Today (29th May, 2017) the complete first series of the brand new series of The Worst Witch is available in the UK. By 'brand new series', I think 'reboot' could also fit. This series is also due to be made available for worldwide streaming on Netflix at some point this year, but sadly I don't know the exact date for that. The best advice I can give is for people to keep checking because honestly? This series is utterly adorable and really deserves to be watched by as many people as possible.
Just above, I said this series could be classed as a reboot. That's because, well, this story has actually been adapted to television (or television movie) at least twice before. This just happens to be the newest version, and because it came out today on DVD I felt like making a post about it. Truth be told, I'm actually writing this post two weeks in advance (it's the 15th on the day of writing) but The Worst Witch is one of those series that I have all the love for, starting from the books that were one of the first multi-books series I ever got into.
The first adaptation was the 1986 television movie that starred Diana Rigg as Miss Hardbroom, and Fairuza Balk as titular 'worst witch', Mildred Hubble. I'll be completely honest? This... is not a version that I am particularly fond of. It's not that it's bad (except that it actually is quite a bad movie, I am not even kidding here, it's one of those so bad it's good except I tend to get a bit horrified at some bits) It's just that it's really not what comes to my mind at all when I picture Mildred, HB, Cackles Academy... but then again, I'm a 90s child, who was spoiled when it came to this show.
I mean, come on, we got 20 years on Potter, people. Mildred Hubble isn't going to disappear any time soon.
(Though HB would have totally beat Voldemort before the first book.)
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| Complete Series One DVD. Taken from Amazon UK. |
The first adaptation was the 1986 television movie that starred Diana Rigg as Miss Hardbroom, and Fairuza Balk as titular 'worst witch', Mildred Hubble. I'll be completely honest? This... is not a version that I am particularly fond of. It's not that it's bad (except that it actually is quite a bad movie, I am not even kidding here, it's one of those so bad it's good except I tend to get a bit horrified at some bits) It's just that it's really not what comes to my mind at all when I picture Mildred, HB, Cackles Academy... but then again, I'm a 90s child, who was spoiled when it came to this show.
(To the left is the 2015 DVD release of the show. To the right is the 2007 release. The 2015 is region 2, with German and English audio tracks, and in four volumes to complete the set. The 2007 is region 0, and in two volumes to complete the set. As you might have guessed, the '07 releases are a bit harder to find at the moment.)
In 1998, CiTV and Granada Productions teamed up to make a 3 series (4 if you count Weirdsister College, which most DVD sets do) version of The Worst Witch, starring Georgiana Sherrington as Mildred Hubble. This version not only adapted all the books that were out at that point, but it also came up with new stuff to add to the world. The characters all became incredibly fleshed out, including the teachers - who actually ended up stealing most episodes because of how well the adult cast played off of each other.
The big debate in the fandom, and yes there is one, is what series is the best? Many of the older member have so many fond memories of the '98 series that during the airing on the newest one there was quite a big to-do regarding the new first name of Miss Hardbroom that will not be discussed here. Personally? I actually really like all of them. Well, except the tv movie but that's personal opinion. The 98 series will always be my version, so to speak, and the one that comes to mind the most when I think of the series but this newest one is adorable and there's space enough for it to exist in the fandom as well.
I mean, come on, we got 20 years on Potter, people. Mildred Hubble isn't going to disappear any time soon.
(Though HB would have totally beat Voldemort before the first book.)
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