Because even the CW, a channel barely over 10 years old, has decided to start mining its past for content.
Image: Charmed, WB
According to Variety, the new version of Charmed comes from Jane the Virgin creator Jennie Urman, who is writing and executive producing with Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin (also from Jane the Virgin). The CW has only committed to ordering a script at this point, nothing more. But if it does go forward, Brad Silberling (Reign) will be another executive producer and director.
The details are scant; all we know is that it’s a “re-imagining” set in 1976. I’m wondering if “re-imagining” means that witches Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige (Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowen in the original show) are being moved from the present to the past, or if this show is a prequel following the relatives of those sisters.
If it’s a prequel, that would probably mean the mother and grandmother of the sisters, whose lives were pretty thoroughly mined for drama by the time Charmed limped to an end in season eight. I’d place my money on three different sisters discovering magic, but set in 1976.
Magic and sisterhood is a fair bet for 2017 CW, and I’m interested to see what these three women make of it. Jane the Virgin is by turns dramatic and delightful, so we’ll see.