Charlie's Angels star Tanya Roberts admitted she preferred film to television
"The difference, in a word, is quality."
Before Tanya Roberts was a film star, she began her ascent into Hollywood through television. Roberts previously starred in popular films like A View to a Kill (1985) and Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (1984). But briefly, she held a long-coveted role in the television industry: An Angel.
For one year, Roberts starred as street-wise Angel Julie Rogers in Charlie’s Angels. The role was short-lived, as the series was cancelled in 1981. Still, her time in television made Roberts a familiar face in the industry and helped launch her film career. The two were inseparable.
But when forced to choose between film and television, Roberts had no issue taking a side.
“Listen, I’m not going to put down television,” said Roberts during an interview with The Daily Journal. “But the difference between TV and movies is the scripts and the length of time you have to work on your part. So the difference, in a word, is quality.”
Roberts hadn’t been burned during her time on the small screen. The actor explained that she'd always cherish her time on Charlie’s Angels. However, there was more flexibility in film, more money, and certainly more appeal.
“No offense to TV,” said the actor. “Charlie’s Angels gave me my name. But we’re talking about a one-hour story shot in a week compared to a one-and-three-quarter-hour story shot over five months. About $500,000 compared to $20 million. So there’s no comparison. TV’s mission is to come up with a show each week. In movies, you have more time, enough time to try for something fabulous. In TV, there’s just no time for quality.”

