Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"You'll See Her Tug Her Ear! You'll See Her Disappear!", March 18, 2008
Now you can enjoy Sabrina the Teen-age Witch, her tail-zapping red cat Salem, her witchy aunts Hilda and Zelda, her warlock-cousin Ambrose, and Head Witch Miss Della in all 31 episodes from the original FILMation animated series.
In its initial concept stage, this series was supposed to feature the teen-age versions of Samantha and Darrin from "Bewitched", but the producers were uncomfortable with Samantha dominating the airwaves on both ABC and CBS. With the success of "The Archie Show", Norm Prescott, Lou Scheimer, and Hal Sutherland turned to a lesser-known Archie Comics character who appeared in "Madhouse Comics", Sabrina. Instead of twitching her nose to trigger her magic, they had Sabrina tug her ear. Stories focused on high school situations to relate to young Saturday morning viewers, and Archie and the gang even guest-starred in some of the episodes. (Eventually, Samantha and Darrin's children, Tabitha and Adam Stephens, starred in their own cartoon on "The Saturday Superstar Movie" on ABC. The episode was called "Tabitha, Adam and the Clown Family", and it was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The animation was rushed and choppy, and it was extremely inferior compared to the Sabrina series on CBS.)
Fans old and new will enjoy seeing Sabrina's enormous bedroom and her "groovy" broom with the big flower roof! Some of the stunning special effects were used in Melissa Joan Hart's 1996 series based on the character (i.e., the magic dust and flashes of light). Even the ear tug was utilized in Hart's series. If you recall, teen-witch Dreama tugged her ear to make magic.
So what are you waiting for? This series has it all - - a cute concept, a hilarious cast of characters, clever writing, and a whole lot of FUN! "Sabrina the Teen-age Witch" is definitely a must-have for your personal DVD library!!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Practically Magic, May 23, 2008
At long last, the original animated incarnation of SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH finally makes her very auspicious DVD debut. Genius Products, in tandem with its other ARCHIES releases, brings you a 3-DVD set of the original Filmation animated series featuring all 31 episodes.
Sabrina made her first appearance in the ARCHIE'S MADHOUSE comic series and gained a fair amount of popularity, eventually spawning her own comic book. Filmation brought Sabrina to animation in the prime-time special ARCHIE AND HIS NEW PALS, and eventually spun off her own series after showcasing her as part of THE ARCHIE COMEDY HOUR. The resulting cartoons depict Sabrina as a resident of Riverdale and a student at Riverdale High, accompanied in her adventures by her boyfriend Harvey and her friends Spencer and Ophelia (who respectively serve Jughead and Betty functions to Harvey's Archie).
However, as our title says, Sabrina IS a witch, and therefore must keep her magical abilities a secret from the Riverdale denizens. Though witches are expected to hex people, the good-natured Sabrina often uses her powers in attempts to help others or solve problems, usually with disastrous results. Most of the plots revolve around Sabrina's attempts to juggle her witchly studies and her teenage life, featuring her magical cat Salem and her two aunts, the cantankerous Hilda and the kindhearted Zelda. There is also Cousin Ambrose, a sophisticated, somewhat bon-vivant warlock who is more sympathetic to Sabrina's teenhood and occasionally aids her in her adventures, serving as a mixture of the Dr. Bombay and Uncle Arthur characters from BEWITCHED. The ARCHIES crew makes regular appearances, with Reggie continuously (and unsuccessfully) trying to out Sabrina as a witch to the rest of the gang.
And of course, there are the GROOVIE GOOLIES. Yep, this set not only has all of the Sabrina episodes from her own series, but ALSO the episodes in which everyone's favorite gang of maladroit monsters made their FIRST appearances. Mixing the Goolies, the Archies and Sabrina together creates a special blend of comic chaos, and these episodes do not disappoint. As a special feature, the set includes the first episode of THE ARCHIE AND SABRINA SURPRISE PACKAGE, in which Archie, Sabrina and the gang work together to solve a mystery at Riverdale. (Will this series be a future DVD release? Only time will tell.)
The set is colorfully packaged, though not in a clear slipcase like the other ARCHIES releases, and the artwork is of the usual excellent standard. The episodes appear to be sourced from the best materials, showing clear pictures and few signs of aging. The DVD holder is a bit difficult to operate at first (the first two discs are overlapped, placing the click-tabs on the sides rather than in the middle), so examine carefully rather than tear into it.
Pick up this set if you're an ARCHIES or SABRINA fan, and pair it with the GROOVIE GOOLIES set for the right mix of supernatural Saturday-Morning silliness. You'll see her tug her ear... and you'll see your blues disappear. Count on it.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally Im reunited with my childhood friend!!! SABRINA!!!, April 29, 2008
I grew up in the 1970's running to the TV every Saturday morning to watch my favorite show...Sabrina The Teenage Witch!! I loved her magic and wished I could have that same type magic when I was a kid. I was very happy when they brought the character back in the 90's with Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina but this is the original Sabrina and none is as good or as much fun!!! I cant really add much that hasnt already been posted except its a great treat to have my old childhood pal back!! The picture color is excellent and the stories (some of which includes appearances by The Archies & Groovy Goolies) are nothing but pure fun and imagination!! Check it out!!!! If you like the 90's Melissa Joan Hart Sabrina try out the REAL Sabrina...I think you will love her!! Thank you for releasing this and making a long time dream of mine come true!!!!!!
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