Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27799 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-06-06
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Formats: Box set, Dubbed, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
• Dubbed in: French, German, Italian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 929 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Charmed: The Complete First Season recaptures a period when television's WB network was particularly keen on series about the supernatural and specially powered characters. The original home of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and future launch pad for Angel and Smallville, the WB debuted Charmed in 1998 with many of the same intriguing ironies that made those other shows click. Specifically, the greater a character's powers, the more vulnerable he or she becomes; the more superhuman, the more painfully obvious one's lonely, fragile humanity. The Halliwells, a trio of witch heroines and siblings at the center of Charmed, is a case in point. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) returns to her San Francisco family home after losing her job, and moves in with her older sisters Prue (Shannen Doherty) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs). On her first night back, Phoebe finds the Book of Shadows in the attic and recites a spell giving all three women unique powers they were always meant to have: Prue suddenly has the gift of telekinesis, Piper can make time stand still, and Phoebe can see into the future. All well and good, but along with those extraordinary abilities is a new awareness of dark forces in the world from which mortals need protection. In some cases, those forces have been plotting a long time to steal the Halliwell's magical legacy once they awakened to it--and now they will never let up.

Evil warlocks, demons, ancient curses, Grimlocks, and Wendigos (the last two are best left explained by their respective episodes), however, are only half the battle on this sexy dramedy, in which more ordinary matters of emotional and real-world survival also preoccupy the Halliwells. An important ally, Inspector Andy Trudeau (Ted King), is Prue's ex-lover, a delicate detail that mixes pain with duty as the couple rekindles their troubled relationship while solving otherworldly crimes. In "Dead Man Dating," Piper falls for the ghost of a murdered man who needs help, and later competes with Phoebe for the attention of a handyman, Leo (Brian Krause). Jobs and money are always an issue, too. At one time or another, Phoebe works as a psychic, Piper as a caterer, and Prue finds a job at an auction house. As with Buffy, the engine of Charmed is the seamless, sometimes-comic, sometimes-tender way in which all these dynamics in the magic and non-magic worlds blend together, presenting young adult challenges that are both unique and somehow terribly familiar. It is particularly fun to watch this series grow, deepen, and experiment during its first year. The season's true highlight is probably "That 70s Episode," in which the Halliwells go back in time to meet their younger selves. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

Synopsis
Debuting in 1998, the Aaron Spelling-produced television series CHARMED follows the adventures of three modern-day witches juggling their supernatural abilities with the demands of everyday life. The Halliwell sisters (originally played by Alyssa Milano, Shannon Doherty, and Hollie Marie Combs) use their magical powers to protect innocent people from evil demons, who, in turn, attempt to steal the sisters' powers for their own purposes. In order to shield the world from darkness, Piper, Phoebe, and Prudence must protect their own powers from the lords of the underworld, and also rise above the childish bickering of sisterhood to work together as a team. This collection features all 22 episodes of the show's debut season.

From the Back Cover
All 22 episodes from the 98-99 season - 1. Something Wicca This Way Comes 2. I've Got You Under My Skin 3. Thank You For Not Morphing 4. Dead Man Dating 5. Dream Sorcerer 6. Wedding From Hell 7. The Fourth Sister 8. The Truth is Out There... and It Hurts 9. The Witch Is Back 10. Wicca Envy 11. Feats of Clay 12. The Wendigo 13. From Fear To Eternity 14. Secrets and Guys 15. Is There a Woogy in the House 16. Which Prue Is It, Anyway 17. That '70s Episode 18. When Bad Warlocks Go Good 19. Blind Sided 20. The Power of Two 21. Love Hurts 22. Deja Vu All Over Again

Customer Reviews

My 12 year old daughters favourite viewing at the moment - and a good season
My daughter (12) has fallen under the spell of the Charmed Ones and now has every season on DVD including 8 - it's probably all that girl power that attracts her and she was a dedicated old/new Worst Witch fan - although my son (10) happily watches Charmed with her (perhaps he secretly routes for the demons). Some of her Charmed seasons were recorded from Living TV re-runs on Sky but others were purchased from Amazon (we get the far cheaper NTSC region 1 offerings from Amazon resellers). Naturally the episodes are far nicer without 20 minutes of adverts. We missed the series first time around - so it's great to get all the episodes in one go. To find out more about the charmed ones than most people want to know, see thecharmedones.com - its handy as TV episodes never have the name of the episode in the credits, unlike the DVD set menus.

I have watched a lot of Charmed episodes with her and I have to say that I slightly preferred the later seasons, e.g. season 7 with the rise of Avatars and their attempts to create heaven on Earth. However this season is really good as a starting point (naturally) and has the attraction of older sister Prue joining Piper and Phoebe, as they discover the Book of Shadows and become the 'power of three' (just in time as it happens). Ok over all 8 seasons a few stories repeat a bit (there must be around 160+ episodes) and some of the acting is a bit on the `Victoria Principal' level with girly pouts and eye rolling, but it is all great classy fun. In many ways the series has a non-violent feel with little blood and gore despite the high body count (although there is the mystery of how does a flaming vaporising demon fail to leave a scorch mark on the sofa). I'd ignore the 15 rating, they are more like a 12 max - our kid's PG rated 'Clubhouse detectives' film is far far scarier.

If your daughter (10+) hasn't seen any of Charmed before, I'd recommend it. Tell her it's just like `Buffy the Vampire Slayer' but with no Buffy and no vampires. Highly recommended for female offspring (and young males in touch with their orbing side). Also try them with classic 60's sitcom 'Bewitched' (seasons 1-5 with Dick York only) which is quite sympathetic with Charmed and a hit in our household. For under 10's there is the classic 'Worst Witch' series on DVD.

Charmed
Days off will never be the same. Hours and hours of Charmed without a commercial break - YIPPEE! It's here AT LAST after 7 long years. Buy it NOW! Fantastic for young or old (my daughter & I are hooked). Bring on Series 2 - 7!

Charmed-A Wicca'd Beginning
Containing all of the original episodes, Charmed Season 1 is going to be a must have for any fan. It follows the story of the 3 witch sisters; Prue, Piper and Phoebe, as they learn of their powers and defeat various demons. It shows the 3 witches at their best, with subtitles and other features. The only way to complete a Charmed collection is to own the very first Season of the best programme to hit TV!