MovieChat Forums > Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996) Discussion > Melissa Joan Hart was NOT the origional

Melissa Joan Hart was NOT the origional

posted 15 years ago by willalexmac-1
15 replies | jump to latest

OK, I've been all over Wikipedia in regards to this but found nothing. Yet I do distinctly remember that in the first t.v. movie, before the series premiered, Sabrina was played by a different actress. Although I can't recall her name, I think it was the same girl who starred in that short lived t.v. show "Phenom", with Judith Light(Who's the Boss)and William DeVane. The main character was a rising tennis star and DeVane played her coach.
Whether it was her who was the origional Sabrina or not, I'm not sure. But I am certain I remember a different actress in the role before Ms. Hart. Does anyone else recall this?

Great minds run in the same channel, and fools think alike.

[–] BloodDoll 15 years ago

The only TV film I've seen for this had Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina, but the character was called Sabrina Sawyer, and most of the other actors were different (all, I think, but Michelle Beaudoin, who played Marnie in the film and then Jenny in the TV series).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrina_the_Teenage_Witch_%28film%29

[–] greenjeans 15 years ago

Just saw this on cable.

Many things - location, her last name, etc. change when the series is done.

MJ Hart is retained for the series. In this movie she is Sabrina Sawyer. Name changes to Sabrina Spellman for series.

Michelle Beaudoin is retained for the first season of the series. She plays Marnie in the movie and Jenny the first season.

I can't find anywhere that lists who gave Salem his voice in the movie. It does not sound at all like Nick Bakay, who gave voice to Salem in this movie. So I don't know if it's Nick Bakay using another voice in the movie or not.

[–] amazing_is_overrated 14 years ago

I remember that tennis show...not sure that helps you at all. I looked it up here. It says that girl was played by Angela Goethals. Her IMDB page says nothing about Sabrina.

[–] willalexmac-1 14 years ago

I've long since discovered I was wrong about that particular actress in the role, but I'm still certain that when the first t.v. movie based on "The Archies" comics character aired...the movie that would inspire them to make the series a couple years later...it WAS a different actress in the role. M.J. Hart was still playing "Clarissa" on Nickelodeon at the time.

Great minds run in the same channel, and fools think alike.

[–] lydiadeetz13 14 years ago

ummm clarissa ended in 94... and this movie was filmed in 95 and released in 96...

no actress has ever played sabrina other than MJ Hart, as it was her company that produced it... it was her and her mothers idea to produce this...

so.... kinda wrong on that one..

[–] sagaz99 14 years ago

Are you sure you're not thinking about a movie from the late 80s or early 90s called "Teen Witch."

[–] FrmSyriaWithLuv 14 years ago

Yes. You might be thinking about that movie...

That price on my head, was that dead or alive?
Don't remember. See if he starts shooting.

[–] willalexmac-1 14 years ago

A tv movie, at least a year before the show premiered. I live in the Boston area and Melissa Joan Hart was in Boston once, before the show premiered and I remember reading in a piece on her in The Boston Herald at the time that she was 18 and that the show was in production, scheduled to premier the following season. So whatever year that was...sometime in the early '90's...the movie with a different actress playing Sabrina was about a year before.

Great minds run in the same channel, and fools think alike.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] willalexmac-1 14 years ago

someone a little further back on this board pointed out a 1989 movie called "Teen Witch", suggesting I may have been thinking of that movie, and I think they are right. info about it is as follows...

Teen Witch is a 1989 fantasy teen comedy film starring Robyn Lively. It was originally pitched as a female version of the 1985 Teen Wolf, although it later was reworked and turned into a film of its own. The soundtrack consists of mainly dance music, but the film score is jazz.

I first remember Robyn Lively when she was about 12 playing the daughter of Goldie Hawn's character in "Wildcats", who drinks spiked punch, gets drunk and calls her father, bringing child services down on her mother(Hawn).

Great minds run in the same channel, and fools think alike.

[–] ragstorichesfan 14 years ago

Archie Return To Riverdale was a tv movie in 1990, however..it does not seem to reference the Sabrina The Teenage Witch Character. I agree with the others about your Teen Witch guess. Robyn Lively (Not Quite Human Movies) starred in it. The original Sabrina The Teenage Witch Movie was aired on Showtime before ABC obtained rights to the series. The movie does have different principal Cast members.. but Melissa Jone Hart still played Sabrina. Hope this helps

[–] JigsawsPartnerInCrime 14 years ago

OMG, OP! I know exactly what you are on about! I have also seen a film which didn't have MJH as Sabrina! I can remember putting it on then thinking wtf is this crap! lol.

[–] JigsawsPartnerInCrime 14 years ago

Oh and not EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD is listen on IMDb, trust me. There's been plenty of things I've seen wehat doesn't have it's own board.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] b_ballchika12_ 14 years ago

could you possibly be thinking of the movie Teen Witch from 1989? It's kind of similar
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098453/