Witch Way Now: Charmed in the Media and the Cast in Other Roles

[nightwing877]

3 hours ago, helenamonster said:

I'm surprised about this too. You'd think after naming Weinstein, which was a huge risk considering how powerful he was, tossing Brad Kern's name into the pot would have been easy.

I know right. Maybe she had bigger fish to fry and now that it is out will call him out. I know she didn't like being on the show for 5 years and hated being on for so long?

[Writing Wrongs]

I just can't with Alyssa:

Quote

Speaking of “Charmed,” did you ever feel that the tone of the show changed? So much of it was about women who supported each other and were empowered and literally had powers. But did you ever feel that there was a sexist attitude creeping in to some of the scripts or the storytelling?

No. I don’t think that. I would have to go back and read the scripts, but I never felt that while I was shooting. I thought that there was always a push to have us dressed in a way that was showing skin, but that’s the way we were portrayed at that time. We were sexualized, and that was something that was happening all over the business. I don’t think that was unique to “Charmed” or Brad.

She was the star and a producer. I have a hard time believing she had no say. Holly didn't dress like that. Alyssa's fairy tattoo has forever haunted me.

[nightwing877]

7 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I just can't with Alyssa:

She was the star and a producer. I have a hard time believing she had no say. Holly didn't dress like that. Alyssa's fairy tattoo has forever haunted me.

Maybe after Shannen was fired, they were afraid to say anything. But that shouldn't have stopped Alyssa from speaking up. They wouldn't dare fire a second actress from Charmed. 

Alyssa does like to circle around the truth..

[Writing Wrongs]

I got obsessed watching a bunch of Youtube Con panels for Charmed. I wonder why there was this big interest starting in 2012? And that Holly, Shannen and Brian agreed to participate. Man, there were cons from Paris, Barcelona, Australia, Germany...not to mention all the ones in the US.

Brian and Holly are great to watch together, they are hilarious. And I'm glad that Shannen admitted that part of her regrets that she left and that it's sad when she hears people talk about later seasons and realizes she wasn't part of it.

They really give Brian shit for dating Alyssa.

[Esmeralda]

Not quite sure where this belongs, so if this is wrong, please change it.

 

Dolores O'Riordan, the lead singer of the Cranberries, and the person who stars in my favorite scene of Charmed, the scene I always watch when I need a smile, has died at age 46.  

In her memory, here's that wonderful scene, featuring the Charmed Ones looking so young and so happy and each with a mortal boyfriend - as I wish would've remained the case...

Cranberries on Charmed

RIP, Dolores!

[Writing Wrongs]

Charmed reboot is back on and Holly isn't pleased:

http://ew.com/tv/2018/01/26/charmed-holly-marie-combs-reboot/

[helenamonster]

33 minutes ago, Writing Wrongs said:

Charmed reboot is back on and Holly isn't pleased:

http://ew.com/tv/2018/01/26/charmed-holly-marie-combs-reboot/

Is anybody? Does literally anybody want this?

I've always found the Charmed fandom to be wonderfully unique in that we all like things about the show (what those things are differ vastly from viewer to viewer) but we are all able to unequivocally acknowledge that it was a bad show. I guess some people might call it "hatewatching" but it didn't seem to be quite that; we hated the bad but loved the good, and we just sometimes (politely) disagreed on what the bad and good were (except for Billie and Christy, the worst 5ever!). I can't think of another show that has a fandom like this. Heroes, maybe?

[Esmeralda]

18 hours ago, helenamonster said:

Is anybody? Does literally anybody want this?

I've always found the Charmed fandom to be wonderfully unique in that we all like things about the show (what those things are differ vastly from viewer to viewer) but we are all able to unequivocally acknowledge that it was a bad show. I guess some people might call it "hatewatching" but it didn't seem to be quite that; we hated the bad but loved the good, and we just sometimes (politely) disagreed on what the bad and good were (except for Billie and Christy, the worst 5ever!). I can't think of another show that has a fandom like this. Heroes, maybe?

I've always considered "The Perils of Poor, Poor Pitiful Piper" aka "PhoeME and Her Fantasy Men" aka "One Living Whitelighter Plus Two Witches Equals The Power of Three", what I count as the alternate-universe spin-off of Charmed, but what others count as S4-8 as a bad show - I did when I first watched it - I just kept watching because I hoped it would go back to being what it was, but it never did.

But I don't consider what I count as Charmed and what others would count as S1-3 a bad show - I count it as a very good one and one of my favorites, the reason I only have those 3 DVDs and only watch those (well, along with my DVD of my favorite S4-8 episodes; I admit it).

I think we're lucky to have a show like this, that we hate because we love so much of it.  If we either loved all of it or hated all of it, threads would be very, very short and very, very boring.

As for who wants this, well, this is what WE FANS are interested in. We really don't know what a new set of fans, who the reboot is after, want.

I'm sure you all know how very much it hurt me to type out that sentence, but it's also true. I don't know how popular the other CW shows have been (have tried a few but haven't watched any faithfully since Charmed ended - just not for me - but then I haven't followed a lot of broadcast series, watching cable channels much more.) and with which audience is watching them.. As long as CBS owns the rights to Charmed, they're going to want to reboot it in a way that will draw those fans, not the fans of a show that started 20 years ago, no matter how popular it is on Netflix. Remember that Netflix is The CW's competition.

This *might* be why Shannen and Alyssa's idea never went anywhere - CBS squashed it since they wanted their own.  It might even by why Alyssa and Shannen tried to do it their way.

   

Edited January 28, 2018 by Esmeralda

[Writing Wrongs]

Rose will be on GMA tomorrow.

[Lady Calypso]

Shannen also weighs in on the Charmed reboot

[magicdog]

Watching Rose on Dr. Oz right now!  Holy cow she shaved her head!!!

 

As for the proposed reboot I still say nay!  

If they bring back the original actresses for a limited run (and maybe retcon some serious issues that followed she show post season3)  and keep Brad Kern away from it I’d be ok with it.  

If they want to create a series about witches then go ahead.  But it should not be called Charmed.  

I also am annoyed with the term “feminist” to describe the reboot.  The original show was all about girl power in the beginning and how three witchy sisters tried to find balance between magic and non magical worlds.  While I do agree the show went down hill (PhoeME for starters) that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.

Edited February 1, 2018 by magicdog

[Kohola3]

11 minutes ago, magicdog said:

 Holy cow she shaved her head!!

She shaved her head several years ago. She felt Hollywood dehumanized woman because they only wanted long haired sexy types for any role.  Which is certainly the case (think Kardashian).

[Lost]

Wow. Who'd have thought after all of these years, the Shannen vs Alyssa so-called feud would be shrunk into insignificance when it comes to the more recent Holly vs Shannen (apparently over the latter having cancer and being "no fun anymore") and now Rose vs Alyssa (apparently over the latters involvement with the very people responsible with such abhorrent abuse within the industry). 

I do think Rose has a lot of issues and tends to lash out tbh. She's obviously doing great and positive work, but she's also a loose cannon and flies off the handle at the slightest thing. I do question her motives myself sometimes. But it is interesting to learn who Alyssa's husband is. I didn't know that. 

It was a strange headline to read, however. The Charmed fan deep inside of me was hurt to read things like Rose McGowan on Alyssa Milano: "I don't like her." :(

On 27/01/2018 at 11:27 PM, helenamonster said:

Is anybody? Does literally anybody want this?

I've always found the Charmed fandom to be wonderfully unique in that we all like things about the show (what those things are differ vastly from viewer to viewer) but we are all able to unequivocally acknowledge that it was a bad show. I guess some people might call it "hatewatching" but it didn't seem to be quite that; we hated the bad but loved the good, and we just sometimes (politely) disagreed on what the bad and good were (except for Billie and Christy, the worst 5ever!). I can't think of another show that has a fandom like this. Heroes, maybe?

I wouldn't call the eras of the show that I enjoyed a "bad" show. More a guilty pleasure. 

I was well aware I wasn't watching high art at any point during the show's entire 8 seasons though. Lmao. 

Edited February 1, 2018 by Lost

[helenamonster]

5 hours ago, Lost said:

Wow. Who'd have thought after all of these years, the Shannen vs Alyssa so-called feud would be shrunk into insignificance when it comes to the more recent Holly vs Shannen (apparently over the latter having cancer and being "no fun anymore") and now Rose vs Alyssa (apparently over the latters involvement with the very people responsible with such abhorrent abuse within the industry). 

I do think Rose has a lot of issues and tends to lash out tbh. She's obviously doing great and positive work, but she's also a loose cannon and flies off the handle at the slightest thing. I do question her motives myself sometimes. But it is interesting to learn who Alyssa's husband is. I didn't know that. 

I'm just in this mood where I wanna stay out of Rose McGowan's way (not that I was ever in it, but, ya know, go with me). She's a woman on a mission, she's had to keep all these awful details to herself for twenty years (because it wasn't just the rape, the torment went way beyond that)...I don't agree with all the ways she's going about dealing with it but it doesn't feel like my place to agree or disagree. I just hope she has a strong support system and is able to make it out the other side a better person.

I also get kind of bowled over by the complexity and layers of just her Weinstein situation. I was watching Scream this past Halloween (as I do every year) and I'd forgotten that it was produced by the Weinsteins. That movie (which she is so, so, so good in) launched her career and then to be assaulted and harassed by one of the people who had a not-insignificant hand in that...it's a mindfuck. And if you don't have the time or the resources to properly deal with that trauma, which it appears she didn't, I can't get too mad at it all tumbling out in a really messy way now. I just feel sorry for her and hope things are starting to get better.

[Apprentice79]

23 hours ago, Lost said:

Wow. Who'd have thought after all of these years, the Shannen vs Alyssa so-called feud would be shrunk into insignificance when it comes to the more recent Holly vs Shannen (apparently over the latter having cancer and being "no fun anymore") and now Rose vs Alyssa (apparently over the latters involvement with the very people responsible with such abhorrent abuse within the industry). 

If Shannen and Holly are no longer friends, then, I am sad.  Their real life friendship made the Prue/Piper dynamic so special. I also got the impression that Holly understood Shannen in a way that other people could not. I do believe that Shannen is a difficult person, but, that does not mean that she is a horrible person. I am hoping that they have hit a bump in the road and will get back on track. They have been friends for so long and even if Holly let her down, that does not mean she should throw the friendship away..

[Lost]

Just shows you how fiery things must've been on set, Shannen vs Alyssa, Shannen & Holly vs Alyssa, Shannen vs Holly, Alyssa vs Rose. Lmao.

No wonder Brian Krause had a reputation for "hanging out" with the guest stars. :D

[Apprentice79]

17 minutes ago, Lost said:

Just shows you how fiery things must've been on set, Shannen vs Alyssa, Shannen & Holly vs Alyssa, Shannen vs Holly, Alyssa vs Rose. Lmao.

No wonder Brian Krause had a reputation for "hanging out" with the guest stars. :D

True! it makes me sad that the sisterhood between Shannen and Holly is over.. 

[HunterHunted]

On 2/1/2018 at 12:18 PM, magicdog said:

I also am annoyed with the term “feminist” to describe the reboot.  The original show was all about girl power in the beginning and how three witchy sisters tried to find balance between magic and non magical worlds.  While I do agree the show went down hill (PhoeME for starters) that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.

It might have started that way, but its feminist bona fides were a mess by season 2. I don't object to the use of feminist to describe the reboot because as a whole Charmed was catastrophe on the feminist front. 

[Esmeralda]

New details on reboot!

http://tvline.com/2018/02/07/charmed-reboot-cast-characters-macy-mel-madison-the-cw/

Quote

Move over Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Prue — there’s a new bewitching sister act coming your way, and their parents were fans of alliteration, too!

TVLine has obtained the casting breakdowns for The CW’s in-the-works Charmedreboot, and they reveal that the three familial leads bear the unofficial names Macy, Mel and Madison. As previously reported, the new series — penned by Jane the Virgin scribes Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin— is set in the present day and is described as “a fierce, funny, feminist reboot” centered on “three sisters in a college town who discover they are witches.”

In addition to the sisters, casting is also underway for the trio’s “devilishly handsome” advisor (or “Whitelighter”) Harry, as well as Macy’s documentary filmmaker-boyfriend Galvin and Madison’s “sensitive loner” ex-beau Brian.

Oh, and we buried the lede: Producers are also on the prowl for an actress to play Mel’s girlfriend. Yep, one of the three new Charmed sisters is a lesbian.

It should be noted that “all ethnicities” are being sought for all the roles.

Scroll down to read the slightly truncated character descriptions for Macy, Mel and Madison

MACY | A witty, intense science nerd, Macy — who is in her late 20s — is a Ph.D. in quantum physics who’s moving with her boyfriend Galvin to Hilltowne, Michigan, to work in the university lab. Macy has reason to believe that she is the sister of Mel and Madison. Her power is telekinesis.

MEL PRUITT | A strong-willed feminist, she feels deeply and is a bit controlling. Mel — who is in her mid 20s and a lesbian —  is the sister of Madison. In the wake of a tragic accident, the grieving Mel becomes angry, defiantly unkempt, even violent, pushing away those who might help her, including her girlfriend, Detective Soo Jin. Mel’s power is time-freezing.

MADISON PRUITT | Mel’s younger sister (she’s 18-ish), an athletic (pilates, cheerleading) college student pledging a sorority, Madison is the opposite of her feminist sister with a desire to fit in. Madison is horrified to learn she is a witch. Her power is hearing people’s thoughts.

 

So? What do you guys think?  I'll hold my comments off til later, just say that I'm planning on watching the debut episode and if I like it, I'll keep watching.  

 

 

[Kohola3]

Um, no.  Just no.

[HunterHunted]

It seems as if it's a tiny bit too soon to reboot/reimagine the show as it's still being successfully rerun on TNT. However, this reminds me a little bit of the Battlestar Galactica reboot, which was a vast improvement over the original. I can understand why fans would be wedded to and protective of the original version, but it was not great and not even all that good. It does not hold up on many fronts. Charmed is messy, cheesy, and pretty shoddily written and acted. I have my doubts that a reboot could make it worse. And despite how much we like it or have fond memories, a lot of us spend a lot time rewriting the show because it is a mess. It is a disaster as a work attempting a feminist point of view. It was problematic in it's consistency of characterization and storytelling.

Furthermore, Jane The Virgin has been nominated and won the kinds of awards that Charmed could only have dreamed to be shortlisted for let alone nominated or even won. The show has been acknowledged by the People's Choice Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Image Awards and the Television Critics Association as well as honored by the American Film Institute and the George Foster Peabody Awards. I don't have any concern about the quality of the reboot.

I get why Holly and Shannen wouldn't be fans of the reboot. They put a lot of effort into the show. They ended up practically showrunning it at various points. They feel like the reboot doesn't acknowledge their hard work and denigrates the effort they put into it. And maybe there is a bit of criticism in the logline, but Holly, Shannen, and Alyssa were operating in a state within a state situation. The producers with no power, but at that the same time had executive producers who refused to do any work and had executive and veto power. It was an untenable situation. The only time female stars have had any real power is when they've been executive producing from the jump. Or seriously involved in the initial development of the show. These women didn't have that so they were always operating from a position of weakness.

I'm going to take a wait and see approach to the reboot.

[questionfear]

Here's my fear on the reboot: the descriptions sound like someone took characters and plot points from a slew of fan fiction, tossed them in a hat, and then tried to match them up into a story...it doesn't sound enough like the original "Charmed" and it doesn't feel enough like its own entity. Does that make sense?

[KhaleesiEmerald]

4 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

It seems as if it's a tiny bit too soon to reboot/reimagine the show as it's still being successfully rerun on TNT. However, this reminds me a little bit of the Battlestar Galactica reboot, which was a vast improvement over the original. I can understand why fans would be wedded to and protective of the original version, but it was not great and not even all that good. It does not hold up on many fronts. Charmed is messy, cheesy, and pretty shoddily written and acted. I have my doubts that a reboot could make it worse. And despite how much we like it or have fond memories, a lot of us spend a lot time rewriting the show because it is a mess. It is a disaster as a work attempting a feminist point of view. It was problematic in it's consistency of characterization and storytelling.

Furthermore, Jane The Virgin has been nominated and won the kinds of awards that Charmed could only have dreamed to be shortlisted for let alone nominated or even won. The show has been acknowledged by the People's Choice Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Image Awards and the Television Critics Association as well as honored by the American Film Institute and the George Foster Peabody Awards. I don't have any concern about the quality of the reboot.

I get why Holly and Shannen wouldn't be fans of the reboot. They put a lot of effort into the show. They ended up practically showrunning it at various points. They feel like the reboot doesn't acknowledge their hard work and denigrates the effort they put into it. And maybe there is a bit of criticism in the logline, but Holly, Shannen, and Alyssa were operating in a state within a state situation. The producers with no power, but at that the same time had executive producers who refused to do any work and had executive and veto power. It was an untenable situation. The only time female stars have had any real power is when they've been executive producing from the jump. Or seriously involved in the initial development of the show. These women didn't have that so they were always operating from a position of weakness.

I'm going to take a wait and see approach to the reboot.

I honestly agree a lot with this and couldn't have said it better myself. I've been trying to find the perfect words to put this in for my friends. I loved the Original Charmed but I'm in a way, very excited to see the reboot. 

[helenamonster]

On 2/8/2018 at 12:14 PM, HunterHunted said:

It seems as if it's a tiny bit too soon to reboot/reimagine the show as it's still being successfully rerun on TNT. However, this reminds me a little bit of the Battlestar Galactica reboot, which was a vast improvement over the original. I can understand why fans would be wedded to and protective of the original version, but it was not great and not even all that good. It does not hold up on many fronts. Charmed is messy, cheesy, and pretty shoddily written and acted. I have my doubts that a reboot could make it worse. And despite how much we like it or have fond memories, a lot of us spend a lot time rewriting the show because it is a mess. It is a disaster as a work attempting a feminist point of view. It was problematic in it's consistency of characterization and storytelling.

Furthermore, Jane The Virgin has been nominated and won the kinds of awards that Charmed could only have dreamed to be shortlisted for let alone nominated or even won. The show has been acknowledged by the People's Choice Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Image Awards and the Television Critics Association as well as honored by the American Film Institute and the George Foster Peabody Awards. I don't have any concern about the quality of the reboot.

I get why Holly and Shannen wouldn't be fans of the reboot. They put a lot of effort into the show. They ended up practically showrunning it at various points. They feel like the reboot doesn't acknowledge their hard work and denigrates the effort they put into it. And maybe there is a bit of criticism in the logline, but Holly, Shannen, and Alyssa were operating in a state within a state situation. The producers with no power, but at that the same time had executive producers who refused to do any work and had executive and veto power. It was an untenable situation. The only time female stars have had any real power is when they've been executive producing from the jump. Or seriously involved in the initial development of the show. These women didn't have that so they were always operating from a position of weakness.

I'm going to take a wait and see approach to the reboot.

Speaking for myself here, but regarding the bolded for me that was always a part of the charm (pun acknowledged but not immediately intended) of the show. Its worst qualities can be so frustrating because it had the potential to be so much better, but that's part of the nostalgia for me when I go back and watch old episodes. Even episodes I generally like will have moments I hate but that hatred will take me back to 2004 for a second and it's kind of awesome. Don't know if this makes any sense but it's how I feel.

Another reason I'm kind of meh on this reboot is that I work in the industry so I get all the casting calls for movies and television. Half of them are reboots and remakes, and a lot of other ones are the same idea being made by several different people--for instance, there are at least four Manson Family projects in development right now, all set to come out around the same time (coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the murders, which even as someone who's always been interested in the murders I find really tacky and exploitative) and all of them kind of sounding mediocre to outright bad. I think you can make a show about kick-ass magical women without leaning on an intellectual property that already exists. I just wish people could be more original.

[Esmeralda]

I can see where you guys are coming from  - although I much preferred the original Battlestar Galactica to its reboot and tried watching Jane the Virgin and just didn't like it, despite all of the awards it's won.  It depends a lot upon when you were born and what you raised up watching - after all, it's been 20 years since the first episode came out, and this reboot is obviously meant for millennials, so it shouldn't be too surprising that older fans of the original won't be interested. 

Although when it comes to reboots, I keep thinking about "The Fugitive", the series and the movie. Both were about the same characters (well, okay, Lt. Phillip Gerard became Lt. Sam Gerard, and Richard Kimble was called Dick in the series and Richard in the movie, but...) with the same basic plot but done totally completely differently and I loved both. So if it's about three sisters who happen to be witches (not three demon-hunters who happen to be related like in the alternate-universe spin-off, S4-8), then I might give it a try. 

Because after reading this  character summary, "ll admit I'm more interested than I was. First, I like the letter being used is an "M" like Melinda Warren, even the fact that there's a Mel - and that the last name is Pruitt - both a "P" and a nod to Prue - those are the sort of nod to the original that I could accept. 

I like the missing sister being older rather than younger and the two actual Pruitt characters being opposites so they can bounce off each other like Prue and Phoebe did. If Macy acts like an Only Child and not an Oldest while Mel acts like an Oldest and Madison acts like a Baby, I'll be *very* happy, but I have a hunch they'll mess up the birth order and have Macy act like an Oldest, Mel act like a Middle and Madison act like the Baby. Although then again, if Madison is the one who doesn't want to be a witch, that does make her seem like Piper. I do hope they didn't turn the Baby into a whiner.

Like others, I'm not nuts on the fact that they already have a rebooted Andy character (Soo JIn, even if she is a female),, a rebooted Leo character (Harry) and a  possible-rebooted Cole character. ( Do we agree that the "sensitive, loner ex-beau, Brian" will turn into the Cole character - although if the devilishly-handsome character is actually the Cole-character - half-demon - rather than half-whitelighter, that could be both different and fun), preferring Prue and her mortal boyfriend in the first season, Piper and her angelic boyfriend n the second season and Phoebe and her demonic boyfriend n the third season so the emphasis could be on the sisterhood and not the boyfriend/girlfriend.  And can't witches ever have female friends who aren't lovers? (I always thought Phoebe and Kyra were soul mates much more than Phoebe and Cole or Phoebe and Coop or Phoebe and any of her other slampieces, but then I always thought Phoebe was a lesbian who hadn't accepted the fact that she was a lesbian - very typical for late 90's/early 00's  The only one she had a true sexual connection with was Kyra....)

I also really don't like that the one original power that's missing is premonitions, the power I always thought the most important in the original because it showed them which innocent they were supposed to save so it tends to tell me that it will be more like S4-8 than S1-3, which I don't like, and probably more about demon-hunters who happen to be related rather than three sisters who happen to be related, which I definitely don't like.

My main wish for the reboot is that someone who knows the twitter address or the facebook actresses for the writers and ask them to watch this: Obscure Lupa's Manic Episodes: Charmed (all episodes) and ask them to PLEASE not make the same mistakes that Classic Charmed made.

[Apprentice79]

On ‎2‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 11:11 AM, Esmeralda said:

I can see where you guys are coming from  - although I much preferred the original Battlestar Galactica to its reboot and tried watching Jane the Virgin and just didn't like it, despite all of the awards it's won.  It depends a lot upon when you were born and what you raised up watching - after all, it's been 20 years since the first episode came out, and this reboot is obviously meant for millennials, so it shouldn't be too surprising that older fans of the original won't be interested. 

Although when it comes to reboots, I keep thinking about "The Fugitive", the series and the movie. Both were about the same characters (well, okay, Lt. Phillip Gerard became Lt. Sam Gerard, and Richard Kimble was called Dick in the series and Richard in the movie, but...) with the same basic plot but done totally completely differently and I loved both. So if it's about three sisters who happen to be witches (not three demon-hunters who happen to be related like in the alternate-universe spin-off, S4-8), then I might give it a try. 

Because after reading this  character summary, "ll admit I'm more interested than I was. First, I like the letter being used is an "M" like Melinda Warren, even the fact that there's a Mel - and that the last name is Pruitt - both a "P" and a nod to Prue - those are the sort of nod to the original that I could accept. 

I like the missing sister being older rather than younger and the two actual Pruitt characters being opposites so they can bounce off each other like Prue and Phoebe did. If Macy acts like an Only Child and not an Oldest while Mel acts like an Oldest and Madison acts like a Baby, I'll be *very* happy, but I have a hunch they'll mess up the birth order and have Macy act like an Oldest, Mel act like a Middle and Madison act like the Baby. Although then again, if Madison is the one who doesn't want to be a witch, that does make her seem like Piper. I do hope they didn't turn the Baby into a whiner.

Like others, I'm not nuts on the fact that they already have a rebooted Andy character (Soo JIn, even if she is a female),, a rebooted Leo character (Harry) and a  possible-rebooted Cole character. ( Do we agree that the "sensitive, loner ex-beau, Brian" will turn into the Cole character - although if the devilishly-handsome character is actually the Cole-character - half-demon - rather than half-whitelighter, that could be both different and fun), preferring Prue and her mortal boyfriend in the first season, Piper and her angelic boyfriend n the second season and Phoebe and her demonic boyfriend n the third season so the emphasis could be on the sisterhood and not the boyfriend/girlfriend.  And can't witches ever have female friends who aren't lovers? (I always thought Phoebe and Kyra were soul mates much more than Phoebe and Cole or Phoebe and Coop or Phoebe and any of her other slampieces, but then I always thought Phoebe was a lesbian who hadn't accepted the fact that she was a lesbian - very typical for late 90's/early 00's  The only one she had a true sexual connection with was Kyra....)

I also really don't like that the one original power that's missing is premonitions, the power I always thought the most important in the original because it showed them which innocent they were supposed to save so it tends to tell me that it will be more like S4-8 than S1-3, which I don't like, and probably more about demon-hunters who happen to be related rather than three sisters who happen to be related, which I definitely don't like.

My main wish for the reboot is that someone who knows the twitter address or the facebook actresses for the writers and ask them to watch this: Obscure Lupa's Manic Episodes: Charmed (all episodes) and ask them to PLEASE not make the same mistakes that Classic Charmed made.

Premonitions was the most important power in the original power of 3.  It had so much potential to be so awesome.  I wanted Phoebe to realize it's greatness. Just like I wanted Piper to embrace her status as a witch and celebrate it, rather than resent it.

[Writing Wrongs]

I'm gonna be honest. To me, this sounds like shit. People don't understand why this bugs the original shows fans, but think of the uproar when they were going to do a Buffy reboot. Charmed is as important to its fans as Buffy's.

[Esmeralda]

An interesting look at both Classic Charmed and the reboot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvv0QzDEYdM"

[magicdog]

On 2/1/2018 at 8:55 PM, helenamonster said:

I do think Rose has a lot of issues and tends to lash out tbh. She's obviously doing great and positive work, but she's also a loose cannon and flies off the handle at the slightest thing. I do question her motives myself sometimes.

It's just that her public breakdown seems to be similar to those of other celebs like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears who coincidentally, also shaved their heads when their issues manifested.  That's why I was so shocked seeing Rose's shaved head during the Dr. Oz interview.  I felt like I'd seen all this before.  I'm not saying these women don't have good reason to be upset or traumatized;  it's just how they all chose to show it.

[Eva Marie]

Millennials would've already grown up watching the original - I'm one of them. Nostalgia for my teens and its pop culture is a big draw for me here. The new target audience would be Generation Z. I fell in love with Jane the Virgin S1, then it abruptly declined in S2 and I never bothered to go back to it since. It's an incredibly stylish and modern show regardless. It's  also really high energy, which gets exhausting on a binge watch. Charmed, even with all its' demon vanquishings + special effects has a mellow tone which is really introvert-friendly.

I'm baffled as to why WB treated Charmed as Buffy's poor cousin because Charmed had a strong international reach and fantastic lead actresses at the onset. Later on it had JM in his brief reign as the Brad Pitt of TV.  I'm even more perplexed as to why the shows are compared at all - they aren't even apples & oranges, more like apples and dragon-fruit! I never connected with Buffy and really dislike the cult of personality around Whedon. Charmed succeeded on its quiet er, charm and heart. It has more in common with Gilmore Girls IMO.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Eva Marie

[Eva Marie]

Or even Desperate Housewives.

[Esmeralda]

I always thought it was at its best when it was less like Buffy and more like 'Touched by an Angel', DESPITE what Prue says about them not being angels!

[Lost]

I don't get this "true sexual chemistry" between Phoebe and Kyra? 

Two good looking actresses in Milano and Carpenter played one episode where there was not a hint of anything between them? 

Sounds like a teenage boy watching two sexy actors and praying they get off with one another. 

[Lost]

I don't have an issue with 

On 10/02/2018 at 6:17 PM, helenamonster said:

Speaking for myself here, but regarding the bolded for me that was always a part of the charm (pun acknowledged but not immediately intended) of the show. Its worst qualities can be so frustrating because it had the potential to be so much better, but that's part of the nostalgia for me when I go back and watch old episodes. Even episodes I generally like will have moments I hate but that hatred will take me back to 2004 for a second and it's kind of awesome. Don't know if this makes any sense but it's how I feel.

Another reason I'm kind of meh on this reboot is that I work in the industry so I get all the casting calls for movies and television. Half of them are reboots and remakes, and a lot of other ones are the same idea being made by several different people--for instance, there are at least four Manson Family projects in development right now, all set to come out around the same time (coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the murders, which even as someone who's always been interested in the murders I find really tacky and exploitative) and all of them kind of sounding mediocre to outright bad. I think you can make a show about kick-ass magical women without leaning on an intellectual property that already exists. I just wish people could be more original.

I completely agree with you. Despite it's major flaws, it was what it was and it's been so long now, every part of it holds a nostalgic charm. 

Not to mention, its cheesiness I don't think was one of its major flaws. It was just the type of show that it was. TV was full of that type of melodrama and cheese. It's very 90s when you watch back. 

Yes, they cast a lot of bad actors/cheesy guest stars, but the main cast was (for the most part) pretty strong and held it all together. Particularly, Doherty and Combs who did a lot to really ground the show with good, realistic performances. With the kookiness and comedy mostly coming from McGowan and Milano. 

 

 

Now, I don't mind the idea of a reboot to do a different take on the show. Maybe, avoid the major issues the original had. 

But I don't think this particular reboot is the one to do it, it just sounds even more cheesy and horrible. Like those bad fan fictions that pollute the Internet. 

The only hope is that TV series go through a LOT of changes from pilot stage through to series. So hopefully they manage to iron out the kinks and make a pretty decent version. 

Even the character names seems like someone's gone "Oh, pick three random names all with the same letter". It kind of makes me cringe reading about it. 

And any show that screams "I'm FEMINIST!" from the start is doing themselves a disservice. Now they're gonna be analysed to the nth degree and criticised by people with different views on feminism. A show just needs to be what it is and any direction or portrayal the writers/want to project should just be there in the writing. 

Not them needing to tell us "We're gonna tear down the patriarchy!" All I keep imagining is an even cheesier version of The Power of Three Blondes. 

Edited February 24, 2018 by Lost

[Esmeralda]

I'm wondering if the "patriarchy" will be the Elders.  It would be fun to watch them take THEM down!

But personally I think all of this - two being possibly Latinas so people think it will include Latin culture - one being gay - both a black and an Asian in the cast - is nothing more than clickbait.  We'll see what it truly is when it starts.

As someone said, I'll just keep hoping they eventually realize they'd be a lot smarter calling it a dramedy INSPIRED by Charmed, but titled something else, like Charmed was INSPIRED by Buffy and The Coven but given a totally different name.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Esmeralda

[Eva Marie]

From my experience, even the most female friendly Hollywood shows have no clue how to do feminism organically simply because they can't do women organically. Several international shows have done it though:

British Bletchley Circle

Aussie Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Danish Rita

Canadian Orphan Black

Australia also has a female prison show which makes Orange is the New Black look like Touched by an Angel. It's called Wentworth.

 

I guess CW got cocky because they got feminist praise for Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-GF...and they proceeded to shoot themselves in the foot with it.

[Esmeralda]

So what else is new?  When Lupa was talking about if Charmed has a good idea, they'll find a way to make it stupid, they could've been talking about The WB and The CW for the reason you mentioned.  I hope the fact that it's women in charge of this show that they can make it organic, but I won't hold my breath until it happens.

[helenamonster]

I agree about things like "feminism" needing to come through organically in these kinds of shows--shows built around an abstract concept tend to fall apart storywise because they aren't being built in a proper narrative fashion. A show with a logline like Charmed--three sisters discover they're good witches and use their powers to fight evil--should be able to have feminist ideals come through naturally without trying too hard (and obviously we've been discussing the myriad ways the original dropped the ball on that). Doing "theme first, plot later" rarely ever works out.

[Esmeralda]

SO true!  Just like coming up with catchy titles for episodes and then trying to come up with a storyline that fits it doesn't

I guess I wish that the lesbian didn't know that she is one right away and that that came through in the storyline rather than already being in a relationship.  This just feels too much like trying too hard to be feminist.

[Lost]

On 24/02/2018 at 9:39 PM, Esmeralda said:

I'm wondering if the "patriarchy" will be the Elders.  It would be fun to watch them take THEM down!

But personally I think all of this - two being possibly Latinas so people think it will include Latin culture - one being gay - both a black and an Asian in the cast - is nothing more than clickbait.  We'll see what it truly is when it starts.

As someone said, I'll just keep hoping they eventually realize they'd be a lot smarter calling it a dramedy INSPIRED by Charmed, but titled something else, like Charmed was INSPIRED by Buffy and The Coven but given a totally different name.

The "patriarchy" is not referencing anything specific. It's feminist term for the male dominated society in which we live. 

[Lost]

On 24/02/2018 at 9:39 PM, Esmeralda said:

I'm wondering if the "patriarchy" will be the Elders.  It would be fun to watch them take THEM down!

But personally I think all of this - two being possibly Latinas so people think it will include Latin culture - one being gay - both a black and an Asian in the cast - is nothing more than clickbait.  We'll see what it truly is when it starts.

As someone said, I'll just keep hoping they eventually realize they'd be a lot smarter calling it a dramedy INSPIRED by Charmed, but titled something else, like Charmed was INSPIRED by Buffy and The Coven but given a totally different name.

 

That's very different though.

Apart from the title magic, I don't see any similarities between Charmed and The Craft (I assume you meant the Craft). I remember Combs mentioning Practical Magic heavily informed the show, which you can see very much. Both in tone and themes during the early seasons. 

But, whilst you can see the influence, Charmed is still its own show that is not a copy of Buffy, The Craft or Practical Magic. 

Whereas giving this show a completely different name, when it's quite clearly the premise of Charmed is different. It would be ridiculed as a rip-off/copy if they weren't honest about what show they were remaking. The description of it is not inspired by Charmed, it's a complete remake/copy of it. 

But, I do agree in principal. Why they couldn't just create a brand new show with a witch theme that was just like a modern Charmed-type show without actually having to be Charmed. 

On 25/02/2018 at 10:08 PM, Esmeralda said:

SO true!  Just like coming up with catchy titles for episodes and then trying to come up with a storyline that fits it doesn't

I guess I wish that the lesbian didn't know that she is one right away and that that came through in the storyline rather than already being in a relationship.  This just feels too much like trying too hard to be feminist.

But... how do you know they even did that? 

Most television shows use puns/word-play for their episode titles. There's no suggestion they would come up with titles and then build episodes around the title. 

 

As for the lesbian thing, the "coming out" story is really overdone on television. Her already knowing and being comfortable with her sexuality is fine. 

Edited February 27, 2018 by Lost

[Eva Marie]

Funny story on the cast in other roles:

Here I was, watching a new Aussie movie Swinging Safari, and I could not for the life of me figure out why one of the husband characters looked so terribly familiar (something about the eyes and brows). It was just out of my grasp and I spent the whole movie puzzling it out with no luck. So I look at the credits and...nothing. The names don't ring any bells aside from the ones I knew already. I'm even more puzzled because I know the actor has to be Aussie - no foreigner can ever get the accent right. This is weird, because practically all the familiar Aussie faces that work domestically are easily recognisable: it's a small pool because most are off in Tinseltown.

Then the word Charmed pops into my head - a show I've only seen a few eps of in the original run as a teen, but have fond nostalgic memories of. I also remember that there was this cute guy with sinister-looking eyebrows in it, and he had an unusual name. I finally crack it and turns out that: A) the culprit's name is Julian McMahon; B) that he's  Australian; and C) that he still has the crazy eyebrows despite looking nothing like his Charmed self due to having done something unspeakable to his face...

Now here things get stranger: this is yet another instance of my Charmed connections. Within the past few months I've stumbled on The Craft in a bargain bin and heard the Charmed song in it; saw Holly on Pretty Little Liars, heard of Rose's feminist efforts and discovered that Charmed is the 2nd longest running show with all female leads after Desperate Housewives. The kicker is that I'd seen absolutely no reminders of Charmed in 13-15 years. So I look it up and guess what: there's a reboot in the works! I feel like everything is converging to steer me to watch Charmed all of a sudden:-)

That's not the end of it:

I put it on my To Do list. Then I browse Netflix, stumble on Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (very much my kind of show). Guess who I see on it.......Julian again, on another supernatural show, which is... wait for it...all about how seemingly unrelated coincidences all connect holistically due to The Universe!!! And I'm mentally yelling: all right, all right, universe; I'm going to start on Charmed ASAP!

Since I've done that - no other reminders have popped up. Not a peep. True story.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Eva Marie

[Eva Marie]

I'll give you an example of what I consider a truly feminist portrayal of women in the Danish show Rita:

It's about 2 very different, but thoroughly unconventional women in a conventional feminine profession (teachers). 1's middle-aged, rebellious, model-gorgeous naturally but never primped (Rita). The other is what Hollywood would portray as a hopeless loser: overweight, Awkward TM and very geeky (Hjordis). Here, however, we're never asked to judge Hjordis that way because no one on the show does. She's portrayed as competent, warm-hearted, loveable and works as comic relief in the sense that we laugh WITH her, not AT her. She steals the show in fact. She also gets happily married to en equally geeky and lovable man and has a child. The show asserts twice and very loudly that her differences are actually her strengths and there's no need for her to become Normal TM, because that would crush her and her family's spirit.

Rita's a borderline sex addict, but we never ever see that exploited for porny purposes. She's never behaves or dresses like a Sexy Woman TM. In fact, she turns down an overconfident Cole-type character because she has no use for Bad Boys TM. Many traits make her a truly amazing female character (and revolutionary by Hollywood standards).

The show is centered around the friendship and work of these 2 women. Men are always around, but they never come to the forefront and swallow the womens' lives. The last season also has Rita reconnect to her best friend from her teens, and that story (including flashbacks from their teens) is truly the best and the most real portrayal of female friendship I've ever seen. I'm so impressed by it that I propose creating a Rita test to replace the Bechdel test ;-). Seriously - this and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries are my gold standard for female-friendly TV.

Now, I'm not naive to expect anything even in this stratosphere from any Hollywood production. I can only hope for something in the league of Jane the Virgin at best. But the point is, it CAN be done and it's actually very simple: just portray women as actual full humans on screen with no trade-offs such as catering to the male gaze, empty platitudes or 'male as default' casting.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Eva Marie

[Esmeralda]

3 hours ago, Eva Marie said:

I'll give you an example of what I consider a truly feminist portrayal of women in the Danish show Rita:

It's about 2 very different, but thoroughly unconventional women in a conventional feminine profession (teachers). 1's middle-aged, rebellious, model-gorgeous naturally but never primped (Rita). The other is what Hollywood would portray as a hopeless loser: overweight, Awkward TM and very geeky (Hjordis). Here, however, we're never asked to judge Hjordis that way because no one on the show does. She's portrayed as competent, warm-hearted, loveable and works as comic relief in the sense that we laugh WITH her, not AT her. She steals the show in fact. She also gets happily married to en equally geeky and lovable man and has a child. The show asserts twice and very loudly that her differences are actually her strengths and there's no need for her to become Normal TM, because that would crush her and her family's spirit.

Rita's a borderline sex addict, but we never ever see that exploited for porny purposes. She's never behaves or dresses like a Sexy Woman TM. In fact, she turns down an overconfident Cole-type character because she has no use for Bad Boys TM. Many traits make her a truly amazing female character (and revolutionary by Hollywood standards).

The show is centered around the friendship and work of these 2 women. Men are always around, but they never come to the forefront and swallow the womens' lives. The last season also has Rita reconnect to her best friend from her teens, and that story (including flashbacks from their teens) is truly the best and the most real portrayal of female friendship I've ever seen. I'm so impressed by it that I propose creating a Rita test to replace the Bechdel test ;-). Seriously - this and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries are my gold standard for female-friendly TV.

Now, I'm not naive to expect anything even in this stratosphere from any Hollywood production. I can only hope for something in the league of Jane the Virgin at best. But the point is, it CAN be done and it's actually very simple: just portray women as actual full humans on screen with no trade-offs such as catering to the male gaze, empty platitudes or 'male as default' casting.

I absolutely LOVE this and truly wish that the reboot could be more like it, but doubt very, very much that it will.  I have just one maybe-stupid question, but being 64 stuff often gets passed me.  What exactly does TM stand for?

[Eva Marie]

TM: Trademark - as in TV archetype. Eg. Manic Pixie Dream Girl or Cool Girl. 

[Eva Marie]

BTW, Rita is available on Netflix (it got picked up as a Netflix Original). I'm really confused as to how that works actually. There seem to be 3 types of those Originals:

1) Netflix's own productions like House of Card;

2) Foreign productions financed (or just distributed?) by Netflix like Rita

3)The ones produced by American channels that Netflix just has a instant streaming deal with, like Riverdale

Am I getting it right? Kinda disingenuous of them to call the last kind Originals...

[Esmeralda]

42 minutes ago, Eva Marie said:

TM: Trademark - as in TV archetype. Eg. Manic Pixie Dream Girl or Cool Girl. 

Ah, gotcha.  Thanks!

[Eva Marie]

In fact, I'd cast the girl portraying young Rita as 1 of of the witches - she's just so captivating. They could explain away her accent with her having grown up with their dad in Scandinavia for example. Eghh, a fan can dream...

And they did cast a Mexican and an Israeli in the main cast of Jane the Virgin.

[Esmeralda]

Did they actually play a Mexican and an Israeli?  I still don't think these Charmed Ones are gong to be playing Latinas.

[Writing Wrongs]

Nell Scovell, who was a writer/producer on Charmed and other shows has a new book, "Just The Funny Parts". I don't know if it has any juicy bits about the show, but it might be worth checking out.