Thursday 3 November 2011

My Favourite Witches - Film and Television

I couldn't do a whole week about witches without listing all my favourite ones on TV and  in films. That would be just so wrong. So here is a list of the witches that I either love  or love to hate.
1) The Halliwell Sisters from Charmed - my list would always start with these fabulous ladies. Prue, Piper, Pheobe and Paige got me through the first few years of motherhood! I am serious. Having twins severely affects your social life and sleeping patterns but these girls would always be there to keep me going. I have watched all eight seasons of the series and I was so upset to see it finish. I cried when Prue died in it ( Shannon Doherty) as she was one of the main reasons I started to watch it as I had been a huge Beverly Hills 90210 fan and I was really upset when when she was booted out. So I was delighted to find her in Charmed which was also produced by Aaron Spelling. When Prue left the series Paige stepped in and did a might fine job of helping the girls fight evil. If you haven't ever watched this series then you really need too! Julian McMahon as Cole, that is all I am saying.
2) The Owen Sisters from Practical Magic. Oh how much do I love this film. I have watched it over and over again. This is the film version of the book of the same name written by Alice Hoffman. Gillian and Sally come from a long line of cursed witches who can never find real love. Sally goes out of her way to get around this little curse. Some really dark moments in it. Also some amazing acting on behalf of Stockard Channing, who you might remember as Rizzo from Grease.
3) The Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus. These witches are a hoot. I just love this film. I would say Sarah Jessica Parker is probably my favourite sister of the three as she is just so daft in the film. This was a Disney film set around Halloween. It tells the story of Max, who absolutely hates witches and yet manages to bring back to life this gorgeous goofy  trio!
3) Cassandra Nightingale from The Good Witch films. Catherine Bell starred in these Hallmark films that were made for TV. They seem to make one a year and I love them all. She is a mysterious lady who moves to a small town, living in an abandoned house which is believed to be haunted by the Grey Lady. The villagers would rather she left but the local Sheriff has a soft spot for her.
4)Alexandra and Camryn from Twitches. The films in this series were based on the Twitches books by Scholastic. The girls were separated at birth to keep them safe, but when darkness attacks their homeland, they are called together to fight it.
I watched Tia and Tamara many years ago in the hit Disney series, Sister, Sister, just before I gave birth to identical twin girls myself, so I have always had a bit of soft spot for these too. Definitely one to watch.
5) Nancy from The Craft. Look what the lovely little girl from The Return to Oz grew up to be.  A nasty little witch. Faruza Balk really knows how to be a bad witch.  Nancy is definitely one of my most scariest witches in the post as she is just plain evil. This film was released in 1996 and followed four young teenage girls as their interest in witchcraft grew. They were doing find until they began to use it for their own gains. Eeep!
6) Lamia in Stardust. I am sure Michelle Pfeiffer is a witch in real life as she never grow old! Still looking gorgeous,she plays an ancient witch who with her two sisters seeks the heart of the fallen star to grant them eternal youth and beauty.
7) Aggie from Halloweentown. Aggie is the type of cool witch you would want as your grandmother. Debbie Reynolds plays this quirky witch whose daughter disapproves of her unusual talents. The Disney Channel began making the Halloweentown films in 1998 to celebrate Halloween. Every Halloween, my girls and I watch these films on the Disney Channel; they are timeless and the whole family will love them.
8) Wilhelmina W.Witchiepoo from H.R. Pufnstuf. This was one of my favourite films as a kid. Jimmy       (Jack Wild) owns a magic flute which leads him to a magical boat. Little does he know the boat belongs to Witchiepoo and she is going to kidnap him. I am not sure if this film is still available as I haven't seen it for years, but I have such fond memories of it.
9) Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Sabrina was definitely one of the coolest witches when I was growing up. I loved her cat Salem too; always thought that was such a cool name for a cat! This was an American sitcom that was originally based on the Archie comics. The show starred Melissa Joan Hart who was a fabulous teenage witch growing up with her Aunt's Zelda and Hilda. The aunts were a hoot and Sabrina always seemed to be getting herself in trouble.
10) The Wicked Witch of the West - ultimately the Queen of Evil Witches. Apart from having the weird green skin colour, she is definitely the most well known and most hated witches of all time. Everyone must have watched The Wizard of Oz at least once in their life time and experienced this evil lovely.

Well that is my list of favourite witches. Now it is your turn.

24 comments:

  1. I absolutely LOVE Practical Magic - I've seen that movie so many times, and my favorite scene has to be the drunken Margarita scene!

    I also love The Wicked Witch of the West, so much in fact, that that was my costume this Halloween!

    Great list!

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  2. Nikola - thank you. I think the Margarita scene is one of my faves too. I always sing that song now when I see someone drinking one.

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  3. I hadn't heard of the Twitches or the Good Witch films, so I'll have to look out for them. I loved Charmed too but I would have Willow and Tara from Buffy at the top of my witch-list.

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  4. There are so many witches on this list that I don't know, think I have some catching up to do! I loved Sabrina so much when I was a teenager, I think it's a show I'd like to go back and rewatch. Willow and Tara from Buffy are also real favourites of mine.

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  5. Dark Readers - How could I leave out Nancy!

    Beth - I must be the only person who has never watched Buffy! I love the Good Witch films the best. They are my winter comforts.

    Jenni - I loved Sabrina, such easy viewing. I never saw Buffy!

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  6. OMG this may be my favourite post I have ever read. I thought I was the only one who watched The Good Witch films, I own all three, Twitches and twitches too and Halloween Town. I wish I had all of those. I have all the Charmed DVDs I LOVE Charmed and The Craft is awesome. You know how much I love Practical Magic. As for Sabrina, I cried for a week when it ended. I grew up with her. Hocus Pocus another I watch over and over, the only ones I would add would be the Witches of Eastwick. Simply LOVE LOVE LOVE this post xx

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  7. I never realized how many witch shows I've enjoyed until I saw your list. I've watched them all except The Good Witch films. I'll have to look into that ;) Great post Viv

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  8. I can't believe I've never watched the movie version of Practical Magic. It sounds like one of those rare cases where I might enjoy it better than the book. My favourite witches have to be the ones in Anne Rice's Mayfair family series (The Witching Hours, Lasher, Taltos).

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  9. I love so many of these too. There's a few I've never heard of before - maybe we never got them here. I loved Charmed and Practical Magic. I've watched it so many times I could probably read their lines along with them. Lol. Great post Viv!

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  10. Susan - I was going to put The Witches of Eastwick but changed my mind at the last minute. I think we have similar tastes when it comes to witches.

    Nymeth - I can't believe you haven't either. That is my most favourite film ever!I still haven't read The Mayfair series yet. One of these days..

    Darlene - Me too. I love that film so much!

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  11. Excellent collection of witches. I adored Practical Magic!!

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  12. I love so many of these too. There's a few I've never heard of before

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  13. I used to love watching Sabrina :)
    And the Halliwell sisters were great, I always liked Prue

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  14. I love the sisters from Charmed. I'm embarrassed to admit that it was a time when I almost knew the Craft by heart. I was thirteen when it came out and I watched it like a million times with me best friend, we were going to be two awesome witches LOL.

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  15. Haha, I love this post so much!

    Practical Magic is one of my favourite films and I refuse to hear anything bad about it!
    Midnight margharitas, anyone?

    Also: Sabrina, Lamia and the Sanderson Sisters. YES.

    :-D

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  16. I love some of these films! My other half is so sick of me playing Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus and Stardust.

    I remember watching Sabrina when it first came out! I loved it so so much.

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  17. The Craft was my favourite movie when I was a teen! Also what? no Willow from Buffy??

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  18. Jen - best film ever!

    Roro - tried to think of the unusual ones too.

    Blodeuedd - Prue was definitely my favourite followed by Paige.

    Mari - don't be embarrassed, it is a fabulous film. That was the kind of thing we did as teenagers.

    Jowearsoldclothes - I am definitely up for midnight margharitas. Practical Magic is definitely my favourite too.

    Hannah - is it wrong to have Practical Magic on video, DVD and Blueray.

    Sister Spooky - I haven't ever watched Buffy! *runs and hides*

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  19. AWESOME post hun, I love all the ones I've seen and those that I haven't I'm going to have to check out! Sabrina was my idol when I was younger and I love Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic!

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  20. I didn't realise there were so many withcy films/programmes. I think the only one I've seen out of those is The Wizard of Oz!

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  21. FANTASTIC list!! some of my favorite witches are here.
    Nancy from The Craft was so wicked! Hocus Pocus is a favorite, my daughter and I just watched it again recently.
    Practical Magic is one of my favorite films and books.

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  22. I know I'm late to the party (thank you baby for taking a long afternoon nap!), but I love this list of witches! I loved Hocus Pocus growing up--actually was just talking about it with a coworker the other day. Also Practical Magic. I'm sure there are others not on your list but I'm drawing a blank.

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  23. Love, love, LOVE this list of witches. Seriously! The Sanderson sisters, Sabrina, Nancy!! Fantastic.

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