from Article at http://www.continental.com/cgi/tvwi/tvcgi/FeatVariable0104
Melissa Joan Hart Is "Sabrina"
Melissa Joan Hart is "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" in ABC series
By Jay Bobbin, Tribune Media Services
Match a popular teen actress to an enduring comic-book character, and the result can be magic ... literally.
That's the case with the new series starring Melissa Joan Hart, who's well-known to young viewers from the Nickelodeon show "Clarissa Explains It All." Now, she's "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" in the new program that joins ABC's "T.G.I.F." lineup of Friday comedies this week. Inspired by the Archie Comics feature, the project first appeared as a cable movie that Showtime presented last spring; though a good amount of recasting has been done since, Hart remains as the title character, who discovers her unusual powers on her 16th birthday in the premiere episode. Unfortunately, that happens when she converts an overbearing classmate into a pineapple.
Sabrina's aunts (played by Beth Broderick, formerly of "The Five Mrs. Buchanans," and stand-up comic Caroline Rhea) and a black cat named Salem (with voice by Nick Bakay, Dennis Miller's former late-night-TV sidekick) try to advise her on using her special gifts properly, though other escapades suggest it may take her a while to harness them fully. The debut story features Robby Benson as Sabrina's father, with singer Deborah Harry and comedic magicians Penn & Teller also appearing as members of the so-called Witches' Council.
"We've looked into witchcraft, but this is more about magic," Hart says of portraying Sabrina. "I've looked at some books (on the subject), but they kind of scared me. Some of the things I read were very interesting, about how witches did spells and really flew." Hart had been signed to make her network-series debut in another show -- a CBS version of "Clarissa" -- but in her view, "They destroyed it. It was supposed to be family programming that was supposed to bring kids to CBS, but they turned it around and made it a more adult show. It wasn't really 'Clarissa.' It was like 'Ethel' or something."
Another constant presence on the "Sabrina" set will make sure that Hart can stay true to the basic concept this time: her mother Paula, who's an executive producer of the series. "We're trying to develop a show that parents will sit and watch with their children," the elder Hart explains, "and that can be enjoyed on an adult level as well as a kid level. We are definitely going for male appeal as well, and we are bringing in characters that will broaden it to (encompass) everybody."
Indeed, some may assume that "Sabrina" is targeted primarily toward female viewers, no matter what age. Melissa Joan Hart thinks her own "Clarissa" was a factor in lessening that type of audience notion, reasoning that "A lot of other shows like 'Blossom' showed really strong girls, and boys weren't afraid to watch. These weren't weak, wimpy girls; they were people, and they were 'cool'." Hart's mother adds that "48 HRS." filmmaker Walter Hill "was a huge fan of 'Clarissa,' and he invited us to his home for breakfast one day. Michael J. Fox also said that he and his son are big fans of Melissa's, so we don't see there being a gender problem."
While "Sabrina" falls squarely into ABC's family-oriented Friday block of comedies, its title star tried something decidedly more adult last spring, when she played a manipulator who engineered her parents' murders in the NBC movie "Twisted Desire." She reflects that the film "was a good way to show kind of a different side of my acting, but I really want to help family programming, and I think this show does that. I've had a couple of offers for roles that were more adult than I wanted to play, or didn't seem to fit me, but I've always had 'Sabrina' in the back of my mind."
The new series is something of a leap for co-star Broderick, who earned critical notice for her "Five Mrs. Buchanans" delivery of sassy and very mature dialogue. "There is a difference," she acknowledges, "and it was something I was looking forward to, actually. I went through (the past TV) season and looked at everything and thought, 'Been there, done that.' When I read this script, I thought, 'Oh, this is so charming.' It's light and it's fun, and I love the fact that we're using special effects. This is a whole new ball game, and I'm enjoying it."
Paula Hart claims that she is, too, especially since she's spending a great deal of time with her daughter. "It's wonderful being with her a lot," she maintains, "because when she was growing up and she was off doing other shows, we were separated. It's very nice to have this opportunity to work together, but there are times when I have to put on the executive-producer hat and say, 'Sorry, you've got to go out there and do what you've got to do.' Other times, you're there for the hug, so it's actually a nice balance." For Melissa's part, she says, "It's got its good points and its bad points, I guess ... but basically, it's great just to be on the set and look over and see Mom."
Also a correspondent for Nickelodeon during the recent political conventions, Melissa is continuing her strong link to her followers partially through a column she writes for the youth magazine Teen Beat. "A lot of the questions I get from kids are about things that Sabrina is going through in the show," she reports, "which are like, 'How do I get this boy to notice me?' I get a lot of sibling-rivalry (queries); that's a big thing. I try to answer those in the advice column, and I try to write back to the fans when I can."
Copyright 1995, 1996 Continental Cablevision. All rights reserved.
Copyright 1995, 1996 Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
Copyright 1995, 1996 Lookahead Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
Eric Last, November 8th 1996