Charmedand its iconic group of sisters have had a presence in pop culture for nearly 30 years now with an impressive legacy in the supernatural genre that can be seen in various shows like it. Premiering on The WB in 1998,Charmedfollows sisters who learn they are witches and fight against supernatural antagonists.Charmedwent through a few time slot adjustments that would typically cause a series to decline in ratings and inevitably get canceled. However,the storytelling and the characterization of the Halliwell sisters were enough to allow the show to quickly grow a cult following, and eventually get abotchedCharmedrebootin 2018.
Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, and eventually Rose McGowan led the series strongly, bringing something unique to their characters that allowed audiences to identify with each Halliwell sister.Charmedhas remained a fan-favorite TV series for years, but with the recent passing of Doherty, some TV fans might be tuning into the series for the first time. Luckily,a few other TV shows in the supernatural genre share a lot in common withCharmedand act as the perfect follow-up seriesto watch.
All 8 Seasons Of Charmed, Ranked Worst To Best
While the eight seasons of Charmed provided entertainment from start to finish, some seasons were more entertaining and of higher quality than others.
Based on the Archie Comics of the same name, Netflix’sChilling Adventures of Sabrinasees the titular witch navigate her supernatural powers and identity. Contrasting the lightheartedSabrina the Teenage Witchthat premiered in the ’90s and starred Melissa Joan Hart as the character, Kiernan Shipka andChilling Adventures of Sabrinahas a darker tone.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrinaalternates between storylines involving the two worlds, drawing more similarities toCharmedin the way the sisters' romantic relationships, jobs, and other obligations tied to the mortal world are just as important in the series.
Sabrina does her best to protect her loved ones and the mortal world at large from various evil forces. However,like the Halliwell sisters inCharmed, Sabrina learns to balance her roles as a witch and a human.Chilling Adventures of Sabrinaalternates between storylines involving the two worlds, drawing more similarities toCharmedin the way the sisters' romantic relationships, jobs, and other obligations tied to the mortal world are just as important in the series.
In any fictional world where supernatural creatures co-exist with humans, the threat of such a realm being exposed to mortals is always present.Inspired by the eponymous DC Comics character,Luciferfollows Tom Ellis' character as he makes the transition from Hell to Los Angeles. In the big city,Lucifer teams up with Chloe Decker, a detective at the Los Angeles Police Department. ThroughoutLucifer’s six seasons, the pair fight off supernatural creatures.
Similarly inCharmed, the Halliwells form a friendship with San Francisco Police Officer Darryl Morris, who helps keep them off of the local police department’s radar. For its characterization of the character and his growing relationship with Chloe,Luciferearned a passionate fan base. After the series was canceled by Fox, fans created a campaign to save the show, and Netflix picked upLuciferfor three additional seasons, which drew in a bigger audience than before.
Originally one ofthe best IDW comics,Locke & Keywas adapted into a Netflix series and premiered in 2020.Just likeCharmed,Locke & Keyis centered around siblings. After their father’s death, the Locke siblings — Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode — move with their mother into their father’s family home, where they soon discover mysterious keys that give them access to the supernatural world. The Locke siblings' dynamic is part of why the series is beloved by fans.
Their handling of their father’s death and the weight that it carries in various plots earned praise from critics, in addition to the overall well-established dark tone throughoutLocke & Key.Speaking ofLocke & Key’s ability to intertwine themes of loss into the series,Charmedalso sees its characters work through their emotions in difficult times, particularly withthe death of their sister Prue.
The originating idea ofa “Big Bad” characteris often credited toBuffy the Vampire Slayerand is generally defined as an antagonist that is the focus of an entire season of a TV show.Charmedhad a few big bad antagonists throughout its eight seasons and so didAngel,a spin-off series ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer. Starring David Boreanaz,Angelfollows the title character’s journey after he leftBuffy the Vampire Slayerin season 3.
The series begins as Angel, a vampire whose human soul has been restored, is now living in Los Angeles, and, feeling guilty for his past actions, he helps save other lost souls. Compared toCharmedandBuffy the Vampire Slayer,Angelis much darker, but that’s what made it so successful.Boreanaz won three Saturn Awards for Best Actor and was nominated numerous times for other awards, along with the supporting performances by the cast, duringAngel’s run.
Witches of East End
Cast
Witches of East End is a television series centered around Joanna Beauchamp and her daughters, Freya and Ingrid, who live in Long Island’s East Haven. The series follows their discovery of their identities as powerful, immortal witches when a series of events unfolds after Freya’s engagement to a wealthy newcomer.
In the few years after the final season ofCharmed, there weren’t as many successful TV shows about witches. However, many shows with leading witch characters would eventually pop up, includingWitches of East End. Based on Melissa de la Cruz’s 2011 novel of the same name,Witches of East Endfollows the Beauchamp family — the matriarch Joanna and her two daughters, Ingrid and Freya. In addition to its shared overall premise,Witches of East Endbegins the same wayCharmeddoes.
The Halliwell sisters startCharmedunaware of their magical powers, and the Beauchamp sisters are similarly unaware of their gifts — a narrative choice that differs from De la Cruz’s book. However, a few critics weren’t pleased with the similarities and preferred the execution carried out byCharmed.Witches of East Endlasted for two seasons before being canceled due to low ratings, but it’s still worth binging to fill anyCharmed-shaped holes in fan’s hearts.
Running for five seasons,The Magiciansfollows a group of students at a magic school where they develop and learn to manage their unique powers. Similarly, the Halliwell sisters inCharmedare endowed with a variety of magical powers, which grow over the course of the series. From telekinesis to the ability to instantly travel from one place to another,there is some overlap in the magical powers given to characters inCharmedandThe Magicians.
Critical praise surroundingThe Magiciansincreased with each season.
However, likeCharmed,The Magiciansdoes not solely revolve around supernatural conflicts.The characters inThe Magiciansare fully rounded and deal with issues outside the tuning of their skills, allowing audiences to become further invested in their character arcs.Critical praise surroundingThe Magiciansincreased with each season, resulting in a fan-favorite show that has created its own legacy similar to that ofCharmed.
Every Villain In The Magicians, Ranked
The Magicians is known for making interesting and complex villains who are enjoyable to watch, but some of these antagonists rise above the rest.
Part ofThe Vampire Diaries Universe,The Originalsis the first spin-off series to followThe Vampire Diaries.The Originalsrevolves around the Mikaelson siblings — Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah —, the first ever vampires. The first conflict to appear inThe Originalsseason 1 is the complications surrounding the birth of Klaus' child. Klaus, the son of a witch and werewolf, has a child that will be the first tribrid, attracting the attention of supernatural enemies.
Though the threats inCharmedaren’t as extreme, a few hybrid children are also born as well.Piper Halliwell, the middle sister, and Leo, a guardian angel, have two children together.Piper and Leo’s sons, Wyatt and Chris, have stronger powers than those of their parents. Similarly,Klaus and Hayley’s daughter Hopehas the combined abilities of her parents, which are further explored in the third series ofThe Vampire Diariesfranchise,Legacies.
InGrimm, Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he comes from a line of the eponymous guardians who are tasked with keeping peace between humans and mythological creatures. ThroughoutGrimm’s six seasons, Nick and his partners find themselves up against a variety of other-worldly creatures, including a few that derive from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Storylines inCharmedalso show a need for peaceful coexistence between humans and supernatural creatures, coincidentally also involving a local police department.
Similar to howCharmedsaw different “Big Bad” characters in each season,Grimmhas weekly procedural cases.Still, there is a central mystery to be solved, creating a cohesive narrative and mythology for audiences to be invested in throughout the series.Grimmhasn’t been described as a groundbreaking series in the supernatural genre, but it does do a great job of interweaving a subtle touch of comedy within the dark, fantastical setting.
LikeCharmed,Supernaturalgot its start on The WB.The series follows the Winchester brothers, Dean and Sam, as they hunt different supernatural creatures. Just asCharmedsaw the consistent appearances of both enemies and allies, so didSupernatural. One of the most beloved recurring characters inSupernaturalis Castiel, an angel played by Misha Collins. Towards the end of the series' run, Collins became a main cast member despite Castiel’s original arc only lasting for a few episodes.
Collins credits his permanent addition toSupernaturalto the positive response from the fan base.BothCharmedandSupernaturalhave strong, passionate fan baseswhich allowed the respective shows to make history with their time on air.Charmedheld the title of being the longest-running hour-long series led by an all-female cast, untilDesperate Housewivesin 2012, andSupernaturalis among the longest-running live-action fantasy shows.
As its title suggests, the primary supernatural creatures to appear inBuffy the Vampire Slayerare vampires. However, that doesn’t mean other famous monsters don’t show up too.Witches are canon inBuffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as ghosts and werewolves. StarringSarah Michelle Gellar as the titular vampire slayer, the series is set in a fictional Californian city that’s home to a portal between the mortal and supernatural worlds.
The two shows are just a few in a lineup with strong female characters from the ’90s and early 2000s, alongsideDark Angel,Xena: Warrior Princess, andAlias.
Buffy the Vampire Slayeris often considered to be one ofthe best TV shows of all timeand is loved by critics and audiences alike for its well-established canon mythology, humor, and, of course, its protagonist, Buffy. In addition to their sharp writing and inspired worldbuilding,CharmedandBuffy the Vampire Slayerare also remembered for creating iconic leading female characters on TV. The two shows are just a few in a lineup with strong female characters from the ’90s and early 2000s, alongsideDark Angel,Xena: Warrior Princess, andAlias.
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