On the 50th anniversary of #CharliesAngels, THR tells the wild, true story behind the TV phenomenon.⁠ ⁠ The behind-the-scenes betrayals. The casting chaos. The simmering resentments. The itsy-bitsy bikinis. Turns out the set wasn't always heaven.⁠ ⁠ From its debut on Sept. 22, 1976, Charlie’s Angels was a phenomenon, drawing at its peak as many as 40 million viewers an episode — a massive crowd even back then. The general opinion was that men tuned in for the bikinis and short shorts — especially when breakout star Farrah Fawcett was wearing them — while women watched for the other clothes. A few might have even turned it on just to follow the Angels’ wacky undercover assignments.⁠ ⁠ Critics hated it.⁠ ⁠ "You have to remember that ABC was like the Fox of its time,” adds David Bianculli, a veteran television critic and a co-host of NPR’s Fresh Air. “It was the youngest, smallest network. And the idea was: How do you get an audience as fast as possible? You do it by appealing to young pe...