Charlie's Angels at Comic-Con: Stud or Dud?

I really was in the Charlie's Angels press room at Comic-Con. I swear.

But the moderators made it very clear that there was no photography and no video permitted, so this is my only evidence of the event:

At least the entire cast - Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor, Annie Ilonzeh and Ramon Rodriguez - was present. There were no producers, writers, directors and not even a whisper about executive producer Drew Barrymore. I was surprised this show's version of Bosley didn't make the promo shots, either, as they all refer to him as the fourth angel.

Referencing the "old" television show (not the original or iconic), the foursome chatted about what makes this one so interesting and why we should watch.

"Am I gonna be a 70s version of Bosley, bro? What is that? No, this is a whole new take on it," Ramon said. "Action, adventure; he's involved with these girls all the time, you know, on the case. He's got some fun secrets with Charlie and the angels, and it's a whole different version than we've seen in the past."

Did the actresses audition for specific roles?

"I auditioned for Abby, but that didn't work out," Kelly said. "Rachael walked in and she was Abby." BUT...

... Minka "walked in and they wrote her a whole person!" Taylor said. "When they met [her] they kind of wrote this whole new, kick ass kind of angel."

Kelly is glad it worked out this way "because I think our girls today could use three strong, beautiful, smart women using their talents for good and I'm really excited to show that you can come from a dark past and use those skills you used to survive, for good."

No, these are not three girls from the police academy. Charlie took them away from something all together different. Their favorite saying, according to Rachael, is that "it's not just the family you're born into, but the family you build around you."

On Thursdays this fall, we can look forward to character arcs, rather than "big bad" character that are around for a full season. The question is, will you be around to watch this process? Or are you afraid the series will take the Bionic Woman route and start with a bang and fizzle out?

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.