Did you know that the iconic 90s kids’ TV show Sabrina the Teenage is coming back? It’s set to be much darker and mature than the original show. While it won’t be on air until the end of 2018, it certainly sounds like an intriguing new take on the concept.
As a celebration of the show’s return, here are some fun facts that you may not have known about Sabrina the Teenage Witch:
- Sabrina actually first appeared in an Archie Comic in 1962, and Sabrina actor Melissa Joan Hart’s mom was a big reason it got turned into a show. After someone handed her the Archie Comic on a playground in Manhattan, she sold it to Viacom as a Showtime movie, which starred Ryan Reynolds. He portrayed Sabrina’s brief love interest, Seth. Then ABC and NBC ended up in a bidding war for the series
- Cassandra Peterson, who played Elvira, accused the show of ripping her off. Even though Sabrina the character existed long before Elvira, Peterson claimed the show ripped off her failed CBS pilot, which included a talking black cat, 2 aunts, and a teenage girl.
- Aside from an animatronic puppet, Salem was portrayed by 3 separate live black cats named Elvis, Witch, and Warlock.
- Nick Bakay was the voice of salem, and he also wrote 12 episodes of the show.
- A Turkish version called Acemi Cadi or Novice Witch was made where the aunts were named Selda and Melda. It wasn’t as popular as the original show and only lasted for one season of 3 episodes.
- Though billed as being a “teenage witch” Melissa Joan Hart was 20 years old when the show began.
- The zip code of Sabrina’s home is the same as as zip code in Salem Massachusetts, even though the show was set in a fictional Massachusetts home.