Charmed

Potential fans of The CW’s upcoming reboot of ‘Charmed’ filled Ballroom 20 at San Diego Comic-Con, where they were bewitched with a preview of the premiere episode, followed by a Q&A with executive producers Jennie Snyder Urman and Jessica O’Toole and the show’s stars Melonie Diaz (Mel Vera), Sarah Jeffery (Maggie Vera), Madeleine Mantock (Macy Vaughn) and Rupert Evans (Harry Greenwood).  The topic of the day seemed to be feminism and equal representation.  And while original ‘Charmed’ star Holly Marie Combs publicly took issue with the reboot, specifically the description that it was “fierce, funny, feminist” implying that somehow the original wasn’t, Urman stated that even though this wasn’t a continuation, they were “referencing all that came before.”

As Urman stated at the start of the Q&A:

“The original was so much about female empowerment and sisterhood and women taking over the world and I think we need that right now.”

She also added that it was her experience working on another CW show that influenced the decision to include as many diverse characters as she could on ‘Charmed’:

“Coming off of the experience of doing ‘Jane [the Virgin],’ I learned so much about seeing yourself on screen and how important that is.”

While the three female leads are Latina, Mel is also a lesbian.  Diaz stated:

“This should be a normal thing.  Just a relationship with two people loving each other.”

Regarding comparisons to the original, Jeffery stated:

Charmed is so iconic.  They laid the groundwork and we want to be respectful of that and the mythology of everything. We want to honor it while bringing a modern twist. Come join us!”

Mantock hinted that there would be Easter Eggs to the original:

“We come in peace. The original was so wonderful and they were trailblazers and we could not be here without them. There is something in here for everyone, little treats for [original fans].”

One example revealed at SDCC was Melinda Warren in the ‘Book of Shadows’.  In the original show, Warren appeared in the ninth episode of the first season.  She was an ancestor of the Halliwell sisters and the first witch in their family line.  It was she that predicted the emergence of the three Charmed Ones.

Urman said:

“We’re so grateful because we love the original and we’re huge fans  That’s why we wanted to do this. It’s rooted in the original, deeply rooted in the original.”

‘Charmed’ will air on Sunday nights on The CW this fall at 9pm EST, after ‘Supergirl’.  It premieres on Sunday, October 14 with an encore airing on Thursday, October 18 at 9pm.

Sources: LA Times, The Hollywood Reporter