When the Charmed reboot was first announced, fans of the original series were divided on whether or not The CW should bring it back at all.
It isn’t a revival, but rather a reboot with an all-new cast of characters, and a lot of people weren’t a fan of that idea…including one of the original series stars.
Holly Marie Combs did not take the news of the Charmed reboot laying down; she decided to air her grievances on Twitter, making it clear she did not support the fledgling series.
Here’s the thing. Until you ask us to rewrite it like Brad Kern did weekly don’t even think of capitalizing on our hard work. Charmed belongs to the 4 of us, our vast amount of writers, crews and predominantly the fans. FYI you will not fool them by owning a title/stamp. So bye.
— Holly Marie Combs (@H_Combs) January 26, 2018
If you’re gonna quote me then actually quote me @yahoo. pic.twitter.com/hQ35cXTg40
— Holly Marie Combs (@H_Combs) May 22, 2018
So when the Charmed reboot producers and stars took to the stage at the 2018 Summer Television Critics Association press tour on Monday, they finally broke their silence about Combs’ angry tweets. While they didn’t want to dwell on the negative, they had to face the fact that they did not have the blessing of at least one of the original series stars.
“I think that there’s also a lot of positive stuff coming out too,” star Melonie Diaz told the room of reporters. “And I think that we’ve collectively made a decision to focus on that, because this is such a great place to be and to create this show with people who I love. And so I just want to focus it mainly on that.”
Her co-star Sarah Jeffrey pointed out that she feels “really lucky” getting to make this series with a staunch pro-feminist angle. “We understand that it’s such a sacred thing to so many people, not only the cast, but the fans, so we’re very gracious and grateful,” she added. “We get it. We do get it.”
Diaz then added, “We’re empathetic towards that, like, this was a big part of one’s life.”
Seeing Combs tweet that she wasn’t supporting the reboot definitely wasn’t what the stars were hoping for. “I mean, of course you can’t help but be a little disappointed,” Madeleine Mantock said. “Because I think the script is fantastic and I think there’s something for everyone, so I hope that maybe she would see it and like it. But, on the other hand, I get it. It was part of her life. It is still a part of her life. And I think she’s entitled to feel however she wants.” Mantock then added that she hopes fans of the original will come to love the new trio of sisters, and hopefully Combs will change her mind after tuning in.
The CW’s Charmed reboot isn’t a direct sequel to the original, but they are definitely keeping a lot of the original mythology in the story. “There’s an element of you’re tapping into an incredibly passionate fan base, and that’s important,” creator Jennie Snyder Urman explained. “We are using a lot of their central mythologies: Whitelighters, the Book of Shadows, the power of three, the feeling that at its core, this is a love story between three sisters, and they’re going to have romantic ups and downs. But the core of the show I think remains the same, and that’s why it was useful to both use the IP and also look at all of the elements that worked so well for them and repurpose them for now in this moment.”
Ser’Darius Blain added, “We have a tremendous amount of respect for the foundation and the groundwork that they laid for us. We’re not trying to fill anyone’s shoes. We’re trying to get our own pair of shoes.”
The producers know they owe everything to the stars and creators of the original Charmed. “We’re only here because of them and that show,” Amy Rardin said, while Jessica O’Toole added, “We were huge fans of the original.” Having seen every episode, Rardin and O’Toole believe they’re the best people to take Charmed into 2018.
“That show wrapped up everything so wonderfully,” O’Toole said. “We saw their happy endings, and we saw even glimpses into their future. You feel like it told a complete story.” That’s why they didn’t want to simply do a Charmed revival with the same characters. “We didn’t want to mess with that mythology, obviously, because it was eight years,” Urman added. “Of course, we can empathize [with Combs’ anger]. It’s a huge part of her life and you’re watching it go into a different direction, and, of course, that’s going to be hard. I understand.”
Hopefully Combs can also come to understand why Charmed was rebooted when it airs this fall. Do you agree with Combs, or are you excited to see a new iteration of the beloved series on The CW? Let us know in the comments below!
Charmed premieres Sunday, October 14 at 9PM on The CW.
Images: The CW
