Investigating 'Charmed': The Magic Power of TV (Investigating Cult TV)

"In 1998, the series "Charmed", the story created by Constance M. Burge of three sisters who discover that they are powerful witches, first aired on the WB network. The series ran for eight series and into top-rating DVDs, and has established a continuing presence as cult TV. The world of "Charmed" is distinctively one of female solidarity, with sisters Piper, Prudence, Phoebe and, with the death of Pru, half-sister Paige making up the 'power of three'. In their crusade against the demonic population of their home city of San Francisco, the Halliwell sisters have also inherited their powers and "The Book of Shadows" through the female line. The expert contributors to "Investigating 'Charmed'", all of them fans of the show, explore its nature as ground breaking TV. They debate the status of "Charmed" as third wave feminist narrative, as well as its upturning of notions of sexuality, and its creation of alternative forms of family life. The San Francisco setting is explored as is "Charmed's" brand of witchcraft and fantasy, its mythological antecedents and female heroes. Looking also at the fans' relationship to the show, as well as its novelizations, fan fiction and blogs, the book on this fantastic magical show concludes with a complete Episode Guide."-- Provided by publisher Cover Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors Charmed Cast List Introduction - Karin Beeler and Stan Beeler Part One: Witchcraft, Wicca, Magic and Community Audience Interpretation of a Marginalized Religious Philosophy - Michaela D.E. Mayer Reclaiming Women's Language for Power and Agency - Susan Latta The Power of Three: Strength in Numbers - Caroline Ruddell Dynamics of Ritual, Familial Tradition and Female Identity - Sabine Schmidt Power of Three as Communitas: Moments of Subversion - Valerie Carroll Part Two: Feminist Power Power and Gender - Catriona Miller Power of Two - Plus One - Randall Clark Girl Power for Second -Wave Feminists - Susan Wolfe Images of Second Wave and Third Wave Feminism in Charmed - Karin Beeler Postfeminism Without Limits? Charmed, Horror and Sartorial Style - Alison Peirse Part Three: Visual Power, Place and Genre Narrative Recurrence and Visual Leitmotivs in Charmed - Stan Beeler Colour Coding, Postfeminism and Charmed - James R. Knecht Domesticity, the Uncanny, and the Utopian Potential of the City - Markus Reisenleitner The Roles of Comedy and Fantasy in the First Season of Charmed - Peter Rans Episode Guide - Suzann Martin and Stephanie Morgan Notes Further Reading Index Annotation. In 1998 'Charmed', Constance M. Burge's story of three sisters who discover they are powerful witches, first aired on the WB network. With eight seasons and a run of best-selling DVDs, the series has established a continuing global presence as the very essence of cult TV. 'Investigating Charmed' is the first comprehensive guide to this groundbreaking series. It brings together for the first time expert contributors - all fans of the show - to explore the show's unique brand of witchcraft and fantasy. From notions of upturned sexuality and alternative forms of family life, to ideas of feminism and the portrayal of female heroes, this book penetrates the very heart of the 'power of three' and their crusade against the demonic population of the underworld. Looking also at the fans' relationship to the show, as well as the novels, fan fics and blogs it has spurned, the book on this fantastic magical show concludes with a complete Episode Guide which covers all eight seasons In 1998 Charmed, Constance M. Burge's story of three sisters who discover they are powerful witches, first aired on the WB network. With eight seasons and a run of best-selling DVDs, the series has established a continuing global presence as the very essence of cult TV. This is the first comprehensive guide to this groundbreaking series. It brings together for the first time expert contributors - all fans of the show - to explore the show's unique brand of witchcraft and fantasy. From notions of upturned sexuality and alternative forms of family life, to ideas of feminism and the portrayal of female heroes, this book penetrates the very heart of the 'power of three' and their crusade against the demonic population of the underworld. Looking also at the fans' relationship to the show, as well as the novels, fan fics and blogs it has spurned, the book on this fantastic magical show concludes with a complete Episode Guide which covers all eight seasons In 1998, the series "Charmed", the story created by Constance M Burge of three sisters who discover that they are powerful witches, first aired on the WB network. The world of "Charmed" is distinctively one of female solidarity, with the sisters making up the 'power of three'. This book explores the story.