In light of the “Charmed” 2018 reboot now airing, let’s take a minute to remember and appreciate the wonderful 1998 original “Charmed” that was influential enough to be brought back 12 years after its last episode.

This beautifully quirky show is supernatural fiction, following the three Halliwell sisters: the charmed ones. In the pilot episode they find out they come from a long line of female witches and they’re the most powerful source of good in the world destined to defeat several demons and warlocks.

The three girls’ individual powers are different. For the first born, moving objects with her mind; for the second born, freezing things in time; and for the third, premonitions. As the series continues the girls’ powers further develop and get stronger. Their ultimate power is still the power of three, which reinforces that they are stronger together.

The three girls need to learn how to balance their work, social life, romances and Wiccan duties. This makes for some high-quality comedy and drama.

The show hit a rough patch when eldest sister was killed off for the season three finale due to creative differences between the actresses off camera. They kept the show going by introducing a long-lost half-sister in season four.

The four actresses were Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty and Rose McGowan, all of whom are amazing and respected actresses and are now very involved in female activism.

This cult classic spawned millions of dedicated fans and kept them hooked for eight seasons. All seasons were in the top 10 ranked series on the WB network with the first three seasons ranking number two.

In 2000, “Charmed” placed at number 44 on the list of the “Top 100 Cult TV Shows” by Cult TV. In 2010, HuffPost TV and AOL TV ranked “Charmed” at number ten on their joint list of “The Top 20 Magic/Supernatural Shows of All Time” and in 2013, TV Guide placed the series on its list of “The 60 Greatest Sci-Fi Shows of All Time.”

“Charmed” was the first primetime television show about coven witches and in 2006 was recognised as the longest running television show with all-female leads. This show was very feministic and gave young women strong positive role models with leadership and problem-solving skills.

I remember growing up watching the show with my mother and hoping to be just like them. I watched again recently and still felt the same joy.

There’s no denying the hokey nature of the show with its dated special effects evident throughout the whole series. This makes some of their villains seem comical now but for their time they were quite menacing.

These silly effects and costumes were a part of what made the show so great. In the later seasons they began exploring more fictional creatures including story lines with mermaids, fairies and vampires.

The show was at its best during the first three seasons with its 90s aesthetic and attention to actual elements of witchcraft. The show evolved to be less dark and more playful, introducing viewers to magic school after the eldest sister, Piper, has a baby who would become the most powerful being to have ever existed.

There were a few memorable love stories tied into the show such as Piper and Leo. Leo is the girls “white lighter” which means guardian angel. Their love story spans the whole eight seasons and is truly heartwarming. There’s also Prue’s romance with a detective Andy, who helped the girls cover up their encounters with the law. Lastly there’s Phoebe’s relationship with Cole Turner, who was an undercover demon trying to kill them. He later on in their relationship became the source of all evil, temporarily making Phoebe the queen of the underworld until the three sisters vanquish him.

The show places strong emphasis of family values. The girls are first and foremost sisters and must get along in order for them to have their powers. They also help each other get through both their grandmother’s and mother’s deaths.

The “Charmed” original is one of the most binge-worthy shows I’ve ever watched. It’s definitely not worth taking too seriously but still fun.

All eight seasons of the original “Charmed” are on Netflix, and I highly recommend watching it, especially before seeing the new reboot, which has zero members of the original cast and has changed many aspects of the original many know and love.

No matter how well this reboot does, it well never live up to the original.