Sabrina the Teenage Witch Turns 20

[author_by_night]

At least according to the trending news on Facebook. When I watched it at eleven, Sabrina looked so mature. Now, in the picture they're showing, she looks so young. Of course, sixteen is to me now what seven year olds were to me at eleven.

So, random Sabrina thoughts:

- I do sort of wonder why the actresses for Sabrina's BFF of the season kept changing. Or, rather, why she kept having a BFF of the season. I feel like Valerie and Dreama stuck around a little longer, but... maybe there was a conspiracy? :P Nah, I realize they probably just had bad luck with casting. Or continuity. Or both. I think show was one of those that sort of flip-flopped stuff like that a bit.

- Irony: I actually had what I now realize was a fanfic idea where Sabrina had to go to a school for witches and warlocks. A few years later, I'd read a book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone...

(Yes, I know, Harry Potter is far from the only "magic school" book. I mean, even Buffy kind of has that, albeit it's not actually for supernatural stuff as much as it attracts supernatural stuff.)

- It interestingly aired the same year as Buffy, I think, although a few months later. I wonder if at the time, Sabrina wasn't almost seen as sort of Buffy Lite? Although the shows were quite different in purpose, since many Sabrina episodes also had an Aesop. (Maybe even most episodes? Looking back, the show was pretty heavy on the message front.) Whereas Buffy was more straightforward.

- I stopped watching Sabrina when I was about fourteen or fifteen, partly because of a convoluted reason I can't remember, partly because I felt it got repetitive (Harvey and Sabrina break up! Harvey and Sabrina make up!). Plus, because I was fourteen or fifteen, I probably wanted edgier stuff.

OTOH, from what I've read of the college years episodes, it does sound like the show "grew the beard" a little, so to speak? Maybe I should try watching them.

Did any of you watch Sabrina? Do you still?

Comments

[feliciacraft.livejournal.com]

So...Sabrina the Young Adult Witch, then? ;)

I love the idea of Sabrina going to a witch school! It'd be American in all the ways that HP is so obviously British!

[lyssa027.livejournal.com]

I used to love that show so much, sometimes I even watch reruns LOL

[crsg.livejournal.com]

I caught snippets of Sabrina on TV when I was a kid but never actually watched the show, probably mostly because back then, I had no interest in live-action TV and really only watched cartoons. I did occasionally watch the cartoon version of Sabrina, lol.

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

I remember watching that show a lot.

[n-e-star.livejournal.com]

I watched it on and off when it first aired, but it was a few years later when I found the whole series on the net that I really got into it.

I think I've watched it all the way though two or three times.

Side note: I spent all day with "Funky Song" stuck in my head. I guess the timing was right ;)

[nucleosides.livejournal.com]

Wow, I feel old. D:

I watched Sabrina as a kid, but never finished the series. I ought to one day.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

I used to love Sabrina - the early seasons anyway. It became rather repetitive, IIRC (including the endless on/off relationship between Harvey and Sabrina). I really liked the aunts in it, Zelda and Hilda. I also loved Salem, the cat. He was hilarious!

The actress who played Zelda appeared in Leverage as an over the top hack reporter. It looked like a really fun role to play.