . And there’s more possibly on the way: a new Charlie’s Angels movie is reportedly in development.

Where to watch

Want to revisit the Angels’ different eras? Here’s where the shows and films are streaming in the U.S. right now:

• Charlie’s Angels (1976–81 TV series ) — Streaming on Tubi, The CW, and The Roku Channel; available to buy on Amazon Prime Video.
• Charlie’s Angels (2000) — Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
• Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) — Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
• Charlie’s Angels (2019) — Streaming on Hulu and FuboTV.