Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a staple of the late 90’s, and the last major hit from the TGIF programming block. This look back at the series examines its origins and messages throughout its entire seven year run. From its early days on ABC to its final episodes on the WB.
This show resonating with me a lot when I was younger. Maybe it was just my crush on Melissa Joan Hart, but I think it also offered some unique laughs and fun magical quirks. Definitely a show of its era.
0:00 – Intro
04:49 – The Sabrina the Teenage Witch Movie
06:40 – Becoming a Sitcom
13:52 – Season 1
32:42 – Merch!
34:28 – Seasons 2 and 3
49:21 – More TV Movies
54:02 – Season 4
1:03:28 – Network Switch
1:05:59 – Seasons 5 and 6
1:19:53 – Spin-Off Attempts
1:21:53 – Season 7
1:36:08 – Legacy
Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic articles:
https://www.cbr.com/sabrina-archie-show/
https://www.cbr.com/sabrina-teenage-witch-aunt-hilda-debuted-first/
https://www.cbr.com/sabrina-teenage-witch-filmation-bewitched/
The Only Warrior Cats Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheOnlyWarriorCatsPodcast
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Loved this video essay
This is a fascinating video! Thank you for sharing all of this history. I loved Bewitched and Sabrina growing up, and never realized there was a movie?!
I feel like viewing so many scenes in the series through a feminine view is simplifying things way too much. This was the first series I watched with series continuity, something very welcome when this came out. Also saying "female solidarity" so many times when Sabrina's aunts help her is REALLY ignoring that it's clearly family solidarity.
Looooove this show so much growing up, all characters were interesting and likable to an extend. Salem and the aunts were absolutely iconic, Sabrina was a strong female character but with very human flaws hence very relatable. Harvey was, i mean what to say about Harvey, literally my dream boyfriend growing up haha and not just because he looked like an absolute angel.
Being Melissa Joan Heart is older than I am by 8 months I can say I had a huge crush on her growing up. This show was like nothing else on TV, it was about kids growing up but in a pg sort of way.
With all the outfits used by the main three actors, you would have to be a witch or rich, I feel like in every scene they had changed again.
Thanks!
Libby was the perfect nemesis. Kind of like Cordelia in Buffy.
This nostalgia bait video just randomly shows up on my suggestions… and I liked it. I'm definitely going to give a few more videos a look over, but overall, I'm probably going to end up subscribing. Lots of love and effort went into this.
Sabrina was what I wanted my life to be like as a kid, I found it fascinating, and when she started going to college I liked it more. I remember we used to watch it with my dad and would always cheer for Harvey over the other guys, his personality was so cozy somehow.
Wait, hold on a second, call me naive as hell, but what does "without a stitch" supposed to mean? I've no idea why it warranted an apology.
oh my god i always had a memory of seeing a bit of the movie, but I thought it was an unaired pilot so I could never find it. this made me happy so I can watch it now
Damn you, I was JUST about to sleep. I hope you're happy!
Thank you for this!
What an incredible retrospective! So much detail and insight. I always wondered about that friend swap in S1 and 2! Truly loved skipping down memory lane with you!🎉
Great video.
Thank you for the amazing video, so much nostalgia!
I stopped watched the second Harvey was written off between seasons because "Um, he's supposed to be her TRUE LOVE." But I did tune back in for the very last episode to see them ride off together and felt vindicated lol
19:26
If only they could redo season 2 forward. Some episodes were good. And like you detailed here, this show suffered a lot from network changes and the constant profit and marketing that ruined this show. Though I’ll say I was so glad she didn’t end up with the last guy and returned to Harvey. That was rushed and I swear the guy looked twice her age
Wait why do the send evil witches to Minnesota?
Came here for the retrospective. Commenting on how disturbingly Harvey looks like a fusion of Farkle and Lucas from Girl Meets World.
Imagine getting offended over a gong being used in a karate match.
This show has nothing to do with capitalism, you stupid commie.
I'm glad I watched this. I read a rumor online a looooong time ago that said "MJH says homophobic stuff". I didn't want to believe it, but then "God's Not Dead" happened, and I figured it might be true. Now, knowing how pro-woman and code-for-acceptance this show was, I don't think she actually would hate gay people, and I figure whoever wrote that was just an overreacting keyboard warrior.
probably my first celebrity crush. cranked to this show for hours
Looking back at it now, I never realized how many plot lines Wizards of Waverly Place took from Sabrina
So are we going to talk about MJH being in a God's Not Dead movie? No?
I have a clear memory of the pancake episode. I’d made my own play-doh that day and was messing with it as I watched the episode. I got so drawn in, I didn’t realize I’d flattened the doh into a pancake and took a bite out of it.
liked, commented, subscribed 😀
This was my favourite show when I was younger. We didn't have a TV so I think I eventually watched the episodes on youtube. Aside from the main household, my absolute favourite characters are Harvey, Jenny, and Miles. Thank you for a brilliant retrospective!
Very intresting watch. I dont't agree with the notion that the show was "too white". Whats wronng with focusing on a very real and existing portion of American life? Two other shows i really enjoyed growing up where Kenan and Kel and Sister Sister. Where they too black? Not for me. The colours of the characters never occured to me, they boiled down to stories of family life, just maybe from slightly different perspectives, but all relateable.
Every guy at my school had a crush on Sabrina, what a fox!
I love your deep dives. Thank you! I wonder what is next on deck!
1:05:10 Ok but 2 Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place was good so let's not take our anger out on another fun show!
José, I think I put a comment like this on every retrospective, but I truly love these and hope you continue to do them. They are AMAZING work and I love them whether I've watched the whole show or not (only watched early Sabrina)… in fact sometimes they are better with a show I didn't complete bc it completely fills in the gaps where I left off. This is now my 3rd comment on the video, but hopefully it's just helping in the algo, lol
Big fan of these retrospectives. The best I’ve seen, probably.
Today I Learned there was an Archie TV SHOW on CBS back in the day?! How the heck did I read all of those comic books and not know this
When I was a young 90s lad i had such a crush on MJH on Clarissa Explains It All
I loved this. What an amazing video – uh – more like a movie. So much work! Thank you so much.
Not a common opinion, but I liked the new version as well. I grew up watching the og series and its great too.
This and Boy Meets World was my childhood. Loved the show. It went downhill once she went to college.
The Sabrina reboot in 2018 I enjoyed. It was different enough from this one to not be overshadowed and could stand on its own.
When I saw MJH in Britney Spears video, I was wondering why ….. I had no idea that her show was so powerful and popular.
Yeah, I believe that the witch trials burned more men than women. And the "second class citizen" is absolute bs – don't spoil a review if an awesome show with these lies.
"Feminine power this", "feminine power that" – never did I think that witch powers were an allegory for that. Constraining it is not some sleight against women, but about power. How it can corrupt and how it can be abused. The lessons where she messes up by trying to help others or herself out of situation she got herself into are about teaching to be responsible with the power you have, whatever it is.
And female solidarity? Really? It is family and friends that come to help her, not because they are women! What kind of a lesson would that be?