29 Years Ago, This Fantasy Teen Sitcom Had a Secret Weapon That Its Reboot Was Missing

It’s been nearly 23 years since Sabrina the Teenage Witch ended its seven-season run on ABC, yet it remains a beloved part of the cultural zeitgeist. The fan-favorite series cast a spell over families in the mid-1990s, so much so that it reinvented the character’s image from an Archie comics player to one undeniably linked to Melissa Joan Hart. Likewise, the entire cast from Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick to Nate Richert became icons of the decade, thanks to their perfect casting and unforgettable characters. Even when the show was rebooted with Sabrina: The Animated Series, the live-action sitcom’s influence was palpable. Netflix’s dark reimagining, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina paid tribute to its predecessor with references and even an appearance by Rhea and Brodrick in a sitcom-like Eldritch Terror. However, apart from the tribute episode at the end of the series, the show severely lacked the beloved cat Salem. While he did appear loyally by Sabrina’s side throughout the series, he didn’t have the same charm as of Nick Bakay’s take on the role, as he didn’t speak. While the argument can be made that the Netflix show was too dark to include Salem’s witty banter and guidance, the attributes brought to the sitcom and the reboot’s later, more campy nature only serve as a reminder of what the series lacked.