Charmed Frequently Asked Questions
A. What is Charmed?
Charmed is set in San Francisco and is centered on the Halliwell sisters who are reunited in their grandmother's Victorian home. They are very different from each other and have been known to be a tenacious threesome, but, could they be witches? Real witches? On the night of their reunion, the three Halliwell sisters are mysteriously led into the attic, where they discover The Book of Shadows. This book of witchcraft defines the role of the Charmed Ones, three of the most powerful witches who will come together to receive their powers on the night of a full moon.
With the full moon over their heads, the Halliwell sisters descend the stairs from the attic and into the world of the supernatural. If they are witches, then they need to learn about their newly acquired powers, and they need to learn fast. According to legend, warlocks and demons feast on the powers and lives of good witches. They need to face the truth to survive.
Charmed is currently broadcast in the United States on the WB (Warner Brothers) network on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. eastern standard time as part of the WBThursday lineup. The episodes are then broadcast on TNT (Turner Network Television) on the following Tuesday evenings at 10 p.m. eastern standard time.
C. Who is...?
Piper Halliwell: Holly Marie Combs
Phoebe Halliwell: Alyssa Milano
Paige Matthews (Halliwell): Rose McGowan
Inspector Daryl Morris: Dorian Gregory
Leo Wyatt: Brian Krause
Cole Turner: Julian McMahon
Prue Halliwell: Shannen Doherty
Inspector Andy Trudeau: T. W. King
Jeremy Burns: Eric Scott Woods
Roger: Matthew Ashford
Rex Buckland: Neil Roberts
Hannah Webster: Leigh-Allyn Baker
Victor Halliwell: Tony Denison
Susan Trudeau: Sherrie Rose
Matthew Tate: Billy Wirth
Melinda Warren: Tyler Layton
Claire: Christine Rose
Dan Gordon: Greg Vaughan
Jenny: Karis Paige Bryant
D. Hey, wasn't there another witch before Alyssa Milano?
Yes there was. An actress by the name of Lori Rom was originally selected to play Phoebe on the show. Word is Lori left the series for personal reasons and Alyssa was hired to round out the cast.
E. How many episodes are there?
Charmed has completed three 22 episode seasons and is currently showing it's fourth season on both the WB and TNT. Episode titles are listed, followed by the first US airdate (MM/DD/YY).
To write to an actor on Charmed, send mail to:
Actor's name
c/o Charmed
c/o WB Television Network
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank CA 91522
G. Who did that theme song...?
The theme song, entitled "How Soon Is Now?" is performed by Love Spit Love. It is currently available on "The Craft" soundtrack CD. The original version is by The Smiths and can be found on "The Wedding Singer" soundtrack CD.
Here are the complete lyrics for "How Soon Is Now?"
I am the son
And the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulger
I am the son and the heir
Of nothing in particular
You shut your mouth
How can you say
I go about things the wrong way
I am Human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
There's a club, if you like to go
You could meet somebody who really loves you
So you go, and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home, and you cry
And you want to die
When you say it's gonna happen "now"
Well, when exactly do you mean?
See I've already waited too long
And all my hope is gone
H. Is there any Charmed merchandise?
You can get Charmed Merchandise from Power Star. Click on the Banner and it will take you to their website.
There is also a series of books being released by Pocket Pulse. Titles and release dates are listed below:
I. I can't understand all this witch lingo! What does it all mean?
Atheme: A double-edged steel dagger that witches use in performing ceremonial magick. Witches use it to direct magical energy during spell-casting.
Book of Shadows: A relatively new term for a collection of information in book form. Sort of a witch's how-to guide and much akin to a magical cookbook. Another name for this text is "grimoire."
Charm: Either an amulet or talisman that has been charged by saying an incantation over it and instilling it with energy for a specific task.
Coven: A group of witches who work together in an organized fashion for positive magical endeavors or to perform religious ceremonies. The covenstead is the meeting place of the witches, often a fixed building or place where a witch can feel safe and at home.
Familiar: An animal who has a spiritual bond with a witch; often it's the family pet. Familiars can also be entities created to protect your home from attacks from the astral plane.
Pentacle: A five-pointed, upright star is considered a pentacle. Worn as a symbol of a witch's belief and used in magical ceremonies. Each point on the star has a specific meaning: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. A pentagram with a circle around it is known as a pentacle and symbolizes a passive spiritual containment keeping in tune with the traditional secrecy of witchcraft. Without a surrounding circle it symbolizes a prepared awareness. An inverted pentagram often denotes a dark aspect or force and can be considered a negative sign.
Spirit Board: A spirit board is a flat board with letters, numbers and the words "yes" and "no" etched on the surface. When called on, spirits guide the pointer on the board to spell or select answers to questions. It is also known as a Ouija Board from the "yes, which translates as "Oui" in French and "Ja" in German thus spelling out "OuiJa".
Warlock: According to the Book of Shadows on "Charmed," these are former witches who failed to follow the "Wiccan Rede" (the witches moral code) and now hunt and kill witches to steal their powers.
Wicca: Alternative name for modern witchcraft. The practice and beliefs of Wicca date back to ancient times and formed the roots of the term 'witch' in Old English. It is a positive, Earth-oriented, nature religion with ancient roots that are pre-Christian. It gloriously celebrates the life force, encourages spiritual growth, and includes seasonal rites to attune oneself to the beauty, magick and love of Mother Nature and Goddess Earth.
Wiccan Rede: A moral code for all witches which boils down to one commandment: "An ye harm none, do what ye will." The basic idea is that as long as witches do not harm anyone with their potions and spells, they are free to do as they like.
Witch: A person, male or female, who follows the ways of
Wicca. A witch is not evil, yet if a witch uses her powers for evil it will rebound on him/her threefold.
J. Which sister has what power?
Prue has the power to move objects with her mind. This is also known as Telekinesis or Psychokinesis. She has also manifested the power of Astral Projection.
Piper has the power to stop time momentarily. This ability does not work against good witches. This power is known as Time Freeze.
Phoebe has the power to foresee the future. This power is known as Precognition. She has also manifested the ability to levitate.
K. What was the inscription on the back of the spirit board?
To my three beautiful girls
May this give you the light to find the Shadows
The power of three will set you free
Love Mom
L. What was the spell that activated the sisters powers?
Here now the words of the witches,
the secrets we hid in the night.
The oldest of gods are invoked here,
great works of magic is sought.
In this night and in this hour,
I call upon the ancient power.
Bring your power to we sisters three,
we want the power,
give us the power.
II. Fandom
A. I want to discuss the show! Where do I go?
There are a number of general discussion lists for Charmed.
To join the CharmedWB Club and CharmedTalk mailing list, visit
http://www.angelfire.com/il/CharmedWB/join.html or at http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/CharmedTalk. For more information, contact Phoebe at BblackRose@aol.com.
To join The Charmed Ones mailing list, visit
http://members.aol.com/rexfelis3/ or visit http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/CharmedOnes and enter the user center to subscribe to this or another Charmed list. For more information, contact Rex at charmedtv@juno.com.
To join the Charmed Fans mailing list, visit http://members.tripod.com/~CH4Life/Charmed.html or visit http://www.eGroups.com/lists/charmedfans to sign up. For more information, contact Chad Herron at chad4h@rocketmail.com.
B. I want to talk with other fans. What should I do?
Rex's Charmed Obsessed Fan Coven site includes a Threaded Posting Board and a Chat Room.
C. Where can I find Charmed fanfic?
Please note that Charmed fanfiction is not sanctioned by the producers of Charmed. There are two Charmed fanfiction lists. The first is aligned with the CharmedWB club and can be subscribed to at http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/charmedfic. For more information e-mail Phoebe at BblackRose@aol.com. The second is available at http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Charmed-Fan-Fiction. For more information e-mail marcos1@webtv.net.
As yet, there seems to be no central archive for Charmed fanfiction, but you can find some Charmed fanfiction at http://www.angelfire.com/il/CharmedWB/fanfic.html.
D. Where can I find Charmed web sites?
There are quite a few Charmed web pages coming into existence and more being created everyday it seems. A listing can be found on the links page of this site. Visit the WB's Official WebSite at http://www.thewb.com/.
E. What do those acronyms mean?
Charmed fans, and the mailing lists in particular, use a number of acronyms as shorthand when discussing the show. In addition to typical internet acronyms (IMO=In My Opinion, BTW=By The Way, etc.), you might see:
AM: Alyssa Milano, who plays Phoebe
BAC: Buckland Auction House, where Prue works
DB: Dorian Gregory, who plays Morris
EINTKILFWC: Everything I Needed To Know I Learned From Watching Charmed
HMC: Holly Marie Combs, who plays Piper
ROTFL: Rolling on the Floor Laughing
SD: Shannen Doherty, who plays Prue
TBS: The Book of Shadows
TWK: T. W. King, who played Andy
WB: Warner Brothers
YKYACFW...: You Know You're a Charmed Fan When...
YKYBWTMCW...: You Know You've Been Watching Too Much Charmed When...
Write, write, and write some more! Real pen and paper letters mean more to networks than email, so buy stamps now. Most importantly, tell the network and sponsors *why* you enjoy Charmed and thank them politely for supporting it. Here are a few addresses to get you started:
WB Television Network
4000 Warner Blvd
Burbank CA 91522
Jamie Kellner, CEO
WB Television Network
3903 W Olive Ave
Burbank CA 91522
G. I want to be an extra on the show!
Don't we all. However, in order to appear on the show, study acting for a number of years, audition for many bit parts, maybe win an Emmy or a Peabody...Just kidding. Most of the extras are hired from agencies. Posting to the board, on newsgroups, or to the mailing lists will not help, alas.
III. The Charmedverse
In the Charmedverse a person can be born a witch and have the powers activated or the powers can be granted as a boon from an extradimensional creature. This is specific to Charmed. We haven't seen whether a person can simply study hard enough to gain power and become a witch.
Andy Trudeau is with the San Francisco Police Department and is a Homicide Inspector. He and Prue once were an item until he left San Francisco for Seattle. He recently returned and bumped into Prue. They slept together on their first date and Prue regreted it. Andy has been trying to date her since, but several kinks have developed in their relationship. Prue discovered that Andy had been married, she breaks many of the dates they make on the flimsiest excuses and after casting a spell to discover how Andy would take learning the truth about her and her sisters she learned he would not take it well. Andy recently learned that the sisters are witches and have powers. He was killed in the last episode of season one.
D. What's with his partner, Darryl?
Morris is a skeptic thru and thru. Even after witnessing some strange events this year, he refuses to believe in anything out of the ordinary. He always questioned Andy's outlandish theories about witchcraft and the occult. Since Andy's death, he has gone to Prue for help on his more outlandish cases. Morris has finally learned the Halliwell secret and sometimes comes to them for aid any of his cases that pertain to the supernatural.
E. Doesn't anybody in San Francisco notice the weirdness?
It seems that every weird occurance in San Francisco can be explained away with ease. Although some of the residents know better and others question the official explanations. Apparently, nothing too weird has occured that can't be explained away.
F. Tell me more!
The show is produced by Spelling Television.
Creator and Executive Consultant: Constance M. Burge
Executive Producers: Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent
Special effects are done by Encore Video
Music by: Tim Truman
Costume design by: Molly Harris-Campbell
Casting by: Victoria Huff, C.S.A.
Warren Manor's (the Halliwell house) address in the Charmedverse is 1329 Prescott St., San Francisco, CA
IV. The Actors
"Phoebe Halliwell": Alyssa Milano
Born December 19, 1972 in Brooklyn, NY, Alyssa made her professional debut at age 8 in a touring company of "Annie." In 1984, she began an 8 year run as Samantha Micelli on "Who's the Boss?" During the early 90's she released 5 albums of music that did well in Asia. She married Cinjun August Tate on New Year's Day 1999 but divorced him within a year.
She joined the cast of "Melrose Place" in 1997 and returned for the 1998 season. Her TV credits include "To Brave Alaska," "The Surrogate" and "Casualty Of Love (The Amy Fisher Story)." She has appeared in the feature films "Double Dragon," "Fear" and "Hugo Pool."
"Piper Halliwell-Wyatt": Holly Marie Combs
Born December 3, 1973 in San Diego, CA, Holly moved to New York City at age 8 and studied acting at the Professional Children's School. Her big break came when she was cast as Kimberly Brock in "Picket Fences." She has also appeared in the TV movies "A Perfect Stranger," "Sins of Silence" and "Love's Deadly Triangle: The Texas Cadet Murder."
Her feature films include Oliver Stone's "Born on the Fourth of July" and Hal Hartley's "Simple Men."
"Paige Maxwell": Rose McGowan
"Inspector Morris": Dorian Gregory
Gregory previously appeared on "Baywatch Nights." He has had recurring roles on both "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" and has guested on primetime network series including "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper," "Living Single," and "Pacific Station." In addition, he has guest starred in movies of the week including "The Barefoot Executive," "Favorite Son" and "Lady Killers."
Gregory was featured in the Hollywood Pictures box-office smash "Honey I Blew Up the Kids" and in the motion picture "A Year to Remember."
"Leo Wyatt": Brian Krause
Born February 01, 1969 in El Toro, CA, Brian had recurring on "Another World" but is best known for the performing in the motion pictures "Return to the Blue Lagoon" and "Stephen King's Sleepwalkers."
Creator and Executive Consultant: Constance M. Bruge
Former co-executive producer and supervising producer of the Spelling Television nighttime soap "Savannah" which aired from 1996-1997 on the WB Network. Was also Executive Producer for the first two seasons of Charmed.
V. FAQ Credits
The FAQ and its maintainer have no official connection with the producers of Charmed. Errors contained herein are mine, and information is subject to change.
The FAQ may be found online at http://www.geocities.com/x-lander/charmfaq.html
The Charmed FAQ is maintained by X-Lander (mark.safransky@verizon.net}.
Last updated 15 Decemberont>
Please send suggestions, additions, corrections to X-Lander. You will be given credit for anything you come up with.
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