Come Be Charmed and Enchanted...

Why was I Charmed?

Charmed first aired in the fall of 1998, and from that first night on I was hooked. Charmed would go on for eight seasons with dramatic changes in its quality. The show's run just ended in May of 2006. I stayed for all eight, through thick and thin. But that's for another review. ;)

Charmed is fantasy and a wonderful escape into tv land. I am drawn to fantasy and have always loved and been intrigued by witches and the practices of Wicca. I love the supernatural, and the speculation of people having special powers. It also reached for a more adult audience which I liked. I didn't want to do the Buffy teen angst.

Helpful to keep in mind:

Aaron Spelling is the producer of Charmed. He is known for fluffy and jiggly tv at times. But with Season 1 Charmed, the jiggles and fluff were really kept to a minimum.

Charmed Season 1 DVD:

6 discs, 22 episodes:

The show is essentially about three sisters who happen to be witches: Prue, Piper, and Phoebe Halliwell. Except they don’t know that they are witches. Their mom died when they were little, Dad abandoned them, and they were raised by their maternal grandmother (Grams) at the family estate, The Manor. The sisters’ lives had taken them in very different directions, but all three have come home to the Manor to settle in after their grandmother’s death.

In the pilot, after returning home, Phoebe finds in the attic, what appears to be a very ancient book (Book of Shadows) from which she reads allowed an incantation. In doing so, she releases within the women powers that they never knew they had. And after closer study, she discovers that the sisters are actually descendants of a long line of witches. It’s a shocking revelation for the three. They had no idea that their Mom and Grams were witches, and it makes them rethink everything they ever knew.

The most significant part for the girls, is that their births and lives were foretold by the family’s first witch, Melinda Warren. Melinda had foreseen about two hundred years ago, that her family line would grow stronger and stronger and culminate in the birth of three sisters. These sisters would become the strongest witches the world had ever known, and they would be “Charmed”.

Season 1 explores how the sisters learn about the heritage. They must not only learn to use their powers, but also must learn to accept them, and how their lives will never be the same.

Also, they quickly find out the new dangers that they are going to have to face. Since Phoebe activated their powers, this has made the darker forces aware of their presence, and puts the three in constant danger.

The show also has a very human side. It deals with the issues and intimacies of sibling relationships, and the roles that each member plays.

Prue, the eldest, is now telekinetic, and very powerful. It matches her strong, fierce personality. She is a go-getter, an overachiever, and a workaholic. She has always been protective of her younger siblings, and has also taken on the mother role. Her tender side is hidden under the many layers of resentment that she feels towards the death of her mother and the abandonment of her father.

Piper is the middle child, and the heart of the family. She is the peacekeeper and the mediator. She always stayed close to home, unlike her sisters. She is the keeper of the house, and has the girl-next-door persona. She is very afraid of her powers, and has the most trouble accepting them. Her power is the ability to freeze time. Her nervous nature lends itself to her suddenly finding everything around her frozen. She likes the normalcy in life, and struggles with who she now is.

Phoebe is the youngest child, and she also is a free spirit. Unfortunately, this free spirit has gotten her into many different troubles. Her family issues made her go the opposite way of Prue. She ran away from home to live 3000 miles away. She had wandered from relationship to relationship as well as from job to job. She has hurt her family more than once. Coming home, she hopes to make up for the past. She has a sweetness that makes the viewer more understanding with her character. Phoebe’s power is premonition, she sees pieces of the future and past. Her power is the only inactive power which bothers her.

Through Season 1, the sisters learn more about what happened with their father, why Grams kept secret their Charmed identity, what their purpose now is (protectors of the innocent), and the importance of keeping their secret. They are put through tests about what the greater good is. They learn why they have the powers they do. All along, they must come together as sisters, and they must face their own fears and insecurities in order to fulfill this ancient prophecy.

Cast:

Shannon Doherty of 90210 fame plays Prue. Shannon is an intense actress that has the depth to play this powerful character.

Holly Marie Combs of Picket Fences is one of the best actresses in this age group at this time, and is very underrated. You’ll see how she will become the heart of the show.

Alyssa Milano of Who’s the Boss fame is wonderful as the immature, but changing Phoebe. She really conveys her regret and positiveness for her future.

Other characters:

Andy Trudeau (TJ King)is the cop that Prue used to date, and is becoming romantically involved with again. They meet again as she lives in his precinct, and many of the dark forces appear to be human evil. Their paths cross often because of this, and causes much conflict because she can’t reveal her secret.

Leo Wyatt (Brian Krause)is the handyman with a secret. He plays Piper’s love interest.

Darryl Morris (Dorian Gregory)is Andy’s partner. He is very skeptical of the strange supernatural cases that are happening more and more often in the San Francisco area.

Not so Charmed :

Charmed has some inconsistencies. As the seasons go on, they become much worse. But even as early as S1, there are a few careless errors that could have been edited out or revised.

And always keep in mind, Charmed is in Aaron Spelling’s realm. Wiccan practices are not true to Wicca, San Francisco (the base of the show) is not an accurate portrayal of the people and places of SF, and even the demons are not really based on their ancient myths.

Special effects are not that well done. They had a lower budget back then. This isn’t a problem for me, but may bother some viewers.

S1 has some great episodes, but the occasional clunker. The show this early on is still finding its legs.

Sometimes you have to just go with the Charmed flow.

Tidbits:

Shannon auditioned for the role of Piper and Holly for the role of Prue, but the producers saw that they were actually perfect for the opposite parts.

In Season 1, Constance Burge is the creator and forerunner of the show. She based the three sisters from her own life experiences. Her focus for the show is the relationship of the three sisters as they deal with their witchy ways.

In the original pilot, Phoebe was played by Lori Rom. She was quickly replaced with Milano for the aired pilot. Having seen both aired and unaired pilot, Alyssa’s casting was definitely for the best.

Special Notes:

They have released a Seasons 1-6 DVD boxed set. It’s very expensive as of now, and the show completely changes after the first three seasons. Seasons 5 and 6 are not worth purchasing. So I recommend the season by season where the prices have dropped significantly, and you are only getting the best of the show’s run.