Harry Potter is a pop culture phenomenon that has had a significant impact on the childhoods of many millennials and early Gen Z individuals. The story of a simple boy living under the stairs who becomes a powerful wizard destined to save the wizarding world has made our childhood magical. Recently, HBO Max announced a Harry Potter reboot series with new actors and actresses, claiming to portray a more book-accurate version for TV. However, the announcement received backlash on Twitter, as fans were hesitant to see any changes to the beloved original movie franchise.
Witches in TV history before Harry Potter
However, Harry Potter wasn’t the first popular depiction of witches in pop culture. The famous and iconic witch Samantha from the family sitcom “Bewitched” (1964-1972) paved the way for Harry Potter’s success. Witches have traditionally been perceived in a negative light, portrayed as evil and antagonistic in most historical literary stories. But “Bewitched” was the first TV show to depict witches in a more humane light, with Samantha being a relatable household wife who also happened to have witch powers. The show brought happiness to the general public and was so popular that it lasted for eight seasons on television. Its family-friendly nature made it accessible to all ages and helped to shift the public’s perception of witches from evil to relatable characters.
Despite the eventual low ratings by the end of the show, “Bewitched” was groundbreaking in its portrayal of witches. The show received some criticism for supposedly encouraging witchcraft and sorcery, especially from conservative groups. However, the public was beginning to be more accepting of witches being protagonists. Even with this turning tide, Harry Potter still received criticism for being a witchcraft story. The book series has been banned multiple times in different parts of the world for its supposed “satanic” and “witchcraft” themes.
“Bewitched” sparked a flame for the witch-hero narrative, inspiring the creation of several other shows where witches were portrayed as protagonists, such as “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (1996), “Charmed” (1998), “The Worst Witch” (1998), and more. Thanks to “Bewitched,” witches are no longer solely depicted as antagonists and evil beings, but as relatable and heroic characters who can inspire and enchant audiences of all ages.
