20 wild details behind the making of Charmed (2023)

In 1998, a show debuted on The WB that brought a little magic into people's lives for an hour a week. The story revolved around the Halliwell sisters, played by Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty and Rose McGowan, a group of witch sisters tasked by the powerful to defeat evil supernatural beings that posed a threat to our world . for eight seasons,Fascinateddazzled us with episodes featuring angels, demons, and other mythological friends and foes.

The focus of the show, however, was a story about three strong women who struggle through the trials and tribulations of everyday life and face their incredible responsibilities. many waysFascinatedit was otherworldly, but for the most part very relatable for a twenty-something at the time. The fantasy series was very popular with audiences as viewers were drawn in by its strong female leads and compelling storylines. When it ended, it was the second-longest-running drama to air on the WB network, as well as one of the longest-running actress-led television shows in history.

However, as with all popular shows, the stories behind its making and what happened behind the scenes are just as interesting as what happened on screen. From power struggles to budget issues and more,FascinatedThe untold story is as fascinating as the battles between the witches and the forces of hell.

Without further ado, here they are.20 wild details behind the making of Charmed.

20) Integrate real Wiccan elements

Although Wicca is a legal religion in the United States, it is rare for its beliefs, customs, and practices to feature in popular entertainment. In accordance withenchanted inquiringHowever, the series attempted to rectify this. Whether he managed to accurately represent Wicca depends on who you ask.

Throughout the series, the sisters explore various aspects of Wiccan through objects and spells. However, the decision to include demons and angels also brought Christian beliefs to the show, meaning the depiction of Wiccan was not 100% authentic. Sure, the Christian elements were an economic necessity for the story, but Wicca laid the foundation for the sisters' faith, and few shows since have given the religion as much attention.

19. The Book of Shadows was hand drawn.

Do you remember the book that gave the sisters the power of three? It was instrumental in their fight against evil and has served them well over the years. Well, behind the scenes, it turns out this book wasn't your average TV show prop.

in the documentarybook of shadows, it turns out three different artists were hired to hand draw and paint it to make the book look real. Also, Alyssa Milano was so impressed with the designs that sheallegedly commissionedone of the artists who paints murals in her house. As for the actual book?Laut Holly Marie CombsShowrunner Brad Kern doesn't take his eyes off the magical tome.

18. Recent seasons have been overshadowed by budget cuts

Even the most popular programs face financial problems. I likeFascinatedgrew up and its stars became household names, their salaries skyrocketing. Not to mention all the money spent on special effects and props as the series' narrative got more ambitious.

In accordance withthe book of threeThese cuts resulted in fans of the series either dropping out or not getting as much screen time. As a result, Dorian Gregory, the actor who played Inspector Darryl Morris, was dropped from last season. In addition to Gregory's removal, Brian Krause, who played Leo, was removed from several episodes. However, he returned for the final two episodes to wrap up the story for fans.

17. The story continues after the last episode.

See Also

Melinda Warren - Charmed TV Series - Witch - Character Profile

If recent reboots and revivals have taught us anything, it's that no popular TV show ever truly ends. One day they will return in a new iteration. However, before reboots and revivals, some shows with strong followings continued in comic book form.Fascinatedit was no different. Between 2010 and 2016, the franchise continued on the site courtesy of Zenescope Entertainment.

Unfortunately, the series received a mixed response from fans, many of whom complained about the story and characters' looks. However, the last review wasn't Zenescope's fault. Shannen Doherty didn't give permission to use her picture because there was no money. Other performers were kind to their portrayed image, howeverdidn't seem very passionatewith content

16. Holly Marie Combs is the only one who has appeared in every episode.

Here's a fun fact: Holly Marie Combs, who played Piper Halliwell, was the only star to appear in every episode of the show. She just beat Alyssa Milano, who played her character's sister, Phoebe, in one episode.

Combs not only appeared in every episode, but also played different characters. In season two, she also played P. Baxter, a missing witch and great-grandmother of the Charmed Ones. She also played various supernatural beings who stole Piper's looks, including Cynda, Terra, Zile, Zen Master, Cole Turner, Leo Wyatt, Mabel Stillman, Zankou, and Pilar. Needless to say, she was an absolutely vital part of the show throughout its long run.

15. The stars felt mistreated by the network

Despite their legacies from the program, not all are involvedFascinatedThey have good memories of their experiences. In Rose McGowan's autobiographyBraveHe described his time working on the Soul Crushing series. His views were also shared by his co-stars. In conversation withweekly entertainment, Combs revealed that "WB has never treated us well, so we didn't expect a lot of goodbyes, flowers or cards."

noI believeIn the interview, Combs also expressed his frustration at how the show was being promoted. “If the press mentions WB, mention itleukocytes,happiness miGilmore GirlsAnd yet there's never a mention of a show that's been on the air longer than all the others."

14. Rose McGowan wasn't the first choice to play Paige

Before McGowan was cast as Paige Halliwell, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Tiffani Thiessen were high on the wish list to replace Shannen Doherty following her unexpected departure from the series. However, according to Brad Kern, McGowan was the only person who auditioned for the role. "Rose McGowan was the only person we saw for Paige. We haven't auditioned anyone else," he said.TV line.

As for the names mentioned, Kern revealed that they were considered because they had big star power. "We replaced Shannen Doherty, who was a star, and there was talk that the show would be fine without her. Some stars, uncited, were reluctant to take that risk.”

13. The Art Connection

SeFascinatedisn't the first thing that springs to mind when you think of '90s pop culture witches, so chances are goodthe shipYou. Teen Horror shares many thematic similaritiesFascinated, and both have been praised for successfully blending feminism with a fun supernatural narrative. One connection, however, stands out more than most: The song "How Soon Is Now?" by Love Spit Love.

Most viewers remember The Smith's version of the hit as the theme song forFascinated, but was originally recorded by the band specifically forthe ship. Boththe shipmiFascinatedare owned by Warner Bros., so the decision to repurpose the track for another witch hit may have been intentional.

12. Shannen Doherty had a dramatic affair with the series' producer.

For all of Doherty's fine qualities as an artist, she has a history of being difficult to work with. When it was announced that Doherty had been chosen as one of the leadersFascinatedNo doubt some TV fans were surprised given her controversial history with the show's producer Aaron Spelling.

In frontFascinatedThey worked together onBeverly Hills, 90210, a show Doherty was allegedly kicked out of because of her on-set conflicts with cast and crew members. It was obviously no ill will on the part of Spelling when he received itFascinatedShow. In fact, according to an interview withIn contact, Spelling was very supportive of the decision to cast Doherty as Halliwell's older sister.

11. Why did Prue disappear from the photo?

Prue's death was heartbreaking for fans, but the loss of one of their favorite characters wasn't the only reason they were upset. You see, Prue has disappeared from the sisters' iconic photo, but there's a very valid reason.

In conversation withTV lineKern said, "I tried like crazy to put her in flashbacks and have pictures of her on the walls, but what I was told and was later told that wasn't the case, from the studio that we're paying the fee would have to do the episode, which we couldn't afford even if we just used a picture of her."

10. Phoebe was played by a different actress in the pilot.

it's hard to imagineFascinatedwithout Alyssa Milano as Phoebe, but that was almost the case. In the unaired pilot, the character was played by actress Lori Rom. However, he parted ways with the show after filming the pilot.

After Rom's departure, Aaron Spelling contacted Alyssa Milano and offered her the role. The rest is history, as the saying goes, and the decision in the end was clear in a way many fans can't imagine.Fascinatedwithout Milan. Interestingly, Rom is one of two actors who left the show after the unaired pilot; Chris Boyd, who played Andy Trudeau, was the other.

9. Combs was making $60,000 an episode

When Doherty left the show, her co-stars' futures were also in the stars. In fact, his friendship with Holly Marie Combs led some to believe Combs would follow Doherty out the door.

After Doherty's departure, he sat down withentertainment tonightand revealed that Combs was unsure about his future role on the series. "[S]he doesn't even know if he's going to return to the show because he doesn't want to be there without me." Ultimately, after renegotiating his contract, Combs stayed with a winreported $60,000 per episode🇧🇷 She also became a series producer in season five, but she wasn't shy about speaking openly about how bad she felt about Doherty's departure.

8. The influence of Star Wars

ÖFascinatedThe creators were obviously big fans of the galaxy far, far away. Balthazor was the demon persona of Cole Turner, a half-demon who fell in love with Phoebe and wanted to eliminate her sisters. He was highly respected among the demon types and known for defeating witches, innocents, and demons alike.

He also looked like Darth Maul, and the makeup was clearly inspired by thatwar of starsvillain. That wasn't the show's creators' only connection to the franchise. There is a reference to this in the episode "Prince Charming".A new hopewhen a demon leader says "Your lack of faith strikes me as disturbing' to one of his henchmen. That line, of course, was originally uttered by none other than Darth Vader.

7. Piper's pregnancy was real

Piper's pregnancy in season five was an interesting story, but it wasn't the plan. In fact, it was only included on the show because Combs was pregnant at the time. In conversation withTV line, Kern revealed the situation raises "strong concerns" with both the network and the studio, but managed to persuade them to move on. Suffice it to say that the decision has paid off.

He explained, "I had a strong feeling that at that point in the series, we had given the show an underlying reality. We try to depict life events as realistically as possible. The series could and should be real. So we buy all the magic because the sisters are real."

6. Why Billie joined the show

The eighth season saw ex8 simple rulesStar Kaley Cuoco joins the show as Billie Jenkins, a witch who was at odds with the sisters before becoming a regular ally.

core designTV linethat the character was created "to make screen time easier for Alyssa, Holly and Rose. We had to let someone else do some of the work; our stars were tired after seven years. Just as Rose was hired after Prue died to infuse new energy, Kaley's character should seek to infuse new blood into an aging show." Fans also suspect that Billie was created with derived ambitions in mind. Though they never materialized, wanted the network potentially new blood to potentially create new shows in the future.Fascinated-Back.

5. McGowan isn't a fan of any particular co-star

Rose McGowan has never been shy about speaking her mind, and that's especially true when it comes to her.FascinatedExperience. In his insightful memoirsBraveHe hinted that he wasn't on the best of terms with his co-stars. In one passage he wrote: “I have chosen not to fight. I refused to play games that were below me, but that didn't stop me from constantly watching our set. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if the Charmed Ones hang out after work. The answer was no."

Earlier this year, McGowan criticized Milano for its involvement in the #MeToo movement. In conversation withABC night lineShe said, "I don't like it. Because I think it's a lie."

4. The original stars have problems restarting

Reboots always separate those with a strong affinity for the original. When it comes to CdamagedReboot, past stars aren't the biggest fans.

Combs, in particular, has been vocal in disapproving of the reboot. in a longTwitter OutbreakShe criticized the reboot's perceived ageism: "First let me say that I appreciate the jobs and opportunities that theFascinatedreboot created. But I'll never understand what's so wild, funny, or feminist about creating a show that basically says the original actresses are too old to do the job they did 12 years ago." Milan agreed. Combs tooI was offendedwith the suggestion that the new show is more feminist. As if the original wasn't.

3. Lack of female directors

Despite the show's female appeal, it was a boys' club behind the scenes. insideBrave, McGowan claims it was directed by only one woman. In addition, she also revealed that the male cast and crew were very disrespectful towards her.

“Only one director was hired in the five years I was there and the team swamped her. This was a show about three young women and the whole time I was there they didn't have a female director. But I think the mostly male staff, without even realizing what they were doing, just cut off the director's legs," she wrote. In the same episode, McGowan revealed that most of the directors were "average" and "all white." ." "

2. Cole was only supposed to appear in seven episodes.

For the momentFascinatedentered its third season, audiences had become accustomed to a more serialized format and more regular seasons. Part of that was the arrival of Julian McMahon as Cole Turner, who quickly made a strong impression.

"One of the challenges of the show was finding strong male characters that wouldn't distract from our stars," Kern explainedTV line🇧🇷 "When you make a show that focuses on female empowerment, the tendency is to emasculate male characters, which isn't great either." He continued, "Julian was exactly what we were looking for. It was only supposed to be a seven-episode arc, but that arc became a two-year show because it was just amazing."

1. Doherty and Milano didn't get along

Their characters may have been close, but the sisterly bond between Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano wasn't shared off-screen.

Milano spoke openly about how she felt alienated from her co-stars. she saidHuffingtons Positiontthat "Holly [Marie Combs] and Shannen were best friends for like 10 years before the show started, so it was very much like high school. I hope by the time I'm thirty it won't be like that..." Combs reallyi wasn't happywith this statement. However, today they are good friends. After Doherty was diagnosed with cancer, the couple became closer and made amends.

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We missed some details about the making ofFascinated🇧🇷 If yes, then leave it in the comments!