Drama about witch sisters has violence, sexual references.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Charmed is a supernatural drama about a family of witches—"the Charmed ones"—who fight demons to protect the innocent. It stars Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, and Shannen Doherty in the first three seasons, with Rose McGowan taking Doherty's place for the final five. Demon deaths can be gruesome, including exploding, burning, and being impaled. Humans are also injured and killed: They're shot, stabbed, and hit and fall from great heights. There's mention of dead parents, and (spoiler alert!) a main character dies. Also expect references to depression, suicide, and child abuse. Characters kiss and make sexual references, and sex is implied. Women strip naked in the woods in a nonsexual context (their bare shoulders and legs are seen). Language includes "bitch," "ass," "piss," and "damn," as well as "God" as an exclamation. Characters smoke cigarettes and cigars and drink alcohol, though not to the point of intoxication. But spells make people appear under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The series has positive messages about the importance of family and using your power for good. The central sisters, though flawed, also have admirable traits and demonstrate teamwork, empathy, self-control, and courage.
Language
some
Language includes "bastard," "bitch," "ass," "piss," "pissed," "jack" (as a stand in for "jack s--t"), "crap," "damn," "dammit," "hell," and exclamations of "God."
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Exotic dancers perform in underwear, but no nudity is shown. Sexual innuendo and references to oral sex, masturbation, sex toys, orgasms, and condoms. Characters kiss passionately, and it's implied they have sex, but mostly off-screen—e.g., a woman sneaks out of a room in the morning leaving a topless man in bed. Women strip naked in the woods in a nonsexual context; their bare shoulders and legs are seen.
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Main characters and their loved ones are often in peril. Frequent battles with demons, many of whom die gruesome deaths, including exploding, burning, melting, and being impaled. Physical fights. People are stabbed, strangled, and shot, but blood is minimal. A person cuts their finger with a knife and squeezes blood into a potion. Characters are hit by cars, fall from great heights, and are kidnapped and tied up, and bodies are doused in gasoline and set on fire. References to depression, suicide, child abuse. Many mentions of deaths, funerals, and dead parents and grandparents, and (spoiler alert!) a central character dies.
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Music is promoted on the show, including a performance by the Barenaked Ladies. Visible brands such as Perrier, Corona, and Escada.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
The main characters mostly drink sparkling water when they're out, but people (including the sisters) sometimes drink alcohol at parties and at the bar that Piper manages. Some potions/spells put people under an influence, as if they've taken a drug. References to drug dealing and a character who previously struggled with alcohol addiction. Characters occasionally smoke cigarettes and cigars.
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Family is important and forms an everlasting bond. Use your power and influence for the good of others rather than for selfish reasons. It's important to protect the innocent if you're in a position to do so. Actions have consequences and will come back to you if unresolved. Teamwork, empathy, self-control, and courage are important character strengths. No matter how powerful you are, you can't always cheat death. Sometimes evil feels never-ending, and when a villain is conquered, another appears.
Positive Role Models
some
All four central characters are portrayed as powerful and loyal to one another, but each has their own internal struggles. Prue is responsible and serious, having given up much of her youth to raise her sisters. She's strong and protective but can also be controlling. Phoebe is carefree and doesn't always think things through, but she's empathetic and compulsively helps others. Piper is kind and thoughtful and tries to keep the peace, but she tends to put others' needs before her own. Paige is independent, having grown up believing she was an only child. She's often stubborn, but that's because she stands strong in her beliefs, and wrongdoings in the world frustrate and anger her. As a group, the sisters demonstrate teamwork, empathy, self-control, and courage.
Diverse Representations
a little
Created by writer-producer Constance M. Burge, Charmed stars women as main characters, with men in supporting roles. The women are portrayed as powerful and able to fight off demons, though in later seasons, they're defined more by relationships with men (and wear increasingly revealing outfits). The main family is White, with some Black actors in supporting roles—often as police officers or demons, portraying both "good" and "bad" characters. But the show makes serious blunders on racial representation: An illiterate race of demons called the Kazi, considered the lowest level of demon, are all portrayed by Black actors, and a main character compares a Hindu wedding to an orgy when she receives an invite that shows two Hindu deities embracing. There's very little body diversity or disability, and little people appear on the show only as leprechauns.
Kids say that this show is a captivating blend of magic, adventure, and strong family dynamics that keeps them engaged, with many viewers expressing their love for both the storylines and characters. However, there is a consensus that it contains mature themes, including violence and some sexual content, making it more suitable for older kids and teens, often recommended for ages 11 and up.
entertaining magic
strong family themes
mature content
age recommendations
positive role models
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In CHARMED, sisters Piper (Holly Marie Combs), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Prue Halliwell (Shannen Doherty) have lived normal lives until they learn in their 20s that they are witches. As "the Charmed ones," they're predestined to fulfill a prophecy and use the "power of three" to fight evil. Later, half-sister Paige (Rose McGowan) joins the team and each of the Halliwell sisters uses her unique gift—the ability to blow things up, freeze things, move objects, and morph into different realms—to battle demons and protect the innocent, while trying to hold down their day jobs.
This popular show is a sometimes strange mix of deathly serious drama and kooky comedy. Over its long run (1998–2006), Charmed constructed an elaborate good vs. evil fantasy world populated by elders, avatars, seers, and demons. But even with some heavy drama involving the death of family members, it remained fundamentally a lighthearted show that played out like a cross between a soap opera and a superhero series. The likability of the sisters keeps the show engaging, but the storylines get increasingly silly in later seasons, and the acting crosses over into hammy on several occasions.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Charmed mixes fantasy with reality. Which aspects of the show are realistic? Which are firmly in the fantasy realm? Which do you find more engaging: the fantasy elements, or the real-life aspects? Why?
The show has women as central characters. How are they portrayed? Do you think they're good role models? What does the show say about what women are capable of? Why is it important to see women in positive lead roles?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.