Why we can’t wait for the “Sabrina The Teenage Witch” reboot

[Skanky Vamp]

reposted from Vogue

Sabrina The Teenage Witch cast a spell on its viewers and amassed a loyal following from its launch in 1996 up until it ended in 2000 . After “Charmed” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, now it’s Sabrina’s turn to make her grand comeback to our screens. Netflix will stream the reboot of this nineties classic, with an entirely new heroine and a darker outlook.

An iconic Nineties series
Sabrina The Teenage Witch was an adaptation of the comic strip with the same name, which explores the adventures of Sabrina Spellman, who discovers her magical powers on her sixteenth birthday. Raised by her aunts Hilda and Zelda and flanked by her black cat Salem, Sabrina charmed millennials with her madcap adventures.

A more somber outlook
Lee Toland Krieger’s reboot isn’t, however, following the lighthearted fun of the original – he’ll be sticking more to the dark and menacing feel of the comics. Written by Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the new series will try and adopt a move Buffy-esque atmosphere. Sabrina will have to navigate growing up as a young woman while trying to combat evil forces.

Who will play Sabrina Spellman?
After rumors circulated that Selena Gomez would be taking the lead role, Mad Men actress Kiernan Shipka has been announced. Aunt Zelda will be played by Miranda Otto (Homeland, The Lord of the Rings) and Aunt Hilda will be played by Lucy David (Wonder Woman). Salem, of course, will still be able to talk, and Sabrina’s boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle will be played by the actor, singer and composer Ross Lynch. Her best friend, Rosalind Walker, will be played by Jaz Sinclair, Wardell will be played by Michelle Gomez (Doctor Who), and Blackwood will be played by Richard Coyle.

When and where can we watch the reboot?
The new adaptation of Sabrina The Teenage Witch, newly named Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, will be available to watch on Netflix from October 26, with ten episodes set to be available and a second season already in the works.

 

[VisionGuy]

I am excited for this.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I am excited for this.

Will be interesting to see what they can do differently with a reboot. I have no clue on the source material but the idea of reboot seems intriguing to me. Would much rather watch a fresh new take than trying to play catch-up on everything that came before. Especially considering the description of the previous incarnation.

 

[The Bronze]

Would much rather watch a fresh new take than trying to play catch-up on everything that came before.

Sabrina was a teenage witch, with 2 aunts and a talking cat. Magic caused and solved most of her problems. Sitcom format with decent jokes few and far between.

Now you're up to speed 😎

 

[Mr Trick]

I'm coming to this quite fresh because I only know a little about the original show, but I think it sounds promising. The format is pretty watchable with a number of possibilities. Its just about the casting and writing for me. To make it a little darker would be a good move.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I'm coming to this quite fresh because I only know a little about the original show,

Sabrina was a teenage witch, with 2 aunts and a talking cat. Magic caused and solved most of her problems. Sitcom format with decent jokes few and far between.

Now you're up to speed 😎

 

[Cohen]

The Source material of both incarnations are from comics. In fact they are born of two different incarnations of comics. I think the word “reboot” in this article is doing a disservice to what the show truly is—a televised version of a specific story, in the vein of Riverdale, iZombie, or The Walking Dead

I think that Sabrina lends itself to different incarnations because it was from a universe of comics first (brought in with archie comics), which has different incarnations.

When I think of true reboots, Battlestar Galactica comes to mind, as does the new Star Trek movies.

I feel as though shows that derive from comics have an extra advantage because their origin stories are rewritten continuously.

That said, I am very excited for this version of Sabrina, and I am eager to see how the Chilling Tales spins the story in a different way than the TGIF sitcom of the 90s did! 🎃 👻

LOL... what did the cat talk about? Did other people hear it? You say sitcom... was it 30 minutes or an hour?

He was used mainly for comedic relief. He spoke to the witches, sometimes to humans. I’m interested in seeing how they take his character dark in the Chilling Tales, instead of just a one-liner character for laughs.

 

[MarieVampSlayer]

I am actually quite interested in that one. I use to love the Sabrina back then but this one does have room for an updated version. Let's see if they can do the tone right!

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

Fan made trailer...

Not bad actually.

 

[Taake]

Salem, the talking cat, was is and continue to be the best part of Sabrina. He was condemned to be a cat for 100 years because he’d tried to take over the world... I hope he’ll be similarly power hungry in the new one (kind of hope for the same voice as well)

I like the new title of the series! Will be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[EarthLogic]

Oh bloody hell.🙄

 

[EarthLogic]

A bad bloody hell. Whether this reboot is done well or not it really does seem that Hollywood has completely run out of original ideas. Get ready everyone, for time has now ceased to move forward and everything from the 90s will now be rebooted and refreshed over and over and over...

They may not even stop there They'll be going back to the 80s after, maybe even 70s - we'll be getting a new Basil Fawlty next!

 

[brinkster130]

I'm very interested in Salem. He better have just as big of a role in this new reboot.

 

[GraceK]

A bad bloody hell. Whether this reboot is done well or not it really does seem that Hollywood has completely run out of original ideas. Get ready everyone, for time has now ceased to move forward and everything from the 90s will now be rebooted and refreshed over and over and over...

They may not even stop there They'll be going back to the 80s after, maybe even 70s - we'll be getting a new Basil Fawlty next!

I’m actually feeling a lot more positive about this “reboot” than others to be honest. While I agree that Hollywood has been making an irritating habit of rebooting everything, Sabrina the teenage Witch seems perfect to me for a remake. Since the original sitcom was loosely based on a comic book that was significantly darker, I think they have a chance to bring something very original and fresh to this new version. The original sitcom, while beloved and fun, was very fluffy and comedic. I loved it, don’t get wrong, but I look forward to seeing what they can do if they actually honor the darker source material.

 

[Kratos]

Sounds good. Loved the original series. It was my introduction to the supernatural world, years before I started watching Buffy.

@Taake Salem was the best character on the show alright.

 

[EarthLogic]

I’m actually feeling a lot more positive about this “reboot” than others to be honest. While I agree that Hollywood has been making an irritating habit of rebooting everything, Sabrina the teenage Witch seems perfect to me for a remake. Since the original sitcom was loosely based on a comic book that was significantly darker, I think they have a chance to bring something very original and fresh to this new version. The original sitcom, while beloved and fun, was very fluffy and comedic. I loved it, don’t get wrong, but I look forward to seeing what they can do if they actually honor the darker source material.

I agree there's loads of potential for it to be interesting and fresh since it's looking back to the original comics, so I'm not about to pass judgement on the concept itself just yet. But I have to admit I'm just fed up with producers relying on previous established material to draw in audiences, rather than trying to produce something fresh. Tbh, it's probably just the reporting and use of the word 'reboot' that's triggering my ire more than anything else. If they'd said 'New Adaptation of Sabrina the Teenage Witch Comics', then it wouldn't sound so bad.

 

[Mr Trick]

I agree there's loads of potential for it to be interesting and fresh since it's looking back to the original comics, so I'm not about to pass judgement on the concept itself just yet. But I have to admit I'm just fed up with producers relying on previous established material to draw in audiences, rather than trying to produce something fresh. Tbh, it's probably just the reporting and use of the word 'reboot' that's triggering my ire more than anything else. If they'd said 'New Adaptation of Sabrina the Teenage Witch Comics', then it wouldn't sound so bad.

I am too. But I guess one way of thinking about it is that stories throughout history have been re-told countless times. Think about how many versions of a Christmas Carol there have been. Think in a different era there is always room to update a story and put your own spin on it. At the end of the day if this new version of Sabrina is good and they do something new with it then the response will be positive, otherwise the response will be negative.

 

[EarthLogic]

I am too. But I guess one way of thinking about it is that stories throughout history have been re-told countless times. Think about how many versions of a Christmas Carol there have been. Think in a different era there is always room to update a story and put your own spin on it. At the end of the day if this new version of Sabrina is good and they do something new with it then the response will be positive, otherwise the response will be negative.

Funny, I was just writing a follow-up as a counter to my own post, with a big 'HOWEVER' to talk about how narrative retellings are the basis of literature throughout human history, but you beat me to it. 😉 I think the issue is slightly different and more complex though, since (imo) reboot culture right now is driven mostly by shallow commercialisation and monetisation whereas when you look at a lot of the literature of the past, it seems more about how stories are adapted and passed down through generations* - but that's a debate of its own (ooh! new thread idea!)

*I have not studied this aspect of literary history in detail so I know there's likely more nuance to the topic

 

[Mr Trick]

Funny, I was just writing a follow-up as a counter to my own post, with a big 'HOWEVER' to talk about how narrative retellings are the basis of literature throughout human history, but you beat me to it. 😉 I think the issue is slightly different and more complex though, since (imo) reboot culture right now is driven mostly by shallow commercialisation and monetisation whereas literature of the past is about how stories are adapted and passed down through generations - but that's a debate of its own (ooh! new thread idea!)

True. But the way I always think about it is to distance myself from the commercial side of things and just judge the actual content. At the end of the day studios are always going to be motivated to a large degree by money, that's a knock on effect of living in a capitalist society. But if you have the right people writing and directing the shows/films in question they can still be good and worthwhile.

 

[ItMustBeBunnies]

Every time I hear about a new reboot lately I tend to groan and roll my eyes. I'm over it. But I'm actually kinda open to this one for some reason. Probably because it wasn't a show that I loved as much as others. I did like Sabrina when I was little but I lost interest with the later seasons. I might actually give this one a try without too much eye narrowing and skepticism 😉