Forever ‘Charmed’

Illustration by Mackenzie Morgan and Reuben Buchanan/ VOX Staff

By David McDaniel / VOX Staff

I was only 11 years old when my all-time favorite TV show “Xena: Warrior Princess” went off the air. I was devastated to lose Lucy Lawless and her band of misfit adventurers, and I didn’t know what would replace this hole in my life. But then I heard about a new show starring Shannon Doherty, one of my favorite actresses who came to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills 90210.” This time, she was the leader of three sisters with supernatural powers. And once the first episode of The WB Network’s “Charmed” aired on Oct. 7, 1998, I was completely put under its spell.

A Spell Was Cast
I got so excited to see “Charmed” that the night of its premiere I turned the den in my mom’s house, the only one with a big screen TV, into my bedroom. I decked out the sofa as my bed (the next morning woke up with all kinds of pain in my back, but it was worth it), brought in my clothes for the next day of school, got some snacks and settled in for some televised magic. I wasn’t disappointed.

“Charmed” followed the lives of three remarkable young women — all sisters — who inherit their grandmother’s legacy when she dies. In that first episode, the trio discovered the mysterious Book of Shadows in their grandma’s attic. The Halliwell sisters — Prudence (Shannon Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) — learned they were born into a family of witches and that this magic book had been passed down from generation to generation. The sisters also found out they are no regular witches. They were the Charmed Ones, supposedly the most powerful witches of all time.

Each of the sisters had her own special power. Prudence, the leader and the eldest sister, could move physical objects with her mind through telekinesis. The voice of reason among the siblings, Piper could freeze time and motion. Phoebe, the youngest sister who always seemed to get into trouble, could see both the past and future.

I wasn’t just hooked by the supernatural nature of this show, although I’ve always enjoyed stuff that involved magic and witchcraft. I really connected with the idea that the main characters were siblings thrust together to do good. I never had any brothers or sisters, so I established a bond with the Halliwells as they learned to become a family. In addition, the actresses who played the sisters did it so well they made you forget sometimes they were witches. Even so, I liked the way the Halliwells protected each other and worked together as a team while fighting evil.

Charmed and Dangerous
The first three years of the series I watched and recorded every single episode. I would fuss over the VCR each week to make sure it would record properly. I even told my mom to not step a foot in the den and change the channel on “Charmed” nights or she would have to face my wrath.

On a “Charmed” night, I would make sure I’d have all my homework done at school so I’d have my evening free. I might spend some time hanging with my friends outside, but I’d check my watch every 10 minutes so I wouldn’t miss the 8 p.m. start. At about 7:45 p.m., I’d be in the house, in the den, in front of the TV waiting for a new story to thrill me for an hour.

On the day after “Charmed” nights, I would have a smile on my face all day in school. “David, you look so happy today. What’s with that?” my friends would often ask. I’d simply reply “I am charmed.” They didn’t watch the show so they didn’t get it.

One of my worst fears was that I’d miss an episode. It would have devastated me. I remember I came close to missing “Charmed” two separate times because I was over at my aunt’s house, and my mom hadn’t picked me up yet. On both occasions, I blew up my mom’s cell phone, yelling at her to pick me up right then. I thought if I missed the episode I had been waiting for all week that my life would come to an end. She arrived just in the nick of time, and I caught the show just as the opening credits rolled. I swore to myself that I’d never let it be such a close call again. I even adopted a philosophy for the rest of my life that “being early is on time, while being on time is late.”

The Loss of a Sister
Then something terrible happened after three years of watching the series. I thought I was about to lose “Charmed” for good. When the third season finale came to a close, Prue (the nickname for Shannon Doherty’s Prudence) and Piper battled the demon Shax and it wasn’t clear if they were alive or dead. I was so wrapped up in the characters, that it felt like I had lost two sisters in real life. Plus I couldn’t handle the fact that I had to wait another year to find out what would happen to them.

I managed to settle down some, but weeks later I started reading rumors that Shannon was going to leave the show. I looked it up on the Internet, and sure enough there were stories that she had been fired because she couldn’t get along with co-star Alyssa Milano on the set. “Hell, they should have fired that b**** instead,” I said to myself, wishing Alyssa gone instead of Shannon. I was so angry because I had loved Shannon since her “Beverly Hills 90210” days, and I didn’t know if I could watch “Charmed” without her.

The fourth season started on Sept. 23, 2001, and I sat in my mom’s den waiting impatiently to finally find out how the show was going to unfold without my favorite character. Sure enough, Piper tried to bring Prue back to life, but she failed. Even though I already knew the truth, I shouted at the TV screen: “Why did they have to kill my baby Prue off the show?!?”

Prue was replaced by a long-lost half-sister named Paige Matthews, played by Rose McGowan. At first I didn’t know what to think, but eventually the show ensorcelled me again. I found Paige an interesting character because, like me, she was an only child and she had to work hard to find her place. Eventually, I grew to identify with her almost as much as I did with Prue.

Saying Goodbye
The series went on for a total of eight seasons, with the Charmed Ones continuing to fight demons and protect the innocents until May 21, 2006, when the final episode “Forever Charmed” aired. I went out and bought some hot wings for the occasion, and I found the original TV soundtrack CD in my room and played it before the show came on that night. While listening to the music, I thought back over the eight years and especially how Prue had stolen my heart. Then I focused on Piper, who was like a mother to me and I’m sure to many other viewers around the world. I also had a soft spot for Phoebe, who showed me if you are always getting into trouble, you’ll spend your life looking over your shoulders for it. And finally Paige taught me that just because you’re born an only child doesn’t mean you’re the only who is special.

I lit four candles, one for each sister, and as the show was ending I blew the candles out one by one. Once I got to the last candle, I said: “Thank you Paige, without you ‘Charmed’ would have went off the air years ago.” I spent eight years of my life with these remarkable women, and I know I’m not the only one who was touched by them. Luckily, I can still visit them whenever I want through re-runs that air almost every day.

David has been a VOX staff writer for four years and wants his colleagues and readers to know that he’s also been charmed because of them.