Since pretty much the moment it was announced, The CW‘s Charmed reboot has been a point of contention for many, including some of those involved with the original series. Early on, Holly Marie Combs, who played Piper Halliwell in the original, was very outspoken about her issues with the reboot, but now, with the new Charmed having just ended its first season on The CW, Alyssa Milano is also speaking out, calling the reboot “disrespectful” and noting that she thinks the opportunity for the original stars to appear now has passed.
In an interview with US Weekly, Milano said that she thinks the show ruined any chance of a reunion of sorts in how it was presented.
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“I think that ship has sailed,” Milano said. “I think that they ruined the possibility of that by the way in which the reboot came down. Like, the fact that we weren’t included from the very beginning. It just felt really disrespectful, you know?”
Milano went to express that she thinks it’s “sad” the way things worked out as well as that, because she and her original costars “created that world,” their involvement in a new version would have been a positive thing.
While these comments are new from Milano, the sentiment is much the same as things she’s said previously. Back in January, Milano admitted that she hadn’t even seen the reboot, citing that she was troubled by not having been included in discussion of the reboot generally, as she had previously noted that the series creators for the reboot didn’t involve any of the original stars.
For its part, the reboot did a bit of a balancing act in its first season in honoring elements of the original Charmed while also attempting to establish its Charmed Ones as new characters in a new world, with new types of magic and new challenges to face. However, in the season finale, the show made a play to establish itself as its own series in a big way — by killing off the Elders and changing the magical power dynamic as the series heads into a new season with new showrunners this fall. It’s a move that lines up with what series star Madeleine Mantock said at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con about the show being its own thing and not a “rip-off” of the original.
“I think it’s maybe a misconception to say it’s a rip-off,” Mantock said. “Everyone’s allowed their own opinion and I think it’s a testament to how much fans really love and cherished Charmed for what it is. I’m hoping we can turn some people on to it, as well, because I do, I think it’s a really good show.”
Charmed will return this fall, airing on Fridays at 8 p.m. on The CW.
