One of the things my friends frequently come to me for is book and TV show advice. My first question is always what types of shows they enjoy. My second question is what they are looking for (sitcom or drama). Recently, my friend told me she really liked magic shows but was not sure what to watch, so for her, I have compiled a list of shows with witches, wizards, and warlocks for all ages, both past and present:
Kids:
Wizards of Waverly Place– The show that made Selena Gomez’s career is surprisingly charming and not quite as loud as its Disney brethren. The Russo siblings are each wizards-in-training with a twist–only one of them will get to keep their magic. What made this show so refreshing is that main character Alex (Gomez) is not the cookie cutter good girl of today’s kids’ shows. She likes pulling pranks, she’s self-centered, and she’s lazy. Despite these character flaws, Alex remained lovable and endearing. Don’t expect profound depths, but for a few laughs, this show is worth the time.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch– It is hard to see this now and not see how outdated the special effects and mechanics are of this show, but there’s something so sweet about this show about a teen whose entire life is turned upside down when she learns that she is a witch. Even so, Melissa Joan Hart is as charismatic as ever as Sabrina Spellman. If you like 90s comedies, this is perfect for you. (There have also been many iterations of Sabrina over the years in cartoon form so you can always check those out as well if you’d like.)
NOTE: There is also a show called Wizards vs Aliens from BBC, but I have not seen this and therefore cannot offer an opinion.
Teen:
The Secret Circle– This short-lived series from the CW is based on a book by the same name, written by LJ Smith. Considering the success of the other series based on Smith’s books (The Vampire Diaries and spinoff The Originals), this seemed like a slam dunk. But the show broke a few cardinal rules of good TV: make the characters likable, make the TV show visual, and not making enough of the characters memorable. (The one exception is Phoebe Tonkins who at least had some depth that made her interesting.) This isn’t one of the books I would push for watching, but it did have its dedicated fan base.
Nowhere Boys- Four boys who could not be more different get stuck in a group for the school’s nature walk. When they get lost, they find themselves in an alternate reality where they were never born and an evil demon is after them. They discover that each has a unique ability to control an element, abilities they must combine if they hope to return to their own reality. There’s something oddly refreshing about this half-hour Australian series. It doesn’t get nearly as complicated and conspiracy-heavy as an American series by the same name would be, but it still keeps you guessing.
The Vampire Diaries/The Originals– These shows have only continued to get stronger as they go on, by adding depth and layer to the characters and mythology, always surprising, and always forging ahead. I have already written a ton about this, so I won’t go into details here, but check out my post “The Case for…The Vampire Diaries & The Originals” for why you should definitely be watching.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel– Now that Joss Whedon has gotten wider recognition thanks to his work on The Avengers, this should not be as hard a sell as it once was. Buffy is a brilliant show for so many different reasons, from the way it handled coming of age issues to gender issues to group dynamics to making every monster count. It wasn’t until later in the show that the series truly explored witchcraft when our favorite nerd, Willow (Alyson Hannigan pre-How I Met Your Mother and American Pie), discovered her own inner strength and magic. She may have gone off the deep end and one point and turned full on evil, but…you know, witches will be witches. Angel, features magic to a lesser degree with the occasional spell or witch, but is no less deserving of your time.
Charmed– I can’t tell you how many times I have re-watched this series, about estranged siblings who must learn to live together, control their newly discovered powers, and embrace their destiny, in its entirety. Something about it, particularly the sisterly bond at its heart, has always really connected with me. Perhaps the strongest moments are when the series deals with the death and grief associated with the loss of one of the sisters mid-way through the show. It is difficult to imagine how a show might compensate for the death of a character so integral to the show (the sisters’ magic is literally dependent on “the power of three” for their full strength), but this show made it look like it was planned all along.
Merlin– This show from across the pond, tells the story of King Arthur with a twist. Arthur is a good-hearted, if somewhat selfish prince whose best hope for making it to the throne is his manservant, Merlin. Unbeknownst to Arthur, Merlin has magic, which he uses to assist Arthur whenever possible (despite magic being outlawed by Arthur’s father Uther). The show is a lot of fun, in that British sort of minimalist way. Plus, Giles from Buffy plays Uther, so that’s always fun. I wish the show had examined Morgana (aka Morgan Le Fay) further, but I loved seeing how she ultimately turned evil and became Arthur’s enemy, despite being raised almost as his sister.
NEXT: Which shows cast a spell meant for adults?
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