Sabrina the Teenage Witch Series in Development at CW

[cyma]

Sabrina the Teenage Witch could soon be returning to television.

The CW and Warner Bros. Television are developing a new one-hour drama based around the character for the 2018-2019 season, Variety has learned.

The potential series would be based on the Archie Comics series “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” which reimagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult, and witchcraft. The series is described as being tonally in the vein of horror classics like “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Exorcist,” and will see Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature as a half-witch, half-mortal while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family, and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Should the project move forward, it would serve as a companion series to “Riverdale,” the dark reimagining of the Archie Comics that puts Archie and the rest of his high school friends at the heart of a murder mystery.

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, chief creative officer of Archie Comics, will serve as writer and executive producer on “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” Lee Toland Krieger, who has directed multiple episodes of “Riverdale,” will direct and executive produce. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater–all executive producers on “Riverdale”–will also executive produce. Berlanti Productions will produce in association with Warner Bros. TV.

The project has a good chance of being ordered to series, given Berlanti’s longstanding relationship with the network. He currently executive produces CW shows “Riverdale,” “Legends of Tomorrow,” “Arrow,” “The Flash,” and “Supergirl.” He will also executive produce the upcoming CW series “Black Lightning.”

“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” was spunoff into its own comic book series after the character played a significant role in the comic series “Afterlife with Archie.” Melissa Joan Hart previously played the character in the live-action, multi-cam series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” which aired for seven seasons. It aired on ABC for its first four, then moved to The WB (now The CW) for its final three.

variety.com/2017/tv/news/sabrina-the-teenage-witch-series-cw-riverdale-1202564621/#respond

Glad to hear that about Sabrina because the comedy was just okaish to me, but then I got tired of it and sort of wished for something more serious. Also wondering about Charmed Reboot's fate which is still unknown.

[Ruth Marie]

I did grow up watching the old Sabrina, and did enjoy it because it was a comedy. So seeing a darker Sabrina will be very weird for some reason, and take getting used too.

I do wonder how differently Hilda and Zelda will be in this new series, without all the comedy. Also how will they handle Salem in a more serious version of Sabrina. I wonder if any similar characters from the original series like Libby, Valarie etc. will even appear.

I hope they do what the Superman shows and Supergirl did and have Melissa, Caroline and Beth come on and play different characters. All of them could get away with even playing other family members in Sabrina's family for a cameo.

I think we can safely say the Charmed reboot will not be happening at the CW or get redeveloped. If they are doing a Sabrina series, then no room for Charmed too.

[Esmeralda]

Well, if Sabrina is successful then *maybe* Netflix will decide to do something with Charmed. We can hope.

[cyma]

If CW is making Jennie Snyder Urman work on the Charmed Reboot, it sounds like it would be in the Comedy, Drama, Fantasy and Romance category since her works include shows like Gilmore Girls, Hope and Faith, 90210, Jane the Virgin, Men on Trees, etc.

Sabrina on the other hand is getting people who work on Riverdale, Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl. And those are Action, Adventure, Drama, Crime, Mystery with Romance. Which is strange. The description of the chilling adventures make it sound like the writers of The Originals and Supernatural should be involved here.

At the end of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being in the same tone as Supergirl. Which is as dark and serious as a cute cuddly kitten.

[Ruth Marie]

I didn't think about a Charmed reboot being like those shows. Wouldn't it be funny if the Charmed reboot ended up being like a comedy and Sabrina ended up being dark. A complete opposite of how they originally aired.

I looked more on the the chilling adventures of Sabrina comics, and these comics only came out since 2014, and have only produced less than 10 issues or so. So they don't have much source material to work with. So the show can go in any direction.

But your right, It wouldn't surprise me if the tone is more like Supergirl. It could even end up being in a similar tone to Charmed, during season 1 for instance.

[cyma]

Looking at the summaries of the comic issues:

Story arcs
Volume 1: The Crucible (Issues 1 - 5)
Set during the 1960s, Sabrina lives with her aunts, Hilda, and Zelda, as well as her cousin Ambrose, in the town of Greendale. Nearing her sixteenth birthday she must choose whether to stay a witch or become mortal forever. Madam Satan, a former flame of her deceased father, has returned from Hell and wants revenge on the Spellman family.

Volume 2: That Damned Cat/Witch-War
The events of the first arc have come to a head. Sabrina’s father, Edward Spellman, is back among the living inhabiting the body of Harvey Kinkle. With Madame Satan’s master plan finally revealed will Sabrina’s aunts be able to keep Sabrina safe and what lengths will they go to in order to protect her?

It does feel similar to Charmed. You have Sabrina, you have her two Aunts who are sisters and there's a cousin named Ambrose. Three female leads and one guy living in the same house. There's witchcraft, magic, family drama, family protecting each other not to mention crossover possibility with their existing show Riverdale. I can see why CW eagerly jumped into this and already got people working.

While Charmed is still a mystery. Also wonder if this is why they were going with Charmed Reboot setting of the show in 1960s. Because it would've been similar to Sabrina's reboot which obviously isn't going to be 1960s like the comics, otherwise crossover episodes will be hard to do.

[Esmeralda]

AH! You might have finally figured out why they wanted to do a reboot that way. And the way some fans think Supergirl is based on what CBS Entertainment wanted to do with Charmed, maybe this new Sabrina is more like what they were going to do with the Charmed reboot.

Personally I'd love if the Charmed reboot was more like Gilmore Girls, Hope and Faith, 90210, Jane the Virgin, Men on Trees, etc. than Riverdale, Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl, but not if it had nothing to do with the Halliwells. But not sure I like the idea of changing Charmed so that it can be part of a universe that has yet to include a show that I've liked.

[Deleted]

Sept 23, 2017 21:36:09 GMT -5 Ruth Marie said:

I did grow up watching the old Sabrina, and did enjoy it because it was a comedy. So seeing a darker Sabrina will be very weird for some reason, and take getting used too.

I do wonder how differently Hilda and Zelda will be in this new series, without all the comedy. Also how will they handle Salem in a more serious version of Sabrina. I wonder if any similar characters from the original series like Libby, Valarie etc. will even appear.

I hope they do what the Superman shows and Supergirl did and have Melissa, Caroline and Beth come on and play different characters. All of them could get away with even playing other family members in Sabrina's family for a cameo.

I think we can safely say the Charmed reboot will not be happening at the CW or get redeveloped. If they are doing a Sabrina series, then no room for Charmed too.

100% agree with this. I would even question whether a talking cat would work in a 'serious' version of Sabrina? That was what was so great about the original, that it didn't take itself so seriously. I'm just imagining a load of Taylor Swift's squad strutting around, pointing their fingers and flicking their hair. 

[Granny Charmed]

Sabrina The Teenage Witch Series Moves from CW to Netflix and is Picked Up By Netflix With 2-Season Order

Sabrina is on the move. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series, originally put in development at the CW in September as a potential companion to Riverdale, has landed a 20-episode, two-season, straight-to-series order at Netflix.



The now-untitled project, based on the Archie Comics graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, comes from the same team as Riverdale: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. TV. Aguirre-Sacasa, who penned the Riverdale pilot, and Lee Toland Krieger, who directed it, are reprising their roles on the Sabrina pilot episode.





Netflix

While most other popular Archie Comics characters are in Riverdale, Sabrina the Teenage Witch had been conspicuously missing from the CW’s Archie-themed drama series, so it made sense when the network announced in September that it was developing a separate series about the young witch.



Word is, likely based on the success of Riverdale on Netflix, the streaming platform gave producing studio Warner Bros. TV a two-season pickup offer it could not refuse. The CW — which also has another female witch drama in the works, a Charmed reboot with Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Snyder Urman — had committed only to development. Additionally, by going with Netflix, WBTV is retaining full ownership of the Sabrina series. (Riverdale is a co-production with CBS TV Studios per the CW business model, and so would’ve been The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina had it stayed at the broadcast network.)





The series’ move is somewhat reminiscent to The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, originally picked up by NBC for a midseason run before Netflix stepped in with a two-season order. Netflix’s interest in Sabrina is not surprising. Riverdale has been a success story for both the CW and the streaming service, which has domestic SVOD rights to the dark, soapy drama and carries it internationally in many territories. Young viewers discovering and catching up on the first season over the summer by bingeing on Netflix is credited at least in part with Riverdale‘s strong ratings sophomore season performance on the CW this fall.



Still, the relocation of the potential companion series will not allow the CW to build an Archie universe the way it has with the DC series, where characters frequently cross over. (The network has another offshoot in the works, the Supernatural spinoff Wayward Sisters, which will be introduced as a planted spinoff episode of the mothership series later this season.)


deadline.com/2017/12/sabrina-the-teenage-witch-series-picked-up-netflix-2-season-order-1202218168/

[Olga Halliwell]

So Netflix has grabbed Sabrina from CW, well for those who are checking it out, enjoy. I'm not so excited about a dark Sabrina and it might not be my kind of show. But if it is a success and Netflix consider picking up Charmed - well that may be cool.

I do think Sabrina could be the thing that get's a Charmed reboot or revival off the ground. But I'm still not so sure about two big witch names coming out with a new series at the same time will actually happen.

[w1llow]

It's hard to compare to the Charmed reboot really, since this is based on an Archie comic. It doesn't really have much to do with the 90's sitcom, they were only ever borrowing the characters to begin with and it was based on a different Sabrina comic series. Having said that, there will be some fans only aware of the sitcom who may be in for a surprise with this new spooky version.

I look forward to seeing how it turns out. So far the cast sounds pretty much perfect. 

[coltoncharmed]

I'm actually curious enough to check this out. Least they ain't trying to be like the Classic Sabrina. Although this is based on a comic series not the sitcom.

The casting is good. Hilda and Zelda look so similar to the originals they could be twins.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Netflix launched its social media promotion for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina last Friday – Friday the 13th, geddit? – and conjured up an eerie teaser and a new behind the scenes video featuring some of the cast.

First off, the @sabrinanetflix Instagram account shared a clip filmed by the titular teenage witch herself, Kiernan Shipka, introducing “her coven” – the other cast members that make up the Spellman family. These consist of her Aunts Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilda (Lucy Davis), her English cousin Ambrose (Chance Perdomo) and warlock Nicholas Scratch (Gavin Leatherwood).

The very same day, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa shared a spooky teaser for Sabrina which encouraged fans to “join the coven.” In an eerie procession of images, the promo hinted at story elements such as the Necronomicon spellbook and the introduction of Salem, Sabrina’s iconic talking black cat. We previously got a look at the witch’s familiar pet in a sneak peak shared a while back, and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing more of him.


Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has been a long time coming. Originally it was to air on The CW as a spinoff from Riverdale, but the network ultimately passed on the production and Netflix snapped up the project instead. If you’re expecting something like 90s sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, though, then you’re out of luck, as it’s been described as “tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist.”

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is expected to arrive some time this year and the rest of the cast consists of Jaz Sinclair as Sabrina’s best pal Rosalind, Ross Lynch as her mortal beau Harvey Kinkle, Michelle Gomez as Madam Satan and Richard Coyle as the sinister Father Blackwood

wegotthiscovered.com/tv/chilling-adventures-sabrina-conjures-teaser-bts-video/

[pheebs]

Well, the casting looks alright. Although I'm so connected to the classic version of Sabrina. A Darker Sabrina will be odd to me.

It really is the Season of the Witch. Two Witch themed shows starting this year.

[West]

Has the voice of Salem been cast. I'm not sure recasting the original voice actor would fit this series. But it would be cool.

[coltoncharmed]

It looks like both the Charmed and Sabrina reboots are adding darker elements to it. But Sabrina isn't based on the sitcom apart from the names. It's a different show really.

[West]

That's why this reboot has very little backlash. It's got a different title, genre and based off a new comic series thats 6 years old.

I think this one will be more fun. Hopefully the Metoo themes isn't forced into it.

[prudencehalliwell]

So it starts October 26th on Netflix. Just in time for Halloween.

variety.com/2018/tv/news/netflix-premiere-date-maniac-chilling-adventures-sabrina-1202889370/amp/

[marlenewicca]

I might check this series out.

[Granny Charmed]

My granddaughter told me about this dears, and I decided to share it with the Cafe for those who have Netflix (none of my family does) and are planning to watch it.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina cast previews a darker show than you might expect

There’s a serious problem in the Spellman household: Sabrina is allergic to Salem. Or at least Kiernan Shipka is. “I get a call that says, ‘Kiernan is allergic to the cat,’” Sabrina showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa says. “It did go through my mind: Could Salem be a dog?” The ultimate answer, of course, was no. Salem has to be a cat… but does Sabrina have to be a witch?



That’s the central struggle during season 1 of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the latest project featuring the beloved Archie Comics character — best known from the ’90s sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, which starred Melissa Joan Hart as the half-mortal, half-witch who lived with her aunts and relied on Salem, her talking cat, for guidance (and snarky comments). But this adaptation is less about laughs — no hall closets double as portals — and instead is loosely based on the 2014 comic of the same title written by Aguirre-Sacasa.

“We’re not remaking Sabrina, The Teenage Witch,” says Lucy Davis, who plays Sabrina’s Aunt Hilda. “This is a different thing.” More specifically, Aguirre-Sacasa adds: “The idea was to do a dark horror version of Sabrina, something that was more of a slow-burn horror, like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby and all those great satanic horror movies from the 1960s and 1970s.”



The series kicks off in the town of Greendale in the days leading up to Sabrina’s 16th birthday. But a sweet 16 it is not. Rather, it’s the day Sabrina has to decide her future. While some teens are picking out their first cars, Sabrina is choosing between a human life and a magical one. That decision only becomes more complicated when choosing her powers could mean losing her free will.



“There’s this minor little thing of signing your soul away that sounds a little intense to Sabrina,” says Shipka. The star, who was Aguirre-Sacasa’s first choice, is best known for her work as Sally Draper on AMC’s Mad Men. Now she’s playing a Sabrina who has to decide whether she will pledge her allegiance to the Dark Lord (a must to become a full-fledged witch). “Sabrina has to stand up to the devil and these very formidable opponents, and someone like Kiernan has the gravitas and assuredness to do that,” Aguirre-Sacasa says. Adds Shipka: “She’s this young, really badass, outspoken girl who is still individuating herself and figuring out love, as well as honing in on her power and struggling between these two completely separate worlds.”


One world is home to her aunts Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilda, with whom she lives, and the other is home to her boyfriend, Harvey (Ross Lynch), and her school friends. “The show melds a whole lot of different tones because there’s a sweet, lighter tone of the high school and the romance between Sabrina and Harvey, and then you’ve got the darker tone of the Spellman house and everything that goes on in there,” Otto says.



But what happens if Sabrina doesn’t want to give up either? “[The season is] following her dark education,” Aguirre-Sacasa says, referring to each episode as its own mini-movie (with one paying homage to The Exorcist). “It’s all part of a bigger arc, which is her trying to hold on to her humanity as her witch nature is developed.”



And by Sabrina’s side through the entire journey will be her familiar, Salem… though not too close. “We keep at a safe distance,” Shipka says, joking that “it’s like, ‘Actors That Didn’t Get Along in Shows: Kiernan and the Cat Hated Each Other.’”



Chilling Adventures of Sabrina hits Netflix on Oct. 26.


ew.com/tv/2018/09/13/chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-preview-kiernan-shipka/

I haven't seen it, but since it's more horror and much darker than Classic Sabrina (as my granddaughter pointed out to me), which was a comedy. Which I think is the way to truly reboot, I wished the Charmed reboot was under a different name and went full comedy.

I think I'll pass on this one dears. I'm sure many will love it. 

[Melinda Halliwell]

It will be set in the 60's I hear so no modern technology then.