Miami-Based ‘Charlie's Angels' Remake Canceled

South Florida's film production industry takes a hit just four weeks into Charlie's Angels' first season

Sorry, Charlie? More like sorry, Miami.

With the Friday cancellation of ABC's jiggly "Charlie's Angels" remake, South Florida's film and TV production industry suffered major blows in money and momentum.

Harsh reviews and worse ratings accompanied the launch of the 305-based show, halting any revenue stream South Florida enjoyed, albeit briefly, from one of the few major English-language TV shows to shoot in Miami since Don Johnson abandoned white jackets in 1989.

“It’s a huge disappointment. Huge,” Miami Beach casting agent Ellen Jacoby told the Miami Herald.

Jacoby, who has worked on cable series like USA's "Burn Notice" and Starz’s upcoming "Magic City", said losing a network show is a special brand of bummer: “It was cool to have a network show. More exposure. More publicity."

There was also, arguably, more money. Unlike CSI: Miami, which shoots largely in Southern California, "Charlie's Angels"' was actually based in Miami, utilizing a Wynwood warehouse converted to a soundstage.

“They were probably spending $6 million an episode," City of Miami Beach production manager Graham Winick told the Herald.

“Certainly this is a loss of business, of jobs and of high-profile production work in our community. It’s also the loss of a big chance to showcase who we are as a production center.”

On the bright side, of course, we've still got Michael Westen -- whose sixth season of "Burn Notice" will surpass the local production record of five set by that seminal '80s series, "Miami Vice".

Miami very nearly lost "Burn Notice" to plans for a waterfront development, but after pleas from the cast commissioners agreed that collecting $20,000 a month in rent for the Expo Center  -- and $28.4 million in revenue  -- was a better idea than undertaking a $165 million development in a terrible economy.

Contact Us