Classic shows such as “Charmed” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” will always be remembered because their audiences could relate to the stories they told. “Charmed” ran for eight seasons, and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” ran for seven seasons, but it was a sad time for audience members when they learned that these beloved shows would be coming to an end. What made these shows popular was that it showed that a household could be run entirely by powerful women. They also conveyed the idea that women did not have to be afraid to speak up for what they believed to be right, and despite the magical qualities in the shows, they showed normal women who had the same desires and wants as any other mortal being.

The first episode of the original Charmed series aired on Oct.7, 1998 and lasted until May 21, 2006. The series focused on three sisters who lived their daily lives all while battling demons. Piper Halliwell possessed the power to freeze time by slowing down molecules and she also had the power of combustion, which allowed her to speed up molecules in different objects. Prudence Halliwell, the oldest of the bunch, had the power of astral projection and telekinesis while Phoebe, the youngest of the three, had the power of premonition, levitation and empathy. Together these three contained the greatest power of all-the power of three, and what made the show so popular was that it focused on family over the supernatural.

The first episode of the 2018 “Charmed” aired on the CW on Oct. 14 , and it has already received much criticism from critics and fans of the original series. The original series and this new reboot have some similarities, but they also have some minor differences. For instance, in this new 2018 reboot, the show began with two sisters-Mel and Maggie Vera, but the third sister is only revealed much later in the episode, after the death of their mother. The third sister Macy Vaughn, it turns out, is their half sister, and it seems a little strange that they accepted her so quickly into their home. Producers of this new series kept the same idea of the power of three, and the sisters all have similar powers to the original cast members.

The new show seems to be following the same plot as the original, but it contains more modern factors, such as an openly gay lead, but these are just minor details, and they fail to add to the originality of the show. Secondly, the new reboot has more diversity among the cast because the lead characters have Latin and black heritages, whereas the original show had a predominantly white cast. Yes, this new show may have more diversity, but it fails as a reboot because it has not brought anything new to the table and it resembles too closely to the original to create any lasting effects in viewers.

Unlike the reboot of “Charmed,” “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” sat well with most critics and viewers because it completely steps away from the original series. In the original “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” series, which starred Melissa Joan Hart, the show was focused on the lives of Sabrina Spellman and her two aunts who possessed the power of witchcraft. However, In Netflix’s spinoff, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” the show continues to follow the lives of Sabrina and her family, but it takes a completely different turn with its dark theme and humor.

The new show may have strayed a little from the original, but it still has the same characters and the Sabrina that many grew to love. In both series, Sabrina has to deal with the fact that she is a witch, but in the original series, Sabrina learned of her powers at the age of 16, and in this new series, Sabrina has known from a young age that she possessed the powers of witchcraft.

In the Netflix series, producers took a darker turn with the show by following the plot in “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” comics, and this new plot makes the show all the more appealing. What makes the show dark is that the characters belong to the coven of the Dark Church and they all follow the orders of the Dark Lord who is also known as Satan. Viewers also see Sabrina as she has to decide on her 16 birthday whether or not she will choose the path of darkness by fully accepting her witch powers, or to follow the path of light, by fully accepting her mortal form. “I like the original [series] better, because it was funny and the new one has too many demonic aspects,” senior Rachel Jean-Denis stated.

Although this new show has introduced more demonic themes to it,it also has a more diverse cast with Sabrina’s black cousin Ambrose and her black friend Ros. Altogether, the new spinoff focuses on her life and her battle over which fate she will choose. It also showcases Sabrina’s adventures with her boyfriend Harvey, her cat Salem and her two best friends Susie and Ros.

Charmed” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” will always remain true classics because they showed strong women who were not afraid of anything. The new “Charmed” series was created because so many fans of the original missed seeing the power of three on their TV screens, but it lacks in many areas so the original series will always reign superior. However, this is not the case for Netflix’s new “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” because it has abandoned the old plot and brought something new to the table with its new plot and more diverse characters.