The original Charmed debuted in 1998 and ran for eight seasons up to 2006. It was very entertaining, keeping viewers glued to the screen for an hour. Charmed revolved around three strong women who happened to be sisters and witches, gifted with the power to defeat evil beings. But no matter how much of a fan you were, you may have missed some details. Take a look at some things you may not have known.
Holly Marie Combs, Who Played Piper Was Pregnant for Real
Piper was pregnant in season five, which most people assumed was part of the story. But according to Brad Kern, showrunner of the show, this wasn’t part of the plan. There were concerns about whether she could undertake the role while pregnant. As viewers saw, she nailed every episode, and no one knew she was pregnant for real.
Only Holly Marie Combs Appeared in Every Episode
Holly Marie Combs is the only cast member who appeared in all episodes of Charmed during its eight seasons. Alysa Milano, who played Phoebe, only missed one episode. Combs also played multiple characters in the series. For instance, she was once cast as a great-grandmother to the three sisters and as an evil supernatural. Needless to say, Holly was a vital part of the show.
The Actresses Contributed to Producing the Show
Alyssa Milano, one of the actresses, revealed that she and her costars played a huge role behind the camera. During the last five years of the TV show, they didn’t have a producer. That led to some of the actresses taking production roles. As you can tell, they did a good job, considering the show is ranked one of the best TV shows about witches.
The Book of Shadows Was Hand-Drawn
The book of shadows played a significant role in the show. The sisters used it to serve evil. As fans were later to find out, the book was hand drawn. To make the book appear real, the show hired three artists to hand-paint the book. In fact, Milano was so impressed with the artists’ work that she requested one of them to paint murals inside her home.
Alyssa Milano Wasn’t the Original Phoebe
The original character for Phoebe Halliwell was Lory Rom and not Milano. Rom was in the unaired pilot episode of Charmed, but Milano is the one who played Phoebe in the pilot episode that aired. After that, she continued playing the role until the completion of the series.
The Show Was Filmed in Los Angeles
Initially, the show was supposed to be filmed in San Francisco but ended up being set in Los Angeles. The background shots and aerial shots you see of San Francisco in the show are stock images. In fact, during the eighth season of the show, there were budget cuts, and the show ended up being filmed at Paramount Studios only. They didn’t have enough cash to shoot in other locations.
From an engaging storyline to a great theme song, amazing outfits, and talented cast members, Charmed was a great TV show. In fact, it’s considered one of the best supernatural TV series to date.
