Just like any long-running female-led series, Charmed has had a cult following since its pilot debut in 1998 on The WB. If you’ve never heard of this show, it’s completely normal because we’re not really part of its original generation. It chronicles the lives of three sisters who discover they’re witches who must use their power for good and protect innocent people from evil.
Drawing over 7.7 million people in the first episode, the iconic series ran for eight seasons and became a cultural phenomenon; it was so much of an icon that The CW announced this past January a series of the same name and loosely based on the original plot.
While not many details of the new show have been released, the setting and general plot line are known, and there are some major differences. Instead of taking place in San Francisco like the original, the new feminist reboot will be set in an unnamed college town. It is also unclear whether both sets of witches are related to one another, but they have multiple recognizable similarities between them: the alliteration of their first names and their individual powers. Macy, Mel and Madison Pruitt tip their hats to the original Charmed witches—Prue, Piper and Phoebe. The more modern witches have powers of telekinesis, time-freezing and hearing people’s thoughts, respectively. In contrast to Maggie’s ability to read minds, Phoebe has the power of premonition.
As of March, all three witches have been cast. Known for her roles in Into the Badlands and The Tomorrow People, Madeleine Mantock is set to play Macy, the oldest sister and an extremely talented geneticist. Fruitvale Station’s Melonie Diaz will play Mel, the middle sister who’s both a dedicated activist and a lesbian. Finally, Sarah Jeffery, who’s widely known for her role in Disney’s Descendants, will play the youngest sister and first-year college student, Madison. We’re not sure if there will be a half-sister cast down the line like the original, but this lineup is definitely a winner.
Whether fans of the original series will like this reboot is up in the air. What’s for sure is Holly Marie Combs’ disapproval of the upcoming show. Having played Piper Halliwell for all eight seasons of the show, it’s understandable doesn’t want the original to be cast aside for a more modern version.
In a tweet from February, she wrote, “Here’s the thing. Until you ask us to rewrite it like Brad Kern did weekly don’t even think of capitalizing on our hard work. Charmed belongs to the 4 of us, our vast amount of writers, crews and predominantly the fans. FYI you will not fool them by owning a title/stamp. So bye.”
Here’s the thing. Until you ask us to rewrite it like Brad Kern did weekly don’t even think of capitalizing on our hard work. Charmed belongs to the 4 of us, our vast amount of writers, crews and predominantly the fans. FYI you will not fool them by owning a title/stamp. So bye.
— Holly Marie Combs (@H_Combs) January 26, 2018
Despite Combs’ lack of support, we’re just excited for the potential of a new cult following because there’s only so many times we can rewatch Riverdale when it goes off air.