CHARMED: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON: DVD BOX SET (6 discs)

Ever Since I watched one of the episodes of Charmed, which wasn't actually the first one, but about series 3, I was hooked. I loved it. I started watching it on Living TV during the day, which were repeats. But on a Thursday night at 9pm, it was new episodes, and I was constantly getting confused because I had no idea how the sisters came about. I had the general idea about things because Id seen so many episodes, just not in the right order. For a long time I was searching for the Charmed Box Set but it wasn't available. I was gutted. Then I heard they were making a series one box set and I had to have it. My little boy's dad got it me for my birthday and I now understand exactly what's what. The price wasn't exactly right though, pretty expensive at £45. In this review I have put into detail what happened on the very first episode, and with the rest of the episodes I have summarised the best I could. The only downside to this DVD is there are no extras to watch. I'd have liked to have watched some interviews with the cast. If you haven't watched Charmed, I highly recommend you do so.

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~~~The Packaging~~~
Outer box - This has a purple background with a picture of a chandelier lighting up (see episode one), with the word 'Charmed' in the trademark text, written in white. Below that says 'The Complete First season' in capital white letters. Just about the title is the Triquetra symbol. Below that, taking up most of the cover is a picture of the sisters, Piper, Prue and Phoebe. This picture only shows the top half of their bodies.
Back outer box - Again, purple background, at the top is a picture of the sisters again, only showing their heads, below them is the title 'Charmed' accompanied by the Triquetra. Half way down is the blurb saying what the DVD is basically about, in red text and white back ground. At the bottom is a box containing the age certificate (12), running time, languages, aspect ratio etc.
Inside the outer box is the six DVD's. I was surprised at how they are packaged really. They're in a kind of book. On the front cover is yet again the purple background, with a picture of the sisters half way down, showing only their heads and shoulders.
As you turn over, there are six thick clear plastic pages, each holding one DVD. Each DVD is purple and has a different picture, as well as the title, the age certificate and a faint purple triquetra covering most of the disc.
Disc1 - Book of Shadows
Disc2 - Prue
Disc3 - Phoebe
Disc4 - Piper
Disc5 - Prue, Phoebe & Piper
Disc6 doesn't have a picture. Just a purple background with a faint purple triquetra
On the back of the book of discs is the exact same picture as the one of the front of the outer box cover, but without the title. This whole book of discs is in purple.

~~~The Discs~~~
When played, each disc starts the same. First you are asked to select a language, with yet again a purple background, with a varied selection of languages. Once selected the desired one, another purple screen is shown with a little statement about not copying discs. Next is the main menu. You can either select Audio options, Subtitles, or, Episode Selection. On the screen also is a picture of either sister, or all three sisters, depending on which disc you put in. Below is a summary of which episodes are on each disc.
Disc1 - Episodes 1 - 4
Disc2 - Episodes 5 - 8
Disc3 - Episodes 9 - 12
Disc4 - Episodes 13 - 16
Disc5 - Episodes 17 - 20
Disc6 - Episodes 21 and 22

~~~The Characters~~~
Regular characters in the show are:-
 Prue Halliwell - played by Shannen Doherty, she is the eldest sister, who concentrates on making a success of her self. She doesn't show her feelings, but when her sisters are in trouble, she's not far behind to save them from evil.
 Piper Halliwell - played by Holly Marie Combs, she is the earthy middle sister, who has a soft heart, but is always willing to be mother when needed. She is strong headed and keeps the other two girls sane, but when it comes to love, she is easily heartbroken.
 Phoebe Halliwell - played by Alyssa Milano, she is the young, free spirited sister. She isn't afraid of trying new things, fighting her corner and when it comes to men, she definitely wears the trousers.
 Victor Halliwell - the girls father, who did a disappearing act when the girls were young. Phoebe and Piper were very young, but Prue remembers and holds a grudge.
 Penny Halliwell - played by Jennifer Rhodes she is the girl's grandmother who they call 'grams'. Grams is a ghost who visits regularly with guidance and support. It is grams house that the girls now live in.
 Patty Halliwell - played by Finola Hughes, she is the girl's mother. Patty died when Phoebe was very young, so she doesn't remember her. Patty sometime comes and visits the girls with Penny.
 Leo Wyatt - played by Brian Krause, he is the girls Whitelighter, or 'guardian angel'. He is there to help them when needed and soon falls in love with Piper.
 Inspector Trudeau - played by T.W. King, he is Prue's childhood sweetheart and is always on the look out for weird happenings.
 Inspector Daryl Morris - played by Dorian Gregory, he is getting closer to why the girls keep appearing on cctv footage of different crimes.

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THE STORY OF CHARMED
On 7th October 1998 on the WB Network in the US, a new show was aired. That show was 'Charmed', created by Aaron Spelling with executive producers, E Duke Vincent and Brad Kern. Little did these three men know, this show was about to take America by storm. It is set in San Francisco and with an amazing cast of Shannen Doherty (Beverly Hills, 90210), Holly Marie Combs (Picket Fences) and Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss?), the show was bound to be a huge success, pulling in millions of viewers each week, mainly women within the age group of 18 - 34.

The show is based on the lives of the Halliwell Sisters. Prue (Shannen Doherty) is the eldest sister driven on success, Piper (Holly Marie Combs) is the earthy middle sister, and then there's free spirited Phoebe played by Alyssa Milano. All episodes are written by Constance M Burge.

~~~~~~~~ SEASON ONE ~~~~~~~~

Episode One ~ 'Something Wicca This Way Comes'
The show begins with the three sisters reunited after Phoebe returns from New York to The Halliwell Manor, which they inherited from their grandmother, Penny Halliwell (grams). Where Piper is happy Phoebe returned, Prue isn't at all happy. The girls have never got on, but Piper tries her hardest to end the feud between her two sisters.
It's a stormy night, and while Prue is trying to fix the chandelier in the front room, Piper and Phoebe are playing around with their old spirit board. As Piper stands to go to the kitchen, the pointer on the board moves. Piper didn't see it, but Phoebe insisted she didn't move it. Prue comes in and claims that Phoebe always moved the pointer. When Prue and Piper walk away, the pointer spells out A-T-T-I-C. Yet again, they claim Phoebe moved it. Phoebe is adamant so she goes off to investigate in the attic, but as Prue said, the attic has been locked for years and they don't have a key. Phoebe takes a torch and climbs the stairs alone to the attic. After trying several times to open the door she turns to walk away, but the door opens on its own.
Once inside, Phoebe is drawn to a chest. Inside she pulls out a huge book, entitled 'The Book of Shadows'. Phoebe opens the book and reads the inside of the front cover. It's an incantation stating that on a full moon, three witches will receive powerful powers passed to them from generation to generation. One being premonition, the second being freezing time and third one is moving objects with the mind. Overtime these powers will progress. As she finishes reading, Prue and Piper appear asking what she's doing. She tells them, but yet again, they don't believe her. As the sister are all touching the book, the chandelier in the front room flashes and an amazing light fills the bottom floor of the house. There is a picture of the sisters standing apart outside the Manor. As the light hits it, their figures in the picture move closer together.
The Halliwell Sisters have no idea what's ahead of them. Instead of a quiet life, they are about to become 'The Charmed Ones', three white witches who battle with demons and warlocks to save the good.

~~~The Book Of Shadows~~~
This book has been passed on from generation to generation of Halliwells. The founder of this was Melinda Warren, the first witch to ever write in the Book. The Book holds a lot of history, and each time a generation learnt something knew, or got rid of a demon, they wrote it in the book, so the next generation knew what to do if that demon reappeared. The book is also full of spells and potion recipes. Without the book, the Halliwell Sisters won't know what to do, and have no guidance.

~~~Warlocks~~~
These are what first appear to be normal looking people, but can quickly change into what they really look like.
~~~Demons~~~
These are evil beings that are out for pure evil.

~~~How they realise they have powers~~~
Phoebe
Although Phoebe believes she is a charmed one, she doesn't quite understand what is happening, but does know her life will change dramatically. She's out riding her bike, when she gets a black and white image of kids playing on rollerblades and bikes. Within seconds she has another of a car coming over a hill. She looks confused, trying to make it all out, when she sees the car from her vision coming over the hill in front of her, then she hears kids and sees them coming round the corner. Realising that the car will hit them, she speeds up on her bike and distracts the kids, making them stop, so the car doesn't hit them. Phoebe has the power of premonition.
Prue
Saying she has a very bad head ache, Prue and Phoebe are in a pharmacy and Phoebe is trying to make Prue believe that they are witches. Prue is getting more and more frustrated with Phoebe and screams "I need aspirin!" when suddenly all the aspirins on the shelf fly off. Still not sure whether to believe it, Prue insists it was a coincidence. In another scene we see Prue and Phoebe in a café, and again, Phoebe is trying to get Prue to believe her. Prue asks for cream for her coffee, when suddenly, her coffee is changing colour and the cream container is slowly emptying. A smile comes on Prue's face and finally, she believes she is a charmed one. She has the power to move things with her mind.
Piper
Piper is a keen chef and has an interview at a top restaurant. While she's panicking around in the kitchen, her employer tells her its time up, but without putting Port into the dish she's made, it won't taste right. She becomes very panicky as he fills a fork full of the food she's just made and a second before he puts it in his mouth, she hold her hands up and he freezes. She doesn't understand at first, then quickly dropped some Port on to his fork and he unfreezes, putting the fork in his mouth. He enjoys what he's tasted. Outside the restaurant, Piper bumps into her boyfriend, Jeremy, who insists on taking her for a surprise. They pull up outside an old looking building, and go inside to a lift. Once Piper has closed the doors on the old style lift, Jeremy's face changes dramatically and he pulls a knife from his belt, stating he's waited ages for this. Piper screams and throws her hands up again, and Jeremy freezes. She quickly realises this and climbs out of the lift, but not quite quick enough. He grabs her legs but she hits him with a plank of wood and knocks him out cold. Piper has the power to freeze time.
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Prue and Phoebe are at the Manor and Piper races in telling them what happened with Jeremy. But Jeremy wasn't far behind. It just so turned out that Jeremy was a warlock who began dating Piper, because he knew that now their grandmother had died, they were to receive their powers. Every demon and warlock will want the charmed ones dead, and he wanted first grabs. They run up to the attic and block the door with anything they can find. Whilst Jeremy is trying to get into the attic, the girls are looking in the book, not knowing what to do. Prue remembers something their mother had written on the back of the spirit board, 'The power of three will set you free'. Thinking it will work, they hold hands and say the line over and over until Jeremy blows up and he's gone. In shock the girls stand together, and its then that they realise their lives will never be the same again.

Episode Two ~ 'I've Got You Under My Skin'
The sisters are coming to terms with life as white witches. In this episode, Phoebe falls for a corny guy's chat up line, 'are you a model?' It just so happens that this guy is an evil demon who feeds off women's beauty. Inspector Andy Trudeau (T.W. King) and Inspector Daryl Morris (Dorian Gregory) are searching for a man who abducts beautiful women, unaware of what the man really is. Andy and Prue rekindle their high school romance, while Piper fears about being a good person as well as a good witch. She clams down after she walks into a church unscathed. Phoebe narrowly escaped the demons eye, but Prue and Piper come to her rescue.

Episode Three ~ 'Thank You For Not Morphing'
The sisters are reunited with their father, Victor Halliwell, who isn't a witch but a mortal. Piper and Phoebe didn't really know him, but Prue remembers how he walked out on them many years ago and now believes he's returned to steal the Book of Shadows. Really, it's their three neighbours who appear to be normal guys, who have their eyes set on the book. They morph into Andy and Victor in an attempt to retrieve the book. After realising what is going on, the sisters save their father from the clutches of the warlocks, only to find their father has fled again, leaving a video tape for them to watch. Also in this episode, Prue has hired a handy man by the name of Leo (Brian Krause), who makes a big impression on both Piper and Phoebe.

Episode Four ~ 'Dead Man Dating'
Its Prue's birthday and while she is avoiding any celebration, Phoebe takes a job in a lounge as a physic to pay for Prue's present. Her boss hires anybody who looks good in a genie type uniform! Not wanting her real physic powers to get in the way, she does end up saving a mans life. Prue is devastated to find Andy on a lunch date with the Ex Mrs. Trudeau, who she didn't even know existed. Meanwhile, Piper comes across a ghost named Mark. He was murdered by a gang leader and if his body isn't found and he's buried, his soul will go to hell. The sisters rescue Mark, but Pipers is sad when Mark vanishes. Realising that birthdays are precious they throw Prue a big bash, where she makes up with Andy. She realises she can't be mad at him for keeping a secret when she has a bigger one of her own.

Episode Five ~ 'Dream Sorcerer'
Prue is exhausted from her job, and starts seeing visions of a handsome man taunting her. He has since killed women while they're sleeping, and tries the same with Prue. At first she can't seem to use her powers in her sleep. She ends up in a coma after the man tries to throw her off a skyscraper. With the help of her sisters at her hospital bed, Prue finds the strength to use the powers in her dream and throws the man over the edge, and he dies in his sleep, just like all his other victims.

Episode Six ~ 'The Wedding From Hell'
A mysterious knife has disappeared from Prue's work. Piper is catering a high society wedding, and calls in her sisters when the priest drops dead. It turns out that the bride is no normal bride, she's a demon who is more interested in creating more evil offspring with an innocent groom she has put under a spell. The demonic bride and the demonic wedding party have the knife that Prue has been searching for. In all the commotion of fighting back and forth between the Halliwell sisters and the guests, the spellbound groom ends up with the knife and the spell is suddenly broken. He points the knife and all the demons are sucked into the blade. Meanwhile, Phoebe had a disturbing dream about Piper carrying Jeremy's baby. She's unsure as to whether it was a premonition or just a strange dream.

Episode Seven ~ 'The Fourth Sister'
In this episode, Phoebe befriends Aviva, a follow witch who wants to join their coven. Really, Aviva is only a young girl but has been taken in by black magic, and is being 'bullied' by a demon that appears to her in a mirror, called Kali. Kali is making Aviva earn the Halliwell's trust so she can steal their powers and give them to Kali. The sisters quickly realise something isn't right and join forces to put an end to Kali's reign over Aviva. Also in this episode, Piper and Phoebe vie for the attention of Leo, the handsome handyman.

Episode Eight ~ 'The Truth Is Out There… And It Hurts'
Whilst searching for a demon that Phoebe saw in her dream in the Book of Shadows, Prue comes across a truth spell. The spell binds the three sisters into telling the truth for 24 hours. Piper uses it to get closer to Leo, Phoebe uses it to find the demon's next victim, and Prue tells Andy she's a witch, realising its too much for him to handle. Prue learns that the demon is a warlock from the future. He has come back in time to

stop the person who made a vaccine against warlocks. Phoebe is currently protecting the mother of the child who will one day be that person who creates the vaccine. Piper and Prue send the warlock back to where it came from in a swirling vortex. With time running out on the truth spell, the sisters are glad that when the 24 hours are up, only they will remember what was told.

Episode Nine ~ 'The Witch Is Back'
Prue is attacked in the episode by a 300 year old warlock, who was locked in a locket by Melinda Warren, the sister's ancestor. He wants revenge of the descendents of Melinda. The demon has the ability to copy powers, and soon copies theirs. The sister's conjour a spell to bring Melinda back who helps them put together a potion to send him back into the locket. It was Prue's co-workers who were behind the whole thing. Meanwhile, Piper finally asks Leo out, and Andy is wondering why Prue keeps popping up in police investigations.

Episode Ten ~ 'Wicca Envy'
Without wanting to be, the sisters are under the control of Prue's co-worker Rex. Using astral projection, he frames Prue for stealing a gorgeous, very expensive tiara. With all the evidence, Andy has no choice but to put Prue in jail. The sister's first suspect Leo, and Phoebe complicates things by dating Rex. They perform a quick jail break to catch Rex and put an end to his demonic ways. Prue quickly returns to jail before she is noticed missing, and Andy lets her go when no more evidence is revealed. Leo makes a mysterious vanishing act from Piper's life.

Episode Eleven ~ 'Feats Of Clay'
Phoebe's ex boyfriend visits wanting Phoebe back, but arrives with an old Egyptian urn which carries a curse, and the sisters have a job on their hands. Prue fights to save the auction house where she works from bankruptcy and Piper plays around with witchcraft matchmaking, but it has the opposite effect.

Episode Twelve ~ 'The Wendigo'
A weird supernatural being called a Wendigo which appears normal during the day but nasty at night attacks Piper, who in effect becomes a Wendigo. After searching for a lost child, Prue and Phoebe return home to a troubled Piper. Prue has her own problems to deal with when jealous bites as a new beautiful blonde teams with Andy to find the Wendigo. She is, in fact, the Wendigo that attacked Piper. As night falls, Wendigo Piper and the real Wendigo are in the woods and the sisters must determine which one to kill, hoping it isn't Piper. Fortunately, Wendigo Piper freezes time and the other keeps moving. They have their answer.

Episode Thirteen ~ 'From Fear To Eternity'
In this episode, the sisters come face to face with their fears. A demon who only appears every 1,300 years feeds off witches fears, but as Prue and Phoebe are close to their deadly fears, they find the strength to face them with the help of their ancestors and words of wisdom. Piper however, is facing her own fear of dating on Friday the 13th, when a handsome stranger walks into her life.

Episode Fourteen ~ 'Secrets and Guys'
A 13 year old boy is kidnapped by thieves because he has special powers. He is able to send telepathic cries for help to Prue, to takes Phoebe with her to help. Meanwhile, Piper is happy to see Leo return only to leave again, and Phoebe sees Leo doing some of his own magic, so his secret is finally out. Leo is a guardian for witches, better known as a 'Whitelighter', who returned to help save the young boy. Leo tells Phoebe he loves Piper but can not live among witches or mortals. Even though Phoebe tells Piper this, she stands her ground and will only believe that Leo left because he just felt like it.

Episode Fifteen ~ 'Is There A Woogy In The House?'
Phoebe has a fear of the basement because she says the 'Woogyman' lives down there, much to Prue and Pipers amusement. But, they won't be laughing for long. An earthquake causes the ground to crack in the basement and a shadowy demon pulls Phoebe towards her dark side and turns her against her family. It all comes to a head when Prue is entertaining guests from work at the Manor. One of the guests has a keen interest in the house as she believes the house is built on a spiritual nexus, a powerful source of energy. Prue and Piper must fight against their sister to make her realise she is a good witch and not bad.

Episode Sixteen ~ 'Which Prue Is It, Anyway?'
After Phoebe has a premonition of Prue being stabbed to death, Prue says an incantation spell which makes her strength grow, but, she ends up with two more Prue's. Piper and Phoebe try to stop Prue from taking matters into her own hands, and let them help.

Episode Seventeen ~ 'That 70's Episode'
The Halliwell sisters meet a demon who has been waiting years for the charmed ones powers. Little do the sisters know, the demon made a deal with their mother years ago to make him immune to their powers. The only way to save themselves is to go back in time to the 70's and stop their mother making the deal, and to find out exactly why she did make the deal. They come face to face with their younger selves. Prue and Piper are both playful little witches, and Piper is still in their mother's womb.

Episode Eighteen ~ 'When Bad Warlocks Go Good'
Prue meets a young man who is fighting against the fact that he is destined to become part of the 'Evil Charmed Ones'. Piper and Phoebe must trust their sister's feelings and help her stop him becoming evil, he wants to be good.

Episode Nineteen ~ 'Out Of Sight'
A young boy is kidnapped whilst playing and the sisters must save him. He was kidnapped by a warlock who feeds his powers with innocent children's eyesight. Prue and Piper visit a man who was once kidnapped to see if he can help, but they're shocked to find he is blind, and after much persuasion, he tells them everything what happened. They save the children and get rid of the warlocks.

Episode Twenty ~ 'The Power Of Two'
On a trip to Alcatraz, Phoebe sees the ghost of a man escaping and looking for revenge on the people who put him in the gas chamber. Prue and Phoebe must stop the ghost, and without the help of Piper, who is still heart broke over Leo leaving.

Episode Twenty-one ~ 'Love Hurts'
Piper finally accepts the truth about Leo when he returns asking them to help protect a woman who is being stalked by evil. After Leo is wounded, Piper says a spell to switch their powers, as only Leo's powers can mend a wound. Little does Piper know, Prue and Phoebe's powers have switched too. With the powers all mixed up, the sisters are weak, but the power of three saves them once more. Piper must say good bye to Leo once again.

Episode Twenty-two ~ 'Déjà vu All Over Again'
There is evil on the loose again as the Devils Sorcerer creates a deathly time loop. Each sister looses the battle of life time and time again, and while Phoebe knows that the same thing keeps happening over and over, she has a premonition that Andy is going to be killed. It's a race against time as the sisters break the time loop saving their own lives, but failing to save Andy.

I enjoyed writing this review, although it took me some time!! I hope you enjoyed it too. Im getting Season Two for Christmas, so will do a review on that too.

Thanks for reading
HeartOfGold
xxx