How the cast of 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' would tackle goofy plots from 'Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'
Netflix’s buzzy new supernatural series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina introduces that vintage teenage witch Sabrina Spellman (now played by Mad Men star Kiernan Shipka) to a new generation. But there are likely to be plenty of viewers who remember Sabrina from her other incarnations as a popular citizen in the world of Archie comics, as well as the star of the long-running and much-loved 1990s sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. That version starred Melissa Joan Hart as the central witch-in-training, while the dynamic comic duo of Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick played her aunts Hilda and Zelda, respectively. (Lucy Davis and Miranda Otto portray those roles in the new show.)
As the title suggests, Chilling Adventures puts a seriously supernatural spin on Sabrina’s youthful exploits. Hart’s show, on the other hand, is filled with the kinds of goofy gags and silly spells you’d expect from a comedy that began its life as part of ABC’s beloved “TGIF” lineup of family-friendly Friday-night sitcoms. So naturally, Yahoo Entertainment wondered how the new trio — Sabrina, Hilda, and Zelda — would handle some of the crazy stuff their predecessors dealt with. (Watch the video above.)
What kind of crazy stuff? Well, for starters, there was that time that Hilda and Zelda created the perfect boyfriend (played by none other than Beverly Hills, 90210 star Brian Austin Green) for Sabrina out of … wait for it … “Man-Dough.” “He’d probably turn into a demon,” Otto jokes of how the Chilling Adventures version of that story might go.
And what about the Season 2 Christmas episode, where Hart’s Sabrina accidentally injures Santa Claus (played by everyone’s favorite Cheers barfly, John Ratzenberger) and winds up having to deliver gifts in his place? “I think Sabrina would try to assume the role and do the best that she possibly could,” Shipka says optimistically. And while her efforts would be met with disapproval from the Christmas-hating Zelda, Davis makes it clear that Hilda would happily serve as Mrs. Claus to Sabrina’s Santa. “Hilda would be on for it — it would be lovely,” the actress says, laughing.
But the classic Sabrina storyline that Shipka would most like to see become a chilling adventure is the one where the teenage witch uses her powers to win a Karate Kid-esque kung fu competition, only to feel as guilty as Bobby did when he delivered an illegal kick to Daniel’s knee in the All-Valley championship. Only this Sabrina wouldn’t need any magic to take home the trophy. “I, Kiernan, as a black belt, would love to do such a thing,” Shipka says. “Zelda would be the cheering parent in the back going, ‘Yeah! Hit it!’” We’re guessing Zelda would also advise Sabrina to always sweep the leg.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is streaming now on Netflix. Sabrina the Teenage Witch is streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu.
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