Thirty years ago today, the supernatural sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch first appeared on American television, launching a seven-season run that became a staple of 1990s family viewing. The series debuted on September 27, 1996, as part of ABC’s TGIF Friday-night lineup and immediately drew a large audience, with more than 17 million viewers tuning in for the premiere episode.
You can find Sabrina the Teenage Witch on DVD on Amazon HERE.
The show followed Sabrina Spellman, a teenager who learns on her sixteenth birthday that she is a witch. Living in the fictional town of Westbridge, Massachusetts, she struggles to balance high-school life with newly discovered magical powers that frequently produce chaotic results. Guidance comes from her two centuries-old aunts, Hilda and Zelda Spellman, and from Salem, a talking black cat serving a sentence as a feline after a failed attempt to take over the world.
Melissa Joan Hart starred as Sabrina throughout the entire series. Caroline Rhea portrayed the more impulsive aunt Hilda, while Beth Broderick played the scholarly Zelda. Nate Richert appeared as Sabrina’s longtime love interest Harvey Kinkle, and Nick Bakay provided the voice of Salem. The program was created by Nell Scovell and developed by Jonathan Schmock, drawing on the Archie Comics character first introduced in 1962 by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo.
A television movie starring Hart had aired
A television movie starring Hart had aired on Showtime on April 7, 1996, serving as an unofficial pilot. After that film’s success, ABC ordered the weekly series. Hart’s mother, Paula Hart, served as an executive producer through her company Hartbreak Films, which partnered with, and special-effects-driven magic, distinguishing itself from darker supernatural dramas of the era
Sabrina the Teenage Witch ran for 163 episodes across seven seasons. The first four seasons aired on ABC from 1996 to 2000. After ABC canceled the show, The WB picked it up for three additional seasons that concluded on April 24, 2003. Two further television movies, Sabrina Goes to Rome and Sabrina Down Under, expanded the story during the original network run.
The series helped popularize the blend of everyday teenage problems and whimsical witchcraft. Its family-friendly tone and memorable supporting characters, especially the sarcastic Salem, contributed to its longevity and later availability on streaming platforms. Three decades after its premiere, the program remains a recognizable piece of 1990s television history, remembered for turning a comic-book teenager into a weekly presence in living rooms across the country.
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