''Charmed'' is an American
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series created by
Constance M. Burge
Constance M. Burge is an American television writer and producer. She is the creator of the television series '' Charmed'' (1998–2006) and the short-lived series ''Savannah'' (1996–1997). Burge was also a writer for '' Judging Amy'', '' Ally ...
and produced by
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
and his production company
Spelling Television
Spelling Television Inc. was an American television production company that went through several name changes. It was originally called Aaron Spelling Productions, then Spelling Entertainment Inc. and eventually part of Spelling Entertainment Gro ...
, with
Brad Kern
Brad Kern is an American television producer and writer. He was the executive producer/showrunner of CBS TV procedural '' NCIS: New Orleans'' since midway through season two until the end of season four. Previously, he served as executive produce ...
serving as
showrunner
A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
. The series was originally broadcast by
The WB
The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as The Charmed Ones, the most powerful good
witches
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have use ...
of all time, who use their combined "
Power of Three
In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer – that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer as the exponent.
Applications
The powers of three give the place values in ...
" to protect innocent lives from evil beings such as
demons
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...
and
warlocks
A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft.
Etymology and terminology
The most commonly accepted etymology derives ''warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicatio ...
. Each sister possesses unique
magical powers that grow and evolve, while they attempt to maintain normal lives in modern-day
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. Keeping their supernatural identities separate and secret from their ordinary lives often becomes a challenge for them, with the exposure of magic having far-reaching consequences on their various relationships and resulting in a number of police and
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
investigations throughout the series. The series initially focuses on the three Halliwell sisters,
Prue (
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
),
Piper
Piper may refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
Television
* Piper Chapman, lea ...
(
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series '' Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and ...
), and
Phoebe (
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
). Following Prue's death in the
third-season finale, their long-lost half sister
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead charac ...
(
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
) assumes her place within the "Power of Three" from
season four onwards.
''Charmed'' achieved a
cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
and popularity on The WB with its first episode "
Something Wicca This Way Comes" garnering 7.7 million viewers, breaking the record for the network's highest-rated debut episode.
The show's ratings, although smaller than rival shows on the "big four" networks (
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
,
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
, and
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
), were a success for the relatively new and smaller WB network. ''Charmed'' went through several timeslot changes during its eight-season run. For its first three seasons in the Wednesday/Thursday 9:00 pm timeslot, ''Charmed'' was the second-highest rated series on The WB, behind ''
7th Heaven''.
During its
fifth season, the show moved to the Sunday 8:00 pm timeslot, where it became the highest-rated Sunday night program in The WB's history.
At
178 episodes, ''Charmed'' was the
second-longest drama broadcast by The WB, behind ''
7th Heaven''. In 2006, it became the longest running hour-long television series featuring all female leads, before being surpassed by ''
Desperate Housewives
''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'' in 2012.
The series has also received
numerous awards and nominations. In 2010, ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' and
AOL TV
AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display (rather than a monitor), and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV.
The product and service were develo ...
ranked ''Charmed'' within their joint list of "The Top 20 Magic/Supernatural Shows of All Time," while in 2013, ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' listed the series as one of "The 60 Greatest Sci-Fi Shows of All Time." ''Charmed'' has also become a source of
pop culture references in film and television and has
influenced other succeeding television series in the same subgenre. The show's success has led to its development in other media, including a
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
,
board games
Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well.
Many board games feature a comp ...
,
soundtracks
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of ...
,
novels
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...
, and a
comic book series
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
which served as a continuation of its narrative. According to data research from
The NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. (NPD; formerly National Purchase Diary Panel Inc. and NPD Research Inc.) is an American market research company founded on September 28, 1966, and based in Port Washington, New York. In 2017, NPD ranked as the 8th largest mar ...
in 2012, ''Charmed'' was the second-most binge watched television series on subscription
video-on-demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
services, such as
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. A
reboot series of ''Charmed'', featuring different cast members and characters, premiered on
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
on October 14, 2018.
Series overview
The series starts in 1998 when
Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Alyssa Milano from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Ro ...
(
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
) returns from
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and moves back into the family's Halliwell Manor in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
to live with her sisters
Prue (
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
) and
Piper
Piper may refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
Television
* Piper Chapman, lea ...
(
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series '' Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and ...
). When Phoebe discovers the family's ''
Book of Shadows
A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious text and instructions for magical rituals found within the Neopagan religion of Wicca. Since its conception in the 1970s, it has made its way into many pagan practices and paths. The most famous ...
'' in the attic, she learns that she and her sisters are the most powerful witches ever known, destined to protect both innocents and the world at large from
demons, warlocks, and other evil creatures. Phoebe, reasonably suspecting the book to be a novelty, reads its initial inscription—unaware that it also happens to be an incantation activating the sisters' supernatural powers once all three are reunited in their ancestral home.
![House at 1329 Carroll Ave](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/House_at_1329_Carroll_Ave.%2C_Los_Angeles_%28Charmed_House%29.JPG)
By the end of the first episode, each sister learns that she has a unique magical power that allows them to cast spells and brew potions. Prue, the eldest, has the power of
telekinesis
Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
(the ability to move objects with her mind), and in
season two Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* ''2econd Season
''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk.
Release
It was released on November 4, 2008.
Guest Performers
The album features gu ...
she develops the power of
astral projection
Astral projection (also known as astral travel) is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of a subtle body called an " astral body" through which consciousness can functio ...
(the ability to be in two places at once). Piper, the middle sister, has the power of molecular immobilization. As she grows more proficient, she learns how to freeze only certain people or objects or body parts, as she wishes. In
season three
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, her powers evolve further, as she is able to cause evil beings or objects to explode using her hands as a development of her powers surrounding molecular movement. Phoebe, the youngest of the three, initially possesses the power of
premonition
A premonition is a feeling that some event will happen, typically a forewarning of something unwelcome.
Premonition(s) or The Premonition may also refer to:
Film and television
* "Premonition" (''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''), an episode of ' ...
allowing her to receive visions of the future and later of the past. She later develops the powers of
levitation
Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact.
Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
in season three, and empathy in
season six, the latter allowing her to sense and tap into others' emotions and, sometimes, powers. In accordance with the series' mythology, witches' powers are tied to their emotions.
During the first two seasons, the sisters face various evil beings from week to week. However, in the third season, they discover that their ultimate enemy is The Underworld's demonic ruler,
The Source of All Evil. Eventually, Prue is killed in the
season three finale by The Source's personal assassin,
Shax (
Michael Bailey Smith
Michael Bailey Smith (born November 2, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for his appearances on the television series ''Charmed'', where he played Belthazor, a Grimlock leader and Shax.
Early life
Smith was born in Alpena, Michi ...
). While grieving for their older sister, Piper and Phoebe discover that they also have a younger half-sister,
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead charac ...
(
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
), who had been the secret love child of their witch mother,
Patty
A patty or burger (in British English) is a flattened, usually round, Serving size, serving of ground meat and/or legumes, grains, vegetables, or Meat analogue, meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world.
...
(
Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes (born 29 October 1959) is an English actress, best known for her role as Anna Devane on the ABC soap operas '' General Hospital'' and '' All My Children'', and her portrayal of Laura in the 1983 film '' Staying Alive'', the seq ...
), and her "whitelighter" (guardian angel) Sam Wilder (
Scott Jaeck
Scott Jaeck (born October 29, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actor. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, graduating in 1973. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He was married to actress Mariann M ...
). Paige's magical abilities represent her dual heritage as both a witch and whitelighter; like Prue, she possesses a form of telekinesis, but she has to verbally call for objects to "orb" (teleport) them to their intended destination. As she attempts to control the two sides of her ancestry, Paige also learns how to orb herself and others, and to heal others with the touch of her hand; she eventually receives her own whitelighter charges to train and protect as they learn witchcraft. Paige can also "glamour", shapeshifting into a different human appearance.
The Source, responsible for the majority of attacks on the sisters, becomes the main villain during
season four until he is finally vanquished. After his demise, an annual season-long storyline and several antagonists are introduced in subsequent seasons (occasionally following the "
Big Bad
Big Bad (abbreviated to BB or BBEG for ''big bad evil guy'') is a term to describe a major recurring adversary, usually the chief villain or antagonist in a particular broadcast season, originally used by the ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' televi ...
" television format). These include Phoebe's demonic ex-husband,
Cole Turner
Cole may refer to:
Plants
* Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed).
People
* Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole
* Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole
Companies
*Cole Motor ...
(
Julian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...
), until
mid-season five; the scheming, misguided
Elder,
Gideon
Gideon (; ) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites are recounted in of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible.
Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiez ...
(Gildart Jackson), throughout season six;
The Avatars until
mid-season seven; the demon
Zankou (
Oded Fehr
Oded Fehr ( he, עודד פהר; born ) is an Israeli actor based in the United States. He is known for his appearance as Ardeth Bay in the 1999 remake of ''The Mummy'' and its sequel ''The Mummy Returns'', as well as Carlos Olivera in '' Reside ...
) until the season seven finale; and, in season eight, powerful sister witches
Billie (
Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. After a series of supporting film and television roles in the late 1990s, she landed her breakthrough role as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom ''8 Simple Rules'' (2002 ...
) and
Christy Jenkins (
Marnette Patterson
Marnette Provost Patterson (born April 26, 1980) is an American actress and singer.
Early life
Patterson was raised as an only child by her mother in Los Angeles, California, where she was born. Her name is her mother's middle name: Marnette. ...
), who fall under the influence of the demonic
Triad (who earlier feature as early-season three antagonists). In addition to the supernatural themes explored in ''Charmed'', the characters contend with serious issues in their day-to-day lives such as relationships, careers, marriage, childbirth, illness and the deaths of loved ones. The sisters also fight to prevent the exposure of the existence of magic to the human community at large, contending with several police and FBI investigations. Often through the assistance of their long-term ally,
Darryl Morris (
Dorian Gregory
Dorian Gregory (born January 26, 1971) is an American actor and television host who played Darryl Morris on the television show ''Charmed'' (1998–2005) and was the fourth and final permanent host of ''Soul Train'', replacing Shemar Moore.
...
) of the
San Francisco Police Department, they are able to avoid police suspicion, including the investigation of the most-recurring human antagonist,
Inspector Sheridan (
Jenya Lano), in the sixth and seventh seasons.
The sisters also face romantic storylines. Prue's love interests include her high school sweetheart,
Inspector Andy Trudeau (
Ted King), who dies in the
season one Season One may refer to:
Albums
* ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004
* ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012
* ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012
See also
*
*
* Season 2 (disambiguation)
* Season 4 (disambiguat ...
finale in an attempt to save the sisters, and a brief co-worker,
Jack Sheridan (
Lochlyn Munro
Lochlyn Munro (born February 12, 1966) is a Canadian actor. His most notable film roles include ''A Night at the Roxbury'' (1998), ''Scary Movie'' (2000), ''Freddy vs. Jason'' (2003), ''White Chicks'' (2004), '' The Predator'' (2018) and ''Cosm ...
), in season two. Piper's central love interest throughout the series is the sisters' whitelighter
Leo Wyatt
Leo Wyatt is a fictional character from The WB television series ''Charmed'', portrayed by Brian Krause. A possible breakout character included in the writing initially as a love interest beginning in the first season that initially set Phoeb ...
(
Brian Krause
Brian Jeffrey Krause (born February 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Leo Wyatt on The WB television series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and for portraying the lead role of Charles Brady in the 1992 horror film '' Sleepwal ...
); their early relationship is problematic due to the forbidden nature of witch-whitelighter relationships, and so in season two a love triangle forms with Piper, Leo and her neighbor,
Dan Gordon (
Greg Vaughan
James Gregory Vaughan Jr. (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor and former fashion model, known for his roles in the soap operas ''The Young and the Restless'' (2002–03), ''General Hospital'' (2003–09), and ''Days of Our Lives'' (2012– ...
). Eventually, the two manage to marry and consecrate their union in season three, producing a son named
Wyatt
Wyatt is a patronymic surname, derived from the Norman surname ''Guyot'', derived from "widu", Proto-Germanic for "wood".
Notable people with the surname "Wyatt" include
A
* Aaron Wyatt, Australian musician
* Addie L. Wyatt (1924–2012), Amer ...
in season five. The couple separate due to supernatural circumstances at the end of the fifth season; however, they reconnect in the subsequent season, resulting in a second son named
Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
* Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...
. The
final episode of ''Charmed'' shows them to have a daughter, many grandchildren, and to grow old together in the future. Phoebe's romantic history involves a tortured relationship with half-demon Cole Turner in the show's third, fourth and fifth seasons; they have a turbulent marriage in the fourth, and in the fifth, following their divorce, she is compelled to vanquish him. Phoebe has a number of multi-episode human boyfriends in subsequent seasons, including her boss,
Jason Dean (
Eric Dane
Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama te ...
), before meeting a
cupid
In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
named
Coop
Coop, COOP, Co-op, or ''variation'', most often refers to:
* A chicken coop or other enclosure
* Cooperative or co-operative ("co-op"), an association of persons who cooperate for their mutual social, economic, and cultural benefit
** Housing ...
(
Victor Webster
Victor Webster (born February 7, 1973) is a Canadian actor. He is known for being the second actor to play Nicholas Alamain on the NBC daytime soap ''Days of Our Lives'' from 1999 to 2000, and for his roles as the mutant Brennan Mulwray in '' Mu ...
) in the eighth season, whom she marries. Paige, like Phoebe, has several multi-episode boyfriends, including fellow-witch and magic "
addict" Richard Montana (
Balthazar Getty
Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurring role as Richard Montana in ''Cha ...
) in season six, and an unstable FBI agent-turned-whitelighter
Kyle Brody
''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...
(
Kerr Smith
Kerr Van Cleve Smith (born March 9, 1972) is an American actor known for playing Jack McPhee on The WB drama series ''Dawson's Creek'', Kyle Brody in The WB supernatural drama ''Charmed'', Robert in Freeform's '' The Fosters'' and Axel Palme ...
) in season seven. In the eighth season, she becomes committed to a human parole officer,
Henry Mitchell (
Ivan Sergei
Ivan Sergei Gaudio (; born May 7, 1971) is an American actor known for his work in television. His best known roles are Dr. Peter Winslow in ''Crossing Jordan'' and Henry Mitchell in ''Charmed''.
Life
Ivan Sergei Gaudio was born in Hawthorne, N ...
), whom she marries. The final episode's
flashforward montage reveals Piper, Phoebe, and Paige to have three children each with their respective husbands.
Cast and characters
Main
*
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
as
Prue Halliwell
Prudence Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Shannen Doherty from October 7, 1998, until May 17, 2001. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Prue on her older siste ...
(seasons 1–3), the eldest sister who initially receives the power to move objects with her mind by channelling
telekinesis
Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
through her eyes. As the series progresses, Prue learns how to channel her telekinetic powers through her hands and gains the power of
astral projection
Astral projection (also known as astral travel) is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of a subtle body called an " astral body" through which consciousness can functio ...
, the ability to
be in two places at once. Prue also develops martial arts skills and becomes an effective hand-to-hand fighter. During her three seasons on ''Charmed'', she is regarded as the strongest and most powerful witch of the Halliwell sisters. Prue initially works as an appraiser for an auction house, and later becomes a professional photographer for a magazine company. In the
season three finale, she is killed by
Shax (
Michael Bailey Smith
Michael Bailey Smith (born November 2, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for his appearances on the television series ''Charmed'', where he played Belthazor, a Grimlock leader and Shax.
Early life
Smith was born in Alpena, Michi ...
), a powerful demonic assassin sent by
The Source of All Evil.
*
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series '' Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and ...
as
Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell is a Character (arts), fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Holly Marie Combs from October 7, 1998 until May 21, 2006. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Piper on h ...
, the second eldest sister who initially receives the power to freeze her surrounding environment. As the series progresses, she also gains the power to cause evil beings or objects to spontaneously explode. Piper is initially the middle sister of the family during the first three seasons, but later becomes the eldest sister after Prue dies. Piper's central love interest throughout the series is Leo Wyatt (Brian Krause), the sisters'
whitelighter
''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast b ...
– a guardian angel for good witches. In
season three
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, she marries Leo, and as the series progresses, they have two children;
Wyatt
Wyatt is a patronymic surname, derived from the Norman surname ''Guyot'', derived from "widu", Proto-Germanic for "wood".
Notable people with the surname "Wyatt" include
A
* Aaron Wyatt, Australian musician
* Addie L. Wyatt (1924–2012), Amer ...
(born in
season five) and
Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
* Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...
(born in
season six). Piper initially works as a chef and manager for the restaurant Quake, but from season two onwards, she becomes the owner and manager of the nightclub P3, later, in the comics, she opens her own restaurant called: Halliwell.
*
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
as
Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Alyssa Milano from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Ro ...
, the third eldest sister who initially receives the power of
premonition
A premonition is a feeling that some event will happen, typically a forewarning of something unwelcome.
Premonition(s) or The Premonition may also refer to:
Film and television
* "Premonition" (''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''), an episode of ' ...
, the ability to see into the future and
the past. To make up for initially only having a passive power, Phoebe develops martial arts skills in order to better assist her sisters when they fight evil. As the series progresses, she also gains the active powers of
levitation
Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact.
Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
and
empathy
Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, co ...
. Phoebe is introduced into ''Charmed'' as the youngest and most rebellious of the Halliwell sisters. However, her progression as a witch helps her become more responsible and grow as a person. Phoebe later becomes the middle sister after Prue dies and the series introduces their younger half-sister Paige (Rose McGowan). Phoebe was initially a college student for the first few seasons, and later becomes an advice columnist for the newspaper company ''The Bay Mirror''.
*
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
as
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead charac ...
(seasons 4–8), the youngest half-sister who initially receives the power to move objects with her mind by orbing ("teleporting") objects from one location to another through a vocal command. She was the secret love child of the Halliwell sisters' mother
Patty
A patty or burger (in British English) is a flattened, usually round, Serving size, serving of ground meat and/or legumes, grains, vegetables, or Meat analogue, meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world.
...
(
Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes (born 29 October 1959) is an English actress, best known for her role as Anna Devane on the ABC soap operas '' General Hospital'' and '' All My Children'', and her portrayal of Laura in the 1983 film '' Staying Alive'', the seq ...
) and her whitelighter Sam Wilder (
Scott Jaeck
Scott Jaeck (born October 29, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actor. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, graduating in 1973. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He was married to actress Mariann M ...
), making Paige both a witch and whitelighter. She was given up at birth and raised by her adoptive parents. Paige is introduced upon Prue's funeral at the beginning of
season four, where she goes on to help reconstitute The Charmed Ones by taking Prue's place in the "
Power of Three
In mathematics, a power of three is a number of the form where is an integer – that is, the result of exponentiation with number three as the base and integer as the exponent.
Applications
The powers of three give the place values in ...
". As the series progresses, Paige also receives the whitelighter powers of orbing herself and others, as well as sensing, glamouring, and healing.
Supporting
*
T.W. King as
Andy Trudeau (season 1), introduced as the Halliwell sisters' childhood friend and Prue's high school sweetheart and first love. He works as an inspector for the San Francisco Police Department and is coincidentally assigned to almost every police case that involves the sisters. Andy eventually discovers that they are witches and serves as the sisters' initial connection to the police force. In the season one finale, Andy is killed by the demon Rodriguez (
Carlos Gomez), who also happens to be one of the Internal Affairs officers investigating Andy's unsolved cases.
*
Dorian Gregory
Dorian Gregory (born January 26, 1971) is an American actor and television host who played Darryl Morris on the television show ''Charmed'' (1998–2005) and was the fourth and final permanent host of ''Soul Train'', replacing Shemar Moore.
...
as
Darryl Morris (seasons 1–7), a lieutenant in the San Francisco Police Department. Darryl is introduced into season one as Andy Trudeau's (Ted King) best friend and partner. At first, Darryl is suspicious of the Halliwell sisters' recurring connection to mysterious murders and crimes. However, in
season two Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* ''2econd Season
''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk.
Release
It was released on November 4, 2008.
Guest Performers
The album features gu ...
, the sisters reveal to him that they are good witches trying to bring justice and protection to the world. Throughout the series, Darryl helps the sisters cover up unsolved cases related to demonic activity, as well as granting them favors and giving them general support. His family also become close to the sisters and consider them part of their family. At the end of
season seven, Darryl and his family move to the East Coast.
*
Greg Vaughan
James Gregory Vaughan Jr. (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor and former fashion model, known for his roles in the soap operas ''The Young and the Restless'' (2002–03), ''General Hospital'' (2003–09), and ''Days of Our Lives'' (2012– ...
as
Dan Gordon (season 2), introduced as the Halliwell sisters' new next-door neighbor. Dan and Piper become romantically involved after Piper and Leo (Brian Krause) break up due to the strenuous nature his whitelighter duties place on their relationship. Piper later breaks up with Dan and reconciles with Leo. At the end of season two, Dan moves to Portland to take a job offer.
*Karis Paige Bryant as
Jenny Gordon
''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...
(season 2), introduced as Dan Gordon's (Greg Vaughan) niece who temporarily moves in with him for school because her parents are in Saudi Arabia on business. Whilst living with her uncle, Jenny forms a bond with the Halliwell sisters and often turns to them for advice on female issues that she is not comfortable talking to her uncle about. Midway through season two, Jenny moves back in with her parents after they return to the United States.
*
Brian Krause
Brian Jeffrey Krause (born February 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Leo Wyatt on The WB television series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and for portraying the lead role of Charles Brady in the 1992 horror film '' Sleepwal ...
as
Leo Wyatt
Leo Wyatt is a fictional character from The WB television series ''Charmed'', portrayed by Brian Krause. A possible breakout character included in the writing initially as a love interest beginning in the first season that initially set Phoeb ...
(seasons 2–8; recurring season 1), the Halliwell sisters'
whitelighter
''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast b ...
—a guardian angel for good witches—who has the powers to orb, heal, sense, levitate, glamour and hover. Leo is introduced into season one as the sisters' handyman hired to fix up their house, but they later discover that he is their whitelighter. Leo's whitelighter duties often causes problems for his marriage to Piper and their family. Their relationship is the first of many conflicts between the sisters and
The Elders.
*
Julian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...
as
Cole Turner / Belthazor (seasons 3–5; guest season 7), a half-human and half-demon who has the powers to teleport and throw projective energy balls which could stun or kill. Cole is introduced into
season three
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
as an Assistant
District Attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...
sent by
The Triad to kill The Charmed Ones, but instead he falls in love with Phoebe. Although Cole completely rids himself of his demonic nature and marries Phoebe in
season four, he later returns to evil after he unwillingly becomes the new
Source of All Evil
'' Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good ...
. As The Source, Cole is eventually vanquished by The Charmed Ones, only to come back from death in his attempts to win Phoebe back. Driven insane, Cole is, through his own doing, once again killed by the sisters in
season five. He later returns for a guest appearance in the season seven episode "The Seven Year Witch," where it is revealed his spirit is trapped between realms.
*
Debbi Morgan
Deborah Ann Morgan (born September 20, 1956) is an American film and television actress. She played the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children'' for which she was the first African-American to win the Daytime Emm ...
as The Seer (seasons 4–5), The Seer was an upper level demon . Duplicitous, manipulative and self-serving; she served several Sources. Her cunning gameplay pits the sisters against one another. Imbued with the power to see the future, she can only be eliminated by the Power of Three.
*
Drew Fuller
Andrew Alan "Drew" Fuller (born May 19, 1980) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his portrayal of Chris Halliwell in the television series ''Charmed'' and for playing soldier Trevor LeBlanc on Lifetime's ''Army Wives' ...
as
Chris Halliwell (season 6; guest seasons 5, 7–8), the second-eldest son of Leo and Piper. Chris is introduced into the season five finale as a whitelighter from the future who helps assist the Halliwell sisters against magical beings known as
The Titans. In
season six, Chris reveals that he is Leo and Piper's son and has traveled back in time to prevent his older brother
Wyatt
Wyatt is a patronymic surname, derived from the Norman surname ''Guyot'', derived from "widu", Proto-Germanic for "wood".
Notable people with the surname "Wyatt" include
A
* Aaron Wyatt, Australian musician
* Addie L. Wyatt (1924–2012), Amer ...
from growing up to be the evil dictator he becomes in the future. In the season six finale, adult Chris is killed by an Elder named Gideon (Gildart Jackson) and baby Chris is born.
*
Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. After a series of supporting film and television roles in the late 1990s, she landed her breakthrough role as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom ''8 Simple Rules'' (2002 ...
as Billie Jenkins (season 8), introduced as a young college student and a new charge for Paige (Rose McGowan). Billie has the power to move objects with her mind using telekinesis, and later develops the power of projection; the ability to warp reality. She spends most of season eight trying to find her eldest sister
Christy (
Marnette Patterson
Marnette Provost Patterson (born April 26, 1980) is an American actress and singer.
Early life
Patterson was raised as an only child by her mother in Los Angeles, California, where she was born. Her name is her mother's middle name: Marnette. ...
), who was kidnapped 15 years earlier by The Triad. Billie is eventually reunited with her sister, but does not know that Christy has been turned evil under the influence of demons. After Christy briefly sways her to betray the Charmed Ones, Billie eventually sides with them in the series finale and is forced to kill her sister in self-defense.
Production
Development
In 1998, when
The WB
The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
began looking for a new drama series for the
1998–99 season, they approached
Spelling Television
Spelling Television Inc. was an American television production company that went through several name changes. It was originally called Aaron Spelling Productions, then Spelling Entertainment Inc. and eventually part of Spelling Entertainment Gro ...
(which had produced the network's then-most successful series, ''
7th Heaven'') to create it. Expanding on the popularity of witch-themed dramas such as ''
The Craft'' (1996)
and ''
Practical Magic
''Practical Magic'' is a 1998 American fantasy romantic drama film based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman. The film was directed by Griffin Dunne and stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Aid ...
'' (1998), the production company explored different forms of
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
to find characters they could realize with contemporary storytelling.
["Genesis" Documentary, ''Charmed'': The Complete Final Season Region 1 DVD]
Constance M. Burge
Constance M. Burge is an American television writer and producer. She is the creator of the television series '' Charmed'' (1998–2006) and the short-lived series ''Savannah'' (1996–1997). Burge was also a writer for '' Judging Amy'', '' Ally ...
was hired to create the series as she was under contract with
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
and Spelling Television after conceiving the drama series ''
Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
'' (1996–97).
When the theme of witchcraft was first pitched to her, she was aware of
stereotypes
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
of witches (flying brooms, black cats, and warts). After researching
Wicca
Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...
, she changed her perspective
and aimed at telling a story of good witches who looked and acted like ordinary people. With this, her initial concept was a series set in
Boston, Massachusetts about three friends and roommates who were all witches.
However, executive producer E. Duke Vincent lacked confidence, asking "Why would anybody want to watch a show about three witches?" He proposed that the series should focus on family values and developed the series-long
mantra
A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...
of it being about "three sisters who happen to be witches, not three witches who happen to be sisters." Spelling warmed to Burge's ideas and, after the concept was re-crafted to be a series about three sisters (now living in San Francisco) descended from a line of witches,
it was pitched to The WB's President of Entertainment, Susanne Daniels, who liked it, allowing the series to begin development.
The series was retitled ''Charmed'' after Spelling's suggestion of ''House of Sisters'' was dropped. Burge wrote the
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
script and a 28-minute version of the pilot was filmed (the "unaired pilot," never aired on network television). After original cast member Lori Rom quit the series before its premiere,
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
took over her role and a new pilot had to be filmed. Upon its debut, ''Charmed'' received the largest audience for a series premiere in The WB's history.
The
first season of 22 episodes was picked up by The WB after only two episodes had aired.
Casting
Former ''
Beverly Hills, 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
'' actress
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
was cast as the eldest sister
Prue Halliwell
Prudence Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Shannen Doherty from October 7, 1998, until May 17, 2001. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Prue on her older siste ...
, while her best friend at the time and former ''
Picket Fences
''Picket Fences'' is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS televisio ...
'' actress
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series '' Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and ...
played the role of the middle sister
Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell is a Character (arts), fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Holly Marie Combs from October 7, 1998 until May 21, 2006. The character was created by Constance M. Burge, who based Piper on h ...
.
Lori Rom was originally cast as the youngest sister
Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Alyssa Milano from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Ro ...
in the 28-minute unaired pilot episode.
However, Rom quit the series, and a new pilot was filmed with former ''
Who's the Boss?'' actress
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
in the role of Phoebe.
Doherty departed ''Charmed'' at the end of the
third season.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Hewitt began her career as a child actress and singer, appearing in national television commercials before joining the cast of the Disney Channel series ''Kids I ...
and
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974) is an American actress who starred as Kelly Kapowski on NBC's ''Saved by the Bell'' (1989–1993), as Valerie Malone on Fox's ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1994–98), and as Lori on Netflix's ''Alexa & ...
were both considered as replacements. The part ultimately went to film actress
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
, who played the long-lost younger half-sister
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead charac ...
in the
fourth season.
In season one,
Ted King was cast as the inspector
Andy Trudeau,
Dorian Gregory
Dorian Gregory (born January 26, 1971) is an American actor and television host who played Darryl Morris on the television show ''Charmed'' (1998–2005) and was the fourth and final permanent host of ''Soul Train'', replacing Shemar Moore.
...
was cast as his inspector partner
Darryl Morris, and
Brian Krause
Brian Jeffrey Krause (born February 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Leo Wyatt on The WB television series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and for portraying the lead role of Charles Brady in the 1992 horror film '' Sleepwal ...
was cast as the Halliwell sisters'
whitelighter
''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast b ...
Leo Wyatt
Leo Wyatt is a fictional character from The WB television series ''Charmed'', portrayed by Brian Krause. A possible breakout character included in the writing initially as a love interest beginning in the first season that initially set Phoeb ...
.
King departed ''Charmed'' at the end of the first season, while Gregory remained on the show until the seventh season. In season two,
Greg Vaughan
James Gregory Vaughan Jr. (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor and former fashion model, known for his roles in the soap operas ''The Young and the Restless'' (2002–03), ''General Hospital'' (2003–09), and ''Days of Our Lives'' (2012– ...
joined the series as the Halliwell sisters' new next-door neighbor
Dan Gordon, while Karis Paige Bryant was cast as his niece
Jenny Gordon
''Charmed'' is an American television series that was originally broadcast by The WB for eight seasons from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The series narrative follows a trio of sisters, known as the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good w ...
. Bryant left her role midway through the second season, while Vaughan left at the end of the season. Australian actor
Julian McMahon
Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...
joined the cast of ''Charmed'' in season three as the half-demon
Cole Turner
Cole may refer to:
Plants
* Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed).
People
* Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole
* Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole
Companies
*Cole Motor ...
. He departed the show midway through season five.
Drew Fuller
Andrew Alan "Drew" Fuller (born May 19, 1980) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his portrayal of Chris Halliwell in the television series ''Charmed'' and for playing soldier Trevor LeBlanc on Lifetime's ''Army Wives' ...
joined ''Charmed'' at the end of the fifth season as Piper and Leo's second son from the future,
Chris Halliwell. Fuller left his role at the end of
season six, but returned for guest appearances in later seasons. In the
eighth and final season,
Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. After a series of supporting film and television roles in the late 1990s, she landed her breakthrough role as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom ''8 Simple Rules'' (2002 ...
joined the show as the young witch
Billie Jenkins
Billie Jenkins is a fictional character who appeared in the American television supernatural drama ''Charmed'', which aired on The WB from 1998 to 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern and was portrayed by Kaley Cuoco. B ...
.
Production and writing
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
and E. Duke Vincent maintained their positions as executive producers of the series until it ended. Constance M. Burge became an executive producer when she was hired to create the series and write the pilot script. After the 28-minute "unaired pilot" was shown to The WB and the series was picked up by the network,
Brad Kern
Brad Kern is an American television producer and writer. He was the executive producer/showrunner of CBS TV procedural '' NCIS: New Orleans'' since midway through season two until the end of season four. Previously, he served as executive produce ...
was recruited as the fourth executive producer and as the
showrunner
A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
in order to decipher how the series would develop over the course of its run. Scripting was done by a large number of writers. Kern did the most writing, with a total of 26 episodes, as well as directing one of them. The writers with the most writing credits other than Kern include
Daniel Cerone
Daniel Cerone is a television writer and executive producer. His credits include '' Dexter'', where he served as showrunner, along with ''The Blacklist'', ''The Mentalist'', ''Dirty Sexy Money'' and '' Charmed''. He was the co-creator of ''Constant ...
, Curtis Kheel,
Zack Estrin
Zack Estrin (1970/1971 – September 23, 2022) was an American television producer and screenwriter.
Estrin began his career as a writer and producer on '' Charmed'', ''Dawson's Creek'', and ''Tru Calling'', before serving as a co-executive pro ...
, Chris Levinson,
Krista Vernoff
Krista Vernoff (born October 25, 1971) is an American television screenwriter, executive producer and director. She is best known for running the television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2007–11, 2017–present) and its spin-off ''Station 1 ...
, Sheryl J. Anderson,
Monica Owusu-Breen
Monica Owusu-Breen is an American television producer and screenwriter.
Early life and education
Owusu-Breen has described herself as "half-Spanish, half Ghanaian". She was born in England and lived in Spain as a child, where she learned to spe ...
,
Alison Schapker,
Cameron Litvack
Cameron Litvack (born 23 September 1980) is an American television producer and screenwriter.
Career
Litvack was born in Los Angeles, California. As a producer, he has worked on sixteen episodes of ''V 2009, V (2009)'', sixteen episodes of ''Ug ...
, and Jeannine Renshaw. Burge wrote seven episodes for the first and second seasons before leaving her position as executive producer. Scripting was carried out after group brainstorms took place, discussing the events of the episodes, the emotions of the characters, and the mythology involved. Robert Masello, an executive story editor for the series, credits himself as the only
demonologist
Demonology is the study of demons within religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or pseudoscience. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a hierarchy of demons. Demons may b ...
hired for a series, in order to add his experience to the storyline.
[''The Women of Charmed'', '' E!: Entertainment Television'', April 19, 2000.]
The book ''Investigating Charmed: The Magic Power of TV'' (2007) revealed that viewers of the
Wiccan
Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...
religion appreciated the accurate portrayal of some Wiccan elements, but were disappointed with the way the series tied the Wiccan religion with
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, through the concept of demons and angels (Whitelighters).
One Wiccan viewer noted that some of the evil demons in ''Charmed'' carry the names of benevolent gods and goddesses in the Wiccan religion.
However, many Wiccan viewers appreciated the fact that ''Charmed'' brought their religion into the public eye in a positive way, through the use of other elements such as sacred objects, spellcasting, a ''
Book of Shadows
A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious text and instructions for magical rituals found within the Neopagan religion of Wicca. Since its conception in the 1970s, it has made its way into many pagan practices and paths. The most famous ...
'', solstice celebrations and
handfastings.
Cast member Holly Marie Combs revealed in ''The Women of Charmed'' documentary (2000) that the series aimed at following a mythology created by fantasy, and not adhering to Wiccan rules too closely, for fear of coming under criticism for either not being "technically correct enough" or missing the truth completely.
Ahead of the third season, Burge left her former position as executive producer to Kern, after she reportedly became frustrated that storylines for the third season were going to become more focused on the sisters' relationships with their love interests than each other. She had disagreements with Kern over bringing the character Cole Turner (Julian McMahon) into the show as a love interest for Alyssa Milano's character Phoebe, as there was already enough focus on the show's established couple Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Leo Wyatt (Brian Krause).
However, Burge remained on ''Charmed'' as a creative consultant until season four.
Her departure resulted in changes in the story structure of the show, from a "demon of the week" system to using third or half-season-long story arcs. In addition, more importance was given to the protagonists' personal lives. The serial connection of episodes culminated in the second half of season four. Despite the ratings increasing during season four's final story arc from 4.19 to 4.21, The WB asked Kern to abandon the serial system. This led to the largely episodic structure of
season five, and resulted in the two systems being balanced from the
sixth season onwards.
Filming locations
The first six seasons of ''Charmed'' were filmed at
Ray-Art Studios in
Canoga Park, Los Angeles
Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and the ...
on four of the studio's sound stages.
After Ray-Arts Studio was sold in 2003,
production for ''Charmed'' moved to the
Paramount Studios
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production and distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest ...
lot for seasons seven and eight. The Innes House located at
1329 Carroll Avenue in Los Angeles was used as the exterior for the show's fictional Halliwell Manor, and has become popular with tourists over the years.
Budget cuts
During the seventh season and for the first time in its history, the show had been in limbo as there was no guaranteed renewal for an eighth season. ''Charmed'' was ultimately renewed for a final season, but the budget was cut considerably compared to previous seasons due to expensive special effects and props and highly-paid actresses.
Executive producer Brad Kern revealed that they had to cut back on special effects and guest stars, and that the entire season was shot only on the Paramount Studios lot as they could not go out on location anymore. These budget cuts also led to cast member
Dorian Gregory
Dorian Gregory (born January 26, 1971) is an American actor and television host who played Darryl Morris on the television show ''Charmed'' (1998–2005) and was the fourth and final permanent host of ''Soul Train'', replacing Shemar Moore.
...
being written out of the final season and
Brian Krause
Brian Jeffrey Krause (born February 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Leo Wyatt on The WB television series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and for portraying the lead role of Charles Brady in the 1992 horror film '' Sleepwal ...
being written out of several episodes as a cost-saving measure.
Kern revealed that the show could not afford to have Krause in all 22 episodes of the final season, but he was brought back for the final two episodes to help bring closure to the storylines.
Opening credits
''Charmed'' featured a
cold open
A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In Ameri ...
ing, and its opening credits was used to introduce the main and supporting cast members in each season. It consisted of various scenes from episodes and individual footages of the cast that were mostly updated from season to season.
The opening began with images of the
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...
and flashing shots of the
triquetra symbol in a circle.
The show's title card then appeared, featuring the triquetra symbol and ''
Book of Shadows
A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious text and instructions for magical rituals found within the Neopagan religion of Wicca. Since its conception in the 1970s, it has made its way into many pagan practices and paths. The most famous ...
''.
After the title card shot in the seasons 1–3 opening, scenes from the
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
were shown, which included an overhead view of the sisters casting a spell at a round table and a shot of them coming downstairs.
A scene of the sisters reciting a spell was then shown with the word "starring."
This was followed by the individual footages and names of each lead actress; Shannen Doherty's appeared first, then Holly Marie Combs' and Alyssa Milano's, followed by the individual footages and names of each supporting cast member, with the exception of its first five episodes, in which Milano was the last to be billed.
The last few scenes in the opening showed the sisters' cat, a San Francisco cable car, and lastly the sisters walking upstairs into their home, with Doherty's character closing the door using her telekinetic powers.
Following Doherty's departure at the end of season three, the season four opening credits had to be recreated to remove all footage of Doherty and to include her replacement, Rose McGowan.
The beginning of the opening remained the same.
However, after the title card was shown, scenes were changed to include images of the Golden Gate Bridge, a gargoyle, talisman, scrying crystal, tattoo of the triquetra symbol, and candles.
The order in which each lead actresses individual footage and name appeared in the opening was also changed; Milano's was moved up first, McGowan's was put in second, and Combs' was moved down third and listed "as Piper".
The last few scenes in the opening were also changed to include a cemetery, exterior shots of the Halliwell Manor, and pages in the ''Book of Shadows''.
A five-second opening was used for the two-part premiere episodes of seasons four and five; it featured flashing shots of the triquetra symbol and the show's title in large blue letters.
The opening
theme song
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
used in the television airings of all eight seasons was
Love Spit Love
Love Spit Love was an alternative rock band founded in 1992 by singer Richard Butler during the 1990s hiatus of the Psychedelic Furs.
History
When the Psychedelic Furs went on extended hiatus in 1992, Richard Butler contacted guitarist Richard ...
's cover version of "
How Soon Is Now?
"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing", "How Soon Is Now?" was subsequently featured on the co ...
" by
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
.
This version of the song had previously appeared on
the soundtrack of ''
The Craft'',
and is featured in the series' first soundtrack album. In the shortened five-second opening for the two-part premiere episodes of seasons four and five, the song was replaced by instrumental music.
"How Soon Is Now?" was also replaced by hard-rock instrumental music in the
season eight DVD because the music license to use it had expired.
This hard-rock instrumental music was also used in the opening of all eight seasons on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
.
For its remaster, although most of the shots for the opening credits remained the same, some background images and flashing symbols were
panned and scanned to fit the 1.78:1 aspect ratio.
Reception
Critical reception
The earlier seasons of ''Charmed'' received mostly favorable reviews from television critics, with its first season scoring a
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
score of 61 out of 100.
During the first season, ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' writer Ken Tucker, speaking on the comparisons between ''Charmed'' and rival series, argued: "spike-heeled where ''
Buffy'' is fleet-footed, ''Charmed'' is ''
Charlie's Angels
''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...
'' with an
Ouija board
The ouija ( , ), also known as a spirit board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the Latin alphabet, the numbers 0–9, the words "yes", "no", occasionally "hello" and "goodbye", along with various symbols and grap ...
."
As well as the show's action sequences—describing the Halliwells as "superheroes"—he noted that the series "plays up the stars' separate-but-equal charms" and admired both its "casting and
pop-culture
Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
timing."
Vanessa Thorpe of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' agreed with Alyssa Milano's description of ''Charmed'' as "perfect
post-feminist girl-power," praising the balance between action and emotion as the "three sibling sorceresses know mischief, but are accessibly
feminine
Femininity (also called womanliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviors considered fe ...
." ''Entertainment Weekly'' critic Karyn L. Barr labelled ''Charmed'' a "crafty cult classic" and in her
retrospective
A retrospective (from Latin ''retrospectare'', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in medicine, software development, popu ...
review of the first season, wrote that it "remains spellbinding thanks to its proper balance of quirky humor, ''Buffy''-esque drama" and Shannen Doherty's character Prue.
Angelica Bastien of ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
'' magazine commended the "strong female characters" and felt that the show resembled ''
Xena: Warrior Princess'' more than ''Buffy'' due to its "mix of drama, wacky humor, intensely layered mythology, and
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
-lite vibe."
During the
third season, Michael Abernethy of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' praised the "well-choreographed action sequences, respectable acting" and "believable" sisterly relationship between Milano, Doherty, and Holly Marie Combs.
Abernethy credited ''Charmed'' as "more enjoyable than most shows in the good vs evil genre" largely due to the strength of the performers, and noted that despite the
monster of the week
"Villain of the week" (or, depending on genre, "monster of the week", "freak of the week" or "alien of the week") is an antagonist that only appears in one episode of a multi-episode work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in Brit ...
format, "the writers tend to explore the sibling dynamics to keep the show from growing redundant."
Christel Loar also from ''PopMatters'' agreed that "episodes go beyond the demon-of-the-week formula to tap into the relationships of the characters and their...flaws. ''Charmed''...succeeded by combining sisterhood with the supernatural."
Loar also claimed that the Halliwells' struggle for normal lives, "stability, and a sense of self is one of the reasons ''Charmed'' strikes such a chord with its viewers."
''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
''s Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya described the
fourth season as "one of the grimmest seasons of ''Charmed''," following Doherty's departure and her character's death "informing the overall tone." Upadhyaya also praised the "smart decisions" the writers made of how they introduced a new sister into the series, calling the transition "''Charmed''s greatest accomplishment" that "opened up whole new avenues for grounded, emotional storytelling."
During the
sixth season,
Gillian Flynn
Gillian Schieber Flynn (; born February 24, 1971) is an American author, screenwriter, and producer. She is known for writing the thriller and mystery novels, '' Sharp Objects'' (2006), '' Dark Places'' (2009), and '' Gone Girl'' (2012), which ar ...
of ''Entertainment Weekly'' described ''Charmed'' as "a
guilty-pleasure fantasy" that is "inherently cute and incredibly simple."
Flynn also praised the comedic acting between Milano, Combs and Rose McGowan, adding that "selling this kind of comedy takes a certain gameness, and the actresses have got it."
The latter seasons of ''Charmed'' also received a mixed reception from some critics. ''Bustle''s Bastien felt that after Doherty's departure, "''Charmed'' got pretty bad," noting that the show "lost track of its core theme" of witchcraft and sisterhood by bringing in
mystical fairy tale beings and focusing more on
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
-type plots and the sisters' love lives.
Similarly,
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
writer Jarett Wieselman agreed that "After Doherty's exit, ''Charmed'' veered into slightly-absurd-yet-no-less-entertaining territory," noting that McGowan's addition "ushered in a wave of increasingly
campy episodes."
''The A.V. Club''s Upadhyaya felt that the latter seasons "got too complicated" and campy by focusing too much on the magic "and not enough about the themes that grounded the show earlier on."
Becca James also from ''The A.V. Club'' felt that the show "should have died the same time" Doherty's character did. Hugh Armitage of
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
believed that ''Charmed'' "began to feel very self-indulgent towards its stars" in the latter seasons, noting that character-driven storylines were replaced with gimmicks such as the revealing outfits worn by the sisters, particularly both Milano's and McGowan's characters.
''Heart of Glass'' magazine's Kristina Adams felt that after creator Constance M. Burge's departure from the show, executive producer Brad Kern "ruined it" by focusing more on the magic and making a "cliché" magical world with the introduction of nymphs, Greek gods, valkyries, Egyptian gods, magic school, gnomes, and ogres. Adams further added that "storylines were less thought out," and the sisters' outfits were becoming "more and more revealing."
Nick Romano of Screen Crush wrote that "the storylines became wicca ridiculous and the dialogue became too cheesy," particularly in season eight. Jon Langmead of ''PopMatters'' believed that ''Charmed'' "slipped markedly" in seasons seven and eight, noting that the final season lost appealing elements such as "smart casting" and "attention to relationship drama" of the show's earlier seasons.
Langmead also disliked the introduction of Kaley Cuoco and Marnette Patterson in the eighth season, and felt that Cuoco was "consistently painful to watch."
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose reviews ...
's Ryan Keefer also felt that Cuoco joining the show was a "poor choice" by the producers, and commented that season eight "failed to recapture the glory days of the first few seasons."
Awards and nominations
''Charmed'' has gathered several awards and nominations. The show was nominated for one
TV Guide Award
The ''TV Guide'' Award was an annual award created by the editors of ''TV Guide'' magazine, as a readers poll to honor outstanding programs and performers in the American television industry. The awards were presented until 1964. The ''TV Guide'' A ...
, two
International Horror Guild Award
The International Horror Guild Award (also known as the IHG Award) was an accolade recognizing excellence in the field of Horror fiction, horror/dark fantasy, presented by the International Horror Guild (IHG) from 1995 to 2008.
The IHG Awards wer ...
s, three
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
,
three Wand Awards
and seven RATTY Awards, with
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs Ryan (born December 3, 1973) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles as Kimberly Brock in the CBS series '' Picket Fences'' (1992–1996), Piper Halliwell in The WB series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006) and ...
winning "Best Science Fiction Lead Actress" in 2003. It was also nominated for three
Saturn Awards
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
, including one "
Best Network Television Series" nomination for its
first season and two "
Best Actress on Television" nominations for
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
in 1999 and 2000.
In 2001, ''Charmed'' won a Cable Guide Award in the United Kingdom for "Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series." The series also won a "Certificate of Merit" at the 2003 EDGE Awards for the
season four episode "
Muse to My Ears."
In 2004,
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
was nominated for a
Spacey Award in Canada for "Favorite Female TV Character" and in 2005, she was nominated for "Favorite Television Actress" at the
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also known as the KCAs or Kids' Choice) is an annual American children's awards ceremony show that is produced by Nickelodeon. Usually held on a Saturday night in late March or early April, the show honors ...
.
That same year,
Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
won the award for "Favorite Sister" at the Family Television Awards. ''Charmed'' also received recognition for its young guest actors, having been nominated for five
Young Artist Awards
The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
, with Alex Black winning once for his role in the season four episode "
Lost and Bound
The fourth season of ''Charmed'', an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, originally aired in the United States on The WB from October 4, 2001 through May 16, 2002. Airing on Thursdays at 9:00 pm. Paramoun ...
."
Broadcasting and viewership
In the United States, ''Charmed'' premiered on
The WB
The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
on October 7, 1998, and ended on May 21, 2006.
The first season aired on Wednesday nights at 9:00 pm.
For its second, third and fourth seasons, ''Charmed'' moved to Thursday nights. For the fifth season, the series moved to Sunday nights at 8:00 pm and remained there until its eighth and final season.
By the end of season eight, ''Charmed'' had aired a total of 178 episodes and became the longest running hour-long television series in American history, featuring all female leads.
Most seasons consisted of 22 episodes, except for the fifth and sixth seasons, which contained 23 episodes, including their double-episode premieres and double-episode finales.
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
and
Pop currently air reruns of ''Charmed'' during early weekday mornings. Full episodes of ''Charmed'' are also available for viewing on TNT's official website.
WE tv
We TV (stylized as WE tv) is an American pay television channel. Owned by AMC Networks since its September 1997 launch, it is oriented mainly towards lifestyle and entertainment programming.
As of February 2015, approximately 85.2 million Ameri ...
had previously aired reruns during weeknights in 2010. The series was first released onto the subscription
video-on-demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
service
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in July 2011. According to data research from
The NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. (NPD; formerly National Purchase Diary Panel Inc. and NPD Research Inc.) is an American market research company founded on September 28, 1966, and based in Port Washington, New York. In 2017, NPD ranked as the 8th largest mar ...
, ''Charmed'' was the second-most binge watched television series on subscription video-on-demand services such as Netflix in 2012.
Ratings
''Charmed''s first episode "
Something Wicca This Way Comes" broke the record for the highest-rated debut episode for The WB, with 7.72 million viewers.
The show's ratings, although smaller than rival shows on the "big four" networks (
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
,
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
, and
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
), were a success for the relatively new and smaller WB network. ''Charmed''s premiere in 1998 helped ratings rise for The WB, with ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
''s Mark Schwed noting that the network's viewing figures were way up than the previous year. For its first three seasons, ''Charmed'' was the second-highest rated series on The WB, behind ''
7th Heaven''.
During its
fifth season, the series became the highest-rated Sunday night program in The WB's history.
Cultural impact
Television
''Charmed'' was the first
primetime television
Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
show about a coven of witches.
Following the broadcast of the
season eight episode "
Payback's a Witch
The eighth and final season of ''Charmed'', an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, premiered in the United States on The WB from September 25, 2005 through May 21, 2006.
Paramount Home Entertainment rele ...
" in January 2006, ''Charmed'' became the longest running hour-long series in American television history featuring all female leads.
However, this accolade was surpassed in 2012 by ''
Desperate Housewives
''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'', which also lasted for eight seasons but aired two more episodes than ''Charmed''.
In 2000, Cult TV placed ''Charmed'' at number forty-four on its list of the "Top 100
Cult TV Shows." In 2007,
AOL TV
AOL TV was the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display (rather than a monitor), and the online service that supports it, both of which were launched in June 2000 to compete with WebTV.
The product and service were develo ...
ranked each Charmed One on its list of the "Top TV Witches"—
Piper
Piper may refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
Television
* Piper Chapman, lea ...
third,
Phoebe seventh,
Prue ninth and
Paige twelfth. In 2010,
HuffPost TV
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
and AOL TV ranked ''Charmed'' at number ten on their joint list of "The Top 20 Magic/Supernatural Shows of All Time"
and in 2013, ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' placed the series on its list of "The 60 Greatest Sci-Fi Shows of All Time."
In 2012, six years after its original broadcasting, ''Charmed'' was found by
The NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. (NPD; formerly National Purchase Diary Panel Inc. and NPD Research Inc.) is an American market research company founded on September 28, 1966, and based in Port Washington, New York. In 2017, NPD ranked as the 8th largest mar ...
to be the second-most binge watched television series on subscription video-on-demand services, such as
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
.
After ''Charmed'' ended, there were never any other long-running shows about witches to rival shows about vampires and zombies.
In 2013, Joe Rhodes of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' referred to ''Charmed'' as "the last successful witch TV series,"
while
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
writer Jarett Wieselman wrote that "no subsequent
itch
Itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itch has many similarities to pain, and while both are unpleasant ...
series have been able to replicate ''Charmed''s success."
Many witch-themed shows since ''Charmed'' ended have been cancelled after one or two seasons. The
2013–14 season saw a resurgence of witches in new shows ''
The Originals'', ''
Witches of East End
''Witches of East End'' is a 2011 novel by author Melissa de la Cruz and the first entry in her ''Beauchamp Family'' series. It was published on June 21, 2011, by Hyperion Books and follows a family of Long Island witches struggling against dar ...
'', ''
Salem'', and in the third season of ''
American Horror Story
''American Horror Story'' is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the '' American Story'' media franchise, each season is conceived as a ...
'' titled ''
Coven''.
In an interview with
E! Online
E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUniversa ...
, cast member
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'', Jennifer Mancini in ''Melrose Place'', Phoebe Halliwell in ''Charmed'', Billie Cunningham in ''My Name Is Earl'', Savan ...
stated that she believed the success of ''Charmed'' helped pave the way for these witch-themed shows, saying "I feel like networks are trying to replicate that."
The growing trend of witches on television that year as well as ''Charmed''s success on Netflix prompted
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
to develop a
reboot of ''Charmed'', which did not get picked up at the network.
However,
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
network later developed a
different reboot series, which premiered in October 2018, featuring different cast members and characters.
''Witches of East End'' (2013–14) was noted by critics for its strong resemblance to ''Charmed'', as both shows are about a sisterhood of witches battling evil and live in similar houses, which its executive producer
Maggie Friedman
Maggie Friedman is an American screenwriter and producer. She was the showrunner and executive producer of the Lifetime television fantasy-drama series ''Witches of East End
''Witches of East End'' is a 2011 novel by author Melissa de la Cruz ...
has acknowledged.
Other witch-themed shows that have been compared to ''Charmed'' include ''
The Secret Circle
The Secret Circle is a supernatural, young-adult series of books created by L. J. Smith. The narrative follows the character of Cassie Blake as she is initiated into a "Circle" of eleven other teenage witches and the danger that ensues when they ...
'' (2011–12)
and ''
Hex'' (2004–05), which was described as "the U.K.'s edgier, oversexed response to ''Charmed''." ''
Eastwick'' (2009) was noted for its surface similarities to ''Charmed'' as it also focused on a trio of female witches, which led director
David Nutter
David Nutter (born 1960) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is best known for directing pilot episodes for television. In 2015, he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series ...
to come out and say that ''Eastwick'' was not a clone of ''Charmed''. The
season four episode of ''
Smallville
''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...
'' titled "Spell" also received comparisons to ''Charmed'' as it focused on three of its main female characters, who get possessed by a trio of 16th Century witches.
''Charmed'' in popular culture
The depiction of
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
in ''Charmed'' has had a significant impact on
popular culture
Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
. The book ''Investigating Charmed: The Magic Power of TV'' (2007) revealed that viewers of the
Wiccan
Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...
religion appreciated the fact that ''Charmed'' brought their religion into the public eye in a positive way, through the use of sacred objects, spellcasting, a ''
Book of Shadows
A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious text and instructions for magical rituals found within the Neopagan religion of Wicca. Since its conception in the 1970s, it has made its way into many pagan practices and paths. The most famous ...
'', solstice celebrations and
handfastings.
In 2008, the religious organisation
Beliefnet
Beliefnet is a lifestyle website featuring editorial content related to the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news, and entertainment.
History
Launched in 1999 by Steven Waldman and Robert Nylen, Beliefnet ...
ranked The Charmed Ones at number eight on their list of the "Top 10 Witches in Pop Culture."
Beliefnet praised the cultural image of ''Charmed'' for its female empowerment, mythology and how the sisters "managed to solve their cases" week-on-week.
In 2011, ''
Seventeen
Seventeen or 17 may refer to:
*17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18
* one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017
Literature
Magazines
* ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine
* ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...
'' magazine named The Charmed Ones ninth in its list of the top
fictional witches
This is the list of fictional witches.
Comics
A
* Adrazelle ('' Mélusine'')
* Alwina (Good witch in the '' Suske en Wiske'' story "Het Spaanse Spook")
* Alwina (Evil witch in the '' Suske en Wiske'' story "De Schat van Beersel")
* Antanneke ( ...
of all time, while E! Online ranked Piper at number six on their list of "Pop Culture's Top 10 Most Bitchin' Witches." In 2012, the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' placed The Charmed Ones at number seven on their list of "The Top Pop Culture Witches of All Time." In 2014, The Charmed Ones were ranked at number six on the "Pop Culture's Favorite Witches" list by
MSN
MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95.
The Microsoft Net ...
's Wonderwall. In 2016, Piper was also ranked at number six in ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
''s list of "The Top 10 Greatest Witches of All Time."
''Charmed'' has also become a pop culture reference in television shows and films. In the 2000 parody film, ''
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth
''Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th'' is a 2000 American direct-to-video parody slasher film directed by John Blanchard. The film stars Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Tom Arnold, Coolio and Shirley Jones. Several mid- and late 1990s tee ...
'', Barbara Primesuspect (
Julie Benz
Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972) l is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Darla on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel'' (1997–2004), and as Rita Bennett on '' Dexter'' (2006–2010), for which she won the 2006 Satellite Awar ...
) is said to be yelling "''Charmed'' my ass!" at
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
, who does not appear on-screen. The series is also mentioned in the episode "Ur-ine Trouble" of teen comedy-drama series ''
Popular
Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group.
Popular may also refer to:
In sociology
* Popular culture
* Popular fiction
* Popular music
* Popular science
* Populace, the total ...
'', when Josh Ford (
Bryce Johnson
Bryce Owen Johnson (born April 18, 1977) is an American actor.
Early life
Johnson born in Reno, Nevada. He has an older brother, Brendon, and a younger brother, Brett. He moved to Denver, Colorado, at the age of five. He graduated from high sch ...
) tells Brooke McQueen (
Leslie Bibb
Leslie Louise Bibb (born November 17, 1974) is an American actress and model. Bibb first appeared on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few series, and on film in 1997 with a small role in '' Private Parts''. Her first recurring TV role wa ...
) to go home and watch ''Charmed''. In another episode of ''Popular'', titled "The Shocking Possession of Harrison John," Josh asks George Austin (
Anthony Montgomery
Anthony Dwayne Montgomery (born June 2, 1971) is an American film and television actor, as well as graphic novelist. He is best known for his portrayal of Ensign Travis Mayweather on the UPN science fiction television series ''Star Trek: Enterpr ...
) who is Michael Bernardino's (
Ron Lester
Ron Lester (August 4, 1970 – June 17, 2016) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles in the films '' Varsity Blues'', ''Not Another Teen Movie'', ''Good Burger'', and the television series ''Popular''.
Early life
Lester was bor ...
) "favorite hottie witch" on ''Charmed'' and George says it is Prue. In the episode "Faith" of ''
Third Watch
''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced by ...
'',
Fred Yokas (
Chris Bauer
Mark Christopher Bauer (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for his television work in ''The Wire'', ''Third Watch'', ''True Blood'', ''Survivor's Remorse,'' '' The Deuce and'' the Apple TV+ original science fiction spac ...
) mentions to his wife
Faith
Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
Religious people often ...
(
Molly Price
Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to:
Animals
* ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes
** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species
* A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid)
People
* Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...
) that their daughter was upset she could not watch ''Charmed''. In the 2002 teen comedy film ''
Big Fat Liar
''Big Fat Liar'' is a 2002 American comedy film, directed by Shawn Levy, adapted by Dan Schneider from a story by Schneider and Brian Robbins, and starring Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes, Amanda Detmer, Donald Faison, Lee Majors, an ...
'', Kaylee (
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, known for her work in television and film throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Bynes began her career as a child actress, working on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series ''All That'' ...
) recalls watching an episode of ''Charmed'' on The WB where Alyssa Milano's character Phoebe was about to put a spell on her demon boyfriend.
In a 2003 episode of the Australian soap opera ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'',
Serena Bishop
Serena Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Lara Sacher. She made her first on-screen appearance on 9 October 2003. Serena's storylines included kissing her cousin's boyfriend, being taken advant ...
(
Lara Sacher
Serena Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Lara Sacher. She made her first on-screen appearance on 9 October 2003. Serena's storylines included kissing her cousin's boyfriend, being taken advant ...
) and
Erin Perry (
Talia Zucker
Talia Zucker is an Australian actress.
Biography
She played the role of Claire Jardine in the ABC series ''Dirt Game'' with Joel Edgerton and Gerald Lepkowski in 2009. Talia appeared as a guest character in the Australian drama series '' City ...
) find out they have a lot in common like their love for ''Charmed''. In a 2005 episode of ''Neighbours'',
Bree Timmins
Bree Timmins is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Sianoa Smit-McPhee. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 4 April 2005. The character was written out in 2006 and she ...
(
Sianoa Smit-McPhee
Sianoa Smit-McPhee is an Australian actress. She is best known for her years in Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' as Bree Timmins.
Early life
Sianoa Smit-McPhee was born in South Australia. She showed an interest in performing at a very you ...
) mentions that ''
The O.C.
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
'' is the best show on television since ''Charmed''. In the episode "Plucky" of sitcom ''
So Notorious
''So Notorious'', sometimes stylized ''So NoTORIous'', is an American sitcom starring — and loosely based on the life of — actress Tori Spelling. The series debuted on VH1 on April 2, 2006, and despite lasting only ten episodes, recei ...
'',
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
tells his daughter
Tori Spelling
Victoria Davey Spelling (born May 16, 1973) is an American actress and author. Her first major role was Donna Martin on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'', beginning in 1990. She has appeared in made for television films, including '' A Friend to Die F ...
that "there's always room for another witch on ''Charmed''" after hearing of her latest cable telemovie role. In another episode of ''So Notorious'', titled "Cursed," Tori and Sasan (
Zachary Quinto
Zachary John Quinto (; born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his roles as Sylar, the primary antagonist from the science fiction drama series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'' (2006–2010); Spock in th ...
) discuss who has put a curse on her and Sasan says, "It's Shannen
oherty She knows all that witchcraft from ''Charmed''." In the
season four episode "Me and the Devil" of ''
True Blood
''True Blood'' is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. A reboot is currently in development.
The serie ...
'',
Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse is a fictional character and protagonist of '' The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' book series, written by Charlaine Harris. In HBO's television adaptation, ''True Blood'', Sookie is portrayed by Anna Paquin.
Creation and cast ...
(
Anna Paquin
Anna Hélène Paquin ( ; born 24 July 1982) is a New Zealand actress. Born in Winnipeg and raised in Wellington, Paquin made her acting debut portraying Flora McGrath in the romantic drama film ''The Piano'' (1993), for which she won the Aca ...
) tells a witch named
Marnie Stonebrook (
Fiona Shaw
Fiona Shaw (born Fiona Mary Wilson; 10 July 1958) is an Irish film and theatre actress. She is known for her roles as Petunia Dursley in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2001–2010), Marnie Stonebrook in the fourth season of the HBO serie ...
) that one of her favorite television shows she watched as a child was ''Charmed''. In the episode "
Boy Parts
"Boy Parts" is the second episode of the third season of the anthology television series ''American Horror Story'', which premiered on October 16, 2013, on the cable network FX. The title is a reference to a line in this episode spoken by Mad ...
" of ''American Horror Story: Coven'', a witch named Queenie (
Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe ( ; born May 6, 1983) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the 2009 film '' Precious'', a role that earned her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead, in addition to nominations for the Golden Globe an ...
) mentions that she grew up watching ''Charmed''. Both the show and character Piper were referenced in the episode "Sorry for Your Loss" of ''
The Tomorrow People
''The Tomorrow People'' is a British children's science fiction television series created by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran from 30 April 1973 to 19 February 1979.
The theme music was ...
'', when Piper Nichols (
Aeriél Miranda
Aeriél Christine Gabrielle "ARI" Miranda (born April 3, 1992) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her recurring role as Shana Fring on Freeform's series ''Pretty Little Liars'' (2013–2015). She was first introduced as Sh ...
) introduces herself to Russell Kwon (
Aaron Yoo
Aaron Yoo (born May 12, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for appearing in the films '' Disturbia'' (2007), '' 21'' (2008), and ''Friday the 13th'' (2009), as well as playing Russell Kwon in the sci-fi series ''The Tomorrow People'' ( ...
), who responds by saying "''Charmed'', Piper." Critics noted references of ''Charmed'' in the witchcraft-themed music video for British girl group
Little Mix
Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British ver ...
's song "
Black Magic
Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...
" (2015).
In the film ''
Fighting with My Family
''Fighting with My Family'' is a 2019 biographical sports comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephen Merchant. Based on the 2012 documentary ''The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family'' by Max Fisher, it depicts the career of English profes ...
'' (2019), Saraya is watching the episode "Happily Ever After" and this inspires her to come up with her ring name Paige.
Academia
Since ''Charmed'' ended in 2006, academics have appropriated its content and published essays and articles regarding ''Charmed''. It has been the subject of several collective books such as ''Investigating Charmed: The Magic Power of TV'' edited by Karin and Stan Beeler, which adopts a gender perspective to carry out an in-depth analysis of third-wave feminism as shown in the series. Between 2012 and 2015, French academic and essayist Alexis Pichard delivered a set of three lectures on ''Charmed''. In 2012, he spoke about intertextuality and postmodernism in the series at the Université de Rouen. In 2014, he explored ''Charmed'' transmedia storytelling at the Université Paris 3. In 2015, he investigated the show's postfeminist subversion of fairy tales at the University of Lorient, a presentation which was followed two years later by the publication in French academic journal ''TV/Series'' of an article titled "'When you said sea hag, did you mean like old woman hag or evil magic hag?' : Imbrication du conte de fées et du (post)féminisme dans Charmed" ('The embedding of fairy tales and (post)feminism in Charmed'). The journal's editor summarises Pichard's work as follows: "Alexis Pichard examines gender norms as they appear on the small screen, scrutinizing the relationship between supernatural soap Charmed (The WB, 1998-2006) and the fairy tale. He describes a complex relationship where literary associations are a way of subverting traditions and expectations on the one hand – and ultimately succumbing to them on the other, with a problematic post-feminist emphasis on 'having it all'".
Other media
Novels
The ''Charmed'' novels are a series of books that accompany the television series. Between 1999 and 2008, forty-three novels were published by
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
and were roughly set during the same period as the events of the television series. The first novel, ''The Power of Three'', was released in November 1999 as a
novelization
A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...
of the series premiere episode, "
Something Wicca This Way Comes." All subsequent novels – apart from ''Charmed Again'' (2001) which narrates the events of the
two-part episode of the same name – are original stories revolving around the Halliwell sisters and their allies. The first ten novels involve the original Charmed Ones,
Prue,
Piper
Piper may refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
Television
* Piper Chapman, lea ...
, and
Phoebe Halliwell
Phoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the American television series ''Charmed'', played by Alyssa Milano from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006. The character was originally played by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot episode. However, Ro ...
, while the remaining thirty-three are set after both
Prue's murder and the introduction of
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the American television series '' Charmed'', played by Rose McGowan from October 4, 2001, until May 21, 2006. The character was created by executive producer Brad Kern as a replacement for lead charac ...
as the youngest, new Charmed One. Two novels, ''Seasons of the Witch'' (2003) and ''The Warren Witches'' (2005), are
anthologies
In book publishing
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed work ...
of
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
. Writers of the series include
Diana G. Gallagher
Diana G. Gallagher (March 14, 1946 – December 2, 2021) was an American author who wrote books for children and young adults based on television series. She contributed to book series based on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series), Buffy the Vamp ...
and
Paul Ruditis
Paul Ruditis is an American author.
Early life
Ruditis was born and raised in Philadelphia. He attended West Chester University where he majored in Theatre Arts with a directing emphasis. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he began ...
who also co-authored two volumes of the official guidebook, ''
The Book of Three
''The Book of Three'' (1964) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the first of five volumes in '' The Chronicles of Prydain''. The series follows the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper, a youth raised by Dallben ...
'' (2004; 2006).
In 2015,
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
acquired the rights to publish a second series of ''Charmed'' novels from
CBS Consumer Products
Paramount Consumer Products (formerly Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products, then ViacomCBS Consumer Products) is the retailing and licensing division of Paramount Global. The department is in charge of merchandising for Paramount-owned brands. ...
.
The first novel, ''
The War on Witches
The ''Charmed'' literary franchise is a series of novels and short stories based on the eponymous television show, which aired from 1998 to 2006. The franchise consists of forty-three novels and eleven short stories released in two anthologie ...
'', was published in May 2015 and its narrative is set between the events of ''
Seasons 9'' and ''
10'' of the
comic book series
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
.
It is written by Ruditis, who previously authored ''Season 9'' and edited ''Season 10'', and follows the younger Charmed Ones' reunions with Prue and
Cole Turner
Cole may refer to:
Plants
* Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed).
People
* Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole
* Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole
Companies
*Cole Motor ...
after their resurrections.
Comic books
The ''Charmed''
comic books
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
serve as a continuation of the television series and were originally published by
Zenescope Entertainment
Zenescope Entertainment is a comic book and graphic novel publisher headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, United States, co-founded by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco in 2005. Zenescope publishes full-color action, fantasy and horror titles.
Unde ...
.
The first comic book series, ''
Charmed: Season 9'', was released in June 2010 and is set eighteen months after the events of the televised show's final episode, "
Forever Charmed."
Author
Paul Ruditis
Paul Ruditis is an American author.
Early life
Ruditis was born and raised in Philadelphia. He attended West Chester University where he majored in Theatre Arts with a directing emphasis. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he began ...
was the lead writer of the first series and Raven Gregory helped him co-write the first three issues.
The second and final comic book series by Zenescope, ''
Charmed: Season 10'', debuted at the
New York Comic Con
The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006.
History
The New York Comic Con is a f ...
during the weekend of October 9, 2014.
Pat Shand was the lead writer of the second series while Ruditis assumed the role of editor.
In 2017,
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004 at Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It is best known as the owners of '' The Boys'' franchise across several IP medias. Dynamite primarily publishes adaptation ...
acquired the rights to publish a new comic book series titled ''Charmed: A Thousand Deaths''. It was written by
Erica Schultz
Erica Schultz is an American comic book writer, letterer, and editor. She is best known for writing the 2018 ''Daredevil'' Annual for comic book publisher Marvel, her urban fantasy series ''Forgotten Home'' witComiXology Originals participation ...
and illustrated by Maria Sanapo.
Soundtracks
Four soundtrack albums of ''Charmed'' have been released and feature music that were used in the show.
The first soundtrack album, ''
Charmed: The Soundtrack'', was released in September 2003.
The second soundtrack, ''
Charmed: The Book of Shadows'', was released in January 2005 and the third, ''Charmed: The Final Chapter'', was released in May 2006. A retrospect of songs compiled from all eight seasons of the show, ''Charmed: The Final Chapter'' was positively received by Heather Phares of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, who praised it for "feel
nglike a late '90s/early 2000s time capsule".
The fourth soundtrack, ''Charmed: Score from the Television Series'', was released as a limited edition in June 2013 and featured a selection of cues from the show by composer
J. Peter Robinson
John Peter Robinson (born 16 September 1945) is an English composer, musician, and arranger known for his film and television scores.
Early years and pop music career
He studied piano and composition at the Royal Academy of Music and enjoy ...
. This is now out of print.
Merchandise
Several official board games of ''Charmed'' have been published by
Clash of Arms
Clash of Arms Games is a wargaming company best known for a high level of graphics quality and moderately to highly complex games, often focusing on the Napoleonic era, but with offerings in most eras of military history. Besides boardgames, such a ...
and
Tilsit
Sovetsk (russian: Сове́тск; german: Tilsit; Old Prussian: ''Tilzi''; lt, Tilžė; pl, Tylża) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River which forms the border with Lithuania.
Geography
Sov ...
. The show's first board game, ''Charmed: The Book of Shadows'', was released in 2001 and the second board game, ''Charmed: The Source'', was released in 2003. Other board games include ''Charmed: The Power of Three'' and ''Charmed: The Prophecy'', both of which were released in 2005. An
action, platform video game of ''Charmed'' was developed by DC Studios and published by In-Fusio.
The game was released for mobile phones in Europe in 2003
and North America in 2004.
Titan Magazines
Titan Magazines is the magazine-publishing division of Titan Publishing Group. Titan Magazines' publishing directors are Ricky Claydon and John Dziewiatkowski.
History
Titan Magazines launched in 1995 with '' Star Trek Magazine'' with John ...
began publishing the ''Charmed Magazine'' in 2004, which was issued bi-monthly and featured interviews with the cast and crew, the latest news and developments, and behind-the-scenes information on the show. The 24th and final issue of ''Charmed Magazine'' was released in 2008.
All eight seasons of ''Charmed'' were released individually on DVD in
Regions 1, 2 and 4 between February 2005 and September 2007. A new packaging of the Region 4 DVDs for all seasons were released in April 2011. A limited ''Book of Shadows'' box set edition was released in Region 4 on November 16, 2006, and featured seasons 1–7. A limited ''Magic Chest'' box set edition was released in Region 2 on March 5, 2007, and included all eight seasons. An ultimate box set was released in Region 2 on October 27, 2008
and Region 4 on November 6, 2008. The set includes all seasons, with a cover that features all four Halliwell sisters together.
Two complete series box sets were released in Region 1 on November 18, 2008.
Both sets are styled after the show's ''Book of Shadows'', with one set being a regular release and the other being a limited deluxe edition.
The complete series box set was re-released in the United States on November 11, 2014, and features a brand new cover of all four sisters.
In June 2018, CBS Studios (who own the rights to ''Charmed'') announced that the whole series was in the process of being remastered to
high-definition with a completion date of September 2019. The remastered version of season one was released on high-definition
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
in the US on October 30, 2018. Season 2 was released through Manufacture on Demand in 2020. Season 3 is scheduled for release May 18, 2021, almost 20 years to the day that Season 3 finished airing on The WB.
On December 13, 2019, Koch Films announced a full series release on Blu-ray for Charmed in Germany, making Germany the first country worldwide to receive a full Blu-ray set rather than individual seasons like in the states. The Blu-ray box set edition was released on June 24, 2021.
Reboot series
Cancelled CBS reboot
On October 25, 2013, it was announced that
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
was developing a
reboot
In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
of ''Charmed''.
''
Party of Five
''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...
'' co-creator
Christopher Keyser
Christopher Adam Keyser (born 1960) is an American producer and writer of primetime dramas. He is best known for creating the television series '' The Society'' and ''Party of Five''.
Early life
Keyser was born to a Jewish family on Long Islan ...
and Sydney Sidner were going to executive produce and write the pilot script for
CBS Television Studios
CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount Television, as a renaming of the o ...
(who own the rights to ''Charmed'') and The Tannenbaum Company.
The reboot was described as a "re-imagining of the original series centered around four sisters who discover their destiny – to battle against the forces of evil using their witchcraft." CBS only ordered a script for a pilot, however; no commitment to filming was made.
Following the announcement, the original cast of ''Charmed'' shared their opinions of the reboot through
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. Rose McGowan tweeted, "They really are running out of ideas in Hollywood," followed up by another tweet, "lame lame lame lamertons."
Alyssa Milano tweeted, "The thing about them doing a #charmed reboot is ... it just ... it feels like yesterday. It feels too close." Holly Marie Combs tweeted, "Here's the thing. Everything is a reboot. If you think otherwise you haven't read enough Shakespeare yet. At least they had the decency to call it what it is. Instead of ripping it off and then pretending to not be ripping it off."
Shannen Doherty tweeted to a fan, "I don't know yet. It's strange to think about a reboot. I guess I'm still processing the idea."
However, on August 12, 2014,
TVLine
''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs.
History
In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...
's
Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello (born February 23, 1972) is an American television industry journalist, author, and actor. He was a senior writer at ''TV Guide'' and its companion website, TVGuide.com, between 2000 and 2008. From 2008 to 2010, he wrote and re ...
revealed that CBS were not moving forward with the reboot.
The CW reboot
On January 25, 2018,
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
network officially ordered a pilot of a new
''Charmed'' reboot, developed by
Jennie Snyder Urman
Jennie Snyder Urman (born June 6, 1975) is an American television producer. She grew up in Rye, New York. Urman is Jewish.
Urman has been involved in the production of several television programs including: ''Hope & Faith'', ''Gilmore Girls'', ...
,
Jessica O'Toole and Amy Rardin Jessica O'Toole and Amy Rardin are an American screenwriting duo.
The pair have written scripts for the '' American Girl'' series, the Disney Channel Original Movie '' Invisible Sister'', as well as television series ''Selfie'', ''Greek'', '' The Ca ...
, for the
2018–19 television season.
The reboot was described by The CW as "a fierce, funny, feminist reboot" of the original series.
It follows the lives of three sisters—Macy, Mel and Maggie—who, after the death of their mother, discover they are The Charmed Ones, the most powerful trio of good witches, who are destined to protect innocent lives from demons and other dark forces.
The eldest sister Macy is a "practical, driven, and brilliant geneticist" with the power of telekinesis.
The middle sister Mel is "a passionate, outspoken activist" and lesbian with the power of time-freezing,
while the youngest Maggie is "a bubbly college freshman" with the power to hear people's thoughts.
Madeleine Mantock was cast as Macy,
Melonie Diaz
Melonie Diaz (born April 25, 1984) is an American film and television actress who has appeared in many independent films, including four shown at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. She received Independent Spirit Awards nominations for performance ...
was cast as Mel,
Sarah Jeffery
Sarah Marie Jeffery is a Canadian actress, singer, and dancer. She is known for her work on the NBC series ''Shades of Blue'' and Disney Channel's ''Descendants'' franchise. From 2018 to 2022, she has portrayed the lead role of Maggie Vera on t ...
was cast as Maggie,
and
Rupert Evans
Rupert Evans (born 9 March 1977) is a British actor. He is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred in the Amazon series '' The Man in the High Castle'' and also in the CW's '' Charmed'' series. In 2021 Evans appeared in '' Bridge ...
was cast as the trio's whitelighter Harry. The reboot premiered on The CW on October 14, 2018, 20 years after the original series' premiere.
The CW renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on October 11, 2019. The reboot would ultimately run for four seasons and 72 episodes before being canceled in May 2022.
References
External links
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