AOL TV released a list of the top 18 TV witches. The list is exhaustive including everyone from classical TV witches to daytime witches and BBC witches.This list even made me a little nostalgic. After reading about Miss Cackle and Mildred from the 1986 TV movie The Worst Witch, I think I might have to check my TV listings to see if the movie will get an encore presentation in the days leading up to Halloween. I totally forgot that Mildred was played by Fairuza Balk who obviously used her Worst Witch time to develop her later role in The Craft. With those piercing blue eyes, dark hair and bright red lipstick, she really does make a good witch.
I was excited to see that the list even included some animated witches. They have Hitch Hazel from Looney Tunes and Marge Simpson. Wait, Marge Simpson? She's not a witch; she only was turned into one briefly for a Simpsons Halloween episode. Actually, Marge is the only witch included who is not a full-time witch. If I may make a humble suggestion, I would remove her in favor of another full-time witch.
Let's see... We need another cartoon witch, so how about the Sea Hag from Popeye? Also Ursula the sea witch got her start in the movies but made her way to the animated series The Little Mermaid in the early nineties. Both of those witches are way more wicked than suburban Marge Simpson could ever dream of being. But, I'll admit the hair does lend itself to looking the part of a sorceress. Wait, no, the hair is much more bride of Frankenstein.
One more thing: Why is Piper Halliwell the highest on the list of the Charmed witches? Prue Halliwell (Shannen Doherty) lands in at number nine and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) is number seven. Phoebe is the hottest. Prue is the bitchiest and therefore most suited to being a witch. Prue also has best powers and is played by Shannen Doherty, who quite possibly could be a real life witch. (That last part is still undetermined.) By the way, the description of all the Charmed witches' powers is great. I never even thought to put together that they all had completely different abilities. They are a triple-threat of sorcery, like the X-Men if the the X-Men were witches.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-22-2007 @ 3:22PM
seamus said...
Witchiepoo
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10-22-2007 @ 3:46PM
The Midnight Penguin said...
Sort of unrelated, but hopefully someone has an answer for me. I never watched "Charmed" while it was on, but I just happened to catch some reruns on TV right before reading this article (spooky eh?) - and am confused as to why Shannon Doherty is in some but then Rose McGowan is in the others...while I assume they are meant to be playing the same sister (yet you leave no mention of this in that paragraph).
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12-23-2007 @ 10:15PM
Lora said...
Prue (shannon) was killed off at the end of the third season, Rumor has it that her and Alyisa Milano didnt get along at all, at the beginning of season four, a sister Paige came on site when piper cast the looking for a lost whitch spelll trying to get back piper, i didnt start watching charmed until i caught a re reun and they usually run them as they were aired. I now own all 8 seasons :)
10-22-2007 @ 3:49PM
Karen said...
As long as Samantha Stevens is number 1, I don't really care who else is on it.
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10-22-2007 @ 4:04PM
Mark Rabinowitz said...
Penguin,
Doherty and McGowan are not playing the same sister. Doherty left the show as Prue and McGowan joined as another, long lost sister, Paige.
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10-22-2007 @ 4:06PM
jun said...
I love, love, love The Worst Witch. I still have the VHS copy that I recorded from HBO in 1986 or so.
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10-22-2007 @ 4:08PM
jun said...
I love, love, love The Worst Witch. I still have the VHS copy from where I taped it off HBO in 1986 or so.
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10-22-2007 @ 4:32PM
MissGeeky said...
@Midnight Penguin:
Shannon Doherty left the series after season 3 (onset issues or something like that), so they let her character Prue die. The other sisters then discover they have a half-sister Paige played by Rose McGowan, who (because of Prue's death) is also now a witch. Hope this helps.
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10-22-2007 @ 4:14PM
Mark Rabinowitz said...
Ok, Tucker's Witch? Marge? What about Wendy, the Good Little Witch? http://www.tvacres.com/horror_witches_wendy.htm
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10-22-2007 @ 4:58PM
Kristin Sample said...
I, too, love The Worst Witch (as you can probably tell from the post). Does anyone know if HBO (or another channel) will showing it? I have been looking but to no avail.
Jun--Your VHS copy is great. My sister and I watch an old VHS version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas every Christmas Eve. The crappy picture is great but the commercial that also made their way onto the tape are just sublime.
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10-22-2007 @ 5:54PM
Lenny said...
I second seamus' vote for Witchiepoo. How can she not be on that list?!!
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10-22-2007 @ 6:05PM
dan said...
willow from buffy the vampire slayer
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10-22-2007 @ 7:37PM
Joey Geraci said...
Willow for the win!!! "Bored now" (Or was that vamp willow?)
She should be number 1!!! I will never understand the nostalgia older people have for ancient shows. While most of the stuff on TV today is crap, it is fundamentally better drama than the vast majority of shows in the distant past. Stop romanticizing ancient crap, old fogies!!!!
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10-22-2007 @ 7:48PM
dan said...
@geraci
yea dude i hear u, back in the day tv shows suuuuked.
the comedy was clean, the women were too blond, teh mystery shows were pathetic, the action is just sad.
todays tv shows are waay better even though we get shitty stuff from time to time but hey we can just change the channel.
"bored now" thats deffinetly vamp willow, id say dark willow is number 1
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10-22-2007 @ 10:30PM
procrastinator said...
There's something to be said for the pioneers of television. Samantha laid the foundation for our fair Willow, who I thought did quite well on the list as #2.
And I did always prefer Pru to any of the other Halliwells but with them bumping her off early I can see why she didn't rank higher...
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10-22-2007 @ 10:44PM
Lenny said...
Yep, without the "pioneers" there wouldn't be the television there is today, but the kiddies are too busy being bored and butchering the English language to care. It takes so much effort to be that cool that it saps the mind of the ability to grasp nearly any concept.
Translation for the youngsters: duuuude!
Reply
10-23-2007 @ 7:09AM
Vince B said...
Am I the only person who remembers Juliet Mills 1st witch role of Nanny(I never remember the Characters name) i Nanny and the Proffesor? After Samantha she was the best witch on TV when I was growing up.
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10-23-2007 @ 9:22AM
Sire said...
I HAVE to agree with Karen. Samantha Stevens is the Best witch to ever Grace the television screen.
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10-23-2007 @ 10:25AM
freedomright said...
Buffy's Willow will always rule the witches corner!!
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10-23-2007 @ 11:55AM
rick cokely said...
I love Fairuza Balk! The Craft is one of my favorite movies (mostly because it sticks to real Wicca, er for the most part anyway).
Charmed is great too, but Piper shouldn't be higher up, I agree that Prue is probably #1. And I'm kinda shocked that someone that writes about TV obviously hasn't seen Charmed. Yes, they all have different powers, thats why they work together because they need each of the powers to do what they need to do. The generations of Halliwells all had the same powers (they rotated precog, telekinisis, and blowing things up with each generation) until the "Charmed Ones" were born where all three girls in the generation had different powers. (The first witch, Melinda had all three herself, so they were basically her reinconstitution)
Also, I'm disapointed that Rue McClanahan from "The Wickedest Witch" wasn't included... oh well, maybe next year Blanche!
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