# Which Witch to Watch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454 "2013-10-05T20:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/1 "2013-10-05T20:05:24Z")
Who is your pick for all-time best all-around TV witch? With all due respect for the Halliwell sisters and Willow Rosenberg, and acknowledging the great gulf between comedy and drama, I have to show my age and go old school: in my view, the all-time best TV witch is Samantha Stevens. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/2 "2013-10-05T20:08:24Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Who is your pick for all-time best all-around TV witch? > > With all due respect for the Halliwell sisters and Willow Rosenberg, and acknowledging the great gulf between comedy and drama, I have to show my age and go old school: in my view, the all-time best TV witch is Samantha Stevens. I agree totally. Endora was right, btw-Sam should have dumped Durwood. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/3 "2013-10-05T20:37:45Z")
I’m going to go out on a limb with a prediction…Jessica Lange is going to be a hell of a witch when American Horror Story: Coven begins. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/4 "2013-10-05T20:39:38Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > the all-time best TV witch is Samantha Stevens. But Serena was awful! It was like Montgomery had no idea what hip, young people were like, though she was young and living in LA in the late '60s, ferchrissake. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/5 "2013-10-05T20:46:53Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > But Serena was awful! It was like Montgomery had no idea what hip, young people were like, though she was young and living in LA in the late '60s, ferchrissake. I think it’s a rule that in any dual-role good-evil combinations, the evil one has to be really badly acted. See also: the dark-haired evil Jeannie. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/6 "2013-10-05T20:53:32Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > But Serena was awful! It was like Montgomery had no idea what hip, young people were like, though she was young and living in LA in the late '60s, ferchrissake. She wasn’t awful. She was just directed that way. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/7 "2013-10-05T20:54:13Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > But Serena was awful! It was like Montgomery had no idea what hip, young people were like, though she was young and living in LA in the late '60s, ferchrissake. Young and living in L.A., yes, but married to a man twelve years her senior, and so perhaps not getting the full “young and in L.A.” experience. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/8 "2013-10-05T20:58:09Z")
An utter tragedy, it being the '60s. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/9 "2013-10-05T22:10:26Z")
The 70s incarnation of Sabrina The Teenaged Witch. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/10 "2013-10-05T22:12:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > She wasn’t awful. She was just directed that way. But I was so _drawn_ to her. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/11 "2013-10-06T04:23:14Z")
To me, the best is the most powerful, and Samantha seems pretty high up there. Sure, her mother may have had more magical power due to being older, but Samantha was queen of the witches for a while, and she seemed to be able to do all the stuff Endora had done by the end of the series. I really can’t think of any other witch series that comes close. I love the Halliwell sisters, but, for being the most powerful witches ever, they were awfully weak. And, as the drug-like nature of Willow’s powers mean she has to be too careful to be too powerful–though, granted, I haven’t seen the entire Buffy series yet, and am just going by what I’ve read. I don’t believe either version of Sabrina was all that powerful, and Teen Witch gave up her powers at the end, and needed a huge boost just to become popular–plus water could wash away stuff she created. And both Wicked Witches were defeated by a little girl. The witches in W.I.T.C.H. are more like superheroines than having any real cosmic powers. Jeannie is more powerful, but she’s not a witch. And those are all the candidates I can think of. Being a comedy, Samantha’s powers didn’t need to be limited so much for the sake of drama, especially since she was disinclined to use them, and I think that’s what makes her more powerful. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/12 "2013-10-06T18:52:10Z")
Gotta be [Witchiepoo](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kFm-9BcAIeM/UbTUWIWiIkI/AAAAAAAAFs0/zJiDQan0WRU/s1600/WITCHIE+POO.jpg). (That’s [Billie Hayes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Hayes) as Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo on the Saturday morning show [H.R. Pufnstuf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.R._Pufnstuf).) What a range! She could be [exuberant and powerful](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pgzDoo5HMk) or [sad and impotent](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PDq7Ci7brc). ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/13 "2013-10-06T19:07:27Z")
Samantha Stevens certainly had me bewitched and I was only eight years old. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/14 "2013-10-06T20:22:30Z")
Gotta go with Willow Rosenburg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/15 "2013-10-06T23:40:25Z")
I’m an Endora fan. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/16 "2013-10-06T23:56:59Z")
I go with Nancy Grace. No, just kidding. My vote is for Paige Matthews, the most bonerific witch of all time. Because, she’s like, Rose McFuckin’Gowan already! ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/17 "2013-10-07T01:20:41Z")
80s Tabitha featuring Lisa Hartman. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/18 "2013-10-07T01:32:26Z")
Count me in as a member of Samantha’a Club. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/19 "2013-10-07T02:02:53Z")
You’re all wrong. The best television witch is clearly [Witch Hazel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_Hazel_%28Looney_Tunes%29), the witch from those Looney Tunes cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454/20 "2013-10-07T05:25:31Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > 80s Tabitha featuring Lisa Hartman. Not a bad choice, from an eye-candy point of view. In that vein, may I also nominate Joanna (Lindsay Price) from the short-lived _Eastwick_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-witch-to-watch/670454.md?page=2)