CHARLIE'S ANGELS: ANGELS IN CHAINS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of action-adventure dramas concerning the cases of three female private detectives who work at the agency run by the mysterious and unseen Charles Townsend. In this episode, the girls are hired by Christine Hunter, whose sister, Elizabeth, was falsely arrested on drug charges and sent to prison, from which she then disappeared. The three detectives plan to go undercover at the prison, with a Deputy Winston as their inside contact. They are soon picked up for speeding and hitchhiking, and the officer plants drugs in their car before hauling them off to the Pine Parish Prison. Winston mentions that Elizabeth was not the first woman to go missing from the prison. Once there, the tough female guard Maxine notes that they are “jackpot” candidates for “the house” and makes them shower and change into uniforms. They observe fancy cocktail dresses hanging nearby, but are not told what they are for before they are shown to their bunks.
The next day, the three prisoners are made to dig potatoes in a field. While there, they talk to other inmates and ask about Elizabeth, learning that she was last seen being taken to the infirmary. Kelly talks to Linda and learns that the dresses are for “parties,” but they are interrupted by a guard, Carl, before Linda can elaborate. She warns Kelly not to cross Carl, as he attempted to rape Elizabeth shortly before her disappearance. At lunch, Jill fakes illness in order to search the infirmary. Sabrina and Kelly meet Warden Sorenson, who inquires kindly after their well-being. In the hospital, Jill snoops and finds Elizabeth’s file, also noting that she signed in, but not out, of the infirmary after being attacked by Carl a month ago. Later, the girls are told to dress in the cocktail dresses because they are going to a party, an “invitation” they cannot refuse. Once there, Sorenson, clearly the madam, tells them that they can avoid working in the fields after their third “party” prostituting themselves to the male guests, all prison suppliers. Jill meets with a “client” and charms him into talking about Elizabeth, and he says that she tried to escape and is likely dead. Jill makes it to a phone and tries to call Winston, but is caught and told that he has “resigned permanently.” They deny asking anything about Elizabeth, but they are chained together and placed in a car, with Carl threatening them with death.
The girls manage to escape the car by strangling the guards with their chains and crashing, but the guards are soon hot on their trail with bloodhounds. They find a filling station and remove their chains, and Sabrina gets the idea to throw the dogs off with the scent of gas. They hijack a potato truck and are chased by the jailers, who eventually meet their end in a fiery crash. Back at the office, Charlie says that the governor commends their actions and is looking into other prisons, and that the Pine Parish staff is awaiting trial. Christine, though heartbroken over her sister’s death, is grateful for their work. And Linda, released from the prison, arrives and joins the office as their new receptionist. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: October 20, 1976 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:49:52
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:57384
- GENRE: Drama, police/private detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police/private detective; Women's Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1976-1981
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Aaron Spelling … Executive Producer
- Leonard Goldberg … Executive Producer
- Rick Husky … Producer
- Shelley Hull … Associate Producer
- Ben Roberts … Created by
- Ivan Goff … Created by
- Robert Earll … Writer
- Phil Bondelli … Director
- Jack Elliott … Music by
- Allyn Ferguson … Music by
- Kate Jackson … Cast, Sabrina Duncan
- Farrah Fawcett-Majors (see also: Farrah Fawcett) … Cast, Jill Munroe
- Jaclyn Smith … Cast, Kelly Garrett
- David Doyle … Cast, John Bosley
- David Huddleston … Cast, Sheriff Clint
- Anthony James … Cast, Karl Stern
- Christina Hart … Cast, Billie
- Mary Woronov … Cast, Maxine
- Kim Basinger … Cast, Linda Oliver
- Neva Patterson … Cast, Warden Sorenson
- Brooke Tucker … Cast, Fran
- Lauren Tewis … Cast, Christine Hunter
- Brian Cutler … Cast, Deputy Winston
- James E. Brodhead … Cast, Jill's Drunk
- Robert P. Leib … Cast, Doctor
- Richard Kennedy … Cast, Man
- Terry Green … Cast, Elizabeth Hunter