Meet Sabrina - she's spellbinding! (Sabrina the Teenage Witch)

Member Name: i_am_joy

Product:	Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Date:	20/05/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent characters and actors, entertaining and amusing

Disadvantages: ----------

Sabrina The Teenage Witch is one of those programmes that my youngest daughter used to watch some twelve years ago and now I find myself watching it again with my granddaughters', and the fact that this programme has stood the test of time is testament to how good it is.

Melissa Joan Hart plays Sabrina, she's a witch trying to fit in with the non-magical society at large while still keeping hold of her magical powers. She lives with her two Aunts, also witches, and Salem their talking pet cat who I believe is a human magician who has been turned into a cat as a punishment.

Sabrina The Teenage Witch is a comedy mainly for pre-teenage kids but I find it has a certain appeal for adults too and also younger children will probably appreciate the slapstick visual humour which is actually very funny.

Each episode consists of a self contained story, although I do notice references to other episodes coming through sometimes. There are several characters who come up in a few of the episodes although the only major character apart from Sabrina and her Aunts is Harvey, a human with no magical powers who goes to school with Sabrina. I think Harvey is fantastic, he gets into so many scrapes through Sabrina's lack of magical ability that I find it hard to believe that he isn't aware that she's a witch!

It's funny watching a mad plan hatch in Sabrina's mind as although she is a competent witch for her age she'll always think she can handle situations herself rather than asking her more knowledgeable Aunts for their help. The messes she finds herself in are original, well thought out and very, very funny. You'll see strange, but hysterical, things if you watch this programme such as Sabrina turning green when she activates an Envy Spell and even her face appearing in a blender (thankfully turned off!) when she feels spied upon before her graduation!

I like all the actors in Sabrina The Teenage Witch and think they were all well chosen as they gel nicely together and the comedy seems to bounce nicely back and forth between the characters. Melissa Joan Hart gives Sabrina a quirkiness which makes you want her to overcome the obstacles she comes across, she puts me in mind of Hilary Duff when she was younger as she has that cheeky 'ooops' expression down perfectly when she causes yet more chaos!

The Aunts, Hilda and Zelda, are great. Played by Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick respectively they are both excellent comedy characters, Hilda is a flirty and quite dizzy character who often indulges in rather selfish spells only sometimes comes unstuck and then the professional and infinitely more sensible Zelda has to come to the rescue.

Salem the cat is fantastic. He looks like such a sweet little moggy yet is mischevious and bad tempered at times, he is often the 'cat'alyst (sorry!) for the mishaps that Sabrina faces and even though he has some affection for the young witch he cannot help but make her life difficult through either well meant, but bad, advice or plain and simple malice (albeit good natured malice!).

Overall I would certainly recommend this programme if you have youngsters who will need entertaining over the coming holiday. The girls' love it and I remember my daughter's male friends used to enjoy watching it when they came to our house too. There's nothing to dislike really, it's inoffensive kids' comedy which is genuinely funny for everyone.

Currently to be seen on the various Nick channels and I believe there are also DVD's of the series available as well as spin off books for your teenager to enjoy.

Summary: An excellent pre-teen and teen show that even the adults will like!