I recently caught a snippet of the old Saturday Night Live sketch in which Will Ferrell — in full-on, deadpan unctuous mode as Inside the Actor’s Studio host James Lipton — was mock-interviewing Kate Hudson, expertly portraying Drew Barrymore’s bubbly, wide-eyed mania. In it, he intoned that Charlie’s Angels was, many said, “The greatest television show of all time… created by humans.”

Well, the latter really isn’t in doubt, at least. Watching the junior season of the series, spanning the years of 1978 and ’79, it’s clear that Charlie’s Angels is about as preening and populist a slice of jiggly mass-entertainment as can be. Aliens couldn’t devise something this lightweight in its escapism and yet still so heartily insulated from substantive criticism. Yes, Charlie’s Angels is dumb. Next caveat?

The show, of course, centers around a trio of gorgeous female private detectives — Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd — who solve mysteries with the assistance of loyal aide Bosley (David Doyle) and the guiding hand and helpful financial underwriting of their unseen benefactor boss (voiced by John Forsythe), whom they know only as a disembodied voice over the phone. Original Angel Farrah Fawcett pops up for three episodes to further bump up the heat index in what would also be Jackson’s last year with the show.

So, how does one kick off a third season? Why, in Las Vegas, of course, and with a two-parter in which the girls blend in backstage in an effort to solve a murder. Other episodes include the Angels going undercover as cheerleaders (no guys, that wasn’t only an LSD-induced fantasy), as teachers at an all-girls boarding school and as runners in a marathon. There’s also “Counterfeit Angels,” in which the girls go underground to thwart a devious scam by three women who pose as the Angels in order to rob a sports arena box office. Guest stars herein include Dean Martin, Dick Sargent, Scatman Crothers, Robert Urich, Stephen Collins (long before 7th Heaven) and Jamie Lee Curtis (just before Halloween would put her on the map). Spread out over six discs in three slimline cases in turn housed in a cardboard slipcase, Charlie’s Angels: The Complete Third Season is presented in 1.33:1 full screen, with an English language Dolby digital track. Slight grain is steadily present throughout and the colors are sometimes inconsistent, seemingly born of different film stocks. There are also unfortunately no supplemental extras, a tragedy only reinforced by producer Aaron Spelling’s recent demise. Those with a deep and abiding nostalgic yearning for any of the lovely ladies of the cast will adore Charlie’s Angels, but those merely seeking more generalized classic TV kicks can kind better purchase elsewhere. C (Show) D+ (Disc)