This is a fresh young fiction look for Dick King-Smith's timeless classics, "Lady Lollipop and Clever Lollipop". Lady Lollipop is no ordinary pig. She...... more

This is a fresh young fiction look for Dick King-Smith's timeless classics, "Lady Lollipop and Clever Lollipop". Lady Lollipop is no ordinary pig. She lives in the royal palace with Princess Penelope and the King and Queen - and she's very clever. She's very good at solving other people's problems too. But when she needs a little magical help herself, it's time to call in the amazing Collie Cob, the Conjuror! Clever Lollipop and Lady Lollipop make a classic pair from the much-loved Dick King-Smith, the man who brought pigs to fame with "The Sheep-Pig" (filmed as "Babe").

... less

This is a fresh young fiction look for Dick King-Smith's timeless classics, "Lady Lollipop and Clever Lollipop". Lady Lollipop is no ordinary pig. She...... more

This is a fresh young fiction look for Dick King-Smith's timeless classics, "Lady Lollipop and Clever Lollipop". Lady Lollipop is no ordinary pig. She lives in the royal palace with Princess Penelope and the King and Queen - and she's very clever. She's very good at solving other people's problems too. But when she needs a little magical help herself, it's time to call in the amazing Collie Cob, the Conjuror! Clever Lollipop and Lady Lollipop make a classic pair from the much-loved Dick King-Smith, the man who brought pigs to fame with "The Sheep-Pig" (filmed as "Babe").

... less

Introducing Camelot--the home of kings, queens, noble knights, magic, Fremsley the Royal Whippet, some very aggressive lavatories, and a very...... more

Introducing Camelot--the home of kings, queens, noble knights, magic, Fremsley the Royal Whippet, some very aggressive lavatories, and a very spoiled and unpleasant once and future king In the days when dragons roamed the earth turning people into toast, a mighty king ruled the world. This king lived in the great castle of Camelot in the beautiful island of Avalon. Guided by the great wizard Merlin, this king became a legend. His name was Arthur. The trouble with legends is that every time their stories are told they become more and more fabulous, so useless twits are often turned into super heroes. This is not one of those stories. This is the "true" story of King Arthur--who was most definitely not a super hero. He was a nasty little spoiled brat who nobody could stand--or was he?

... less

Richard of Bordeaux, young heir to the throne after Edward the Third, is surrounded by ambitious uncles who believe it would be better for the country if they...... more

Richard of Bordeaux, young heir to the throne after Edward the Third, is surrounded by ambitious uncles who believe it would be better for the country if they could take the crown. While Richard shows himself capable of reckless bravery in defeating the Peasants' Revolt, his extravagance soon brings him into conflict with his people. Before long the king's most powerful opponents confront Richard and threaten to depose him. Here is a vivid picture of Richard's court, his devotion to his favourite Robert de Vere, his love for two Queens, clever Anne and the little Isabella, and of his headlong journey towards disaster. He is determined to take his revenge on the five lords who have humiliated him, but while he succeeds with four of them, the fifth proves to be far more of a challenge. Henry of Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt, is clever, subtle and absolutely set on achieving what his father had failed to...

... less

Princess for a day: Hop out of your royal bed, chase around the towers with the funny jester, and hide behind the thrones to give the king and queen a...... more

Princess for a day: Hop out of your royal bed, chase around the towers with the funny jester, and hide behind the thrones to give the king and queen a big surprise. Play the jester: Put on a fun show for the royal family. Do silly tricks, tumble like an acrobat, leap off the balcony, and make the king and queen roll around laughing. Includes castle, 4 characters, bed and 2 chairs. Great for: Enjoying a wonderful royal playhouse Bringing the royal family to life Encouraging talking and learning new words Moving the furniture and people Discovering pretend play Developing strength and precision in little fingers.

... less

THREE stories in ONE! Over 75 minutes of FUN! "Daniel and the Lion's Den" from Where's God When I'm S-Scared? In this musical adaptation of the classic Bible...... more

THREE stories in ONE! Over 75 minutes of FUN! "Daniel and the Lion's Den" from Where's God When I'm S-Scared? In this musical adaptation of the classic Bible story, Daniel, played by Larry, finds himself in deep trouble thanks to the King's conniving wisemen. Daniel learns that even in the lion's den, he is still in God's hands. Dave and the Giant Pickle This Veggie version of David & Goliath pits Junior Asparagus against a really mean, really BIG, pickle! Little Dave learns that with God's help, even little guys can do big things! Esther ... The Girl Who Became Queen When a small-town girl wakes up with the weight of the world on her shoulders and the fate of her people in her hands, can she find the courage to do what's right? Kids learn that "you never need to be afraid to do what's right!" DVD BONUS FEATURE: Caught on tape! Hilarious outtakes of kids saying the funniest things about their favorite Bible Heroes! DVD format: Region 2 / NTSC -- 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound

... less

Richard of Bordeaux, young heir to the throne after Edward the Third, is surrounded by ambitious uncles who believe it would be better for the country if they...... more

Richard of Bordeaux, young heir to the throne after Edward the Third, is surrounded by ambitious uncles who believe it would be better for the country if they could take the crown. While Richard shows himself capable of reckless bravery in defeating the Peasants' Revolt, his extravagance soon brings him into conflict with his people. Before long the king's most powerful opponents confront Richard and threaten to depose him. Here is a vivid picture of Richard's court, his devotion to his favourite Robert de Vere, his love for two Queens, clever Anne and the little Isabella, and of his headlong journey towards disaster. He is determined to take his revenge on the five lords who have humiliated him, but while he succeeds with four of them, the fifth proves to be far more of a challenge. Henry of Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt, is clever, subtle and absolutely set on achieving what his father had failed to...

... less

Introducing Camelot--the home of kings, queens, noble knights, magic, Fremsley the Royal Whippet, some very aggressive lavatories, and a very...... more

Introducing Camelot--the home of kings, queens, noble knights, magic, Fremsley the Royal Whippet, some very aggressive lavatories, and a very spoiled and unpleasant once and future king In the days when dragons roamed the earth turning people into toast, a mighty king ruled the world. This king lived in the great castle of Camelot in the beautiful island of Avalon. Guided by the great wizard Merlin, this king became a legend. His name was Arthur. The trouble with legends is that every time their stories are told they become more and more fabulous, so useless twits are often turned into super heroes. This is not one of those stories. This is the "true" story of King Arthur--who was most definitely not a super hero. He was a nasty little spoiled brat who nobody could stand--or was he?

... less

1603 was the year that saw the death of Queen Elizabeth I and the accession of King James I. Marking the 400th anniversary of this momentous...... more

1603 was the year that saw the death of Queen Elizabeth I and the accession of King James I. Marking the 400th anniversary of this momentous year, Christopher Lee's 1603: A Turning Point in British History tells the story, embracing kings and queens as well as the ordinary people who made up the nation at this period. Lee's story centres on the passing of the Tudor dynasty with the death of Elizabeth, and the rise of "the often cataclysmic time of the Stuarts" in the figure of King James. Lee captures the decline and fall of the mortally ill Elizabeth, as she "hung on for grim death", while her old and tired courtiers jockeyed for political position, "a gallery of intellectual and political authority tiptoeing through the last and fading moments of Tudor history", prior to the arrival of the ambitious, bookish new Stuart King, James I. 1603 then explores the changes wrought by the new Scottish king--his attempt to unify Scotland and England, plans for a new bible, the reformation of the constitution, and the problem of what to do with Elizabeth's old favourite, Walter Raleigh. Lee concludes: "It was a trying time to become a monarch," before moving on to more popular concerns that defined 1603--witchcraft, Ireland, piracy, and religious matters. This was also a year when "the riches of India were coming back to England" and the East India Company had just begun to trade. It was also "a rich year for theatre and prose", although with surprisingly little discussion of Shakespeare.1603 is a rich, broad survey of one year in England's history, but Lee is hampered by the fact that beyond the change in royal rule, there is little to specifically define the year, which means the book does drift into episodic stories of events from the year that don't necessarily sustain the reader's interest. --Jerry Brotton

... less

1603 was the year that saw the death of Queen Elizabeth I and the accession of King James I. Marking the 400th anniversary of this momentous...... more

1603 was the year that saw the death of Queen Elizabeth I and the accession of King James I. Marking the 400th anniversary of this momentous year, Christopher Lee's 1603: A Turning Point in British History tells the story, embracing kings and queens as well as the ordinary people who made up the nation at this period. Lee's story centres on the passing of the Tudor dynasty with the death of Elizabeth, and the rise of "the often cataclysmic time of the Stuarts" in the figure of King James. Lee captures the decline and fall of the mortally ill Elizabeth, as she "hung on for grim death", while her old and tired courtiers jockeyed for political position, "a gallery of intellectual and political authority tiptoeing through the last and fading moments of Tudor history", prior to the arrival of the ambitious, bookish new Stuart King, James I. 1603 then explores the changes wrought by the new Scottish king--his attempt to unify Scotland and England, plans for a new bible, the reformation of the constitution, and the problem of what to do with Elizabeth's old favourite, Walter Raleigh. Lee concludes: "It was a trying time to become a monarch," before moving on to more popular concerns that defined 1603--witchcraft, Ireland, piracy, and religious matters. This was also a year when "the riches of India were coming back to England" and the East India Company had just begun to trade. It was also "a rich year for theatre and prose", although with surprisingly little discussion of Shakespeare.1603 is a rich, broad survey of one year in England's history, but Lee is hampered by the fact that beyond the change in royal rule, there is little to specifically define the year, which means the book does drift into episodic stories of events from the year that don't necessarily sustain the reader's interest. --Jerry Brotton

... less

"It travels through space and under the sea - and it can journey anywhere..." Intrepid pilot MIKE MERCURY takes to the skies once more in the first series of...... more

"It travels through space and under the sea - and it can journey anywhere..." Intrepid pilot MIKE MERCURY takes to the skies once more in the first series of Gerry Anderson's SUPERCAR. With Professor Popkiss manning the console, and the eccentric Dr. Beaker providing his customary - ah - blend of - em - erudition and genius, the stage is set for an adventure series that blends adventure, humour and charm in equal measure. Presented here is the entire series of 39 episodes, digitally remastered and restored to a superb level of quality. This ground-breaking children's series will appeal to people who Gerry Anderson's other puppet series (Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Stingray) and archive television fans. This set contains the following episodes: ? Rescue ? Amazonian Adventure ? The Talisman Of Sargon ? False Alarm ? What Goes Up ? Keep It Cool ? Grounded ? Jungle Hazard ? High Tension ? A Little Art ? Ice-Fall ? Island Incident ? The Tracking Of Masterspy ? Phantom Piper ? Deep Seven ? Pirate Plunder ? Flight Of Fancy ? Hostage ? The Sunken Temple ? Trapped In The Depths ? Crash Landing ? The Dragon Of Ho Meng ? The Lost City ? The Magic Carpet ? The White Line ? Supercar "Take One" ? The Runaway Train ? Precious Cargo ? Operation Superstork ? Hi-Jack ? Calling Charlie Queen ? Space For Mitch ? The Sky's The Limit ? 70-B-Lo ? Atomic Witch Hunt ? Jail Break ? The Day That Time Stood Still ? Transatlantic Cable ? King Kool

... less

Face it. All work and no play makes one a dull person. So why not make work a little more fun? Accessorise your office desk or table with these fun,...... more

Face it. All work and no play makes one a dull person. So why not make work a little more fun? Accessorise your office desk or table with these fun, novelty but functional ceramic Slogan Mugs. We guarantee that you will never see work the same way again!These Slogan Mugs are supplied with a matching gift box. The perfect gift for novelty mug lovers!Dishwasher and microwave safe.Choose from:-Drama queenIm with stupidI didnt say it was your fault, I said I was going to blame you!If I gave a sh.t, youd be the first person Id give it toDo I look like a f..king people person?Old fart The voices made me do it I love my computer A clean house is a sign of a wasted lifeYou say Im a bitch like its a bad thingA prozac a day keeps the voices away Tea clubI love spreadsheets Stress relief Bitch of the yearSmoking is my choice so f..k offIm not a snob, Im just better than youUsually Im thin and gorgeous but today is my day off

... less

This gorgeous HappyLand Fairy Castle castle opens up for easy access. Comes complete with thrones, bed and four people. This lovely pink HappyLand Fairy...... more

This gorgeous HappyLand Fairy Castle castle opens up for easy access. Comes complete with thrones, bed and four people. This lovely pink HappyLand Fairy Castle is ideal inspiration for your young child to act out their first royal fairy tales. The king, queen, princess and court jester figures are just the right size for little hands to move and bring to life. The pink castle opens right up so your toddler can enjoy playing with the doors and balcony, moving the thrones around, and putting the princess to sleep on the royal canopied bed! The HappyLand Fairy Castle is the perfect first setting for your child to enjoy early imaginative play. Great for your child's development: This fairytale castle is a lovely setting for your toddler to start to use their imagination. Moving the characters around the HappyLand Fairy Castle is a good way for your toddler to start enjoying 'small world' play. They will soon be on the way to giving the people voices and names. Reaching around the play castle, and putting the characters on the castle's furniture or balconies is a good way for little hands to build strength precision, which is useful for drawing, dressing and writing later on. ELC star quality We love the HappyLand Fairy Castle because it's such a lovely setting for your young child's first imaginative adventures. The way it opens right up so your child can reach every part of the castle easily makes it really toddler-friendly. Children develop so fast, and this pink palace is a perfect inspiration for your toddler's first flights of fantasy, as they start to enjoy using their growing imagination and enjoying bringing to life the stories you read them. It will last them through years of exciting imaginative play. What you need to know: Pack contents: 1 palace, 1 bed, 2 chairs, 4 figures Other toys and accessories available separately. Size: Length 35.6cm x Width 35cm x Depth 15.9cm.

... less

Season OneCharmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and...... more

Season OneCharmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and specially powered characters. The original home of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and future launch pad for Angel and Smallville, the WB debuted Charmed in 1998 with many of the same intriguing ironies that made those other shows click. Specifically, the greater a character's powers, the more vulnerable he or she becomes; the more superhuman, the more painfully obvious one's lonely, fragile humanity. The Halliwells, a trio of witch heroines and siblings at the center of Charmed, is a case in point. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) returns to her San Francisco family home after losing her job, and moves in with her older sisters Prue (Shannen Doherty) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs). On her first night back, Phoebe finds the Book of Shadows in the attic and recites a spell giving all three women unique powers they were always meant to have: Prue suddenly has the gift of telekinesis, Piper can make time stand still, and Phoebe can see into the future. All well and good, but along with those extraordinary abilities is a new awareness of dark forces in the world from which mortals need protection. In some cases, those forces have been plotting a long time to steal the Halliwell's magical legacy once they awakened to it--and now they will never let up. Evil warlocks, demons, ancient curses, Grimlocks, and Wendigos (the last two are best left explained by their respective episodes), however, are only half the battle on this sexy dramedy, in which more ordinary matters of emotional and real-world survival also preoccupy the Halliwells. An important ally, Inspector Andy Trudeau (Ted King), is Prue's ex-lover, a delicate detail that mixes pain with duty as the couple rekindles their troubled relationship while solving otherworldly crimes. In "Dead Man Dating," Piper falls for the ghost of a murdered man who needs help, and later competes with Phoebe for the attention of a handyman, Leo (Brian Krause). Jobs and money are always an issue, too. At one time or another, Phoebe works as a psychic, Piper as a caterer, and Prue finds a job at an auction house. As with Buffy, the engine of Charmed is the seamless, sometimes-comic, sometimes-tender way in which all these dynamics in the magic and non-magic worlds blend together, presenting young adult challenges that are both unique and somehow terribly familiar. It is particularly fun to watch this series grow, deepen, and experiment during its first year. The season's true highlight is probably "That 70s Episode," in which the Halliwells go back in time to meet their younger selves. --Tom KeoghSeason TwoCharmed: The Complete Second Season finds San Francisco's favourite and fetching trio of witches, the Halliwell sisters, still battling supernatural forces while trying to make sense of their tricky personal lives. It has been a year since Prue (Shannen Doherty), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Piper (Holly Marie Combs), were each endowed with a unique, magical ability after discovering the Book of Shadows in their attic, and while Phoebe and Piper are in the mood for celebrating, Prue is emotionally incapable of using her telekinetic gifts. Powerless to have saved her ex-lover, Andy Trudeau (Ted King), from death in Season 1, Prue's grief prevents her from cooperating with her sisters in a battle against a demon who steals the all-important Book. That's just the beginning of the Halliwells' otherworldly troubles. The second season finds the sisters also taking on brain-zapping Warlocks, a Demon of Hate, a Darklighter who inspires thoughts of suicide among the living, evil witches, and--get this--the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who turn out to be quite dapper (albeit nasty) fellows. Meanwhile, Piper struggles to raise $60,000 to open a happening new club (at a site where two other clubs have failed) while also juggling romantic feelings for two guys, one a hunky new neighbor and the other last season's handyman character, Leo (Brian Krause), who turns out to be a Whitelighter (a kind of an angel). Prue's job at the art gallery gets a bit wobbly, and she gives unintentionally mixed signals to a very nice man who likes her a lot. Phoebe, for her part, is still in school and meets a handsome prospect at a dating service--then has to save him from a succubus (a female demon who seduces men and then kills them). Season highlights include the episode "She's a Man, Baby, a Man," in which Prue--due to a botched spell--becomes a man (a clever and funny performance by Doherty). In a reversal of Tootsie's feminist theme, Prue learns how to be a better woman for having a been a man, though a lot more repairs take place at the house while she's a he. "Animal Pragmatism" concerns yet another spell gone awry, this one turning a pig, a rabbit, and a snake into full-grown men with the characteristics of the creatures they were. The final show, "Be Careful What You Witch For," is a lot of fun, co-starring French Stewart as a genie who makes a lot of mischief at the same time the sisters are trying to put a Dragon Warlock in his place. --Tom KeoghSeason ThreeCharmed: The Complete Third Season is a little different from its previous seasons in that the long-running series, for the first time, is dominated by a single story arc that affects nearly every episode. Actor Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four) joins the Charmed cast as Assistant District Attorney Cole Turner, who enters the show when he unsuccessfully prosecutes a demon-possessed killer who attacks the Halliwell sisters' police ally, Inspector Morris (Dorian Gregory). In short order, Cole becomes romantically involved with Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), but it's soon revealed that he's actually a demon, part of an unholy plot to destroy the Charmed Ones, i.e. the Halliwell sisters. Trouble is, Cole's human incarnation begins to battle with his demon self, and the rest of the season is really dedicated to the ramifications of his ambivalence. Even old issues on Charmed, such as the forbidden love of Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Leo (Brian Krause), an angelic Whitelighter, become secondary to the Cole-Phoebe story. (The latter becomes supernatural when Phoebe's misery over Cole turns her into a shrieking Banshee and the pair meet up in the hellish Dark Side.) Season highlights include "Primrose Empath," in which Shannen Doherty gives a superb performance when her character, Prue Halliwell, takes on the powers of an empath and is soon overwhelmed by the emotional pain carried by scores of others. "Sleuthing with the Enemy" finds Prue and Piper, in the first of several such stories, working at opposite purposes from Phoebe, who is intent on saving Cole from capture or destruction. The clever and comic "Look Who's Barking" concerns a spell that turns Prue into a Banshee-tracking dog who gets hit by a car and briefly becomes the pet of a handsome, single man. Season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose" may be the best Charmed episode in its first three years, a scary and apocalyptic tale in which the powers of the Halliwell sisters, long kept secret, are revealed to an insatiable news media, the police and military, and dangerous crazies. Not to be missed. --Tom KeoghSeason FourCharmed: The Complete Fourth Season is a captivating story of big changes in the world of the Halliwell sisters. San Francisco witches Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs) grieve the loss of Prue (Shannen Doherty) at the same time they discover the existence of a fourth Halliwell sibling: Paige (Rose McGowan ), offspring of the girls' late mother and a Whitelighter (thus making Paige part witch and part angel). Paige was raised as an adopted child, but has been aware of her sisters for awhile. Still, she's ambivalent about joining forces with them (despite having two powers instead of the usual one), and Piper--now the oldest of the surviving sisters, reluctantly taking over Prue's position as leader--is in no hurry to welcome Paige into the fold. Blood and loyalty prevail, however, and soon Paige takes over Phoebe's old role as screw-up rookie, mangling potions and causing havoc (such as switching bodies with Phoebe at an inopportune time). But her strong survival sense, compassion, and ability to read people (she's studying to become a social worker) add a powerful new weapon to the Halliwell arsenal. Meanwhile, several key storylines from the third season carry over to this new year, notably the running drama concerning demon-with-a-soul Cole (Julian McMahon) and his ongoing battle to stay free of hell's wrath while maintaining dark powers. His romance with Phoebe leads them to become ruler and queen of the Underworld, where Phoebe's loyalty is tested and a demonic baby enters the picture. Piper and her husband, Whitelighter Leo (Brian Krause), deal with sorrow over Prue and frustration over not being able to have a child, and the sisters' police ally, Inspector Morris (Dorian Gregory), has to contend with an out-of-control boss bent on charging the Halliwells with a crime. All that and a witch-hunter and appearance by the angel of destiny, who offers to relieve the witches of their magical burden. The most impressive aspect of the fourth season is the way Doherty's loss isn't treated as a mere vacuum to be filled with a new body, but is taken as an opportunity to reinvent the show in several crucial ways. --Tom KeoghSeason FiveSexy, silly, sardonic, somber: the fifth season of Charmed finds the Charmed Ones--sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Paige (Rose McGowan)--on an emotional roller coaster. Yet they're also in a fairly comfortable groove with one another. McGowan, who joined the cast in year 4 as a replacement for Shannen Doherty, is now a perfect fit, turning Paige into a self-deprecating, uber-witch whose clipped dialogue meshes beautifully with Milano's neurotic phrasing and Combs' no-nonsense bark. Season 5 ties up a lot of loose ends, heralds some major shifts in the show's running narrative, and ushers in a couple of new characters. One of the latter is Piper's baby by husband Leo (Brian Krause), the angelic Whitelighter whose role as an emissary of the heavenly Elders changes dramatically in the two-part finale, "Oh, My Goddess!" Before that happens, however, Phoebe must contend with the reappearance of her husband, the demon Cole (Julian McMahon), who is determined to win her back by proving his evil nature is under control. As usual, all the sisters must use the Power of Three to protect a number of vulnerable mortals, and even some immortals. Among these are a mermaid whose immortality is sought by a greedy demon, several wood nymphs frolicking in the streets of San Francisco, and married men targeted by a hot Siren with a killer kiss. Season highlights include "Happily Ever After," in which characters from multiple fairy tales come to life; "Lucky Charmed," a fun story introducing a demon-vanquishing Leprechaun; and "Sense and Sense Ability," a clever drama in which Phoebe goes deaf, Piper becomes blind, and Paige turns mute as the result of a wicked witch's spell. The aforementioned finale sees all three sisters officially acknowledged as the goddesses they truly are. But it also introduces a new, major character, Chris (Drew Fuller), who seems benevolent but may very well be a wolf in sheep's clothing. We shall see. --Tom KeoghSeason SevenThe challenges come fast and furious for the Halliwell sisters in Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season. Some of them are pretty exotic, too: a visit from Lady Godiva, who inspires a certain, unexpected freedom in witchy sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Paige (Rose McGowan) while dodging the evil designs of a nasty land baron. Shakti and Shiva, the ultimate lovers of Hinduism, manage to occupy the bodies of Piper and still-evolving Whitelighter Leo (Brian Krause) at a very bad time: The consummation of their love will destroy the universe. An ex-demon turned professor at the Magic School falls under a spell that causes him to believe he's Robin Hood and that Phoebe is Maid Marian. And it goes on like that: an invisible demon posing as an imaginary friend to a child; a time-travel trip to 1899 (and the site of a tragic fire) that strands Phoebe; the arrival of Pandora's Box in the hands of a shape-shifting visitor from the Underworld. Things never quiet down for the Halliwells, and their lives are even more complicated by Zankou (Oded Fehr), who shows up in a running storyline about his effort to release the Shadow, the ultimate power, and steal the Book of Shadows, which is crucial to the sisters' witchcraft. Meanwhile, Leo must make a crucial choice in order to release Piper and Phoebe from their deaths at the hands of yet another demon: Should he save them or engage in magic that will ultimately rob him of his free will? An exciting season full of new changes and characters, transitions, children, and much else, Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season carries on this long-running television show's breathless pace and intriguing mix of the arcane and ordinary. --Tom KeoghSeason EightSeason eight of Charmed brings the story of the Halliwell sisters to a satisfying conclusion, but not without a lot of bumps on the road for the witchy trio. The season begins with Paige (Rose McGowan ), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano)--exhausted after years of magical responsibility for protecting the mortal world and fighting off demons--pretending to be dead and hiding behind new appearances. (The characters, when seen in mirrored reflections or through the eyes of others, are played by different actresses.) The gambit works smoothly for awhile, until each of the sisters begins missing aspects of her old life and feeling a sense of responsibility for protecting the innocent. Meanwhile, a gaggle of restless, young demons suspect that the Halliwells arent really dead at all, and are out to prove it. While fending off new demonic plots to take over the sisters San Francisco home and seize control of a school of magic, Piper and Phoebes father, Victor (James Read), takes care of Piper and Leos kids at the near cost of his own life. Also, Phoebe falls for a sculptor (Jason Lewis) early in the season and Cupid (Victor Webster) himself later on; Paige considers a career in law enforcement; and a newcomer arrives on the scene: Billie (Kaley Cuoco), a young witch with a flashy, Buffy-like style as demon-slayer. Billies story provides a narrative backbone to Charmed: The Final Season. Powerful but untutored, Billie reluctantly becomes a protégé of Paige, learning the ropes of witchcraft just as Paige did a couple of seasons back. The problem is that Billie makes a well-intentioned mess of a number of situations (at one point, she draws the attention of a Homeland Security agent to her powers), and then goes rogue when her long-lost sister shows up and turns Billie against the Halliwells. The latter half of the season slowly draws to a showdown between the two sets of siblings, but as always, there are lot of storylines with plenty of other issues and action to worry about. Longtime Charmed fans will certainly enjoy the series finale, an imaginative, time-travel tale in which some of the main characters meet different versions of themselves, and we all get a peek into what the future holds in store for the Halliwells as individual women. --Tom Keogh

... less

Season OneCharmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and...... more

Season OneCharmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and specially powered characters. The original home of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and future launch pad for Angel and Smallville, the WB debuted Charmed in 1998 with many of the same intriguing ironies that made those other shows click. Specifically, the greater a character's powers, the more vulnerable he or she becomes; the more superhuman, the more painfully obvious one's lonely, fragile humanity. The Halliwells, a trio of witch heroines and siblings at the center of Charmed, is a case in point. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) returns to her San Francisco family home after losing her job, and moves in with her older sisters Prue (Shannen Doherty) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs). On her first night back, Phoebe finds the Book of Shadows in the attic and recites a spell giving all three women unique powers they were always meant to have: Prue suddenly has the gift of telekinesis, Piper can make time stand still, and Phoebe can see into the future. All well and good, but along with those extraordinary abilities is a new awareness of dark forces in the world from which mortals need protection. In some cases, those forces have been plotting a long time to steal the Halliwell's magical legacy once they awakened to it--and now they will never let up. Evil warlocks, demons, ancient curses, Grimlocks, and Wendigos (the last two are best left explained by their respective episodes), however, are only half the battle on this sexy dramedy, in which more ordinary matters of emotional and real-world survival also preoccupy the Halliwells. An important ally, Inspector Andy Trudeau (Ted King), is Prue's ex-lover, a delicate detail that mixes pain with duty as the couple rekindles their troubled relationship while solving otherworldly crimes. In "Dead Man Dating," Piper falls for the ghost of a murdered man who needs help, and later competes with Phoebe for the attention of a handyman, Leo (Brian Krause). Jobs and money are always an issue, too. At one time or another, Phoebe works as a psychic, Piper as a caterer, and Prue finds a job at an auction house. As with Buffy, the engine of Charmed is the seamless, sometimes-comic, sometimes-tender way in which all these dynamics in the magic and non-magic worlds blend together, presenting young adult challenges that are both unique and somehow terribly familiar. It is particularly fun to watch this series grow, deepen, and experiment during its first year. The season's true highlight is probably "That 70s Episode," in which the Halliwells go back in time to meet their younger selves. --Tom KeoghSeason TwoCharmed: The Complete Second Season finds San Francisco's favourite and fetching trio of witches, the Halliwell sisters, still battling supernatural forces while trying to make sense of their tricky personal lives. It has been a year since Prue (Shannen Doherty), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Piper (Holly Marie Combs), were each endowed with a unique, magical ability after discovering the Book of Shadows in their attic, and while Phoebe and Piper are in the mood for celebrating, Prue is emotionally incapable of using her telekinetic gifts. Powerless to have saved her ex-lover, Andy Trudeau (Ted King), from death in Season 1, Prue's grief prevents her from cooperating with her sisters in a battle against a demon who steals the all-important Book. That's just the beginning of the Halliwells' otherworldly troubles. The second season finds the sisters also taking on brain-zapping Warlocks, a Demon of Hate, a Darklighter who inspires thoughts of suicide among the living, evil witches, and--get this--the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who turn out to be quite dapper (albeit nasty) fellows. Meanwhile, Piper struggles to raise $60,000 to open a happening new club (at a site where two other clubs have failed) while also juggling romantic feelings for two guys, one a hunky new neighbor and the other last season's handyman character, Leo (Brian Krause), who turns out to be a Whitelighter (a kind of an angel). Prue's job at the art gallery gets a bit wobbly, and she gives unintentionally mixed signals to a very nice man who likes her a lot. Phoebe, for her part, is still in school and meets a handsome prospect at a dating service--then has to save him from a succubus (a female demon who seduces men and then kills them). Season highlights include the episode "She's a Man, Baby, a Man," in which Prue--due to a botched spell--becomes a man (a clever and funny performance by Doherty). In a reversal of Tootsie's feminist theme, Prue learns how to be a better woman for having a been a man, though a lot more repairs take place at the house while she's a he. "Animal Pragmatism" concerns yet another spell gone awry, this one turning a pig, a rabbit, and a snake into full-grown men with the characteristics of the creatures they were. The final show, "Be Careful What You Witch For," is a lot of fun, co-starring French Stewart as a genie who makes a lot of mischief at the same time the sisters are trying to put a Dragon Warlock in his place. --Tom KeoghSeason ThreeCharmed: The Complete Third Season is a little different from its previous seasons in that the long-running series, for the first time, is dominated by a single story arc that affects nearly every episode. Actor Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four) joins the Charmed cast as Assistant District Attorney Cole Turner, who enters the show when he unsuccessfully prosecutes a demon-possessed killer who attacks the Halliwell sisters' police ally, Inspector Morris (Dorian Gregory). In short order, Cole becomes romantically involved with Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), but it's soon revealed that he's actually a demon, part of an unholy plot to destroy the Charmed Ones, i.e. the Halliwell sisters. Trouble is, Cole's human incarnation begins to battle with his demon self, and the rest of the season is really dedicated to the ramifications of his ambivalence. Even old issues on Charmed, such as the forbidden love of Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Leo (Brian Krause), an angelic Whitelighter, become secondary to the Cole-Phoebe story. (The latter becomes supernatural when Phoebe's misery over Cole turns her into a shrieking Banshee and the pair meet up in the hellish Dark Side.) Season highlights include "Primrose Empath," in which Shannen Doherty gives a superb performance when her character, Prue Halliwell, takes on the powers of an empath and is soon overwhelmed by the emotional pain carried by scores of others. "Sleuthing with the Enemy" finds Prue and Piper, in the first of several such stories, working at opposite purposes from Phoebe, who is intent on saving Cole from capture or destruction. The clever and comic "Look Who's Barking" concerns a spell that turns Prue into a Banshee-tracking dog who gets hit by a car and briefly becomes the pet of a handsome, single man. Season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose" may be the best Charmed episode in its first three years, a scary and apocalyptic tale in which the powers of the Halliwell sisters, long kept secret, are revealed to an insatiable news media, the police and military, and dangerous crazies. Not to be missed. --Tom KeoghSeason FourCharmed: The Complete Fourth Season is a captivating story of big changes in the world of the Halliwell sisters. San Francisco witches Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs) grieve the loss of Prue (Shannen Doherty) at the same time they discover the existence of a fourth Halliwell sibling: Paige (Rose McGowan ), offspring of the girls' late mother and a Whitelighter (thus making Paige part witch and part angel). Paige was raised as an adopted child, but has been aware of her sisters for awhile. Still, she's ambivalent about joining forces with them (despite having two powers instead of the usual one), and Piper--now the oldest of the surviving sisters, reluctantly taking over Prue's position as leader--is in no hurry to welcome Paige into the fold. Blood and loyalty prevail, however, and soon Paige takes over Phoebe's old role as screw-up rookie, mangling potions and causing havoc (such as switching bodies with Phoebe at an inopportune time). But her strong survival sense, compassion, and ability to read people (she's studying to become a social worker) add a powerful new weapon to the Halliwell arsenal. Meanwhile, several key storylines from the third season carry over to this new year, notably the running drama concerning demon-with-a-soul Cole (Julian McMahon) and his ongoing battle to stay free of hell's wrath while maintaining dark powers. His romance with Phoebe leads them to become ruler and queen of the Underworld, where Phoebe's loyalty is tested and a demonic baby enters the picture. Piper and her husband, Whitelighter Leo (Brian Krause), deal with sorrow over Prue and frustration over not being able to have a child, and the sisters' police ally, Inspector Morris (Dorian Gregory), has to contend with an out-of-control boss bent on charging the Halliwells with a crime. All that and a witch-hunter and appearance by the angel of destiny, who offers to relieve the witches of their magical burden. The most impressive aspect of the fourth season is the way Doherty's loss isn't treated as a mere vacuum to be filled with a new body, but is taken as an opportunity to reinvent the show in several crucial ways. --Tom KeoghSeason FiveSexy, silly, sardonic, somber: the fifth season of Charmed finds the Charmed Ones--sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Paige (Rose McGowan)--on an emotional roller coaster. Yet they're also in a fairly comfortable groove with one another. McGowan, who joined the cast in year 4 as a replacement for Shannen Doherty, is now a perfect fit, turning Paige into a self-deprecating, uber-witch whose clipped dialogue meshes beautifully with Milano's neurotic phrasing and Combs' no-nonsense bark. Season 5 ties up a lot of loose ends, heralds some major shifts in the show's running narrative, and ushers in a couple of new characters. One of the latter is Piper's baby by husband Leo (Brian Krause), the angelic Whitelighter whose role as an emissary of the heavenly Elders changes dramatically in the two-part finale, "Oh, My Goddess!" Before that happens, however, Phoebe must contend with the reappearance of her husband, the demon Cole (Julian McMahon), who is determined to win her back by proving his evil nature is under control. As usual, all the sisters must use the Power of Three to protect a number of vulnerable mortals, and even some immortals. Among these are a mermaid whose immortality is sought by a greedy demon, several wood nymphs frolicking in the streets of San Francisco, and married men targeted by a hot Siren with a killer kiss. Season highlights include "Happily Ever After," in which characters from multiple fairy tales come to life; "Lucky Charmed," a fun story introducing a demon-vanquishing Leprechaun; and "Sense and Sense Ability," a clever drama in which Phoebe goes deaf, Piper becomes blind, and Paige turns mute as the result of a wicked witch's spell. The aforementioned finale sees all three sisters officially acknowledged as the goddesses they truly are. But it also introduces a new, major character, Chris (Drew Fuller), who seems benevolent but may very well be a wolf in sheep's clothing. We shall see. --Tom KeoghSeason SevenThe challenges come fast and furious for the Halliwell sisters in Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season. Some of them are pretty exotic, too: a visit from Lady Godiva, who inspires a certain, unexpected freedom in witchy sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Paige (Rose McGowan) while dodging the evil designs of a nasty land baron. Shakti and Shiva, the ultimate lovers of Hinduism, manage to occupy the bodies of Piper and still-evolving Whitelighter Leo (Brian Krause) at a very bad time: The consummation of their love will destroy the universe. An ex-demon turned professor at the Magic School falls under a spell that causes him to believe he's Robin Hood and that Phoebe is Maid Marian. And it goes on like that: an invisible demon posing as an imaginary friend to a child; a time-travel trip to 1899 (and the site of a tragic fire) that strands Phoebe; the arrival of Pandora's Box in the hands of a shape-shifting visitor from the Underworld. Things never quiet down for the Halliwells, and their lives are even more complicated by Zankou (Oded Fehr), who shows up in a running storyline about his effort to release the Shadow, the ultimate power, and steal the Book of Shadows, which is crucial to the sisters' witchcraft. Meanwhile, Leo must make a crucial choice in order to release Piper and Phoebe from their deaths at the hands of yet another demon: Should he save them or engage in magic that will ultimately rob him of his free will? An exciting season full of new changes and characters, transitions, children, and much else, Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season carries on this long-running television show's breathless pace and intriguing mix of the arcane and ordinary. --Tom KeoghSeason EightSeason eight of Charmed brings the story of the Halliwell sisters to a satisfying conclusion, but not without a lot of bumps on the road for the witchy trio. The season begins with Paige (Rose McGowan ), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano)--exhausted after years of magical responsibility for protecting the mortal world and fighting off demons--pretending to be dead and hiding behind new appearances. (The characters, when seen in mirrored reflections or through the eyes of others, are played by different actresses.) The gambit works smoothly for awhile, until each of the sisters begins missing aspects of her old life and feeling a sense of responsibility for protecting the innocent. Meanwhile, a gaggle of restless, young demons suspect that the Halliwells arent really dead at all, and are out to prove it. While fending off new demonic plots to take over the sisters San Francisco home and seize control of a school of magic, Piper and Phoebes father, Victor (James Read), takes care of Piper and Leos kids at the near cost of his own life. Also, Phoebe falls for a sculptor (Jason Lewis) early in the season and Cupid (Victor Webster) himself later on; Paige considers a career in law enforcement; and a newcomer arrives on the scene: Billie (Kaley Cuoco), a young witch with a flashy, Buffy-like style as demon-slayer. Billies story provides a narrative backbone to Charmed: The Final Season. Powerful but untutored, Billie reluctantly becomes a protégé of Paige, learning the ropes of witchcraft just as Paige did a couple of seasons back. The problem is that Billie makes a well-intentioned mess of a number of situations (at one point, she draws the attention of a Homeland Security agent to her powers), and then goes rogue when her long-lost sister shows up and turns Billie against the Halliwells. The latter half of the season slowly draws to a showdown between the two sets of siblings, but as always, there are lot of storylines with plenty of other issues and action to worry about. Longtime Charmed fans will certainly enjoy the series finale, an imaginative, time-travel tale in which some of the main characters meet different versions of themselves, and we all get a peek into what the future holds in store for the Halliwells as individual women. --Tom Keogh

... less

Season OneCharmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and...... more

Season OneCharmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and specially powered characters. The original home of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and future launch pad for Angel and Smallville, the WB debuted Charmed in 1998 with many of the same intriguing ironies that made those other shows click. Specifically, the greater a character's powers, the more vulnerable he or she becomes; the more superhuman, the more painfully obvious one's lonely, fragile humanity. The Halliwells, a trio of witch heroines and siblings at the center of Charmed, is a case in point. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) returns to her San Francisco family home after losing her job, and moves in with her older sisters Prue (Shannen Doherty) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs). On her first night back, Phoebe finds the Book of Shadows in the attic and recites a spell giving all three women unique powers they were always meant to have: Prue suddenly has the gift of telekinesis, Piper can make time stand still, and Phoebe can see into the future. All well and good, but along with those extraordinary abilities is a new awareness of dark forces in the world from which mortals need protection. In some cases, those forces have been plotting a long time to steal the Halliwell's magical legacy once they awakened to it--and now they will never let up. Evil warlocks, demons, ancient curses, Grimlocks, and Wendigos (the last two are best left explained by their respective episodes), however, are only half the battle on this sexy dramedy, in which more ordinary matters of emotional and real-world survival also preoccupy the Halliwells. An important ally, Inspector Andy Trudeau (Ted King), is Prue's ex-lover, a delicate detail that mixes pain with duty as the couple rekindles their troubled relationship while solving otherworldly crimes. In "Dead Man Dating," Piper falls for the ghost of a murdered man who needs help, and later competes with Phoebe for the attention of a handyman, Leo (Brian Krause). Jobs and money are always an issue, too. At one time or another, Phoebe works as a psychic, Piper as a caterer, and Prue finds a job at an auction house. As with Buffy, the engine of Charmed is the seamless, sometimes-comic, sometimes-tender way in which all these dynamics in the magic and non-magic worlds blend together, presenting young adult challenges that are both unique and somehow terribly familiar. It is particularly fun to watch this series grow, deepen, and experiment during its first year. The season's true highlight is probably "That 70s Episode," in which the Halliwells go back in time to meet their younger selves. --Tom KeoghSeason TwoCharmed: The Complete Second Season finds San Francisco's favourite and fetching trio of witches, the Halliwell sisters, still battling supernatural forces while trying to make sense of their tricky personal lives. It has been a year since Prue (Shannen Doherty), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Piper (Holly Marie Combs), were each endowed with a unique, magical ability after discovering the Book of Shadows in their attic, and while Phoebe and Piper are in the mood for celebrating, Prue is emotionally incapable of using her telekinetic gifts. Powerless to have saved her ex-lover, Andy Trudeau (Ted King), from death in Season 1, Prue's grief prevents her from cooperating with her sisters in a battle against a demon who steals the all-important Book. That's just the beginning of the Halliwells' otherworldly troubles. The second season finds the sisters also taking on brain-zapping Warlocks, a Demon of Hate, a Darklighter who inspires thoughts of suicide among the living, evil witches, and--get this--the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who turn out to be quite dapper (albeit nasty) fellows. Meanwhile, Piper struggles to raise $60,000 to open a happening new club (at a site where two other clubs have failed) while also juggling romantic feelings for two guys, one a hunky new neighbor and the other last season's handyman character, Leo (Brian Krause), who turns out to be a Whitelighter (a kind of an angel). Prue's job at the art gallery gets a bit wobbly, and she gives unintentionally mixed signals to a very nice man who likes her a lot. Phoebe, for her part, is still in school and meets a handsome prospect at a dating service--then has to save him from a succubus (a female demon who seduces men and then kills them). Season highlights include the episode "She's a Man, Baby, a Man," in which Prue--due to a botched spell--becomes a man (a clever and funny performance by Doherty). In a reversal of Tootsie's feminist theme, Prue learns how to be a better woman for having a been a man, though a lot more repairs take place at the house while she's a he. "Animal Pragmatism" concerns yet another spell gone awry, this one turning a pig, a rabbit, and a snake into full-grown men with the characteristics of the creatures they were. The final show, "Be Careful What You Witch For," is a lot of fun, co-starring French Stewart as a genie who makes a lot of mischief at the same time the sisters are trying to put a Dragon Warlock in his place. --Tom KeoghSeason ThreeCharmed: The Complete Third Season is a little different from its previous seasons in that the long-running series, for the first time, is dominated by a single story arc that affects nearly every episode. Actor Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four) joins the Charmed cast as Assistant District Attorney Cole Turner, who enters the show when he unsuccessfully prosecutes a demon-possessed killer who attacks the Halliwell sisters' police ally, Inspector Morris (Dorian Gregory). In short order, Cole becomes romantically involved with Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), but it's soon revealed that he's actually a demon, part of an unholy plot to destroy the Charmed Ones, i.e. the Halliwell sisters. Trouble is, Cole's human incarnation begins to battle with his demon self, and the rest of the season is really dedicated to the ramifications of his ambivalence. Even old issues on Charmed, such as the forbidden love of Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Leo (Brian Krause), an angelic Whitelighter, become secondary to the Cole-Phoebe story. (The latter becomes supernatural when Phoebe's misery over Cole turns her into a shrieking Banshee and the pair meet up in the hellish Dark Side.) Season highlights include "Primrose Empath," in which Shannen Doherty gives a superb performance when her character, Prue Halliwell, takes on the powers of an empath and is soon overwhelmed by the emotional pain carried by scores of others. "Sleuthing with the Enemy" finds Prue and Piper, in the first of several such stories, working at opposite purposes from Phoebe, who is intent on saving Cole from capture or destruction. The clever and comic "Look Who's Barking" concerns a spell that turns Prue into a Banshee-tracking dog who gets hit by a car and briefly becomes the pet of a handsome, single man. Season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose" may be the best Charmed episode in its first three years, a scary and apocalyptic tale in which the powers of the Halliwell sisters, long kept secret, are revealed to an insatiable news media, the police and military, and dangerous crazies. Not to be missed. --Tom KeoghSeason FourCharmed: The Complete Fourth Season is a captivating story of big changes in the world of the Halliwell sisters. San Francisco witches Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs) grieve the loss of Prue (Shannen Doherty) at the same time they discover the existence of a fourth Halliwell sibling: Paige (Rose McGowan ), offspring of the girls' late mother and a Whitelighter (thus making Paige part witch and part angel). Paige was raised as an adopted child, but has been aware of her sisters for awhile. Still, she's ambivalent about joining forces with them (despite having two powers instead of the usual one), and Piper--now the oldest of the surviving sisters, reluctantly taking over Prue's position as leader--is in no hurry to welcome Paige into the fold. Blood and loyalty prevail, however, and soon Paige takes over Phoebe's old role as screw-up rookie, mangling potions and causing havoc (such as switching bodies with Phoebe at an inopportune time). But her strong survival sense, compassion, and ability to read people (she's studying to become a social worker) add a powerful new weapon to the Halliwell arsenal. Meanwhile, several key storylines from the third season carry over to this new year, notably the running drama concerning demon-with-a-soul Cole (Julian McMahon) and his ongoing battle to stay free of hell's wrath while maintaining dark powers. His romance with Phoebe leads them to become ruler and queen of the Underworld, where Phoebe's loyalty is tested and a demonic baby enters the picture. Piper and her husband, Whitelighter Leo (Brian Krause), deal with sorrow over Prue and frustration over not being able to have a child, and the sisters' police ally, Inspector Morris (Dorian Gregory), has to contend with an out-of-control boss bent on charging the Halliwells with a crime. All that and a witch-hunter and appearance by the angel of destiny, who offers to relieve the witches of their magical burden. The most impressive aspect of the fourth season is the way Doherty's loss isn't treated as a mere vacuum to be filled with a new body, but is taken as an opportunity to reinvent the show in several crucial ways. --Tom KeoghSeason FiveSexy, silly, sardonic, somber: the fifth season of Charmed finds the Charmed Ones--sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Paige (Rose McGowan)--on an emotional roller coaster. Yet they're also in a fairly comfortable groove with one another. McGowan, who joined the cast in year 4 as a replacement for Shannen Doherty, is now a perfect fit, turning Paige into a self-deprecating, uber-witch whose clipped dialogue meshes beautifully with Milano's neurotic phrasing and Combs' no-nonsense bark. Season 5 ties up a lot of loose ends, heralds some major shifts in the show's running narrative, and ushers in a couple of new characters. One of the latter is Piper's baby by husband Leo (Brian Krause), the angelic Whitelighter whose role as an emissary of the heavenly Elders changes dramatically in the two-part finale, "Oh, My Goddess!" Before that happens, however, Phoebe must contend with the reappearance of her husband, the demon Cole (Julian McMahon), who is determined to win her back by proving his evil nature is under control. As usual, all the sisters must use the Power of Three to protect a number of vulnerable mortals, and even some immortals. Among these are a mermaid whose immortality is sought by a greedy demon, several wood nymphs frolicking in the streets of San Francisco, and married men targeted by a hot Siren with a killer kiss. Season highlights include "Happily Ever After," in which characters from multiple fairy tales come to life; "Lucky Charmed," a fun story introducing a demon-vanquishing Leprechaun; and "Sense and Sense Ability," a clever drama in which Phoebe goes deaf, Piper becomes blind, and Paige turns mute as the result of a wicked witch's spell. The aforementioned finale sees all three sisters officially acknowledged as the goddesses they truly are. But it also introduces a new, major character, Chris (Drew Fuller), who seems benevolent but may very well be a wolf in sheep's clothing. We shall see. --Tom KeoghSeason SevenThe challenges come fast and furious for the Halliwell sisters in Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season. Some of them are pretty exotic, too: a visit from Lady Godiva, who inspires a certain, unexpected freedom in witchy sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Paige (Rose McGowan) while dodging the evil designs of a nasty land baron. Shakti and Shiva, the ultimate lovers of Hinduism, manage to occupy the bodies of Piper and still-evolving Whitelighter Leo (Brian Krause) at a very bad time: The consummation of their love will destroy the universe. An ex-demon turned professor at the Magic School falls under a spell that causes him to believe he's Robin Hood and that Phoebe is Maid Marian. And it goes on like that: an invisible demon posing as an imaginary friend to a child; a time-travel trip to 1899 (and the site of a tragic fire) that strands Phoebe; the arrival of Pandora's Box in the hands of a shape-shifting visitor from the Underworld. Things never quiet down for the Halliwells, and their lives are even more complicated by Zankou (Oded Fehr), who shows up in a running storyline about his effort to release the Shadow, the ultimate power, and steal the Book of Shadows, which is crucial to the sisters' witchcraft. Meanwhile, Leo must make a crucial choice in order to release Piper and Phoebe from their deaths at the hands of yet another demon: Should he save them or engage in magic that will ultimately rob him of his free will? An exciting season full of new changes and characters, transitions, children, and much else, Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season carries on this long-running television show's breathless pace and intriguing mix of the arcane and ordinary. --Tom KeoghSeason EightSeason eight of Charmed brings the story of the Halliwell sisters to a satisfying conclusion, but not without a lot of bumps on the road for the witchy trio. The season begins with Paige (Rose McGowan ), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano)--exhausted after years of magical responsibility for protecting the mortal world and fighting off demons--pretending to be dead and hiding behind new appearances. (The characters, when seen in mirrored reflections or through the eyes of others, are played by different actresses.) The gambit works smoothly for awhile, until each of the sisters begins missing aspects of her old life and feeling a sense of responsibility for protecting the innocent. Meanwhile, a gaggle of restless, young demons suspect that the Halliwells arent really dead at all, and are out to prove it. While fending off new demonic plots to take over the sisters San Francisco home and seize control of a school of magic, Piper and Phoebes father, Victor (James Read), takes care of Piper and Leos kids at the near cost of his own life. Also, Phoebe falls for a sculptor (Jason Lewis) early in the season and Cupid (Victor Webster) himself later on; Paige considers a career in law enforcement; and a newcomer arrives on the scene: Billie (Kaley Cuoco), a young witch with a flashy, Buffy-like style as demon-slayer. Billies story provides a narrative backbone to Charmed: The Final Season. Powerful but untutored, Billie reluctantly becomes a protégé of Paige, learning the ropes of witchcraft just as Paige did a couple of seasons back. The problem is that Billie makes a well-intentioned mess of a number of situations (at one point, she draws the attention of a Homeland Security agent to her powers), and then goes rogue when her long-lost sister shows up and turns Billie against the Halliwells. The latter half of the season slowly draws to a showdown between the two sets of siblings, but as always, there are lot of storylines with plenty of other issues and action to worry about. Longtime Charmed fans will certainly enjoy the series finale, an imaginative, time-travel tale in which some of the main characters meet different versions of themselves, and we all get a peek into what the future holds in store for the Halliwells as individual women. --Tom Keogh

... less

Season OneCharmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and...... more

Season OneCharmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and specially powered characters. The original home of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and future launch pad for Angel and Smallville, the WB debuted Charmed in 1998 with many of the same intriguing ironies that made those other shows click. Specifically, the greater a character's powers, the more vulnerable he or she becomes; the more superhuman, the more painfully obvious one's lonely, fragile humanity. The Halliwells, a trio of witch heroines and siblings at the center of Charmed, is a case in point. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) returns to her San Francisco family home after losing her job, and moves in with her older sisters Prue (Shannen Doherty) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs). On her first night back, Phoebe finds the Book of Shadows in the attic and recites a spell giving all three women unique powers they were always meant to have: Prue suddenly has the gift of telekinesis, Piper can make time stand still, and Phoebe can see into the future. All well and good, but along with those extraordinary abilities is a new awareness of dark forces in the world from which mortals need protection. In some cases, those forces have been plotting a long time to steal the Halliwell's magical legacy once they awakened to it--and now they will never let up. Evil warlocks, demons, ancient curses, Grimlocks, and Wendigos (the last two are best left explained by their respective episodes), however, are only half the battle on this sexy dramedy, in which more ordinary matters of emotional and real-world survival also preoccupy the Halliwells. An important ally, Inspector Andy Trudeau (Ted King), is Prue's ex-lover, a delicate detail that mixes pain with duty as the couple rekindles their troubled relationship while solving otherworldly crimes. In "Dead Man Dating," Piper falls for the ghost of a murdered man who needs help, and later competes with Phoebe for the attention of a handyman, Leo (Brian Krause). Jobs and money are always an issue, too. At one time or another, Phoebe works as a psychic, Piper as a caterer, and Prue finds a job at an auction house. As with Buffy, the engine of Charmed is the seamless, sometimes-comic, sometimes-tender way in which all these dynamics in the magic and non-magic worlds blend together, presenting young adult challenges that are both unique and somehow terribly familiar. It is particularly fun to watch this series grow, deepen, and experiment during its first year. The season's true highlight is probably "That 70s Episode," in which the Halliwells go back in time to meet their younger selves. --Tom KeoghSeason TwoCharmed: The Complete Second Season finds San Francisco's favourite and fetching trio of witches, the Halliwell sisters, still battling supernatural forces while trying to make sense of their tricky personal lives. It has been a year since Prue (Shannen Doherty), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Piper (Holly Marie Combs), were each endowed with a unique, magical ability after discovering the Book of Shadows in their attic, and while Phoebe and Piper are in the mood for celebrating, Prue is emotionally incapable of using her telekinetic gifts. Powerless to have saved her ex-lover, Andy Trudeau (Ted King), from death in Season 1, Prue's grief prevents her from cooperating with her sisters in a battle against a demon who steals the all-important Book. That's just the beginning of the Halliwells' otherworldly troubles. The second season finds the sisters also taking on brain-zapping Warlocks, a Demon of Hate, a Darklighter who inspires thoughts of suicide among the living, evil witches, and--get this--the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who turn out to be quite dapper (albeit nasty) fellows. Meanwhile, Piper struggles to raise $60,000 to open a happening new club (at a site where two other clubs have failed) while also juggling romantic feelings for two guys, one a hunky new neighbor and the other last season's handyman character, Leo (Brian Krause), who turns out to be a Whitelighter (a kind of an angel). Prue's job at the art gallery gets a bit wobbly, and she gives unintentionally mixed signals to a very nice man who likes her a lot. Phoebe, for her part, is still in school and meets a handsome prospect at a dating service--then has to save him from a succubus (a female demon who seduces men and then kills them). Season highlights include the episode "She's a Man, Baby, a Man," in which Prue--due to a botched spell--becomes a man (a clever and funny performance by Doherty). In a reversal of Tootsie's feminist theme, Prue learns how to be a better woman for having a been a man, though a lot more repairs take place at the house while she's a he. "Animal Pragmatism" concerns yet another spell gone awry, this one turning a pig, a rabbit, and a snake into full-grown men with the characteristics of the creatures they were. The final show, "Be Careful What You Witch For," is a lot of fun, co-starring French Stewart as a genie who makes a lot of mischief at the same time the sisters are trying to put a Dragon Warlock in his place. --Tom KeoghSeason ThreeCharmed: The Complete Third Season is a little different from its previous seasons in that the long-running series, for the first time, is dominated by a single story arc that affects nearly every episode. Actor Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four) joins the Charmed cast as Assistant District Attorney Cole Turner, who enters the show when he unsuccessfully prosecutes a demon-possessed killer who attacks the Halliwell sisters' police ally, Inspector Morris (Dorian Gregory). In short order, Cole becomes romantically involved with Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), but it's soon revealed that he's actually a demon, part of an unholy plot to destroy the Charmed Ones, i.e. the Halliwell sisters. Trouble is, Cole's human incarnation begins to battle with his demon self, and the rest of the season is really dedicated to the ramifications of his ambivalence. Even old issues on Charmed, such as the forbidden love of Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Leo (Brian Krause), an angelic Whitelighter, become secondary to the Cole-Phoebe story. (The latter becomes supernatural when Phoebe's misery over Cole turns her into a shrieking Banshee and the pair meet up in the hellish Dark Side.) Season highlights include "Primrose Empath," in which Shannen Doherty gives a superb performance when her character, Prue Halliwell, takes on the powers of an empath and is soon overwhelmed by the emotional pain carried by scores of others. "Sleuthing with the Enemy" finds Prue and Piper, in the first of several such stories, working at opposite purposes from Phoebe, who is intent on saving Cole from capture or destruction. The clever and comic "Look Who's Barking" concerns a spell that turns Prue into a Banshee-tracking dog who gets hit by a car and briefly becomes the pet of a handsome, single man. Season finale "All Hell Breaks Loose" may be the best Charmed episode in its first three years, a scary and apocalyptic tale in which the powers of the Halliwell sisters, long kept secret, are revealed to an insatiable news media, the police and military, and dangerous crazies. Not to be missed. --Tom KeoghSeason FourCharmed: The Complete Fourth Season is a captivating story of big changes in the world of the Halliwell sisters. San Francisco witches Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs) grieve the loss of Prue (Shannen Doherty) at the same time they discover the existence of a fourth Halliwell sibling: Paige (Rose McGowan ), offspring of the girls' late mother and a Whitelighter (thus making Paige part witch and part angel). Paige was raised as an adopted child, but has been aware of her sisters for awhile. Still, she's ambivalent about joining forces with them (despite having two powers instead of the usual one), and Piper--now the oldest of the surviving sisters, reluctantly taking over Prue's position as leader--is in no hurry to welcome Paige into the fold. Blood and loyalty prevail, however, and soon Paige takes over Phoebe's old role as screw-up rookie, mangling potions and causing havoc (such as switching bodies with Phoebe at an inopportune time). But her strong survival sense, compassion, and ability to read people (she's studying to become a social worker) add a powerful new weapon to the Halliwell arsenal. Meanwhile, several key storylines from the third season carry over to this new year, notably the running drama concerning demon-with-a-soul Cole (Julian McMahon) and his ongoing battle to stay free of hell's wrath while maintaining dark powers. His romance with Phoebe leads them to become ruler and queen of the Underworld, where Phoebe's loyalty is tested and a demonic baby enters the picture. Piper and her husband, Whitelighter Leo (Brian Krause), deal with sorrow over Prue and frustration over not being able to have a child, and the sisters' police ally, Inspector Morris (Dorian Gregory), has to contend with an out-of-control boss bent on charging the Halliwells with a crime. All that and a witch-hunter and appearance by the angel of destiny, who offers to relieve the witches of their magical burden. The most impressive aspect of the fourth season is the way Doherty's loss isn't treated as a mere vacuum to be filled with a new body, but is taken as an opportunity to reinvent the show in several crucial ways. --Tom KeoghSeason FiveSexy, silly, sardonic, somber: the fifth season of Charmed finds the Charmed Ones--sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Paige (Rose McGowan)--on an emotional roller coaster. Yet they're also in a fairly comfortable groove with one another. McGowan, who joined the cast in year 4 as a replacement for Shannen Doherty, is now a perfect fit, turning Paige into a self-deprecating, uber-witch whose clipped dialogue meshes beautifully with Milano's neurotic phrasing and Combs' no-nonsense bark. Season 5 ties up a lot of loose ends, heralds some major shifts in the show's running narrative, and ushers in a couple of new characters. One of the latter is Piper's baby by husband Leo (Brian Krause), the angelic Whitelighter whose role as an emissary of the heavenly Elders changes dramatically in the two-part finale, "Oh, My Goddess!" Before that happens, however, Phoebe must contend with the reappearance of her husband, the demon Cole (Julian McMahon), who is determined to win her back by proving his evil nature is under control. As usual, all the sisters must use the Power of Three to protect a number of vulnerable mortals, and even some immortals. Among these are a mermaid whose immortality is sought by a greedy demon, several wood nymphs frolicking in the streets of San Francisco, and married men targeted by a hot Siren with a killer kiss. Season highlights include "Happily Ever After," in which characters from multiple fairy tales come to life; "Lucky Charmed," a fun story introducing a demon-vanquishing Leprechaun; and "Sense and Sense Ability," a clever drama in which Phoebe goes deaf, Piper becomes blind, and Paige turns mute as the result of a wicked witch's spell. The aforementioned finale sees all three sisters officially acknowledged as the goddesses they truly are. But it also introduces a new, major character, Chris (Drew Fuller), who seems benevolent but may very well be a wolf in sheep's clothing. We shall see. --Tom KeoghSeason SevenThe challenges come fast and furious for the Halliwell sisters in Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season. Some of them are pretty exotic, too: a visit from Lady Godiva, who inspires a certain, unexpected freedom in witchy sisters Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Paige (Rose McGowan) while dodging the evil designs of a nasty land baron. Shakti and Shiva, the ultimate lovers of Hinduism, manage to occupy the bodies of Piper and still-evolving Whitelighter Leo (Brian Krause) at a very bad time: The consummation of their love will destroy the universe. An ex-demon turned professor at the Magic School falls under a spell that causes him to believe he's Robin Hood and that Phoebe is Maid Marian. And it goes on like that: an invisible demon posing as an imaginary friend to a child; a time-travel trip to 1899 (and the site of a tragic fire) that strands Phoebe; the arrival of Pandora's Box in the hands of a shape-shifting visitor from the Underworld. Things never quiet down for the Halliwells, and their lives are even more complicated by Zankou (Oded Fehr), who shows up in a running storyline about his effort to release the Shadow, the ultimate power, and steal the Book of Shadows, which is crucial to the sisters' witchcraft. Meanwhile, Leo must make a crucial choice in order to release Piper and Phoebe from their deaths at the hands of yet another demon: Should he save them or engage in magic that will ultimately rob him of his free will? An exciting season full of new changes and characters, transitions, children, and much else, Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season carries on this long-running television show's breathless pace and intriguing mix of the arcane and ordinary. --Tom KeoghSeason EightSeason eight of Charmed brings the story of the Halliwell sisters to a satisfying conclusion, but not without a lot of bumps on the road for the witchy trio. The season begins with Paige (Rose McGowan ), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano)--exhausted after years of magical responsibility for protecting the mortal world and fighting off demons--pretending to be dead and hiding behind new appearances. (The characters, when seen in mirrored reflections or through the eyes of others, are played by different actresses.) The gambit works smoothly for awhile, until each of the sisters begins missing aspects of her old life and feeling a sense of responsibility for protecting the innocent. Meanwhile, a gaggle of restless, young demons suspect that the Halliwells arent really dead at all, and are out to prove it. While fending off new demonic plots to take over the sisters San Francisco home and seize control of a school of magic, Piper and Phoebes father, Victor (James Read), takes care of Piper and Leos kids at the near cost of his own life. Also, Phoebe falls for a sculptor (Jason Lewis) early in the season and Cupid (Victor Webster) himself later on; Paige considers a career in law enforcement; and a newcomer arrives on the scene: Billie (Kaley Cuoco), a young witch with a flashy, Buffy-like style as demon-slayer. Billies story provides a narrative backbone to Charmed: The Final Season. Powerful but untutored, Billie reluctantly becomes a protégé of Paige, learning the ropes of witchcraft just as Paige did a couple of seasons back. The problem is that Billie makes a well-intentioned mess of a number of situations (at one point, she draws the attention of a Homeland Security agent to her powers), and then goes rogue when her long-lost sister shows up and turns Billie against the Halliwells. The latter half of the season slowly draws to a showdown between the two sets of siblings, but as always, there are lot of storylines with plenty of other issues and action to worry about. Longtime Charmed fans will certainly enjoy the series finale, an imaginative, time-travel tale in which some of the main characters meet different versions of themselves, and we all get a peek into what the future holds in store for the Halliwells as individual women. --Tom Keogh

... less