DONTWORRYBEHAPPY

Charmed is an American television series that ran for eight seasons on the now defunct WB. It was produced by Aaron Spelling and is about three sisters who are the world's most powerful good witches, known throughout the supernatural community as "The Charmed Ones" but known to everyone else as the Halliwells. Each sister possesses unique magical powers that grow and evolve over the course of their lives. The Charmed Ones live together in a house they call the manor and use their supernatural abilities to battle the warlocks, demons and other evil forces that populate San Francisco, California.

The show was a member of the generation of supernatural-themed shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Roswell. It is also noted for its mixture of multiple genres (from horror and fantasy to comedy and even soap), as well as continuing after a number of archetypal jump the shark moments, most famously the departure of one of the leading actresses at the end of season three. It also had the highest rated debut for the WB Television Network (until the debut of Smallville at 8.40 million), with 7.70 million viewers tuning in for the series premiere, "Something Wicca This Way Comes".

On January 15, 2006, with the airing of "Payback's a Witch", Charmed became the longest running show with all-female leads, surpassing Laverne & Shirley. The series ended its run on May 21, 2006 in the US. The Charmed series finale, "Forever Charmed", pulled in a season high of 4.49 million viewers.

The theme song for Charmed, "How Soon Is Now?", is a cover version performed by Love Spit Love. The same version was previously used in the film The Craft. The original version was written and recorded by The Smiths.

The story of Charmed begins with the three Halliwell sisters — Prudence, Piper and Phoebe — coming together six months after the death of their grandmother. Moving back into the family Manor in San Francisco, the youngest sister, Phoebe, discovers an old book — the Book of Shadows — in the attic. Reading an incantation from it, she unwittingly sets in motion events that fulfill an ancient prophecy. Strange and harrowing occurrences begin which eventually lead the sisters to realize that they are witches.

They discover that they not only possess supernatural powers, but also come from a long line of powerful witches. The first in the line, Melinda Warren, possessed three powers: the power to move things with her mind, to freeze time, and to see into the future. Melinda was burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials. However, before she died, Melinda prophesied that each coming generation of Warren (later Halliwell) witches would grow stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of three sisters -- the strongest good witches the world had ever seen; the three sisters would form The Power of Three, the most powerful magical force ever.

Prue Halliwell, the oldest sister, develops the power of telekinesis and can move things with her mind. Her telekinesis is triggered by anger, and is first channeled through her eyes. But she can soon channel her telekinesis through her hands, like her ancestor Brianna and her Grams (she first does this in season one's episode, "Out of Sight"). She later gains the power of astral projection, where she can make a "copy" of herself appear wherever she desires by projecting her consciousness, while her physical body is left standing there unconscious. Her power of astral projection develops (in season two's episode, "Ms. Hellfire") from her power of telekinesis, when she feels an overwhelming need to be in two places at once. In the season three episode, "Primrose Empath", one of the last times she is shown using her astral projection power, she is able to project her "clone", while her physical body stays conscious.

Piper, the middle child, receives the power to freeze objects (Molecular Immobilization) and stop time (Temporal Stasis or Time Freeze). At first, Piper's control of her powers is weak. Her range is not very far, and she cannot keep people or objects frozen for very long. As her powers grow, she is able to expand her range. She can freeze entire rooms, or direct her freezing powers only at certain objects or people without freezing everyone and everything. She can later also keep demons or people frozen while unfreezing only certain body parts, such as demon heads, which comes in handy when she questions them. (She first uses this power in season three's episode, "Sleuthing with the Enemy".) Piper can also keep people frozen for very long periods of time without her having to be in the room to "hold the freeze". It is later revealed that her power to freeze works at a molecular level, such that she is able to slow molecules down to the point where the object she is directing her powers at is frozen. This power later evolves so that instead of slowing molecules down to freeze them, she is able to speed molecules up, causing objects (and demons) to explode; this power is called Molecular Combustion. Her freezing power is triggered by fear, panic, and surprise, while her explosion power (before she gains full control of it) is triggered by anger.

Phoebe, the youngest sister, receives the power of premonition, which allows her to see future events. Her power is triggered through touching people or objects (or, if the psychic residue of an area is strong enough, simply being in the room). While her premonitions are intially passive, she eventually gains control to the point that the power is considered an active one. Over time, her power of premonition evolves in several ways. She begins having visions of past events in season one's episode, "The Witch Is Back", making her the first of the sisters whose powers advance. Her powers of premonition later grow stronger, so that she is able to feel the emotions in her premonition; for example, she feels her mother drowning when she receives a vision of the past in season two's episode, "P3 H2O". This ability to feel the emotions within her premonitions may serve as a foretelling of her soon-to-come empathic powers. In season five's episode, "The Eyes Have It", after not having had any premonitions in months due to overwork and overstress, she seeks the help of Gypsies to unblock her powers. She gets a "super premonition", in which she astral projects into the future within her premonition; her ability to feel what happens grows so that when she is hurt in her vision, her present self is also physically harmed. Though this type of premonition occurs very rarely, she is also able to astral project into the future and converse with her future self. Phoebe also has the power to share premonitions with others who have the gift of foresight. Phoebe eventually obtains the active power to levitate, which is useful in combination with her martial arts skills. Her power of levitation is first seen in season three's premiere episode, "The Honeymoon's Over". Her empathic powers, which develop in season six, allow her to read others' emotions and affect the supernatural powers of other beings (whose powers are tied to their emotions). She can channel the powers and reflect the attacks of demons and other magical beings, such as the Valkyries seen in "Valhalley of the Dolls (Part 2)".

After the tragic and unexpected death of Prue, Piper and Phoebe learn that they have a younger half-sister named Paige, born to their mother Patty and Sam, her Whitelighter, a sort of guardian angel for witches. As this type of relationship was forbidden and unheard of at the time, Patty and Sam gave the baby to Sister Agnes, a nun, and the Matthews family later adopted her. Her birth parents requested only that her first name begin with 'P', to continue the tradition. From her Whitelighter father, Paige inherits the power to "orb". At first, Paige can only orb out momentarily and reappear in the same spot; this is triggered by fear and surprise. She quickly develops the power to orb wherever she wants. According to the prophecy of the three Charmed Ones with three distinct powers, the third sister has the power of telekinesis. Being half witch and half whitelighter affects the powers Paige inherits from Patty: instead of telekinesis like Prue's, Paige is able to move an object by calling for it; the object then orbs to her, or to any location she wishes. This power is called telekinetic orbing. Though this power requires the use of verbal commands, she can sometimes use it silently, such as when in a state of enhanced power. In Season 5, Paige reveals that she also has other Whitelighter powers, such as glamouring. Halfway through Season 8, Paige's Whitelighter side develops more fully when she becomes able to magically heal others and to locate charges by sensing them.

A central theme throughout the show's run is the sisters' struggle to balance their normal lives with their supernatural responsibilities. The burden of keeping their destinies a secret from the outside world repeatedly creates tensions in their friendships, workplaces, and romantic relationships. Only a few know their secret and help them on a regular basis. The most important is Leo Wyatt, a Whitelighter assigned by the Elders to guide and protect the sisters. Leo means a great deal to the sisters both professionally and personally: he heals their wounds, advises them collectively and individually, and mediates between them and the enigmatic Elders. He also becomes the love of Piper's life, her husband and the father of her children. Others who keep the Charmed Ones' secret over the years include police inspectors Andy Trudeau and Darryl Morris, tormented half-demon Cole Turner, the mysterious time-traveler Chris Perry, sisters Christy and Billie Jenkins, Paige's husband Henry Mitchell, and the many other creatures in the magical community.

      Acters

• Andy Trudeau - (Ted King) (Season 1)

Andy is the sisters' childhood friend and Prue's love interest. He serves as the sisters' initial connection to the police force once he learns of the girls' activities, as well as the first conflict between the girls' secret and normal lives. The demon Rodriguez, kills Andy while he is trying to protect the girls in the finale of season one.

• Darryl Morris – (Dorian Gregory) (Seasons 1–7)

Darryl, who is Andy's partner, takes over the role as the Halliwells' police connection after Andy's tragic death. He continues to cover up for the sisters once he learns their secret, even after the events which lead to him almost being executed through a lethal injection, until his wife later forces him to move to another state.

• Leo Wyatt – (Brian Krause) (Recurring Season 1; Seasons 2–8)

Leo is the sisters' Whitelighter in the beginning, and soon becomes romantically involved with Piper. Leo's magical promotions provide the show's portrayal of a supernatural ladder of success and struggle between career and family. His relationship with Piper is the first of many conflicts between the Halliwells and the Elders.

• Dan Gordon – (Greg Vaughan) (Season 2)

Dan moves into the house next door with his niece, Jenny, and instantly falls in love with Piper. They temporarily date, but Dan can not take the place of Piper's first love, Leo. He later moves away, at the end of season two.

• Jenny Gordon – (Karis Paige Bryant) (Season 2)

Jenny is Dan's niece. She was written off suddenly.

• Cole Turner – (Julian McMahon) (Seasons 3–5, cameo in 7)

Cole is Phoebe's first husband; he is a half-demon, creating situations over which the sisters clash. He is originally a powerful villain, later taking other forms and roles throughout his character's history. After his final vanquish at the hands of the sisters, he continues to watch over Phoebe, silently and unseen.

• Chris Perry – (Drew Fuller) (Season 6, cameo in 5, 7 and 8)

Piper and Leo's unborn son, Chris Halliwell, commonly known as Chris Perry for the year and a half of his time with the sisters, came from the future to help defeat the Titans and save young Wyatt from turning evil. His adult form dies at the hands of Gideon just before he is born. He later reappears twice, once in Someone to Witch Over Me and again in the series finale.

• Billie Jenkins – (Kaley Cuoco) (Season 8)

Billie is Paige's charge. While at first over-confident in her abilities, she eventually becomes a student of the sisters, helping them to maintain their normal lives. After being swayed by her sister to betray the Halliwells, she eventually sides with them in the series finale.

• Penelope "Penny" Halliwell (Grams) – (Jennifer Rhodes)
• Patricia "Patty" Halliwell (Mom) – (Finola Hughes – Seasons 1–5, 7 & 8)
• Victor Bennett – (Tony Denison – Season 1) (James Read – Seasons 3-8)
• Samuel Wilder – (Scott Jaeck – Seasons 2, 5 & 8)
• Little Wyatt Matthew Halliwell – (Jason & Kristopher Simmons – Seasons 6–8; only officially credited in one Season 7 episode and halfway through Season 8)
• Older Wyatt Matthew Halliwell – (Wes Ramsey – Seasons 6–8)
• Little Chris Halliwell (Seasons 7 & 8)
• Sheila Morris – (Sandra Prosper – Seasons 5–7)
• Elise Rothman – (Rebecca Balding – Seasons 4–8)
• Christy Jenkins - (Marnette Patterson – Season 8)