I think the show is way, way, WAY off, but I do think it's cute that Sabrina has to get a liscense to practice magic. THank goodness it doesn't put on any negative tings about Wicca, but this is what my brothers asked me after watching the show.....
Can you make the cat talk?
Can you shoot powers?
Can you make me disappear?
Can you turn into a cat?
CAn you make a million dollars appear right now?
Are you able to fly?
Of course, I answered no to all the questions no, and two maybe, and then they said....what CAN you do, then? I don't think you really are a witch!

The show, I see, immediately takes away all spiritual aspects of the religion and turns it into mere hocus pocus. Other than that, I love to watch it, and I love to compare myself and have a good laugh!
velociraptor7@geocities.com

I like the show.. I think it's cute and funny. I don't see why everyone in the Pagan Community it all in arms about it cause it doesn't "follow the real life of a Witch" geesh guys.... it's a TV SHOW... not a documentry on the life of a Wiccan Witch. I am sure that All the Christains are all in arms about the TV show "Soul Man" ... I don't think so... We should take it for what it is.. entertainment....and quit taking everything that the entertainment business does as a threat to our religion....
Kyraini

I loved the show! Yes it was make believe (but wouldn't it be great to be able to get results THAT quickly!!?? The show does show "witches" in a better light than normal though...a nice, pretty little witch instead of an ugly, evil old hag.

Unfortunately, they axed it about 4 months ago (after about 2 months of shows). Ah well...
-Indigo,
Queensland, Australia

I personally believe that if you want to have a show you must at least make it accurate. The problem I have with it is that they focus on the magic side of witchcraft and not the spiritual side, and why is it that they always have a spell to do everything.
-Lord Raine

Its a funny show but point a finger or wiggle ur nose get real i wish it was that easy but its a good show
cody

Hi! Well, I started watching this show about 4 weeks ago. I find it enjoyable as a comedy. But of course the show is inaccurate when it comes to the Wiccan lifestyle. It is a sitcom. If you watch any comedy show ( Drew Carey, Boy Meets World, Full House, etc. ) you will notice that real life is nothing like the way it is portrayed on the shows. They are merely made to entertain us, not enlighten us.
Well, that's my 2 cents! :)
Blessed be!
:) Shirley

I watch sabrina the teenage witch. I like it cuz it doesn't give witches a bad name...however it would be nice to have a show about witches that was a little more accurate. Not too much magic like abracadabra but more from the spirituality of it alll. I think they should add more of the religion into it. They make it seem like witchcraft isn't a religion but a thing that you use to get what you want..it kinda makes me upset....but i like the show anyways.
~adrian

Merry meet! I decided to email you about my thoughts on this deplorable sitcom. I, though, hate it for more reasons than most! My *true* name is Sabrina and I hate the nicknames I've gotten thanks to this show! (One of my absolute favorites I've gotten is Sabrina the Teenage Bitch. Quite creative, hum? It was quite a stretch for him!) Witches hardly have an alter world hiding in their closet! We also don't use our magic for very selfish things (like in the movie how she charmed her shoes to run faster?). As if the movie was bad enough they make it a show! Hopefully it'll flop just like Clueless: the sitcom did!
--Li'l Diana

I'd also like to comment on Sabrina the Teenage Witch - yes, it is silly, and doesn't portray the Craft in a true light, but I LOVE the cat, Salem. I know he is a poor excuse for a puppet, and they don't even try very hard to make him seem real, but if my cat Spike could talk, I'm sure he'd be a wise-ass like Salem.
Debbie Day

If you've read my comments on the Craft....I promise not to ramble this time!!! Really!! :)
I personally liked The Craft more than sabrina. There is nothing of our religion in that show. I watch it occasionally because it can be funny but I don't think Sabrina has much of anything to do with Witchcraft. I think they can consider themselves magickal people but for the most part...even the lessons Sabrina learns, as a result of performing manipulative magick, pale in comparison to what could really happen if certain things are tampered with! She gets away too easily I think...Just my opinion! :)
Andrea @-}-------
aka: Ivy Fireheart

I think Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a great show. I watch it every Friday. It shows what it would be like if you were a witch.
Jessica

I'm glad to see that some people out there like the show. I think it is a fun show to watch. It helps me, in some ways, to deal with the pressures of being a teen witch. Movies have already given us a negative image for the most part and Sabrina is trying for a more positive image. I know it does not show our beliefs totally accurate, but nothing on t.v. is so accurate. It has good entertainment values at least.
Cricket

After seeing the first show, I loved it, you have to remember that this is TV, meaning it doesn't have to do with reality, for myself I watch TV to be entertained... not watching real life !!! the talking cat is a riot!! the council idea is amazing, with Pen and Teller !! I think they couldn't hit better!! I know the difference, as as I go along my path, but still it's cool to see them invoking thunder with a flick of the finger :)
I give it 2 thumbs up... and hope they will have many season to come.
NightOwl

I think the show is making people look at witchcraft as fiction and not religion, it in no way shows what we are really about.
blessed be
shyvonne

Sabrina the teenage witch is my favorite tv show and I think abc made a smart move by inputting it twice on Fridays.It carries tgif, it's the reason for its success.

I love the show! It is also one of my favorite comics! But it is all fake! A cat that talks??? When you point your finger what ever you want you get!?!?! On your first kiss your boyfriend could turn into a frog??! garbage! But it's not REALLY offensive to us wiccans. The wizard of Oz or the Craft is because they are stating wiccans are evil~ while Sabrina is good~ not evil~! BUT IT STILL IS DUMB!
BUT I LIKE IT ANYWAYS~ Jessica

Although I personally don't like the show at all (not especially because it is offensive, just boring and rather annoying), I don't really have any objection to it, except this:

Some friends of mine (wiccan friends) are sort of... *open* with their religion. While I am not very, I am *counted as their friend* (remember that part and the part immediately before it? Joke, guys...) and absorb a lot of the... *criticism* from outsiders. We get called 'fakes' and 'wannabes' just because of shows like Sabrina and The Craft. It bothers me because these outsiders are just getting the wrong idea about what Witchcraft really is!

Like that guy in my science class (I am a high-school student) who repeatedly asks me to 'ZAP' his homework done for him, 'ZAP' this or that. Even my computers teacher is in on it, accusing *someone* of hexxing his hard drive.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that fun is fun, comedy is comedy, and fiction is fiction AS LONG AS EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IT *IS* FICTION! I think they should have a message at the beginning of each episode, saying something like,

WARNING: This program in now way represents the beliefs of Witches, Pagans and/or Wiccans. This program is a work of fiction, and in no way represents any facet of reality.

Annonymiss
PS I think that it is nice to have a place to put down our opinions about matters that affect us.

About the show "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", I think it's a really cute show. I mean, it's ONLY a show for kids on Friday night! No, the spells and stuff aren't true-to-life or anything, but it's still a really cute show that does nobody any harm. If you hate the show, you should hate the comic book. It is from an Archie comic by the same name from back in the 60's or 70's. People need to get a sense of humor. --ELisa

I wanted to tell you of what I thought of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I hated it. I am a Teenage Witch and I feel that the show is unfair. If I could make inline skates from my powers I would like to know! I did not like it because it makes Wicca more like fiction, and less like a real religion. People still think of witches as fake. I feel shows like this one are not helping. Thank you,
Karen Heath

While the show: "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" may not represent Witches very accurately, when taken for entertainment value (even though the acting is not all that terrific,) it is a rather cute show. It could be worse, such as portraying witches as evil old hags, it at least has rather attractive women that never cast a spell without asking, or spells that will hurt people. Anyway, in conclusion, I think that if we are not able to look at something that portrays Witches in a good and funny light,even if it is not accurate, and laugh, instead of being offended, then we will end up being the one thing most Witches don't want to be, close minded.
Thanx,
Ryver

Despite what others may think, I believe it will be the first step to getting other people (read, non-Wiccans) used to us. While the show isn't very accurate about us, it does project the image that we are "normal, average people". I say, let it be, and let's use it to our advantage.
James Bardin

After reading the ignorant responses to "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch", I am tempted to give up wicca. Do people not understand that it's MAKE BELIEVE? It's not real and anyone who thinks that it is real is probably just stupid and you shouldn't care about their opinion of you anyway.

People think that viewers of this show think that on your 16th birthday you automatically become a witch and you can turn people into fruit. Nobody is going to actually believe that you can do that so, I, personally don't see why everyone is worrying that it's giving us a bad name or anything. It's people like them that give us a bad name.
-Tamos

I don't really find the ABC TV series Sabrina The Teenaged Witch offensive. Most of the witches that come on the show aren't really bad witches. Sometimes they cast evil spells, but usually the spells are funny. I watch Sabrina a lot and I can understand why it's so popular. It's really, really, really, really, funny! Melissa Joan Hart's one of my favorite actresses. If there are Wiccans who are offended by the show, I'm sorry. But I just don't see what's so bad about it. When I saw the first episode when Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda were telling Sabrina about their linin closet that lead to the Other Realm, I thought that was hilarious. You would've thought it would be a spaceship or futureistic device or enchantment that would take people to the Other Realm, but a linin closet? I also think it's funny that Sabrina's cat, Salem, used to be a witch, but was transformed into a cat because he wanted to take over the world. My favorit characters are Salem, Sabrina, Harvey, Aunt Hilda, Valeria and Mr. Spell man (Sabrina's dad, who appears on the show from time-to-time). Some of the best jokes I've ever heard came from that TV show. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes comedy or fantasy, no matter what religion they are. I'm sure even Wiccans would find it funny. And, parents: you don't need to worry about your kids watching it. It contains clean comedy without racism, sexism, nudity, bad language or any of that other stuff you don't want your kids to see. You might even want to watch it with your kids. Just be ready for some of best jokes ever made! For those who don't know, Sabrina: The Teenaged Witch aires on ABC Television on Friday nights at 8:00 and another episode at 9:00, part of TGIF with Teen Angel and Boy Meets World. Again, this a great TV show!
SciFiRu835@aol.com

Sabrina is a totally awesome show. I look forward to it every week. It is the best show on ABC! I really wish it was on more often, though. I love how funny it is and how snobby Libby acts. Hilda and Zelda are such cool aunts. Sabrina is the best actress. Is Valerie still on the show?
Fan,
Ashley

I am with you in spirit, not practice. As a student of religion I find that those who take an extreme view or are insulted by entertainments like Sabrina are either insecure in their belief or shallow in their own views. Sabrina is a spinoff of Betwitched and the comic book, not a portrayal of Wicca. . For those who take Sabrina too seriously consider her no more a Witch than Reverend Jim (on Taxi) was a minister. Perhaps the term ' Witch" is what offends some people; It has been around for over 5,000 years and refers generally to those with divne powers otside the Jewish/Christian tradition and this include Satanists. Modern usage of the title will not take place as long as western society celebrates it's commercialized Halloween and classic movies like "The Wizard of Oz" exist. Lighten up, the show isn't that good anyway, it's really just "Clarissa" growing up.
Wayne

Merry Meet

First of all, I agree with all those who point out that this show isn't really about Wicca, it's entertainment - Hollywood Style. I find it whimsical & funny & sometimes stupid & pointless but the cat (despite looking like a reanimated stuffed dead cat - ick) does get some pretty good lines & I enjoy some of the bizzarre situations which occur. It's good mindless entertainment after a long hard day & it portrays the word 'Witch' in a positive if unrealistic environment. One step at a time! One day there may be a show about a real witch but this is never going to be the one.
Blessed be,
Sionann

Ok I've read through all the comments, and I noticed something. Unless I missed it, no one said that no where in the story line does the word Wicca come up. The people who created the show probally didn't even know what Wicca was when they started, and probally still don't. People kept saying that they should have a more reality based story line to depict what Wicca really is, and show the spirituality of out religion more. Well I'll just tell you what happend when I told my 18 year old cousin about Wicca and being a Witch. She sat there and listen intently to me, she asked a few questions, basicly about magick, then when I answered her openly and honestly she said "God how boring" So you see, people who do not believe in Wicca really wouldn't get it anyway. I know that we have alot to battle in how people percieve us, but really, does nitpicking about some teenybopper show really cast a positvie light our way? I've always believed that if you want to educate the world you have to start where you are. I have proven myself and my religion to my family, and since I will not stay in the "broomcloset" they in turn have educated their friends. It's the basic ripple in the pond effect. I love being a Witch, and all it stands for. Now in closing I'll quote Mr.King " Can't we all just get along?"
Brightest Blessing
Cathy

Hi, after reading all those other comments on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, I thought I'd share mine. The show is rather stupid and not very funny, well maybe it would be considered funny by kids, but I find its humor stupid, like bad attempts to be funny. As for Sabrina being a witch, I also finds that pretty much annoying since she doesn't represent a real witch at all. More like a fantasized magician. And I think it's because of shows like this one that people think witchcraft is nothing but a bunch of crazy loons trying to fly on a broomstick in real life. sorry about all the grammar mistakes, it's late in the night ;) anyways, Moonlight Kisses and Silver Blessings!
abalone@general2.asu.edu

No, it's not an accurate portrayal of daily witchcraft. Wouldn't you just love to point and have things happen? (g) But I thought when I first saw it that it does give a good idea of the Fosterage system in Celtic history. I thought it was a pity that they decided to have her with her aunts due to her parents' divorce instead of for training alone.
Ceridwen Keeley

Sabrina is a pretty cool show... Of course its all make-believe and its viewers know that.... its a comedy and not meant to be taken seriously at all (of course the best actor in the whole thing is Salem the cat, and he's not even real).. but its really a great comedy and should be enjoyed -- Wivere-Etanin

Sabrina the Teen Witch: well, that would entail my watching ABC... ha ha I don't really care about that. -- MeccaStar@aol.com

I can't stand it!!! The talking cat is horrible!!! I want to kick it until its screws fall out!!!
Dolen2@aol.com

I feel this is a harmless show, not intended to in any way represent the wiccan religion or try to educate people about wicca as a religion. It's a show for teenagers, not a handbook for witchcraft, and I see no reason why anyone could have sincere objections to it. -- GECSoup@aol.com

I personaly think that this program is an insult to the whole practice fo witch craft.It maybe entertaining but it makes hard working witches look like little fluff heads that go around snapping their fingers and waving a wond making insignificate little things happen to people.It also gives off a message to the future practicers that witches cast evil spells and hurt poeple. So over all in my opinion the producers of this show should be shot....THE WHOLE SHOW IS A DISGRACE! CURSE IT!!!
FOXECHIK@aol.com

I'm not a witch, but I like the show well enough to find out about the nature and truth of wicca. I thought I would bring up this point.-- Nancy

My opinion of the show? Stupid. Inane. An insult to the intelligence of free thinkers everywhere, just like most things on network television. Why would anybody waste their time on such tripe? Its only saving grace is Penn and Teller, and even they are a disappointment in this context.
Phooey!!! -- hermaneus@geocities.com

I think it a lovely little show. I see some truth and a lot of just fun, but its okay.. Not everthing on television is supposed to be a history lesson or a teaching experience. Enough said. It television... where anything is possible.
Corn Mother

I've seen a few of the episodes now and I must say it's not too bad if it is taken for its own entertainment value. Certainly it doesn't portray witches as they really are but every once in a while a glimmer of truth shows through. For instance, one episode did an admirable job of showing what could happen if a spell was cast without permission of those involved. Not only did the friends she was trying to help suffer, but they gained what they wanted at the expense of others who suffered as well. In the end, no one was happy and the main character received a valuable lesson about the limitations and dangers of magick. The show has done a good job of subtly exposing some of our cherished beliefs and practices without shoving it full force onto an unsuspecting audience. I noticed a casual camera glimpse of an altar with a goddess figure and in the Halloween episode they mentioned that it was a day of remembrance for the dead.

I don't really think this show was meant to deal with witchcraft as a religion so I can't fault it for that. We have to start somewhere and at least this show doesn't depict us all with warts sacrificing babies and killing helpless animals. It has managed to awaken interest in witchcraft as a religion and I think eventually more people will seek us out if only to find out if we *really* do those things shown on television. That's where the real opportunity is----you can tell the person what we're really about.
Allegra Brillante

As for the show "Sabrina" on ABC's Friday night line-up, it's not necessarily the way witches really are, but I do see a few glimmers of truth in there. Such as: you can't use magick to control someone else or it will backfire on you. Sabrina has a cat who can talk, and that to me is the biggest disappointment in the show. Some of the acting is a little rigid, but all in all it's fairly harmless. My kids watch it, and I always make sure that we discuss everything about each episode. My oldest, who turns 11 in February, knows it's more fantasy than truth, and so does my 7-year-old. What's interesting is to let the kids watch it and then have them discuss the half-truths and total un-truths. You'd be amazed at some of the things the little Witchlings come up with...
Morgan,
WLPA rep for Ft. Worth, Texas
co-founder of North Texas WebWeavers

I think "Sabrina" is fun and harmless, rather like 'Bewitched.' In another generation, we'll have kiddies watching re-runs and wishing they were Sabrina, like we wished we were Samantha.
Cheers,
Corbie

The show is cute, as was the movie (either HBO of Showtime had it on some months ago). And like almost everyone agrees, it does let the population of non-witches know that we aren't a bad crowd or a harmful one in that matter. Although it is quite offending to see her cast spells by snapping her fingers or nodding her head. But then again, it wouldn't be as entertaining without that :)
Ladybug

My family watches Sabrina every Friday evening and I think it's really a neat show. But last Friday (October 18th) I wasn't exactly thrilled with how she slammed the football player's hand in his locker so that Harvey could start the football game. I still think Sabrina is a good show, but it wasn't a good idea to show her hurt another person even if it was to make a friend feel better.
Debra

As a young teen myself, starting in a new school, I think Sabrina's a fun show to watch. It deals with the pressure of being different, of being popular, of making new friends in the "right crowd". And it shows that being a witch won't solve any problems. It's pretty funny, and it's harmless (yeah, i wish i could turn my enemies into pineapples sometimes)
The Witch's Council is neat. And the talking cat is cool. Of course, this does make people's opinions of witches less hateful, but still, people think we can do these "finger-snapping spells". Oh well. Tough. The funniest thing anyone ever said to me was, "If I throw water on you, will you melt?"
SylverEyes

I thought that it was an interesting show, in a purely entertainment alue way. While shows like this do not have any connection to wicca or paganism (or ture witchcraft in any way!) they do help true witches in that they are getting rid of the feared old hag with a wart on her nose flying across the moon!
Adam Badari

This show makes me sick it is a complete con all it does is turn wicca into a joke. they don't even call it wicca in the show they just say i'm a witch, nod and theres fabio
blessed be Jack

I was curious to see the show, since I remember reading the Sabrina comic books as a child. I found it entertaining, and a nice modernization of the comic series. Sabrina's aunts are presented as slightly off-beat adults, not old hags in 17th century witch garb which the comic did. The story did a good job dealing with the popular adolescant theme of being different, and the new kid in the new school. It really has nothing to do with modern Wicca or Neopaganism, but is much more like the old Bewitched TV show. An interesting part of the show was the Witch's Council. It was a funny scene with cameo appearances by Penn & Teller and former Blondie singer Deborah Harry.
In short, a fun series, harmless, more about adolescant angst than about real Witchcraft.
Troyce

I really liked the show Sabrina (I really like the cat too!) I think it tells you what it's like to be a witch with that kind of power when your father lives in a book! But you have to know that witches don't do that cause they dont! It was a rad show, I'll watch it all the time!
Blessed Be!
Jazalyn

I THINK IT IN NO WAY REPRESENTS WHAT WE DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jim7531@ix.netcom.com

I think the show is funny, but being Wiccan, I think it helps fuel the misconceptions about Witchcraft. I will continue to watch it for entertainment but I wish it could be more realistic.
Dolores Beecher

Although it has no bearing on Witchcraft in real-life, it is funny, and, at least, explodes the myth of witches being haggy looking with warts. It reminds me a lot of Bewitched, but it's very different. I liked the first show where she tried to turn stuff into apples, but could only manage pineapples. That was hilarious! It's not bad, and it's a lot better than some stuff on TV today. It's a good family show!
Silver Storm

I remember reading the comics as a kid, and while the "Aunts" are not hags, (they are attractive), the acting is terrible! As for the other girls calling Sabrina a "freak" I don't think it's because they suspect that she's a witch, it's probably due to the fact that she doesn't hang with "the cliques".
It does present an realistic view of witchcraft, but, the "Archie" comic did too. I did love Debbie Harry as one of the "Witches' Council" Members. Not bad, for a former punk rocker!
Sophia
NJ WLPA Representative

I thought that it was a cute show, not based on reality but I don't believe that today's viewing audience could handle reality because it would be too much like viewing their own lives, and that would ruin their pre-conceived notions on what Wicca is about. It's a light-hearted, fun show that is geared towards adolescent girls and the problems they face, and with the way teenage girls self-esteem runs, well, I see no harm in it if it helps one teenage girl realize that you don't have to be a cookie-cutter barbie doll.
Blessed Be,
Danielle

Yes, m' lady Moonstone. I did happen to catch the premier of "Sabrina, Teenage Witch" and okay... it's mild entertainment bordering on the same sorta set up that "Bewitched" was decades ago. Honestly, I think Hollywood combined the essences of the movies "Clueless" and "The Craft" and sorta mashed it all together.
Was it offensive? Not really. Was it realistic? Nope..... but it's pretty harmless fare for Friday night shut-ins (those of us that are too old or too young to have dates on Friday evenings....ha ha ha) My little seven year old son was drawn into the show last weekend and since the show is pretty much non-violent, I see no harm in letting him watch. Anything that sparks the young ones imagination like Hercules, Xena or well... so be it, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is fine in my book. Much better than say "Walker, Texas Ranger" or something of that ilk. (gawds forbid, the Power Rangers ya know)
Blessed Be,
JenziD

I watched the opening show of Sabrina and found it to be another piece of tripe. Once again the old stereo types of hollywood came forward and made witchcraft into a magickal thing and not a religion. Sure it did show that you cant play with magick, or else you'll get bit. But I once again made those of us trying to get our religion accepted as fact and normal, look like a bunch of demi-god type of farce. Yes it is supposed to be entertainment but like the old show Bewitched it purposely made witchs immortal,and a different race than humans. I am human. We all are human. Is this what we want the world to think? Think about it. If I am pricked Do I not bleed.
Bran Silverleaf

I saw one episode of "Sabrina" and I was totally disappointed because witch's aren't like that!! I thought it was kind of cool though. It's like a fantasy show. It's also neat that she's supposed to be the young girl from the show "Bewitched."
Tiffany