Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Throwback to the 90’s

Welcome back CAOS fans to a trip back in time to none other than the 90’s. A decade that most millennials will remember fondly and especially the dial up internet, boy bands after boy bands, butterfly clips and our bold tie dye prints.

It was not only a time for technological advances, awesome music, but a time that brought some of our greatest and most beloved tv shows and sitcoms to screen for the first time. Shows like Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Dawson's Creek and of course Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

1996-2003

Sabrina the Teenage Witch aired between 1996-2003 and spanned over 7 seasons. The first episode was Sabrina turning 16 years old and discovering only then that she was a witch, which of course is quite different from the CAOS series where Sabrina already knew she was a witch from the start.

As Sabrina the Teenage Witch progresses through its seven seasons, we see Sabrina overcome many relatable events that all teenagers and young adults encounter in their lives. Heartbreak, peer pressure, dealing with the ‘popular kids’ and trying to find out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. We see her break rules, test the boundaries, make many mistakes and finally accept every part of her being and who she is.

The Cast of Sabrina the Teenage Witch

In Sabrina the teenage Witch, Sabrina was played by Melissa Joan Hart who is now 47 years old… Feeling old yet?

Melissa was quite an icon for teenage girls back in the day and appeared in many other shows and sitcoms such as Clarissa Explains it All. However in CAOS the part of Sabrina is played by Kiernan Shipka who was only born at the very end of the 90’s which would have put us in around Season 4 of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

In CAOS we remember the part of the Sassy Zelda played by Miranda Otto but in Sabrina the Teenage witch the part was played by Beth Broderick and she even made a guest appearance in CAOS.

That was not the only throwback in CAOS as her sister Hilda played by Caroline Rhea also made a guest appearance alongside Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch vs Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Although both shows feature a teenage witch there are many differences between the two and the biggest one of all being CAOS has a much darker vibe to it whereas Sabrina the Teenage Witch was aired during daytime hours with a much more humorous feel good vibe and was suitable for all ages to watch.

However both did have some similarities throughout both shows and even some of the cast from Sabrina the Teenage Witch like Zelda and Hilda and even Salem made an appearance in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Each show is great in its own way so let’s start with how both are similar.

Similarities

1. A Teenage Witch- Sabrina was a teenager around 16 years old
2. Half-Witch- Sabrina is half mortal
3. Salem the Cat- In both shows, Salem is portrayed as a black cat
4. Zelda and Hilda- Sabrina’s awesome aunties appear in both versions
5. Harvey Kinkle- The boyfriend is the same to begin with
6. Witchcraft- Of course witchcraft appears in Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Differences

1. Salem the Cat- In Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Salem is a warlock who is sentenced to spend life as a cat, whereas in CAOS we know that Salem is actually Sabrina’s familiar, which is in fact a goblin creature that takes the form of a cat. That’s not all, Salem can talk in Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
2. Church of Night, Dark Baptism- The Dark Baptism is a huge thing in CAOS as is the Church of night but these did not have any part in the 90’s show
3. Lucifer- He is not really mentioned in Sabrina the Teenage Witch but has a huge part to play in CAOS and we later find out he is Sabrina’s father.
4. Ambrose- Sabrina’s amazing cousin does not appear in Sabrina the Teenage Witch but is one of the main characters in CAOS.
5. Academy of Unseen Arts- We all know how important the academy was in CAOS but it again is not mentioned. Lilith- The mother of demons and just demons in general have no part to play in Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
6. Sabrina’s not so happy ending- Needless to say I won’t be delving into this too much to avoid spoilers, but the two shows have vastly different endings.

These are just a few of the differences between the two awesome shows, there are so many more but obviously I don’t want to spoil everything for you or give away too many secrets.

No matter how different the two are, they both have certainly made an impact on us in their own ways. Sabrina the Teenage Witch will always be remembered fondly by the kids that grew up with it and us trying to make sense of a new and ever changing world. CAOS will be remembered for its jaw dropping moments and the I didn’t see that coming, edge of your seat feeling.

What do you remember from Sabrina the Teenage Witch? What was your favourite episode? Let us know in the comments below.