Charmed
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Charmed is an American television series that ran for eight seasons on The WB. It was created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and is about three sisters who are the world's most powerful good witches, known throughout the supernatural community as "The Charmed Ones" but known to everyone else as the Halliwells. Each sister possesses unique magical powers that grow and evolve over the course of their lives. The Charmed Ones live together in a manor house and use their supernatural abilities to battle the warlocks, demons and other evil forces that populate San Francisco, California, to protect the innocent and good magical beings.

The show was the last in its generation of supernatural-themed shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Roswell, and has many times been noted for its mixing of multiple genres (from horror and fantasy to comedy and even soap), as well as continuing after a number of archetypal jump the shark moments, most famously the departure of one of the leading actresses at the end of season three. It also had the highest rated debut (until the debut of Smallville at 8.4 million), for the WB Television Network, with 7.7 million viewers tuning in for the series premiere, "Something Wicca This Way Comes".

In January 2006, with the airing of "Payback's a Witch", Charmed became the longest running show with all-female leads, surpassing Laverne & Shirley. However it was overtaken by Desperate Housewives in 2012, which completed with 180 episodes opposed to Charmed's 178 episodes. The series ended its run on May 21, 2006.[1][2] The Charmed series finale, "Forever Charmed", pulled in a season high of 4.49 million viewers.

A reboot series of Charmed, featuring a new cast and new characters, was ordered to series by The CW network on May 11, 2018.[3]

Premise[]

Charmed Season 1 promotional

The original Charmed Ones, from left to right: Piper (Holly Marie Combs), Prue (Shannen Doherty) and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano)

The story of Charmed begins with the three Halliwell sisters — Prue, Piper and Phoebe — that come together six months after the death of their maternal grandmother. After thinking about it, the three girls decide to move back into their family Manor in San Francisco. While snooping around, the youngest sister, Phoebe, discovered an old book — the Book of Shadows — in the attic. Reading an incantation from it, she unwittingly set in motion events that fulfilled an ancient prophecy. Strange and harrowing occurrences began which eventually led the sisters to realize that they are witches.

The three girls discovered that not only do they possess supernatural powers, but they come from a long line of powerful witches. The first in the line, Melinda Warren, was burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials. However, before she died, Melinda prophesied that each coming generation of Warren (later Halliwell) witches would grow stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of three sisters—the strongest good witches the world had ever seen; the three sisters would form the Power of Three, the most powerful magical force ever.

Prue, the oldest sister, developed the power of Telekinesis, where she could move things with her mind, later gaining the power of Astral Projection unexpectedly, where she could essentially make a clone of herself appear wherever she desired. Piper, the middle sister, was initially given the power to freeze "time". However she can only freeze molecules; she later develops the power to speed up molecules so they blow up: Molecular Combustion. Phoebe, the youngest sister, had the original power of Premonition, at first being able to see future events and later past events as well, which is often used to reveal the truth. Phoebe later obtained the power to levitate, which let her defy gravity while using her martial arts skills. Her empathic powers developed in later years where she could read the feelings and emotions of others. Phoebe could also affect the supernatural powers of other beings whose powers were tied to their emotions.

Charmed Season 8 promotional

The reconstituted Charmed Ones, from left to right: Piper, Phoebe and Paige (Rose McGowan)

After the tragic death of Prue, it was revealed that the sisters had a younger half-sister named Paige Matthews. She was born to their mother Patty and Sam, Patty's Whitelighter and guardian angel for witches. As such a relationship was forbidden and unheard of at the time, the baby was given to a nun and later adopted by the Matthews family. Patty made one request to those who would become the adoptive parents, that her first name began with the letter 'P'. From her Whitelighter father, Paige inherited the power to "orb". This also had an effect on the powers she inherited from Patty: instead of Telekinesis, Paige is able to call for an object; the object in question will then either orb to her or to a location she directs with her thoughts or gestures. Though this power requires the use of verbal commands, she has been able to do so silently when in a state of enhanced power, and in a few other instances. This power is called Telekinetic Orbing. In Season 5 Paige revealed that she also has other whitelighter powers, such as shapeshifting. Halfway through Season 8, Paige developed more of her Whitelighter side by being able to heal and locate charges by sensing them.

A central theme throughout the show's run is the sisters' struggle to balance normal lives with their supernatural responsibilities. The burden of keeping their destinies a secret from the outside world has repeatedly created tensions in their friendships, workplaces, and romantic relationships. Only a few knew their secret and helped them on a regular basis. The most important is Leo Wyatt, a Whitelighter assigned by the Elders to guide and protect the sisters. Leo means a great deal to the sisters both professionally and personally: he heals their wounds, advises them collectively and individually, and mediates between them and the enigmatic Elders. He also becomes the love of Piper's life, her husband and father of her children. Others people who have kept the Charmed Ones' secret over the years are : mortals policemen : Andy Trudeau and Darryl Morris ; Henry Mitchell Paige's mortal husband, and Phoebe's cupid husband, Coop Halliwell.

Characters[]

Main[]

Prue Halliwell[]

Prue S3EP04

Born October 28, 1970, she was the eldest Halliwell sister. Born with the power of Telekinesis, she later manifested an Astral Projection ability. Strong-willed, controlling and intelligent, she would often take charge of situations and had always been overprotective of her two sisters, Piper and Phoebe.

Having spent her childhood taking care of her two younger sisters after the death of their mother, she became responsible, with a fierce determination at whatever she did, including fighting demons, and eventually took up the justified reputation of being the most powerful and devout Charmed One. Though at times Prue let pride dictate her way of handling things, she never let her personal life interfere with her work life.

On May 17, 2001, she was tragically killed by Shax, a demon hitman sent by the Source, temporarily severing the Power of Three altogether. Of course, Prue's formidable powers and strong disposition ensured that she will never be forgotten, and it was hinted that she continued to help her sisters from the afterlife (sometimes turning the pages of the Book of Shadows), and in the season seven finale, Prue indirectly lent her astral projection power to her sisters. This is indicated by Piper saying "Thank you Prue," after the spell's effect is over.

Prue' soul later took over another witch's body, and subsequently stayed in the physical plane to keep her sisters strong. When her body merged with the All—the source of all magic on Earth, her essence began to reach out to what it had lost: her position in the Power of Three. This subsequently hurt her family whenever she was present or whenever her sisters thought about her. She was later possessed by the Old One, Heremus, who made her resurrect his kind, until Piper killed her to stop her. Her soul now rests in the Beyond where she quietly watches over her sisters.

Prue was portrayed by Shannen Doherty from season 1 to 3.

Piper Halliwell[]

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Born on August 7, 1973, and was the middle child until Prue's death. Her powers revolve around the manipulation of molecules: Molecular Immobilization, Molecular Combustion, and Molecular Acceleration. She was most concerned with having a normal life, and always had reservations about her life as a Charmed One.

When she first became a Charmed One she was quiet and reserved; often having to mediate between Prue and Phoebe. In time, her demure attitude disappeared, especially after Prue died, and she developed a stronger, more sarcastic and brilliant attitude to life and being a Charmed One. She eventually became a mother of three children: two sons (Wyatt and Chris) and a daughter (Melinda, according to the comic book sequel) with her husband Leo Wyatt, and went to great lengths to protect her children. In the series finale, the final montage shows her with a granddaughter.[4]

Piper is also an accomplished mediator and arbitrator, presumably a result of long years of peacemaking in her somewhat quarrelsome family. Her love of food steered her to a career in the culinary arts, which led her to own a club and, as revealed in the last episode and the comics, her own restaurant. With the death of Prue, Piper is considered the most powerful of the Charmed One.

Piper was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs from season 1 to 8.

Phoebe Halliwell[]

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Born November 2, 1975, the original "baby" of the family ; At the beginning, Phoebe was a spontaneous, free-spirited young woman who reveled in her witchcraft heritage. The power she was born with was premonitions, which grew to enable her to see the futurefuture as well as the past, and later allowed her to even astral-project herself into the future.

As she grew as a witch, she developed the power of levitation, which she often combined with her martial-arts skills to knock out her opponents, as well as the power of empathy, which allowed her to sense the emotions of others. Though these two active powers were later stripped from her since she exploited them for personal gain, the comics have shown that she has regained them back in an advanced form, which allowed her to reflect someone's emotions back at them.

She is a romantic person. Phoebe, later became a successful columnist and author. Early on, she had a turbulent relationship with her older sister Prue, and later mediated between Piper and Paige. Phoebe is married to Coop Halliwell, and as we have seen, their marriage was celebrated in 2006, during the Series Finale, the two were married by the Angel of Destiny. Phoebe and Coop, will eventually have three daughters (P.J., Parker, and Peyton). She continued to work at the Bay Mirror and also wrote a book on finding love.

Phoebe was portrayed by Alyssa Milano from season 1 to 8.

Paige Matthews[]

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Born on August 2, 1977, after her secret love affair with her Whitelighter, Samuel Wilder, the Charmed Ones' mother, Patty Halliwell, gave birth to her fourth daughter. Paige was put up for adoption because her parents' love was forbidden. She was later adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Matthews.

Her personality is bold and vibrant, adding a new dynamic to the show from season 4 onwards. Paige's birth power was telekinesis, but because she was part-Whitelighter this ability combined with her natural orbing to create telekinetic orbing. She came into the Craft late but learned to use it very quickly, aiding in the vanquish of The Source of All Evil and numerous other formidable dark forces. In Season 8, she developed the ability to heal those she loved, starting with her boyfriend.

She was driven to become a "full-time witch", and had a hard time finding a career she was contented with, eventually settling with her destiny as a Whitelighter, like her biological father. Paige is married to Henry Mitchell, a mortal parole officer, they had twin daughters, Tamora and Kat, and have adopted a son, Henry Jr. .

In Innocents Lost, she received the power to create a protective shield around herself and those she wants to protect.

Paige was portrayed by Rose McGowan from season 4 to 8.

Supporting[]

Character Actor Appearance
Picture 01
Leo Wyatt Brian Krause Recurring Season 1; Seasons 2-8
Leo was the sisters' Whitelighter in the beginning, and soon became romantically involved with Piper. Leo's magical promotions provided the show's portrayal of a supernatural ladder of success and struggle between career and family. His relationship with Piper was the first of many conflicts between the Halliwells and the Elders. He eventually became mortal to be with Piper and their children.
Picture 06
Andy Trudeau T.W. King Season 1
Andy was the sisters' childhood friend and Prue's love interest. He served as the sisters' initial connection to the police force once he learns of the girls' activities, as well as the first conflict between the girls' secret and normal lives. Andy was killed by the demon Rodriguez when trying to protect the girls in the finale of season one.
Picture 02
Darryl Morris Dorian Gregory Seasons 1-7
Darryl was Andy's partner, and he was the one who, after Andy's tragic demise, took over the role as the police connection for the Halliwells'. He continued to cover up for the sisters once he learned their secret, even after the events which led to him almost being executed through a lethal injection, until his wife later forced him to move to another state.
Picture 03
Cole Turner Julian McMahon Seasons 3-5, cameo in 7
Cole was Phoebe's first husband - and also a half-demon, creating situations over which the sisters clashed. Originally a powerful villain, later taking other forms and roles throughout his character history. After his final vanquish at the hands of the sisters, he continued to watch over Phoebe, silently and unseen.
Chris
Chris Halliwell (adult) Drew Fuller Season 6, cameo in 5, 7 and 8
Chris, Piper and Leo's at the time as yet unborn son, came from the future to help defeat The Titans and save Wyatt turned evil in his future. His adult form died at the hands of Gideon. Thanks to a change in the timeline, he later reappeared in the series finale.
BilliePhoto
Billie Jenkins Kaley Cuoco Season 8
Billie was Paige's charge and while first over-confident in her abilities, eventually became a student of the sisters, helping them maintain their normal lives. After being swayed by her sister to betray the sisters, she eventually sided with them in the series finale.
Dan
Dan Gordon Greg Vaughan Season 2
Dan moved into the house next door with his niece, Jenny, and instantly fell in love with Piper. They temporarily dated, but Dan could not take the place of Piper's first love, Leo. He later moved away, at the end of season two.
Jenny
Jenny Gordon Karis Paige Bryant Season 2
Jenny was Dan's niece. She was written off suddenly due to fans finding her annoying and unnecessary.

Recurring[]

Billing order[]

In the first three seasons, the actresses portraying the Charmed Ones are billed according to the ages of their characters: Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano. The initial five episodes lists the actors/characters as Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, T. W. King, Dorian Gregory, and Alyssa Milano. Beginning with episode six, the Charmed Ones are listed by character age, followed by the inspectors Andy Trudeau and Darryl Morris.

From the 4th season onwards, the veteran leading actresses receive the coveted first and last billing while their new costar gets the middle spot: Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, and Holly Marie Combs as "Piper". The leads are then followed by whichever supporting players are contracted for that particular season.

If one of the supporting players does not appear in a particular episode, his/her name also does not appear in the opening credits. Brian Krause, who became a main cast member halfway through the second season, was in virtually every episode by the third season. His name is listed fourth in the credits from season three onwards, apart from in season eight where Kaley Cuoco took that spot.

Recurring themes[]

Sisterhood[]

The heart of the show is the Charmed Ones' relationship with each other. It is because of the sister's bond that their power originates from the Power of Three wherein the breaking of that bond causes each sister to lose her powers. The episode Power Outage showcases this possibility when the sisters lose both their active and basic powers after a demon-influenced argument, only to be resolved when they sort out their differences in time to deal with the Belthazor (this event will be exploited later on in The Power of Three Blondes when the Charmed Ones' identities and powers are stolen by the Stillman Sisters).

Supernatural reasons aside, the dynamic of the sisters is also a key feature in their own character. At the beginning of the series, the free-spirited and undirected youngest sister Phoebe clashed with the stern and methodical eldest sister Prue while the humble middle-child Piper acted as a peacekeeper between the two. This dynamic is challenged when Prue and Phoebe must fight against a ghost without Piper's presence.

The dynamic is changed by the start of season 4 with the death of Prue and introduction of Paige to reconstitute the Charmed Ones. The now-eldest Piper finds it difficult to accept her new sister, being hardened and still grief-stricken about losing Prue, while Phoebe (now more mature) is more open to Paige. Much like Prue, Piper must take on a more matriarchal role with Paige who is naive and feisty (much like how Phoebe was) with Phoebe acting as an occasional peacekeeper.

Character development struggles[]

With the series always focusing on the constant development of their main characters, each of the main characters had recurring problem points of their lives. As women in their late twenties and early thirties, the sisters constantly had to cope with balancing their magical lives with their everyday and professional lives. Another returning source of personal conflict was the sisters' love life, the problems that arise from hiding a part of their lives from their human relationships (most notably the relationships of Prue and Andy, of Piper and Dan, of Phoebe and Jason, and of Paige and Henry) and hiding their often forbidden relationships with members of the magical community from the rest of the magical community (most notably Leo and Piper's conflict with the Elders, and Phoebe loving a half-demon Cole). Each sisters had their own personal journey that was consistent throughout their run:

  • Prue's struggle came mainly from accepting the inevitability of death while also coming to forgive her father for leaving her, and to have forced her into have had to take the role of the protector of her younger sisters.
  • Piper always had the most desire to have a normal life and pursue her dream of starting her own family. Once she gives birth to her first child, Piper continues fight to maintain normalcy while raising a baby with god-like power.
  • Phoebe started off on a quest to make something of herself professionally and repair her relationship with her sisters. As Phoebe rose to celebrity status with her famous advice column, her character's focus changed to wanting to find love while continually at the brink of giving up on it due to bad experiences with past relationships. Her focus then narrows down to finding the father of her future baby, motivated by certain premonitions.
  • Paige's endeavor came from her desire to find her identity and live a balanced life with magic at her side while still maintaining some normalcy.

Deaths of main characters[]

As the sisters had to struggle with many forces of darkness, death was not an uncommon event in their lives. Each of the sisters died at several points of the series, with Piper and Phoebe dying nine times each, Paige dying seven times, and Prue dying three times. Except for Prue's death in the third season finale, in which she never returned, the protagonists always found a way out to return the respective Halliwells into life.

However, not every death on Charmed has been so easily reversed, as several important supporting characters have died without being revived, such as Andy, Cole, and Adult Chris (though both Chris and Cole have appeared in episodes after their deaths, neither one was revived: Cole was in limbo, and Chris's first appearance was a personification of Leo's guilt, his second was a Chris from a different future).

Personal gain[]

Main article: Personal gain
A constant theme in the show is that, as good witches, the Charmed Ones are unable to use their magic to further their own lives and satisfy their personal interests. Breaking this rule results in a negative consequence. Personal gain is introduced in the very second episode of the show and is explored in particular detail in Morality Bites, wherein the Charmed Ones use their powers to get revenge on mortal for inconveniencing them, resulting in an alternate future were the existence of magic is known and witches are prosecuted by mortals.

As the show goes on, personal gain becomes increasingly ignored without any direct consequences, mainly at the start of the eight season when the sister's use magic to hide their identities in order to pursue their normal lives. Whenever there are direct consequences, it's usually to support the current episode's narrative, such as in A Wrong Day's Journey Into Right and Crimes and Witch-Demeanors.

Exposure of magic[]

Main article: Exposure
In the world of Charmed, the existence of magic as well as benevolent and malevolent forces remain hidden from human society. A recurring problem for the protagonists during the series was finding a way to fight the forces of evil within their world without being exposed as magical beings themselves. Spanning the series run, the show's writers featured episodes which detailed the dangerous consequences of magic being exposed to human society, most notably in the second season episode Morality Bites, which saw Phoebe's execution in an alternate future; the third season finale All Hell Breaks Loose, which lead to the death of Prue; and the seventh season finale Something Wicca This Way Goes...?, in which events lead the three witches and Leo to fake their deaths and assume new identities.

However, the introduction of the Cleaners, a pair of beings capable of warping reality in order to maintain magic in secret, caused a violation of continuity, as these two characters did not appear in All Hell Breaks Loose.

Logo's and Symbols[]

During the show's run, the WB used two official logos to represent the series. The first was used during the first and second seasons and featured the name Charmed underlined and with a symbol called the trihorn above it.

The second logo was introduced at the start of the third season and remained until the series ended. It was based on a font called Endor, is also underlined and sometimes features a triquetra above the name. This logo was designed by Margo Chase and has had a few variations in thickness and spikiness.

Although the second logo replaced the first in all promotional material by the WB Television Network, such as posters and television adverts, the first remained to be used on official merchandise. The novels, the DVDs, official Charmed Magazine, the comics and the dolls all use the first logo.

The opening credits used a different logo however. During the show's run, the credits feature the triquetra with CHARMED on top.

Common Words in Episode Titles[]

Throughout the course of the series, the various titles of the episodes had common words in them.

Charmed[]

The word 'Charmed' is used in 11 episode titles. From season 4 on, every season has an episode with 'Charmed' in the title.

Witch[]

The word 'witch' is used in 24 episode titles. Every season has an episode with the word 'witch' in the title. Season 6, 7 and 8 all have 5 episodes with 'witch' in the titles.

Demon[]

The word 'demon' is used in 5 episode titles.

Halliwell[]

The word 'Halliwell' is used in 4 episode titles.

Magic[]

The word 'magic' is used in 4 episode titles.

Wicca[]

The word 'wicca' is used in 3 episode titles.

Power[]

The word 'power' is used in 3 episode titles.

Character Names[]

Prue's name is used in 1 episode title.

Piper's name is used in 2 episode titles.

Phoebe's name is used in 4 episode titles.

Paige's name is in 1 episode title.

Leo's name is used in 3 episode titles.

Cole's name is used in 1 episode title.

Chris' name is used in 1 episode title.

Billie's name is used in 2 episode titles.

Wyatt's name is used in 1 episode title.

Christy's name is used in 1 episode title.

Sam's name is used in 1 episode title.

Clay's name is used in 1 episode title.

Promo's & Trailers[]

Trailers[]

During the show's first two season, the trailers had a darker tone and were more serious. Starting from season 3 onwards, the trailers would be a bit more comedic. Each season had their own trailer title, though later on in the series, each episode would get their own.

Promos[]

During the entire show, promotional photos were made. Seasons 3 and 7 are the only seasons to have no official promos, which is the reason why the DVD covers use either episode promos or promos from a previous season.

Show changes[]

In its eight-year course, Charmed underwent many changes, including departure of cast and crew members, some of which had a large impact on the series as a whole. While in the case of some of the newer changes executive producer, Brad Kern, openly referred to budget cuts as the reason, most of the changes happened without the reasons being released into public, giving rise to much speculation and debates among fans. Some of the changes are frequent topics of argument in almost every Charmed Internet forum even today, most notably the Kern-Burge and the Milano-Doherty disputes.

Initial changes[]

  • Originally, Lori Rom was cast as Phoebe in the unaired pilot of Charmed. When the property was greenlighted to go to series, Rom was unavailable. Producer Aaron Spelling called upon Alyssa Milano, fresh off her short term guest appearance on "Melrose Place" to fill the role. Major portions of the first episode were reshot, some scenes rewritten and new scenes added to create a full one-hour debut episode titled "Something Wicca This Way Comes".
  • Charmed was picked up for a full season after the ratings success of the first two episodes, according to the documentary The Women of Charmed produced in 1999. By then, the first few episodes had completed production. Some of the crew were then replaced, including the series' composer (thus discontinuing the use of the many chime instruments characteristic of the opening episodes).
  • Some basic story elements of the Charmed world laid down in the initial six episodes were later changed. The Book of Shadows was later established as untouchable by evil; Grams' husband and the sisters grandfather, changed his name and his life span; Prue, Piper and Phoebe, having a relationship with their father even though in the initial episodes they wanted nothing to do with him. Also, the time frame of Victor Bennett leaving his wife, the girls' mother, was changed occasionally throughout the series.
  • The role of the girls' father was originated played by Anthony Denison in the first season episode "Thank You for Not Morphing". It was established in this episode that the character's name was Victor Halliwell. This was contradicted in the later first season episode "That 70's Episode", where the girls' mother, Patty, reminded her mother that she would not allow her to take Victor's last name when they married.
  • During the series' original conception, the Charmed Ones were all roommates in Boston.

Changes in story structure[]

Between the second and the third season, creator and executive producer Constance M. Burge had left the crew of the show, leaving her former position to executive producer Brad Kern. Burge continued to produce other shows, but remained as creative consultant until season four.[5] Burge's 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. Also, 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 actually rising during season four's final story arc from 4.19 to 4.21, the WB asked Brad Kern to abandon the serial system in the future. This led to the largely episodic structure of season five, and resulted in the two systems being balanced from the sixth season onwards. The departure of Constance M. Burge has been often debated in Charmed fandom. While reasons were never made public, unsupported claims (such as Burge leaving because she did not agree to the introduction of the character Cole or because of the story arc-episodic structure debate) still circulate among fans debating over whether Kern or Burge would be a better producer.

Departure of Shannen Doherty[]

At the end of the third season, Shannen Doherty left the show, resulting in her character's death, and the introduction of Rose McGowan's character Paige. While in the episode, "Death Takes a Halliwell" the Angel of Death foreshadowed Prue's death, "All Hell Breaks Loose" (the season three finale) remained as a cliffhanger, and Prue's death was only established in the season four premiere episode. Fan speculation continues to this day, some pointing to rumors of on-set issues with Doherty regarding punctual appearance at work and tension with co-workers, others putting blame on Alyssa Milano for reasons such as her supposedly asking the show's producers to choose between her and Doherty. These rumors even today lead to harsh debates over whether it was Doherty's, Milano's or someone else's "fault" that Doherty left.

Doherty's departure is the best-known change in Charmed, and while there is debate over whether the show got better or worse after Prue's death, it is most often agreed that after season three the characters' dynamics changed, and the individual sisters' storylines became more balanced.

Timeslot changes[]

The show witnessed multiple changes in its timeslot. From its initial Wednesday night, Charmed moved to Thursday nights in Season Two, and starting with Season Five it moved again, this time to Sunday nights, to anchor "The WB's Big Sunday" event. The change in broadcast day played a central role in the show's change of ratings, as from the moment Charmed moved to Sunday, its episodes had to continually compete with other strong-rated shows such as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and The Simpsons, as well as events such as the Golden Globes.

Changes in the Charmed universe[]

In the first three seasons, the magical world of Charmed introduced original concepts such as the spiritual Nexus or the workings of the show's witchcraft, and involved creatures such as Whitelighters and Darklighters, and also a number of mythological creatures not frequently adapted to television, such as the Woogyman, the Wendigo or the Banshee. This is probably attributable to Constance M. Burge, as well as story editor Robert Masello, introduced as the show's mythology expert (as seen in the 1999 documentary Women of Charmed).

During the first two seasons, Warlocks served as the main type of antagonist, but by season three, this role was taken by Demons while Warlocks were designated to secondary enemies and the frequency of their appearances were gradually reduced over the course of the show.

Gradually from the fourth season, besides keeping the dominance of creatures with attributes explicitly created to conform to the storylines, Charmed started to rely more heavily on using creatures from classical (i.e. Greek and Roman) mythology as well as from miscellaneous folklore items well known in contemporary culture, such as leprechauns and dwarfs.

Budget cuts[]

Budget cuts in the last few seasons have led to many minor, and a few major changes in the show.

  • It cost $2 Million per episode to film Charmed.
  • Budget cuts have caused demons to gradually become entirely human-like from the monsters with rich costumes and make-up witnessed in the first seasons.
  • One of the most notable budget-related changes was the WB's decision not to include Brian Krause and Dorian Gregory in season eight. As Brad Kern said in a number of interviews, he had to restructure the budget to include Krause in 12 episodes, to avoid abruptly ending his storyline. Enough money was saved to include Krause in the final two episodes of the series.
  • In an interview in Charmed Magazine Issue 8, Brad Kern revealed that in season eight Kern, executive producers Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent and a number of crew members opted to reduce their own salaries in order to maintain the show's quality, as the budget of the season was reduced by twenty percent.
  • Phoebe's power of Levitation was left out of the show because it became too expensive (due to all the wire work and hiring cranes). To write the Levitation power out, Empathy and Premonition were left out as well and the story of Phoebe having to regain her abilities was created.

Notes[]

  • In 2006, Charmed became the longest running hour-long series featuring all female leads with the episode "Payback's a Witch". However, it ultimately replaced by the ABC drama Desperate Housewives, which ended with 180 episodes while Charmed has a total of 178. However is still tied with Desperate Housewives for 8 seasons each.
  • Charmed has been noted as the 'second most binge-watched TV series on Netflix'.
  • CBS Studios ordered a script on the premise of a prequel to Charmed, however, it was sent back into redevelopment as it 'didn't come back in the way they wanted'.[6]
    • CBS Studios remains constant in their efforts to reboot Charmed.
    • The series was ordered from The CW on May 11, 2018 along with the reboot of the tv show Roswell, called Roswell, New Mexico.

International Titles[]

  • Russian: Зачарованные [Začarovannye] (Charmed)
  • Ukranian: Усі жінки—відьми [Usı žınkivıd'mi] (All Women—Witches)
  • Czech: Čarodějky (Witches)
  • Slovak: Čarodejnice (Witches)
  • Spanish (Spain): Embrujadas (Witches [female])
  • Spanish (Latin America and The Philippines): Hechiceras (Sorceresses)
  • Portuguese (Portugal): As Feiticeiras (The Witches)
  • Portuguese (Brazil): Jovens Bruxas (Young Witches)
  • German: Charmed — Zauberhafte Schwestern/Hexen (Enchanted/Charmed Witches)
  • Italian: Streghe (Witches)
  • Danish: Heksene fra Warren Manor (The Witches from Warren Manor)
  • Hungarian: Bűbájos boszorkák (Charmed Witches)
  • Swedish: Förhäxad (Bewitched)
  • Polish: Czarodziejki (Witches)
  • Greek: οι Μάγισσεϛ [oi Mágisses] (The Witches)
  • Vietnamese: Phép thuật (Magic)

See also[]

Charmed Episodes
Season 1 1. "Something Wicca This Way Comes" • 2. "I've Got You Under My Skin" • 3. "Thank You For Not Morphing" • 4. "Dead Man Dating" • 5. "Dream Sorcerer" • 6. "The Wedding from Hell" • 7. "The Fourth Sister" • 8. "The Truth is Out There... and It Hurts" • 9. "The Witch is Back" • 10. "Wicca Envy" • 11. "Feats of Clay" • 12. "The Wendigo" • 13. "From Fear to Eternity" • 14. "Secrets and Guys" • 15. "Is There a Woogy in the House?" • 16. "Which Prue is It, Anyway?" • 17. "That '70s Episode" • 18. "When Bad Warlocks Go Good" • 19. "Out of Sight" • 20. "The Power of Two" • 21. "Love Hurts" • 22. "Déjà Vu All Over Again"
Season 2 1. "Witch Trial" • 2. "Morality Bites" • 3. "The Painted World" • 4. "The Devil's Music" • 5. "She's a Man, Baby, a Man!" • 6. "That Old Black Magic" • 7. "They're Everywhere" • 8. "P3 H2O" • 9. "Ms. Hellfire" • 10."Heartbreak City" • 11. "Reckless Abandon" • 12. "Awakened" • 13. "Animal Pragmatism" • 14. "Pardon My Past" • 15. "Give Me a Sign" • 16. "Murphy's Luck" • 17. "How to Make a Quilt Out of Americans" • 18. "Chick Flick" • 19. "Ex Libris" • 20. "Astral Monkey" • 21. "Apocalypse, Not" • 22. "Be Careful What You Witch For"
Season 3 1. "The Honeymoon's Over" • 2. "Magic Hour" • 3. "Once Upon a Time" • 4. "All Halliwell's Eve" • 5. "Sight Unseen" • 6. "Primrose Empath" • 7. "Power Outage" • 8. "Sleuthing with the Enemy" • 9. "Coyote Piper" • 10. "We All Scream for Ice Cream" • 11. "Blinded by the Whitelighter" • 12. "Wrestling with Demons" • 13. "Bride and Gloom" • 14. "The Good, the Bad and the Cursed" • 15. "Just Harried" • 16. "Death Takes a Halliwell" • 17. "Pre-Witched" • 18. "Sin Francisco" • 19. "The Demon Who Came in From the Cold" • 20. "Exit Strategy" • 21. "Look Who's Barking" • 22. "All Hell Breaks Loose"
Season 4 1. "Charmed Again, Part 1" • 2. "Charmed Again, Part 2" • 3. "Hell Hath No Fury" • 4. "Enter the Demon" • 5. "Size Matters" • 6. "A Knight to Remember" • 7. "Brain Drain" • 8. "Black as Cole" • 9. "Muse to My Ears" • 10. "A Paige from the Past" • 11. "Trial by Magic" • 12. "Lost and Bound" • 13. "Charmed and Dangerous" • 14. "The Three Faces of Phoebe" • 15. "Marry-Go-Round" • 16. "The Fifth Halliwheel" • 17. "Saving Private Leo" • 18. "Bite Me" • 19. "We're Off to See the Wizard" • 20. "Long Live the Queen" • 21. "Womb Raider" • 22. "Witch Way Now?"
Season 5 1. "A Witch's Tail, Part 1" • 2. "A Witch's Tail, Part 2" • 3. "Happily Ever After" • 4. "Siren Song" • 5. "Witches in Tights" • 6. "The Eyes Have It" • 7. "Sympathy for the Demon" • 8. "A Witch in Time" • 9. "Sam, I Am" • 10. "Y Tu Mummy Tambien" • 11. "The Importance of Being Phoebe" • 12. "Centennial Charmed" • 13. "House Call" • 14. "Sand Francisco Dreamin'" • 15. "The Day the Magic Died" • 16. "Baby's First Demon" • 17. "Lucky Charmed" • 18. "Cat House" • 19. "Nymphs Just Wanna Have Fun" • 20. "Sense and Sense Ability" • 21. "Necromancing the Stone" • 22. "Oh My Goddess! Part 1" • 23. "Oh My Goddess! Part 2"
Season 6 1. "Valhalley of the Dolls, Part 1" • 2. "Valhalley of the Dolls, Part 2" • 3. "Forget Me...Not" • 4. "The Power of Three Blondes" • 5. "Love's a Witch" • 6. "My Three Witches" • 7. "Soul Survivor" • 8. "Sword and the City" • 9. "Little Monsters" • 10. "Chris-Crossed" • 11. "Witchstock" • 12. "Prince Charmed" • 13. "Used Karma" • 14. "The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell" • 15. "I Dream of Phoebe" • 16. "The Courtship of Wyatt's Father" • 17. "Hyde School Reunion" • 18. "Spin City" • 19. "Crimes and Witch-Demeanors" • 20. "A Wrong Day's Journey Into Right" • 21. "Witch Wars" • 22. "It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World, Part 1" • 23. "It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World, Part 2"
Season 7 1. "A Call to Arms" • 2. "The Bare Witch Project" • 3. "Cheaper by the Coven" • 4. "Charrrmed!" • 5. "Styx Feet Under" • 6. "Once in a Blue Moon" • 7. "Someone to Witch Over Me" • 8. "Charmed Noir" • 9. "There's Something About Leo" • 10. "Witchness Protection" • 11. "Ordinary Witches" • 12. "Extreme Makeover: World Edition" • 13. "Charmageddon" • 14. "Carpe Demon" • 15. "Show Ghouls" • 16. "The Seven Year Witch" • 17. "Scry Hard" • 18. "Little Box of Horrors" • 19. "Freaky Phoebe" • 20. "Imaginary Fiends" • 21. "Death Becomes Them" • 22. "Something Wicca This Way Goes...?"
Season 8 1. "Still Charmed & Kicking" • 2. "Malice in Wonderland" • 3. "Run, Piper, Run" • 4. "Desperate Housewitches" • 5. "Rewitched" • 6. "Kill Billie: Vol. 1" • 7. "The Lost Picture Show" • 8. "Battle of the Hexes" • 9. "Hulkus Pocus" • 10. "Vaya Con Leos" • 11. "Mr. & Mrs. Witch" • 12. "Payback's a Witch" • 13. "Repo Manor" • 14. "12 Angry Zen" • 15. "The Last Temptation of Christy" • 16. "Engaged and Confused" • 17. "Generation Hex" • 18. "The Torn Identity" • 19. "The Jung and the Restless" • 20. "Gone with the Witches" • 21. "Kill Billie: Vol. 2" • 22. "Forever Charmed"
See also: List of Charmed episodes

References[]

  1. Finn, Natalie. "Charmed Spell Is Broken", E! Online, 2006-03-03. Retrieved on 2006-06-06.
  2. Associate Press. "'Charmed' a Casualty of the WB's Exit", Associated Press via TMZ.com, 2006-03-03. Retrieved on 2007-02-13.
  3. "Charmed Reboot has been opened up for The CW.", SpoilerTV, 2013. Retrieved on 2018-05-11.
  4. Shooting scripts released prior to the airing of the episode referred to the character as Piper's daughter, and even named her Melinda. The scene was not altered, these notes were part of the directions. Furthermore, the actresses playing Phoebe's eldest two daughters are in fact different actresses to the one shown in this scene.
  5. Constance M. Burge bio. Imdb.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-06.
  6. Alyssa Milano interview
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