Kate Jackson Makes Rare Appearance and Teases Potential ‘Scarecrow and Mrs. King’ Revival (Exclusive Photos)
In a rare appearance, Kate Jackson reunited with her Scarecrow and Mrs. King castmates on stage June 7, 2025, for a panel at the Hollywood Show — the first time that the cast had been together in one place in over 38 years. Fans erupted in applause and laughter during the 40-minute discussion, where many were overcome with emotion, sometimes even crying with joy, as they watched their beloved Kate Jackson reunite with Bruce Boxleitner (Lee “Scarecrow” Stetson), Martha Smith (Agent Francine Desmond), and Amanda King’s TV sons — Paul Stout (Phillip King) and Greg Morton (Jamie King).
Jackson, who had already worked on three successful TV shows — Dark Shadows, The Rookies and mega-hit Charlie’s Angels — took on the role of housewife-turned-spy Amanda King in the hit CBS TV series, which ran for four seasons from 1983-87.
Credit: Mike Pingel
The show followed a fish-out-of-water concept: Amanda King is thrust into the world of espionage after meeting Lee Stetson, aka Scarecrow, and begins working with him at a spy organization known as The Agency. The duo embarked on weekly undercover adventures, and fell in love in the process; eventually, they married.
Jackson shared insights on how her character, Amanda King, evolved despite the producers’ initial vision for the show, the shift from Charlie’s Angels, and her love for directing.
Credit: Mike Pingel
How she wanted Scarecrow and Mrs. King to evolve
“She lets [Scarecrow/Lee] in, but Amanda doesn’t expect anything to happen because they wanted every episode to follow the same formula. [I asked] ‘Can we? Is she stupid or crazy? A gun appears, or a group of spies kidnaps her — something bizarre always happens. If she doesn’t anticipate that and just says, ‘Oh my God,’ with Scarecrow coming in to save the day, it won’t work. We have to evolve.’”
“I don’t think they ever envisioned that we would be the last ones to realize that we had fallen in love, gotten married, and had a wedding. I think they saw it more like Murder, She Wrote — a wonderful show, but with a repetitive format every week. Our characters had to grow.”
On the Difference Between Charlie’s Angels’ Sabrina Duncan & Amanda King
Everett Collection
“Amanda was a fish out of water. There wasn’t much she couldn’t do, but she didn’t know it yet. If she saw a challenge coming and realized she lacked the necessary skill, she would go out and learn it. If Lee/Scarecrow said, ‘You probably can’t do that,’ Amanda would respond, ‘Oh yes, I can.’”
“On Charlie’s Angels [as Sabrina Duncan], I could do anything. I knew how to handle everything. So, I had to totally switch gears and become the one saying, ‘Huh?’ That was hard. I remember distinctly how difficult it was, but once I adjusted, it was fine. At first, though, it was really tough.”
On Directing Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Warner Brothers/Everett Collection
“Directing is incredible — it’s so much fun. I couldn’t believe how much I loved it. One day, I was outside setting up a shot when someone asked what I was supposed to do the next day. I thought for a moment and realized — I wasn’t acting, I was directing. And that was exciting.”
On Her Vision for a Revival & Where the Characters Would Be Today
“They would be grandparents by now. When we [Amanda and Scarecrow] found out I had a bun in the oven, we decided to leave our jobs. The Agency found a place for us — somewhere far away, on a beautiful island in the middle of nowhere.”
“One afternoon, the radio crackled to life for the first time. We looked at each other because we knew — if we answered, they’d ask us to help. Something had happened, and we’d be swept into it all over again.”
“Billy Melrose had retired and taken his wife to Paris, fulfilling a promise he’d made to her years ago. But as they walked down a narrow street, they were ambushed by a gang we had pursued before. We were the only people who could track them down and save them.”
“The last thing we see before the episode fades to black: Amanda and Lee are fighting like hell. Amanda is knocked unconscious, and a thug carries her off. Four massive henchmen seize Lee, dragging him away as he screams, ‘I’ll find you!’”
“And then — there are five more episodes! What do you think?”
Fans roared with excitement as Jackson described a potential revival, hinting at how the couple would face new threats in a multi-episode arc and the return of Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
Credit: Mike Pingel
Until that happens, fans can get a dose of espionage as all four seasons of Scarecrow and Mrs. King are streaming free on Tubi TV. The series is also available for purchase on digital and DVD.
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September 2023
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