Ever since The CW announced its Charmed reboot, there has been a lot of chatter about the series and for good reason. The original Charmed was very popular in its day and remains a beloved cult classic with a continued influence on popular culture.
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However, the Charmed reboot isn’t a copy of that original series. Put together by the team behind Jane the Virgin, the new Charmed is set to be a new take on the story of the Charmed Ones with stories and issues that are very much grounded in the current realities of our world.
With just under a month before the debut of the reboot series to go, while there’s still a lot about the upcoming series that remains a mystery there are quite a few things we do know about the series. So, to get ready for the Charmed reboot — which, interestingly enough will debut almost exactly 20 years after the original series — we’ve put together a quick primer on everything we know about the new Charmed.
From a new setting to new characters to even new magical traditions, there’s a lot to look forward to in the Charmed reboot. Want to know more? Then read on from here!
New Setting
We’re not in San Francisco anymore, folks.
While the original Charmed was set in San Francisco, the new series will see the Charmed Ones in the fictional college town of Hilltowne where the sisters’ mother worked as a women’s studies professor. The reboot picks up with the death of the sisters’ mother, which is also a change from the original series.
New Sisters
Those sisters? They aren’t the Halliwell girls. The Charmed Ones this time around are Melanie “Mel” Vera (Melonie Diaz), Maggie Vera (Sarah Jeffery), and Macy Vaughn (Madeleine Mantock). The existence of Macy will come as a surprise to Mel and Maggie in the series premiere as their mother had never revealed they had a third sister. It’s a premise that is a little different than that of the original Charmed, which didn’t introduce the a half-sister — Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan) until season 4.
Different Powers
While the idea of witchcraft and sisterhood translates from the original, the characters aren’t simply copies. The series feature a new power for one of the sisters. The youngest sister Maggie has the ability to read minds instead of premonition as the youngest sister in the original, Phoebe, did.
“We didn’t want to make it too easy for them to solve things with magic, so I think we pulled back a little, which doesn’t mean that the power won’t evolve,” executive producer Jessica O’Toole said. “Based on the original, the powers do evolve so that’s something we’ve had in the back of our minds as something we could get to.”
A real Latinx witch in the writer’s room
One of the biggest points of contention from fans of the original 1990s series of the same name is that the reboot is simply a copy of the original, but that isn’t the case — especially when it comes to the cultural background influencing the magic of these new “Charmed Ones”.
At the Paley Fall TV Preview (via Variety), series executive producer Amy Rardin explained that the magic of the show will be deeply influenced by Latinx magical traditions.
“We have a real Latinx witch in our writer’s room,” Rardin said. “Every culture has their own witchcraft traditions, and we really wanted to explore not just from a Salem witchcraft but all kinds of different witchcraft that happens all around the world.”
A new take on the role of the Whitelighter
And it’s not just the magical traditions, powers, and sisters that are different. The supporting characters will also be different from the original as well — especially when it comes to the role of the Whitelighter.
Harry (Rupert Evans) is a professor at the university who serves as the sisters’ guide and, in the reboot is the one to inform the sisters that they are, in fact, witches.
Not all of the original ‘Charmed’ cast is opposed to the reboot
While one of the original actors from Charmed, Holly Marie Combs, has been vocal in her disapproval of the reboot, Shannen Doherty who played Prue Halliwell, has recently offered her support.
Doherty spoke with Entertainment Tonight last week and revealed that not only does the show have her blessing, but that she thinks it’s “awesome.”
“I think it’s great,” Doherty said. “I think it’s awesome. I think second lives are amazing, so I’m all for it… I’m happy to see that a show, that back then was all about strong women who supported and loved each other, is now coming back again in this day and age. It’s about female empowerment again — not that that’s something new. Charmed originally was that too. But I think it’s wonderful, you know? And it’s providing a lot of jobs for people, and I honestly, I Just wish them well. And I hope that everyone just gives them a chance.”
Premiere Information
Charmed premiers on The CW Sunday, October 14 at 9/8c following Supergirl.
Will you be tuning in to the Charmed reboot? Let us know in the comments below.
