Are there episodes that define the 90s or the general 'era'?

[rebooted]

I was just thinking about this the other day.

Would there be one episode you think that really nails the definition of the era which Charmed came from. 

- I was thinking Apocalypse Not because of its references to the countdown to the millennium.

- Chick Flick is another one with references to 'woman saving the day' and the condescending photographer that Prue was taking pictures of. 

- All Halliwell's Eve with costumes and 'protest' statements.

- SWTWComes does really emphasise the 'Scream' and 'I Know what you did last summer' vibe in 1998. 

- Michelle Branch playing at P3 on the 100th?

- Natalie Imbruglias 'Torn' post opening credits in I've Got Your Under My Skin?

- A Knight to Remember has that American flag outfit worn my Alyssa Milano at the end of episode which I think was used as a 9/11 solidarity promotional piece as well.


What are your thoughts?

[Katie Warren]

The sisters dancing to the Cranberries in 'She's a Man Baby, a Man'. They were a popular band in the 90s. Maybe the shows most popular, compared to so many of the other one hit wonders. It feels very 90s.

'Apocalypse Not' with the references to the countdown to the millennium.

When Prue pulls out her brick phone in 'I've Got Your Under My Skin?' and Andy mentions dating in the 90s.

'Got Milk' reference in 'The Fourth Sister'. A pretty big advertising campaign encouraging the consumption of milk in the 90s.

[rebooted]

Jul 15, 2022 21:30:11 GMT -5 Katie Warren said:

The sisters dancing to the Cranberries in 'She's a Man Baby, a Man'. They were a popular band in the 90s. Maybe the shows most popular, compared to so many of the other one hit wonders. It feels very 90s.

'Apocalypse Not' with the references to the countdown to the millennium.

When Prue pulls out her brick phone in 'I've Got Your Under My Skin?' and Andy mentions dating in the 90s.

'Got Milk' reference in 'The Fourth Sister'. A pretty big advertising campaign encouraging the consumption of milk in the 90s.

Yes the Crandberries is an iconic one - and especially how they use VHS video tapes for the then (not online) dating matching-making agency. 

Piper is very 'girl next door' in this episode when she spies on Dan washing the car. 

Also I just remembered that there is the 'Got Milk' reference in Brain Drain too when Piper is frustrated at Paige not replacing the milk

[Elle Em]

This may not be '90s-specific, but any time I'm rewatching now, the lack of social media really stands out to me. It's really refreshing to see an era portrayed that didn't show that sort of thing at all, at least not that I can remember. 

[rebooted]

Jul 16, 2022 6:42:52 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

This may not be '90s-specific, but any time I'm rewatching now, the lack of social media really stands out to me. It's really refreshing to see an era portrayed that didn't show that sort of thing at all, at least not that I can remember. 

Yeah and it does make the exposure stories pale in comparison to what could actually happen with social media.

Makes me think that the magical community would have def needed a new game plan post being off air to make it a permanent thing to have magic exposure erased asap. 

[Katie Warren]

Jul 16, 2022 11:00:24 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Jul 16, 2022 6:42:52 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

This may not be '90s-specific, but any time I'm rewatching now, the lack of social media really stands out to me. It's really refreshing to see an era portrayed that didn't show that sort of thing at all, at least not that I can remember. 

Yeah and it does make the exposure stories pale in comparison to what could actually happen with social media.

Makes me think that the magical community would have def needed a new game plan post being off air to make it a permanent thing to have magic exposure erased asap. 

They sure will. Exposure would be so easy these days, anybody with a Smartphone will capture things easily. Plus it'll blow up way more than anything in AHBL did.

[rebooted]

Jul 16, 2022 16:53:24 GMT -5 Katie Warren said:

Jul 16, 2022 11:00:24 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Yeah and it does make the exposure stories pale in comparison to what could actually happen with social media.

Makes me think that the magical community would have def needed a new game plan post being off air to make it a permanent thing to have magic exposure erased asap. 

They sure will. Exposure would be so easy these days, anybody with a Smartphone will capture things easily. Plus it'll blow up way more than anything in AHBL did.

In some ways I guess AHBL kind of does define the general era too, also with the big cameras and the swat teams etc.. Its also quite buffy like as well with Phoebe and Cole in the underworld.

[Sandra]

It's one thing about the 90s I miss. Also not too many people have personal phones back then. Half the storytelling in shows are less suspenseful when someone has a smartphone to call for help or expose someone with a camera. In Charmed's case, its Leo or Paige orbing. But you've reminded me why these days it's less exciting when a character's life is in peril. But I suppose the bad guy would just throw their phone away or break it. But nothing scared me more, when I truly didn't know if someone would find someone in time.

I miss watching old shows and movies pre social media being a thing. Things were more simple back then.

Technology does make plot-lines in show so much easier these days in general or trickier with a show like Charmed when it comes to being exposed as witches. So many episodes the sisters used their powers or did vanquishes in the town. That I even half question how they got away not getting caught. Nowdays that won't fly even more. Who knows if someone has a smartphone to expose them in seconds and post it online.

Maybe Charmed's just is a relic of its time and can't work well today.

[rebooted]

Jul 16, 2022 22:08:35 GMT -5 Sandra said:

It's one thing about the 90s I miss. Also not too many people have personal phones back then. Half the storytelling in shows are less suspenseful when someone has a smartphone to call for help or expose someone with a camera. In Charmed's case, its Leo or Paige orbing. But you've reminded me why these days it's less exciting when a character's life is in peril. But I suppose the bad guy would just throw their phone away or break it. But nothing scared me more, when I truly didn't know if someone would find someone in time.

I miss watching old shows and movies pre social media being a thing. Things were more simple back then.

Technology does make plot-lines in show so much easier these days in general or trickier with a show like Charmed when it comes to being exposed as witches. So many episodes the sisters used their powers or did vanquishes in the town. That I even half question how they got away not getting caught. Nowdays that won't fly even more. Who knows if someone has a smartphone to expose them in seconds and post it online.

Maybe Charmed's just is a relic of its time and can't work well today.

I think it would work today but it would be written in the script that magic is erased from mortals memories as soon as it is exposed. 

Or that the only way a mortal would figure magic out is if they fell in love with a witch so that it would be kept in confidence. 

Perhaps that's what the premise of the new series would be. and also clarity with the personal gain aspect as well?

[Elle Em]

For me, Charmed aired at the perfect time. It was modern enough to age well for the most part, yet not so modern that their technology takes away from the fun of it. The world is a lot more open now, but it feels so, so much smaller. The late '90s and early 2000s were perfect because technology made things comfortable, but people still lived their own lives. 

[rebooted]

Jul 17, 2022 7:01:18 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

For me, Charmed aired at the perfect time. It was modern enough to age well for the most part, yet not so modern that their technology takes away from the fun of it. The world is a lot more open now, but it feels so, so much smaller. The late '90s and early 2000s were perfect because technology made things comfortable, but people still lived their own lives. 

I think its why I am drawn to Charmed so much. It reminds me of a time when there was a nice balance. 

The internet was a novelty and more of an information source. 

Agree with you Elle Em! The age just before MySpace in 2003 and post Windows 95 is a time I wish I could go back too!

It still blows my mind that Charmed aired between 16-24 years ago. The world has changed so much. That 90's held so much optimism!

[zoeysmom]

Jul 17, 2022 9:00:00 GMT -5 rebooted said:

Jul 17, 2022 7:01:18 GMT -5 Elle Em said:

For me, Charmed aired at the perfect time. It was modern enough to age well for the most part, yet not so modern that their technology takes away from the fun of it. The world is a lot more open now, but it feels so, so much smaller. The late '90s and early 2000s were perfect because technology made things comfortable, but people still lived their own lives. 

I think its why I am drawn to Charmed so much. It reminds me of a time when there was a nice balance. 

The internet was a novelty and more of an information source. 

Agree with you Elle Em! The age just before MySpace in 2003 and post Windows 95 is a time I wish I could go back too!

It still blows my mind that Charmed aired between 16-24 years ago. The world has changed so much. That 90's held so much optimism!

I think that's why I like it, too.

[Sandra]

Jul 20, 2022 19:35:09 GMT -5 zoeysmom said:

Jul 17, 2022 9:00:00 GMT -5 rebooted said:

I think its why I am drawn to Charmed so much. It reminds me of a time when there was a nice balance. 

The internet was a novelty and more of an information source. 

Agree with you Elle Em! The age just before MySpace in 2003 and post Windows 95 is a time I wish I could go back too!

It still blows my mind that Charmed aired between 16-24 years ago. The world has changed so much. That 90's held so much optimism!

I think that's why I like it, too.

I love that era too, pre-social media. I didn't know MySpace existed in 2003. LOL I thought it came out well after Charmed ended. I guess it was in its VERY early stages. Nobody likely new about it then.

I feel like technology and the internet in general has changed so very much. It sometimes feels like it advanced so quickly. I mean the internet was basically a baby in the mid 90s when it took off.

I'm still old enough to remember the days without the internet or anything during my childhood. I didn't use the internet for the first time until being in a Library in 1998 at aged 12. Fall 1999,  at aged 13 was when I first entered the online world of the internet with my first computer (well the family computer. Didn't get my own personal one until a few years later). Yes, I do remember some of the early Charmed fandom days online, but I was just too shy and young to really engage with other fans online. But I do remember reading. Back then is when there was a limit how long you could use the internet with dial-up. So it felt so special to have internet time a certain number of hours a week. That I used my time wisely.

I wish could go back.

[Aaeiyn]

Any episode from S1, IMO. Between the pagers, giant cell phones, the newspaper still being relevant, etc., is all nostalgic, to me.

[rebooted]

Jul 20, 2022 19:45:20 GMT -5 Sandra said:

Jul 20, 2022 19:35:09 GMT -5 zoeysmom said:

I think that's why I like it, too.

I love that era too, pre-social media. I didn't know MySpace existed in 2003. LOL I thought it came out well after Charmed ended. I guess it was in its VERY early stages. Nobody likely new about it then.

I feel like technology and the internet in general has changed so very much. It sometimes feels like it advanced so quickly. I mean the internet was basically a baby in the mid 90s when it took off.

I'm still old enough to remember the days without the internet or anything during my childhood. I didn't use the internet for the first time until being in a Library in 1998 at aged 12. Fall 1999,  at aged 13 was when I first entered the online world of the internet with my first computer (well the family computer. Didn't get my own personal one until a few years later). Yes, I do remember some of the early Charmed fandom days online, but I was just too shy and young to really engage with other fans online. But I do remember reading. Back then is when there was a limit how long you could use the internet with dial-up. So it felt so special to have internet time a certain number of hours a week. That I used my time wisely.

I wish could go back.

Such nice memories Sandra. Your experience of that time is about the same as mine. I was 12-13 in 2000. I had played with the internet in the classroom in 1998 but my first experience browsing was at Dad's work who had ADSL around 1999 and it was a rare novelty. I remember spending hours researching Charmed and printing off episode lists and watching fan made videos and waiting for the video the buffer while I did my homework and assignments.

We had dial-up at home from 2000. I remember downloading 'She's a man baby, a man' on Kazaa or Naptser I think. It was the most seeded episode. Looking back now, its probably. because it was considered 'soft core'. yuk! I left my PC on all day from before school until late at night. Funny how we can just stream things now or Youtube people reacting to watching episodes lol! It was also the first time I chatted to other people/seeders about Charmed. 
 
But I think especially Season 1 which aired in 1999 and Season 2 in 2000 we're in particular memorable because my parents wouldn't let me watch Charmed as it was about witchcraft and on at 9pm (my bedtime) so I used to secretly timer record it on my VCR player and watch it the next day!!!!

Season 1 and 2 in 1999 and 2000 (NZ) is what I look back the most with fondness because it came post a SpiceGirls era and pre- September 11 period- which when you look back marked a change to the entire world forever + with what the speedy development of the internet was going to bring = a completely different world we live in now.