An Introduction To Charmed

Genre: Supernatural Drama
Running time: 41-44 min.
Creator(s) Constance M. Burge
Starring: Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, Shannen Doherty, Brian Krause
Country of origin: USA
Original network/channel: The WB Television Network
Original run: October 7, 1998 – May 21, 2006
Number of episodes - 178

Locked away in the dusty attic of a grand victorian mansion lay an old, weathered book. This ancient tome would greatly alter the destiny of three sisters who were meant to discover it. They were Prue Halliwell (Shannen Doherty), the beautiful and driven oldest sister, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), the earthy, creative middle sister and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), the free spirited youngest. All of whom lived their entire lives without a clue as to who they really were. All it took was one dark night for them to discover their true identity as the ''Charmed Ones,'' the most powerful of a long line of good witches. And they accepted their destiny of being the protectors of innocents from the darker powers.Until, one day, the magic 'circle of three' was broken...when Prue was killed. The sisters had barely dealt with the shock when they discovered that they had a half-sister, Paige (Rose McGowan). Soon, the charmed circle was complete once more as the sisters joined hands with their new half-sister to wipe out evil.The Halliwell sisters' lives will continue to change and change again as they come to terms with their powers in the dark world of occult. They must learn to come together and use their powers wisely for they have only themselves to rely on.

The Halliwell sisters were always different, not just from the world around them, but also from each other. Though bound together by blood and destiny, these twenty-something women could not have been more dissimilar. Yet the discovery that the three sisters were powerful good witches, foretold as the Charmed Ones, created a bond that reached far beyond petty sisterly grudges, and they banded together to keep their otherworldly witchcraft a secret and vanquish all comers. Each sister has her own unique set of powers, which are constantly evolving. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano, Who's The Boss?, Melrose Place), who has premonitions and the ability to levitate, has a new power as an empath this season. Her newfound ability to feel what others are feeling will prove extremely useful. New mother Piper (Holly Marie Combs, Picket Fences) can freeze time and cause explosions. As the progeny of a witch and a Whitelighter, Piper's son, Wyatt, has already shown himself to be a powerful magical being, though no one knows yet what powers he possesses or how he will decide to use them. Newest to the Halliwell fold, Paige (Rose McGowan, Scream) was raised by adoptive parents and always felt that there was something different about her. In the search for her birth parents, she learned that she was abandoned at a local church as an infant, the result of a clandestine love between Phoebe and Piper's mother and a Whitelighter guardian angel. This ancestry and the unexpected death of the oldest Halliwell sister, Prue, resulted in the awakening of Paige's powers to move things with her mind and to "orb" in and out between planes. Paige's more experienced sisters help her harness the power in their battle against evil. Still, Paige has not yet come to grips with witchcraft, and took on a series of temporary jobs this season in her search to find not only a career, but her true purpose in life as well.

The Charmed Ones

The latter cast of Charmed during the eighth season.
Prudence "Prue" Halliwell (Shannen Doherty) (seasons 1 - 3)
Piper Halliwell (Holly Marie Combs)
Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano)
Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan) (seasons 4 - 8)

Reocurring Characters
Leo Wyatt (Brian Krause) (seasons 1-8)
Darryl Morris (Dorian Gregory) (seasons 1 - 7)
Penelope "Penny" Halliwell (Jennifer Rhodes)
Patricia "Patty" Halliwell (Finola Hughes)
Victor Bennet (James Read)
Andy Trudeau (Ted King) (season 1)
Dan Gordon (Greg Vaughan) (season 2)
Jenny Gordon (Karis Paige Bryant) (season 2)
Sam Wilder (Scott Jaeck) (seasons 2, 5, 8)
Cole Turner (Julian McMahon) (seasons 3 - 5, 7)
Young Wyatt Halliwell (Jason & Kristopher Simmons) (seasons 5 - 8)
Older Christopher "Chris" Perry (Drew Fuller) (seasons 5 - 7)
Older Wyatt Halliwell (Wes Ramsey) (seasons 6 - 8)
Young Christopher "Chris" Halliwell (seasons 6 - 8)
Billie Jenkins (Kaley Cuoco) (season 8)
Christy Jenkins (Marne Patterson) (season 8)