15 Classic Aaron Spelling Shows Throughout the Decades

9. Charlie’s Angels

In 1976, Aaron Spelling invented what critics referred to as “jiggle TV.” That jiggle-fest was Charlie’s Angels, which aired 110 episodes over the next 5 seasons. In terms of reviews, the show was a disaster, but (as is often the case) in terms of ratings it was Spelling’s biggest hit to date. Charlie’s Angels landed in the top ten for its first two seasons. It also helped launch the careers of future sex symbol Farrah Fawcett.

8. Fantasy Island

In 1977 — for a third year in a row — Aaron Spelling carved out a slightly larger notch in pop culture history when he released Fantasy Island. Set on a mysterious island where fantasies come true (kind of …), the show ran for an incredible 152 episodes (Spelling’s longest running series up to that point) and cemented itself in TV history with the help of an excitable French dwarf shouting “Ze plane! Ze plane!” at the beginning of every episode. Note, a reboot of this show is in the works.

7. The Love Boat

The same year that Spelling premiered the immensely popular Fantasy Island, the increasingly successful producer premiered The Love Boat, an ongoing series that followed the hijinks of the passengers and crew of the Pacific Princess cruise ship. It seems like every bit actor and has-been did a stint on that show. The series ran for 10 seasons, airing 249 episodes. Fun fact: Comedian Dick Van Patten was actually Spelling’s first choice to play Captain Stubing, but he was busy filming Eight Is Enough, so he was forced to turn it down.