Charmed: A review of the timeless TV show

Charmed is a television series that began in 1998 and aired for eight seasons, starring Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan.

When someone asks, ' What's your favourite...?' it can be a struggle to think of answers, no matter the topic. I know I find it difficult.

However, when it comes to TV shows, I can list five series that are, without a doubt, my top five programmes. And one of these is Charmed.

Charmed began in 1998 - before I was born - and it aired until 2006. There was an unaired pilot, but the official programme consisted of eight seasons and 178 episodes. IMDB classifies Charmed as a drama, a mystery and a fantasy show, and the official synopsis is:

"Three Halliwell sisters discover that they are descendants of a line of good female witches and are destined to fight against the forces of evil, using their combined power of witchcraft known as the 'Power of Three'."

While that is correct, for me and many others, Charmed is so much more and personally, the scriptwriting and on-screen execution of the show are some of the reasons why it will always be a favourite TV show of mine.

Review of Charmed

I wasn't alive when Charmed was first broadcast on TV, but my mum was a fan of the show. When I was old enough and at an appropriate age to watch the programme, I became hooked, as did my sister.

In fact, we loved the show so much that somewhere in our attic, we even have some of the books that were written and based on the TV show. But I'm not here to do a book review.

The TV series Charmed is a mix of genres, including drama, fantasy elements/magical realism, action, and romance. Over the years, it became a staple show for lots of people and a comfort at that because whilst there were moments of tension and emotion, it had comedic aspects too.

But first, let's delve into the premise of Charmed and why the show is worthy of watching, excluding the characters of the Halliwell sisters for now.

The storyline and plot

Whilst each episode of Charmed tends to focus on a central demon or warlock, there are narrative threads that continue across multiple episodes. For example, in the opening season, the animosity between Prue (the eldest) and Phoebe (the youngest) is present in more than one episode, just like the romantic relationships each of the sisters goes on to have.

However, what I particularly liked about Charmed is that each episode is memorable in its own way. A lot of TV shows can have multiple episodes that blur into one; Grey's Anatomy, another favourite of mine, doesn't have that many memorable episodes unless it's a major event with a protagonist, such as a certain plane crash.

But Charmed does.

Since Shannen Doherty's passing, I've started to rewatch Charmed and I was saying to my mum and sister, how easy it is for me to remember specifics about each episode.

I know what villains are what, what they're plan is and how it turns out. I can call out particular episodes or be shown a photo from them and I know what happens in it.

I don't have that with many other TV shows, and that, to me, just shows how memorable Charmed is.

Even the demons have their own storylines. Yes, there are probably hundreds and thousands of them, but to someone who has watched Charmed before and loves the show, the names Zankou, Barbas, The Source, Balthazar, and even the Dream Sorcerer, would all be familiar.

Fun fact: The Dream Sorcerer is played by Matt Schulze, who plays Vince in the Fast and Furious franchise.

Having plots for each episode that are easy to remember and recall, increases the rewatchability of the show. It makes Charmed a comfort programme because it's easy to identify what episodes are sad, happy, comedic, scary etc.

This is one of the reasons why it's timeless because no matter what you're mood is, there will always be an episode for you to watch. Or even clips on YouTube; I know I've been guilty of watching compilations of funny scenes from Charmed when I need cheering up and Season 5 Episode 20 - Sense and Sense Ability - always brings out a laugh.

Also, depending on what season you're watching, you will get a different atmosphere and tone. What I mean by this is that the first three seasons with Prue are darker than those with Paige.

It is clear that there is a difference as seasons one, two and three focus more on Wiccan practices whereas the later seasons involve the next generation of Halliwells and things like Magic School.

But the emotional undertones and key themes of family, sisterhood, and friendship, are present throughout all 178 episodes, making it a timeless show to watch.

The characters

As I mentioned above, the demons and warlocks are all very memorable in their own way, but the central characters of the Halliwell sisters are the focal point of the show. It wouldn't be Charmed without the Charmed ones.

I'm a fan of all eight seasons, I might like some more than others, but I loved the show when Prue was in it and I loved it when Paige was in it. For me, the characterisation of the sisters is what makes the show because they are all incredibly unique with their own character arcs, but sisterhood and togetherness are integral to the story.

Prue is the eldest Halliwell sister and she's probably the most serious, at first. She's a workaholic, likes to have a plan and grew up too fast after their mum died.

Piper is the middle child (in the first three seasons) and thinks with her heart. She is always caring and looking after others, sometimes to the detriment of herself.

Phoebe is the original youngest sister, who is more chaotic than the others. But she is loyal, and fierce and will always have her sisters' backs.

Paige, the newcomer in season four, is thrust into a world she doesn't really know. Initially, I wasn't a fan of her character much because I loved Prue, but over time she wore me down.

Each Halliwell sister is different and they each have different strengths and weaknesses. But what I loved about Charmed was the way they all worked together. Yes, they had arguments, only making the plot more realistic, but the 'Power of Three' was the true magic behind the show.

I don't think it would be the same without those four actresses playing those specific characters.

And that is why I love Charmed.

To me, it is a timeless, comfort show that fits any mood. Yes, it may look dated when streaming on modern technology, but it isn't just a show for those who watched it in the late 90s/early 00s. It's for everyone.

If you're a fellow fan of Charmed like me, let me know what your favourite thing about it is. If not, maybe I've helped inspire you to watch it.

Until next time...