Why didn't Beth Broderick appear in the final episode? - Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996) Discussion

[–] Mukta-3 11 years ago

http://sabrinatheteenagewitch.wikia.com/wiki/Zelda_Spellman

In the series finale, "Soul Mates," the producers could only afford to bring back one of the Aunts. Because Aunt Hilda was more popular than Zelda, they chose to bring Caroline Rhea back for a guest appearance, which is why Zelda only appears as a candle.

reply

[–] pdadday88 11 years ago

Honestly I would have preferred if Aunt Zelda came back than Aunt Hilda especially the way they explained how Aunt Zelda became a child to save Sabrina. Plus when it really came to Sabrina's personal life it seemed like Zelda made a stronger impact, which would have helped her a whole lot when she was having doubts about marrying Aaron. In fact when her mom and Aunt Hilda were calming her down about the stones not fitting it seemed like the lines her mom said would fit Zelda's character because immediately after that Hilda agreed with her. I understand they wanted her mom to be there but I really did not see her as an important role in Sabrina's life from the beginning. We really did not see her or know anything about her to care about her character other than the fact that she was Sabrina's mom. It was also weird how her mom had no interaction with her father even in the finale. Honestly they should have just had the aunts guest star in my opinion and tweak the budget so that they could appear together.

reply

[–] blonde800 11 years ago

Was that seriously the reason?! That is just awful!

"I was born ready bitch"
Samantha James (Just Friends)

reply

[–] matthieus2 11 years ago

I agree! I'm shocked by that. I think I assumed all this time Aunt Zelda wasn't there in person because the actress turned down the offer or was busy.

They seriously couldn't afford to have both aunts there for the final episode? Even though they were key to Sabrina's journey over the seasons? I dread to think what a Season 8 would've been like if it went ahead.

reply

[–] irehawk 9 years ago

The reason why Beth turned down the offer because both she and her Zelda role were becoming too badly overlooked at the end of this show's season 6 finale.

They should have brought both aunts for the finale episode, not one only.

reply

[–] monstermayhem32 8 years ago

It would have been said that the watchers council decided to repeal the curse on Sabrina's mother as a wedding gift thus Zelda would be able to appear as well.

reply

[–] irehawk 8 years ago

Yeah, both aunts and her mother should all appear.

We should know that Caroline Rhea, who plays Hilda Spellman, is more of a humorous comedian than a serious comedian. Her Hilda role is considered the youngest aunt, but she's also the assistant of Zelda's main Spellman witchcraft.

There were problems on both actress Beth Broderick and her Zelda Spellman role at the end of season 6:

1.) Beth Broderick is a comedian, but she was turned down due to the fact that she was more of a serious comedian type than a humorous comedian type.

2.) Her Zelda Spellman role is considered the official main manager of the Spellman witchcraft, besides being the eldest aunt, but she was turned down because she was getting overlooked by all types of too much publicity, in and out.

You guys were wondering why Beth and Melissa could not get along with each other at the end of season 6. But whatever I said in the previous paragraphs is also the reason why they both couldn't get along with each other. Melissa was ordered by the entire WB publicity to turn both Beth and her Zelda role in a hurry, as a result.

Thank god, I'm glad this show is off air permanently.

reply

[–] velcronewsletter 10 years ago

wow. what a terrible reason. i'm sure they could have got around that somehow

reply

[–] danfaz94 11 years ago

I'm not sure why Beth didn't return for the final episode. There is the rumour, as posted above, that they couldn't afford both actresses, but I've never heard that anywhere else other than on the wiki which can be edited by anyone, so I don't know how true that is.

There is a rumour that Beth didn't get along with Melissa, which is why she left abruptly and didn't come back, but again, there is no evidence to support this.

It does somewhat ruin the otherwise great finale that Beth was absent though, regardless of the reason. The scene in which Sabrina is talking with Hilda and her mother should have been her talking with Hilda and Zelda, getting advice one last time. If the money reason is true, they should have just not brought back her parents and gave the money they paid them to Beth!

Little people? Who decides they are so unimportant?

reply

[–] Takedi21 11 years ago

I think Beth and Melissa may have made up because Beth will be reuniting with Melissa on her new show "Melissa & Joey". Beth is going to have a guest starring role on a new episode coming in April. Time heals all wounds and I guess they've put the past behind them now and are on much better terms with each other.

Ex-girlfriend, you can't have him!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TThHPHU4oJY

reply

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] danfaz94 11 years ago

I think Beth and Melissa may have made up because Beth will be reuniting with Melissa on her new show "Melissa & Joey". Beth is going to have a guest starring role on a new episode coming in April. Time heals all wounds and I guess they've put the past behind them now and are on much better terms with each other.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear this news! It's great that they have made up (if indeed they hadn't got along as is rumoured) and gives me hope that if ever there is a Sabrina reunion then Beth will hopefully be involved.

Little people? Who decides they are so unimportant?

reply

[–] Takedi21 11 years ago

Beth was on last night's episode of "Melissa & Joey". She looked great! She doesn't look like she aged at all since "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch"!

Ex-girlfriend, you can't have him!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TThHPHU4oJY

reply

[–] irehawk 9 years ago

First of all, Beth is considered a serious type of comedian and the show was under a bad WB recession wanting to appraise more on humourous comedians than serious comedians.

Secondly, her Zelda role is a main current owner of Spellman witchcraft besides being the eldest aunt along the way, but before the end of its sixth season, the whole entire Spellman witchcraft was badly overlooked by too much rotten WB public criticism.

reply

[–] jamjohnx3 9 years ago

What the hell is a "serious type" comedian?

reply

[–] irehawk 9 years ago

"Serious type" comedian means you are both acting and doing something serious and straight to the point on anything important, besides saying good jokes as a comedian along the way.

reply

[–] krypton_son 9 years ago

irehawk, did you just write a legible statement? Good for you.

reply

[–] numba-1-chaudy 11 years ago

I don't really trust wikia If you want you can be a fan Melissa Joan hearts page and ask her. I asked her a question before and she answered so you've got a good chance

reply

[–] matthieus2 11 years ago

I hadn't heard that Melissa and Beth didn't get along. Is that true?

I'm sure they were both on Caroline Rhea's chat show once. And it seems odd to me if Beth really didn't like Melissa to leave after 6 years rather than earlier on.
I have heard that Melissa and her family took charge when the show moved to The WB and with a lot of changes in the style of the show from Season 5 onwards.

I think I've said before and I may be wrong but the way I understood it was there was a lot less budget from Season 5 onwards and most the cast were only contracted until Season 6 with it being possible that would be the last season. I think Caroline was already planning to do her new chat show at the time and I got the impression David Lascher got new work for after the show, but the producers and channel went ahead with another season and I think the likes of Caroline, Beth and David had already decided new work for after Season 6.

I think Beth said in an interview on why she wasn't around for Season 7 was because there wasn't really a need for the aunts anymore, which I think is really sad, but in Seasons 5 and 6 it did seem they were used less and had less materials and their own stories.
It's a shame their roles couldn't have been promoted more and the aunts couldn't have been their for the final season. To me it felt wrong without them.

I still think that's a disgrace if the show really couldn't afford both the aunts for the final episode. Something sounds very wrong there. I don't see why with something important like that they couldn't have tweaked the budget.

reply

[–] danfaz94 11 years ago

I hadn't heard that Melissa and Beth didn't get along. Is that true?

It is certainly a persistent rumour, though I've never heard any concrete fact. It would explain why Beth didn't return both for a final appearance at the beginning of Season 7 and the series finale.

I have heard that Melissa and her family took charge when the show moved to The WB and with a lot of changes in the style of the show from Season 5 onwards.

That's pretty much what happened. They hired new writers and everything in order to revamp the show, classing Harvey as "High School Baggage" along with Mr. Kraft, Dreama, etc. and so we saw a lot of loose endings left hanging with no closure for a lot of characters. There was also more focus in Season 5 on the acedmic side of college for Sabrina as opposed to the magical.

I think I've said before and I may be wrong but the way I understood it was there was a lot less budget from Season 5 onwards and most the cast were only contracted until Season 6 with it being possible that would be the last season. I think Caroline was already planning to do her new chat show at the time and I got the impression David Lascher got new work for after the show, but the producers and channel went ahead with another season and I think the likes of Caroline, Beth and David had already decided new work for after Season 6.

I think Beth said in an interview on why she wasn't around for Season 7 was because there wasn't really a need for the aunts anymore, which I think is really sad, but in Seasons 5 and 6 it did seem they were used less and had less materials and their own stories.
It's a shame their roles couldn't have been promoted more and the aunts couldn't have been their for the final season. To me it felt wrong without them.

Again, there is no factual evidence for anything, but your guess is pretty much what most of the Sabrina fandom thinks had happened. Season 7 appears to be the result of hastily written in the hope of keeping the show alive and it really shows. It would have been a lot better if the aunts had stayed and a lot of focus put back on them.

I still think that's a disgrace if the show really couldn't afford both the aunts for the final episode. Something sounds very wrong there. I don't see why with something important like that they couldn't have tweaked the budget.

I agree completely and I do not buy the notion that Beth didn't appear due to budget restraints for a second. If they wanted her, they could have taken out Sabrina's parents from the episode, I doubt any of the fans would have cared about their absense. It's a shame the producers didn't take the fans into consideration and try to bring back popular characters like Libby and Valerie for the final season as well. It's a shame, but at least we got Sabrina and Harvey together in the end!

Little people? Who decides they are so unimportant?

reply

[–] irehawk 9 years ago

1.) Beth is more a serious type of comedian than a humourous type.

2.) Beth's role, Zelda, is both the oldest aunt and the main owner of the current Spellman witchcraft.

reply

[–] irehawk 10 years ago

She should have but there are reasons:

1.) Beth Broderick is a comedian, but she's more too much of a serious type.

2.) Her role, Zelda, is not only the eldest, but also a main head owner of the witchcraft.

3.) Both Beth and her Zelda are not very highly paid due to the fact of being serious as a main head witchcraft owner.

4.) Caroline Rhea is a comedian, but she's most of a fun type.

5.) Her role, Hilda, is not only the youngest, but also an assistant of the witchcraft.

6.) I have feeling that serious main head witchcraft owners get badly overlooked by growing strict publicities along the way.

reply

[–] letsgotothemovies84 9 years ago

I dont understand the meaning of the above and what it has to do with it? explain?

reply

[–] irehawk 9 years ago

At the Season 6 finale of Sabrina, Teenage Witch, which was aired in the WB Network:

1.) Actress Beth Broderick was overlooked as a serious type of comedian.

2.) Beth's role, Zelda Spellman, was overlooked as a main head owner of the entire Spellman witchcraft.

The entire Spellman witchcraft was badly overlooked by too much bad WB publicity and they noticed that Zelda is behind this as a main head owner of the entire Spellman witchcraft.

That's why Zelda:

1.) Donated her mature powers to Sabrina.

2.) Turned into a candle in the series finale.

reply

[–] joe_538 8 years ago

You realize you made six posts in one thread calling Beth Broderick a serious comedian?

reply

[–] irehawk 8 years ago

Just want to make sure all of you understand about Beth Broderick as a serious comedian, for the final time, that's all, nothing else, period.

reply

[–] joe_538 8 years ago

Got it the first time.

Seven.

reply

[–] Jeannette_Mary 8 years ago

So you are saying Beth Broderick is a serious comedian right?

"Sometimes life hands you lemons that are worth 2 in the bush, I like kittens."

reply

[–] irehawk 8 years ago

From the way she acts and also from the way she sounds, KrazyKatgrl.

reply

[–] user2334 8 years ago

A big mistake anyway or they just did it for plot.
Sabrina couldn't see her mum while she was under 18. Because her mum would turn into the ball of wax.
But I know that she would've finished High School at the age of 18, so her mum shouldn't turn into a ball of wax after High School, and Sabrina should've been able to visit her during seasons 5-7.
So the candle Zelda wasn't really needed, just guessing they did that because she wasn't in the episode. But why not say Zelda was still a kid like in the first episode of season 7.

reply

[–] irehawk 8 years ago

I know it was a big mistake, but unfortunately, the entire WB network was being overlooked and put under financial pressure. So that means both actress Beth Broderick and her Zelda role and the entire Spellman witchcraft were badly overlooked by the entire WB network publicity for these reasons:

* Beth is a comedian, but she overlooked as a serious type of comedian, rather than humourous, unlike Caroline Rhea, who's more likely a real pure humourous comedian than a serious type.

* Zelda is not only the eldest aunt, but she's most importantly the official head owner of the Spellman witchcraft and Hilda is Zelda's assistant, besides the youngest aunt along the way.

reply