Forever Charmed - the Series Finale (Spoilers for UK)

[Cohen]

Charmed was pulled by executives of the new CW network, which was formed by the merging of UPN and WB. The story about three witches premiered in 1998, and originally starred Shannen Doherty along with Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs. Doherty was replaced in season four by Rose McGowan. Haley Cuoco came on board this past season.

It is expected that the CW execs will clean house, and the fate of many shows is still unknown.

Charmed exec producer Brad Kern told TV Guide, "It's been a hell of a run, but all good things must come to an end."

Source

And an interview with star, Rose McGowan:

Perhaps fittingly, The WB bows out the season in May -- and soon thereafter, its very existence -- with the demise of two of its longest-running series.

After 10 seasons on The WB -- which will merge later this year with UPN to form a new network, currently called The CW -- "7th Heaven" says goodbye, as does "Charmed," which, after eight seasons, is the longest-running show on television featuring female leads, even surpassing "Laverne & Shirley."

But on this sunny, cool day at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, there's still a ways to go in the season for the Sunday supernatural drama. Immediate attention is focused on filming the wedding scene of Paige (Rose McGowan), the youngest of the three good- witch Halliwell sisters (with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano), and her mortal beloved, Henry (Ivan Sergei). The episode, called "Engaged and Confused," aired Feb. 26.

The Halliwell mansion in San Francisco, normally the location for explosive demonic smackdowns of all kinds, is decked out in wedding finery, as is McGowan, resplendent in a vintage gown of ivory satin and lace.

"I love this dress," she says, settling in her trailer between takes. "They showed me magazines with modern bridal dresses. I wasn't really a fan. Clothes from the 1930s, they tend to fit me like a glove, and they don't need alteration. Usually, they're for a short waist, small waist, chest and then long legs, so they're the only ones that don't need alterations.

"So I had them go to a rental place that houses old movie clothes from probably the teens, and this was the first one I put on, and I loved it. I saved them a whopping amount of money."

Although the dress is long -- and McGowan needs to hike it up as she moves from trailer to stage -- it's fairly comfortable, so McGowan's big concern of the day is planting the post-vows kiss on Sergei without catching his influenza.

"I'm a little bit miserable," she says, "because I get sick very easily, especially when I'm tired, and Ivan has the flu. I'm like, please, God. So we'll see how it goes."

"Charmed" has been leading a bit of a charmed life this past season, since just about everybody thought it was a goner last May. An 11th-hour reprieve meant a lot of dramatic scrambling for executive producer Brad Kern, who'd packed his witches off to new lives -- with new faces -- just in case the party was over.

"I really did think it was over last time," McGowan says. "I don't go on the message boards or anything like that -- it's the age-old thing, 40 nice compliments, one mean thing, and it sticks with you -- but Alyssa or Holly told me people are under the impression that part of the reason it's shutting down is I don't want to come back.

"My contract's done. Everybody's contract is done. If I came in and stood outside and said, 'Let me in to work,' it wouldn't happen. And am I OK with that? Absolutely."

McGowan came on "Charmed" in its fourth season, after the departure of original cast member Shannen Doherty. For a girl who cut her teeth on indie films, it was a bit of a culture shock.

"I literally cannot believe that I've been here this long," she says. "It just staggers me. It is, in a lot of ways, like an airplane ride that you couldn't get off. Not that it's a bad airplane ride, when you're not happy with your movie selection and your peanuts. I got a good gig. But at the same time, on a certain level, it's like 'Groundhog Day.'

"But I always say, you can laugh and cry in the same episode, and you don't always get to do that in a movie."

As to what she's learned after completing almost five seasons on a one-hour drama, McGowan says, "Stamina. I've learned that I have a lot more stamina than I thought. Every movie, there would be one day when I would lose it. I would start crying, all those lines that I knew would fall out of my brain, and I would have a minimeltdown for 10 minutes. Then it would be back to work. But I would get so tired. I thought I was going to die. I'd be like, 'I can't do it, I can't do it.'

"And when I hear people that do movies complain now, I'm like, 'You don't even know what you're talking about, pally-o.'"

McGowan began her career as the lead in the 1995 independent feature "The Doom Generation," and it's to the big screen she hopes to return. She already has one movie in the can, playing aspiring actress Sheryl Saddon in Brian DePalma's "The Black Dahlia," based on James Ellroy's fictionalized version of the famous unsolved Los Angeles murder case, due out this autumn.

Although McGowan has been on television for five seasons, the reality of that doesn't seem to have sunk in on all levels.

"It was very funny," she says, "and I felt bad, and I didn't mean this in any sort of snotty way -- but Ivan said, 'So, have you gone out on any TV pilots?' I said -- I don't know what was wrong -- 'I don't do TV.' I was like, 'Oh, my God.' And he said, 'Where are you?' It was hilarious. I was like, 'Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that in any sort of denigrating way. And hello, where am I standing?' "

"Yeah," Sergei says, "I pointed out to her that she was basically making fun of what I've done for a living for five or six years, too. You know, the fact is, she is talented, and she probably won't do TV after this. She probably will be doing films, and that's important to her. It's going to make her happy, and that's great."

But everything has its downside. "Unless you're Tom Cruise or something like that," McGowan says, "you get paid so much more for TV. I want to do movies -- certainly well more prestigious, but big hit in the salary. That'll be a rude shocker ... oh, my."

Source

Tho, the first quote wasnt really the truth, as Kern decided this would be the final season weeks, perhaps months, ago.

 

[Summers Blood]

Anybody else think the title is the worst episode title EVER!!! I hate it.

They could have come up with something a bit more creative for the grand finale... it just sums up how pants this season has been.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

The title is so tacky, Naming it "Untitled" would have been 10 times better!!

 

[Hero]

I'm not complaing what the title of the two part series finale is. Seeing how

Spoiler

Leo comes back, as does Chris, Darryl, and Grams. The Charmed Ones fight, and probably kill, Billie (woohoo!) and Christy.

I thought last year was their last year so I'm well prepared for the end.

 

[BillieHunter]

I used to love this show, but I think it steadily went downhill to the point where I stopped watching. I think its end is a little past due, but it's still sad as at one point it was one of my favorite shows. It's the last show that I watched from my "Buffy tv watching era" to go. Haven't watched it for awhile but I think I'll tune in for the finale. Tacky name or not.

 

[Summers Blood]

I don't care about the other people coming back for the final two episodes there is only one person I really want to have back and that's PRUE!

Now if Kern was bringing her back for the finale, then I'm sure that the ratings would be huge. Who wants to see Brian? He's been in the show since the beginning...

 

[Hero]

Prue is definitely not coming back. There isn't even a chance.

 

[Cohen]

What you arent understanding is Brad cant bring Prue back because Shannon doesnt want to come back. She also would be expensive to bring back, therefore, there would be less money put in for bigger scenes. I'm actually happy that she's not coming back. I cant wait to see how

Spoiler

Christy turns Billie evil

.

 

[BillieHunter]

Never was a fan of Prue mostly cause I did not like Shannen Daugherty...im sure i spelled her name wrong...im glad shes not coming back, and even if they wanted to brign her back Shannen would never agree to it, unless maybe they paid her such an outrageous amount they wouldn't even have any money left to make the finale...

Did I mention I didnt like Shannen Daugherty? lol

 

[zombie.apparatus]

Well, I think that the tiltle is kinda tacky... and I dont think Charmed should have ended in season 8 🙁 I have already lost Buffy, Angel and Tru Calling... im soo depressed lol 🙂 well it cant go on forever

 

[Summers Blood]

I know that Prue isn't going to come back into it... I didn't say that I said that she is the only person I want to come back.

And I know that Brad can't bring Prue back. He ****ed that opportunity up when he was mesmorised by Alyssa and let her take over the whole show... I guess wearing skimpy clothes really can get you what you want.... It doesn't mean that us fans of Prue can't want her to come back into Charmed. The show was better when she was in it, and has gone slowly down hill since. The last 2/3 years has brought us a lot of episodes that are named after films etc... Even the originalty of the titles of gone. The title Forever Charmed, reminds me of the film, Forever young... I wonder if the finale will have any similarities to this film. Knowing Kern probably.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

Yeah, cause a show that has lacked this much originality should have an original ending!!!!

Mind you, i gotta say, Buffy ending was a tad cliche and that was an original show(Thank the Lord for Angel....might not have agreed, but at least it dared be different)....but still.

IF they had managed to get Prue, the wonderful Prue, back i would have tuned in...heck i even watched the end of Sex and the City and Ally McBeal because they were cultural phenomenons, even though i didn't like the shows, i felt drawn to the end...but Charmed, the only phenomenom about it, is how its still on air.

Rose McGowan a replacement for Shannon Doherty.....what a universe!!!

 

[Schillaci]

heck i even watched the end of Sex and the City and Ally McBeal because they were cultural phenomenons, even though i didn't like the shows,

We are a special club.

I also watched both shows final episodes..and I'm glad I did.

Any doubt in my mind, that the shows didn't suck, was finally quashed.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

We are a special club.

I also watched both shows final episodes..and I'm glad I did.

Any doubt in my mind, that the shows didn't suck, was finally quashed.

Ohh, i know. I was thinking, ok there must be something to it if like 10 million Amnericans are tuning into a finale about a Lawyer with fantasies or a group of women....who on earth thinks Sarah Jessica 'LOOK AT THAT NOSE AND FACE' Parker is attractive....who enjoy sex into their 30's/40's was worth watching.......then i realised this....10 million Americans....not that bright

 

[Chasing Cordy]

I thought the final episode was called "Something wicca this way ends"

 

[Xin Rong]

To be honest I'm glad this show is now ending I used to love it but then gradually it just became more and more ludicrous, there was never any continuity and a new major emotional problem seemed to pop up in episodes and then be solved by the end of the episode, how lucky the characters must be normal people need therapy but they just have some speech and then all their problems disappear.

I think they should have ended after series 6, never mind series 7 because I too thought that season was just absurd, not as much as the current season but ya know. Series 6 wasn't really that much different either but still it was a hell of a lot less annoying and cringeworthy

 

[zombie.apparatus]

I agree... Charmed just started becoming a bad storyline... I still liked seasons 1-7 (8 yet to be seen) I just think it hasnt been the same since season 5/6 (well that is my opinion)

 

[Cohen]

Well, i've enjoyed all the seasons, and i think that the ending is actually going to be quite good. We're getting a kinda two-parter for an end (Brad is writing it so that episode 21 leads right into episode 22), and it is supposed to be the biggest, baddest battle yet.

 

[~Dawn~]

I still enjoy and watch Charmed so I'll be watching the finale. I actually like Paige as much as Prue and I think Rose has done a great job on the show. Season 5 got really silly but I loved season 6. Seasons 7 and 8 haven't been the best but they're still entertaining to me.

 

[Angel's vision]

I used to like it when it was in the first three seasons but when Shannon Doherty went that was it for me plus the cable tv i had at the time had to go too so i didn't miss much at all.

The only thing i'd like to see is Piper and Leo happy thats all.