Sabrina, The Teenage Witch: Season Three (1998-99) Show & DVD Details Regular Directors: Gary Halvorson, Linda Day, Kenneth R. Koch, David Trainer Regular Writers: Carrie Honigblum, Renee Phillips, Dan Berendsen, Charlie Tercek, Sheldon Bull, Nick Bakay, Frank Conniff, Danita Jones / Creator: Nell Scovell Regular Cast: Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina Spellman), Caroline Rhea (Hilda Spellman), Beth Broderick (Zelda Spellman), Nate Richert (Harvey Kinkle), Jenna Leigh Green (Libby Chessler), Lindsay Sloane (Valerie Birkhead), Nick Bakay (voice of Salem Saberhagen), Martin Mull (Vice Principal Willard Kraft) Recurring Characters: Mary Gross (Mrs. Quick), Curtis Andersen (Gordie), Phil Fondacaro (Roland), Henry Gibson (Witch Judge), Corbin Allred (Justin Thumb) Notable Guest Stars: Carol Ann Susi (Doris), Donald Faison (Dashiell), Dom DeLuise (Mortimer), Gary Owens (Guy Who Thinks He's Gary Owens), Alan Sues (Bellevuedere), Ruth Buzzi (Delilah), Joanne Worley (Aunt Beulah), David Madden (Dr. Egglehoffer), Tara Charendoff (voice of Molly Dolly), Edward Albert (Diamond Dave), Fred Stoller (C.K., Warning Man), Joel Brooks (Emperor Larry), Suzanne Krull (Olga), Larry Thomas (Zampano), Dick Clark (Himself), Mary Hart (Herself), Sonje Fortag (Cousin Susie), Beth Grant (Mrs. Grant), Jose Eber (Himself), Josh Holland (Harrison), Kay E. Kuter (Father Christmas), Daveigh Chase (Little Girl), Daniel Hagen (Mr. Birkhead), Myra Turley (Mrs. Birkhead), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Zsa Zsa Goowhiggie), Julia Duffy (Lucy), Jerry Springer (Himself), Mary Gillis (Witch Judge), 'N Sync (Themselves), Mark Blankfield (Blackbeard), Hallie Todd (Marigold), Brian Cousins (Emil), Steve Sax (Baseball Player), Alexandra Hart-Gilliams (Ally), Emily Hart (Amanda), Emile Hirsch (Darryl), Frankie Muniz (Angelo), Mary Ann Mobley (Herself), Glenn Shadix (Caligula), Jim Wise (Brady), David Wells (Mr. Franco), David L. Lander (Postmaster), Michelle Kwan (Student), Lisa Darr (Martha), Rosalynd Ayres (voice of Aunt Dorma), Alex Rocco (Sid Wolff), Steven M. Porter (Bryce), Monty Hall (Himself), Steven Anthony Lawrence (Little Kid) Running Time: 541 Minutes (25 episodes) / Rating: Not Rated 1.33:1 Fullscreen (Original Broadcast Ratio) / Dolby Surround 2.0 (English) Subtitles: None; Closed Captioned Season 2 Airdates: September 25, 1998 - May 21, 1999 DVD Release Date: January 15, 2008; Clear Standard-Width Keepcase Suggested Retail Price: $38.99; Four single-sided, dual-layered discs (DVD-9s)

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ABC's TGIF lineup was unable to reproduce the appeal of "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch". Two other sitcoms that tried to balance normal teen life with fantasy elements ("You Wish", "Teen Angel") were both cancelled before completing a single season. Their inspiration, however, the Archie Comics-spawned "Sabrina", remained strong in 1998-99, now serving as the 9:00 PM Eastern/Pacific anchor, neighbored by new shows and longtime Friday night staple "Boy Meets World." Little changed for "Sabrina" in moving from Season 2 to Season 3, especially compared to the cast and design shake-ups that would later come. As always, the show fixes its attentions on Sabrina Spellman (Melissa Joan Hart), a half-human, half-witch teenager whose magical powers regularly have an effect on her life in the Mortal Realm. There, in the fictitious Massachussetts suburb of Westbridge, she lives with an odd couple of witch aunts in their mid-600s, the whimsical Hilda (Caroline Rhea) and the more rational Zelda (Beth Broderick). Sabrina's boyfriend Harvey (Nate Richert) and friend Valerie (Lindsay Sloane) continue to provide support and obstacles, while never knowing of their pal's mixed heritage. High school frequently challenges Sabrina in her junior year, though such adventures are almost always carried out with a small speaking cast that includes snobby cheerleader Libby (Jenna Leigh Green) and oft-perturbed Vice Principal Willard Kraft (the reliably wry Martin Mull). Once again leading the tiny pack of recurring characters is the amusingly timid teacher Mrs. Quick ("Saturday Night Live" alum Mary Gross). Joining her this third season is Gordie (Curtis Andersen), a go-to geek and short-lived love interest for Valerie. Continuing to be more remarkable than the recurring cast pool is "Sabrina"'s vast collection of one-time guest star appearances. Most of these surely meant less to the teens tuning in than their parents. Season 3 skews towards stunt casting, employing the most famous individuals in a limited capacity for the recognition factor. Playing themselves as such are Dick Clark, Mary Hart, and Monty Hall, while Jerry Springer gets to lampoon his edgy daytime talk show in a more extensive and plot-tailored manner. Actors from "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" are brought out in abundance for the Halloween episode "Good Will Haunting", which employs Gary Owens, Ruth Buzzi, Alan Sues, David Morton, and Jo Anne Worley. Another member of that show's cast, Henry Gibson, shows up in two episodes as an unnamed Witch Council judge. For young viewers, all these guest spots are trumped by the appearance of late '90s/early 2000s boy band *NSync. A few other young icons surface briefly in blink-and-miss turns; Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan plays a Westbridge High student, while Frankie Muniz and Emile Hirsch are siblings in an end credits tag well before "Malcolm in the Middle" and Into the Wild made them celebrities. Technically, "Sabrina" remains one sound sitcom in its third year on the air. The cast is terrific, the jokes are regularly able to amuse a wide range of audience members, and the characters are still interesting. Perhaps the biggest drawback is that the show seems to be running short on ideas. That's really to be expected of any formula sitcom that's crossing the 50-episode mark, and there's still plenty of fine writing and strong storylines to save face here. They're packaged, however, in a season-long theme that feels gimmicky and unnecessary. After Season 2 was devoted to Sabrina's efforts to get her Witch's License, Season 3 is all about Sabrina's efforts to be able to use her Witch's License. To do this, she has to unravel the big Spellman Family Secret. That probably doesn't sound like a bad idea, but it's implemented in a flimsy way, with a handful of episodes giving us a meaningless, tacked-on clue to the mystery. The few episodes that deal with the family secret directly are themselves pretty compelling. But the desire to grant an overriding coherency to these largely standalone stories is never quite satisfactorily realized. The device is even less interesting now than it was first aired, particularly since the running motif is nonsensically resolved. Suffice it to say, it never transcends the feeling of a pointless ploy to delay Sabrina from being a full-fledged witch, something already done the year before. A cheesy season-long theme is pretty easy to overlook based on how diverting, clever, and gently funny the show is. For instance, storylines involving couples Sabrina and Harvey or Mr. Kraft and Zelda (who begins dating Hilda's ex, to conflicted feelings) often achieve moderate success. More experimental episodes -- whether they assume the form of a silent movie, film noir, or special effects adventure -- also delight. Unfortunately, Paramount's DVD release of The Third Season, arriving half a year after the previous set, fails fans yet again by changing an overwhelming majority of the pre-recorded song selections featured in the original broadcasts and syndicated reruns. Not only did the sampled music aptly capture mainstream hits of the time, it made for inspired accompaniment to montages that were a fairly consistent staple of episodes. Among the Season 3 casualties that have been replaced by generic, apparently newly-scored instrumental pieces are the Everly Brothers' "Suspicious Minds", Halloween novelty tune "The Monster Mash", Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", "I Can't Get Enough of You, Baby" by Smash Mouth, "Wild Thing" (this time the Troggs hit is actually pre-recorded), Jennifer Paige's "Crush", the Cardigans' "Losing My Favorite Game", Barenaked Ladies' "It's All Been Done", Faith Hill's "The Hard Way", and Ricky Martin's breakout hit "Livin' La Vida Loca." Browse posters, photos, and memorabilia from hundreds of past and present TV shows On the upside, the two performances by 'NSync are retained in full. Alas, the same cannot be said for Phantom Planet's rendition of "So I Fall Again", which along with the band's cameo has been jarringly cut altogether. Perhaps even more frustrating than that is that a scene of two Martin Mull characters singing Doris Day's immortal "Que Sera Sera" has also been cut; we're not talking an original performance but rather just the lyrics and the deletion loses one of the season's funnier payoffs. At least the edits are short, allowing their respective episodes to run just 30 seconds shy of the standard 21-minute, 42-second mark. Once again, Paramount's frugality in DVD production costs doesn't mean a competitive list price; with a $38.99 SRP, the 4-disc set runs $10-$15 more than comparable sitcom seasons from other studios. Funds also haven't been transferred to a supplements budget; for the third time, "Sabrina" turns up on DVD with nary a bonus, pretty inexcusable for a show recent enough to include a TV on DVD joke in one episode. For a variety of reasons, I've selected ten favorite episodes from the season and denoted them with a . A pair of scissors () indicates that a scene from the episode is missing. Disc 1 1. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Season Opener (21:42) (Originally aired September 25, 1998) Sabrina is eager to get her long-awaited witch's license and hopeful that it will help her choose between Dashiell ("Scrubs"' Donald Faison) and Harvey. But, there's a hitch and one which will take an entire season of Family Secret clues to address. Also, Hilda is bothered that Zelda wants to attend Sabrina's Grease-themed dance with Mr. Kraft and Salem's online chess trash talk brings in a perturbed opponent from Russia. 2. Boy Was My Face Red (21:42) (Originally aired October 2, 1998) While trying to rid Valerie of the embarrassment caused by a lunchroom burp, Sabrina herself becomes a red-faced laughingstock at school. Salem plots to receive a kiss that will turn him human again. 3. Suspicious Minds (21:42) (Originally aired October 9, 1998) Sabrina hires Roland, now a private investigator, to spy on Harvey during his school project marriage to Libby. Hilda has similar interest in Zelda's relationship with Mr. Kraft. 4. The Pom-Pom Incident (21:43) (Originally aired October 16, 1998) Valerie wants to try out for the cheerleading reserves team, leading a disapproving Sabrina to get into her head and discourage. Meanwhile, the Spellmans' "wigician" cousin Mortimer (Dom DeLuise) spends time with them, fumbling with magic tricks more than shedding light on the family secret. 5. Pancake Madness (21:42) (Originally aired October 23, 1998) Failing to heed her aunts' warnings, Sabrina gets addicted to pancakes after just one bite. Hilda is expelled to the Other Realm for failing to submit proper immigration paperwork. 6. Good Will Haunting (21:43) (Originally aired October 30, 1998) Sabrina's Halloween night double date with Harvey, Valerie and Justin is spiced up by a creepy Molly Dolly and her monstrous friends. Zelda and Hilda finally attend Aunt Beulah's wacky Halloween party, but they have trouble leaving the insane asylum it's at. Disc 2 7. You Bet Your Family (21:42) (Originally aired November 6, 1998) Salem's high stakes gambling with infamous swindler Diamond Dave (Edward Albert) has dire consequences for Sabrina, Zelda, and Hilda. Back in the mortal realm, Sabrina wants a car to keep up with Libby's hot new set of wheels. 8. And the Sabrina Goes to... (21:13) (Originally aired November 13, 1998) Craving more recognition for her achievements, Sabrina eats some "just desserts" and has heavy admiration thrown her way, culminating with her own awards show. Upon discovering that she's the "rincess" of Massapequa Park, Zelda lets Salem coax her into a war with a neighboring nation. This episode cuts out Phantom Planet's pre-title appearance. 9. Nobody Knows Libby Like Sabrina Knows Libby (21:41) (Originally aired November 20, 1998) Shrunk down to fit into a miniature spaceship replica, Sabrina and Salem wind up in Libby's nose and try to escape. Meanwhile, Hilda uses magic chocolates to make Mr. Kraft seem annoying to Zelda. 10. Sabrina and the Beast (21:42) (Originally aired November 27, 1998) Sabrina's saintly but unsightly Cousin Susie (Sonje Fortag) teaches her to stop dwelling about appearance by turning Harvey into a hairy, deformed man-beast. Salem's purchase of a Domin-A-Tron for Hilda's training turns the house's appliances against him. 11. Christmas Amnesia (21:24) (Originally aired December 11, 1998) Lacking the seasonal spirit, Sabrina skips out on a family Christmas Eve dinner to attend an Other Realm party, where she accidentally erases the holiday. Instantly wanting it back, she goes to great lengths to get people to remember Christmas before it's too late. 12. Whose So-Called Life Is It Anyway? (21:42) (Originally aired January 8, 1999) Hoping to liven up a dinner at Valerie's house, Sabrina grants her friend's mother's wise, only to have Valerie gradually turn into a replica of Sabrina. Hilda poses as the artist of Salem's paintings, in part to impress her boyfriend Warren (Justin Jon Ross). Disc 3 13. What Price, Harvey? (21:42) (Originally aired January 15, 1999) Prank-loving cousin Zsa Zsa (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is in town and she supplies Sabrina with some ambition to give to Harvey after he declares he's not interested in college. Zsa Zsa also gives Zelda and Hilda Walk-a-Mile moccasins to appreciate one another's perspective, while Salem becomes invisible. 14. Mrs. Kraft (21:42) (Originally aired January 29, 1999) To try to cool off Zelda and Mr. Kraft's relationship, Sabrina and Hilda summon the vice principal's ex-wife (Julia Duffy), a witch who then uses magic to charm Willard back. Everyone winds up on Jerry Springer's famously heated talk show. 15. Sabrina and the Pirates (21:42) (Originally aired February 5, 1999) Sabrina's magic becomes fake after she obtains Other Realm fake IDs for her and Valerie to get into the over-18 club where *NSync (guest-starring as themselves) is playing. Equally void of magic, Zelda and Hilda try to tame rowdy long-captive pirates. 16. Sabrina, The Matchmaker (21:28) (Originally aired February 12, 1999) Having to bring a couple together this Valentine's Day, Sabrina tries to unite her witch cousin Marigold (Hallie Todd) and her mortal plumber (Brian Cousins), while Marigold's spell-happy kids aim to interfere. Zelda and Hilda wind up at the same restaurant with their respective boyfriends, Mr. Kraft and Carlton (both played by Martin Mull). Back home, Salem tries a hair growth product to address a perceived balding problem. The boyfriends' bonding over a shared singing of Doris Day's "Que Sera Sera" has been cut. Showing up ever so briefly in the end credits are pre-"Malcolm in the Middle" Frankie Muniz and Into the Wild's Emile Hirsch. 17. Salem, The Boy (21:42) (Originally aired February 19, 1999) Now working as a leprechaun, Roland grants Sabrina's wish for Salem to be human. The cat occupies shy student Gordie's body and, to the initial delight of the interested Valerie, gives him some assertive qualities. Meanwhile, the efforts of Zelda and Hilda to get Salem (without his essence, an ordinary housecat) back to himself bring them into contact with Caligula. 18. Sabrina, The Teenage Writer (21:42) (Originally aired February 26, 1999) After getting a C- on a school paper, Sabrina tries harder, but her use of a magic typewriter makes her fiction come true, placing doubles of her schoolmates in an exciting spy saga. Back home, Zelda and Hilda are wrought with deformity after they fail to pass on an Other Realm chain letter. Disc 4 19. The Big Sleep (21:43) (Originally aired March 12, 1999) Following a food poisoning incident, Sabrina enlists Harvey, Valerie, and Libby to be her teammates for the forthcoming Brainbusters competition. Sabrina is pulled away from preparation, however, when Aunt Dorma (the black sheep of the Spellman family) fills the house with poppies that put Zelda and Hilda to sleep. 20. Sabrina's Pen Pal (21:38) (Originally aired March 26, 1999) Sabrina's Other Realm Pen pal (Lisa Darr) appears to be a shy librarian, but she's really a ruthless jewel thief. Zelda and Hilda get late Christmas presents from their mother, while Salem looks to burn a few lives after to a clerical error reveals he still has all nine. 21. Sabrina's Real World (21:42) (Originally aired April 9, 1999) Salem teams with a TV producer (Alex Rocco) for an Other Realm show centered on Sabrina. Upon learning of her new fame, Sabrina tries to get her series cancelled with dullness, but the producer has other ideas. Meanwhile, Hilda is stuck with a Borscht Belt that forces her to make jokes in the Catskills tradition. 22. The Long and Winding Shortcut (21:41) (Originally aired April 30, 1999) After she tries to get Mrs. Quick's help unraveling the family secret, Sabrina has to endure 24 hours without modern conveniences. Zelda and Hilda don't see eye to eye on the issues shaping the Other Realm elections, particularly on the legality of mental floss. 23. Sabrina, The Sandman (21:42) (Originally aired May 7, 1999) In need of money to buy her class ring, Sabrina gets a job from the Other Realm as a sandman, but she can't resist the urge to do some "dreamdropping" and learn the concerns and fears of those she knows. She should, however, be cracking the family secret, an activity Zelda and Hilda try to encourage in subtle ways, per the directions of an Other Realm Warning Man (Fred Stoller). 24. Silent Movie (21:42) (Originally aired May 14, 1999) Sabrina is expecting Harvey to say "I love you", while Zelda believes a marriage proposal is coming from Mr. Kraft. The combination makes it a pretty inopportune time for life in the Spellman house to turn into a silent movie, but that's exactly what happens when Sabrina doubles up on silence spells. Also, Valerie is worried about having to settle customer debts from the school bookstore. 25. The Good, The Bad, and the Luau (21:42) (Originally May 21, 1999) Sabrina and her aunts take a vacation in Hawaii, which she's not able to enjoy until she finishes cracking the family secret. Doing so lets her meet, and compete against, someone new. Back home, Harvey has his hands full with a cat and his mother, both of whom are very pregnant. VIDEO and AUDIO Two areas where Paramount's DVD releases continue to meet expectations are picture and sound. "Sabrina" is again presented in 1.33:1 fullscreen and Dolby Surround. While there are some technical shortcomings inherent to a sitcom production, "Sabrina" is one of the most aesthetically pleasing I've encountered and the DVD doesn't falter in conveying the bright, clean visuals and moderately active soundtrack. While you'd never mistake "Sabrina" for a feature film and those with large screen displays may notice some grain and a general softness, most viewers should be perfectly content with the quality of the transfer. One minor disappointment is the lack of English subtitles (at least closed captions are provided). The more significant one -- the rampant music substitutions -- has already been addressed and lamented. BONUS FEATURES, MENUS, PACKAGING and DESIGN There are absolutely no bonus features at all, but that will come as no surprise to anyone who owns Seasons 1 and 2; they were just as barren. Is it really that unrealistic to think that Melissa Joan Hart can both be a mother and find a half-hour to do an interview? Somehow, I doubt she -- or anyone else involved with "Sabrina" -- was approached to participate. That's a real shame and unquestionably lessens the value of this set. The menus are as plain as before, with each disc boasting a single simple image with merely episode titles and a "Play All" option. Par for a Paramount sitcom, the four discs fit into a clear standard-sized keepcase, which provides episode synopses and air dates on the reverse side of the consistent cover artwork. There aren't even any inserts or promotional sneak peeks this time around. Happily, chapter stops haven't been dropped; they still appear at a rate of 4 per installment. CLOSING THOUGHTS Although there are already some signs of the formulas wearing thin, fun continues to be had in the Third Season of "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch." Unfortunately, that fun once again is unsatisfactorily brought to DVD in a collection that's marred by abundant song replacements, some missing scenes, a void of bonus features, no subtitles, and plain design. The shortcomings are only underscored by the 4-disc set's relatively high list price. Given the choice of not having "Sabrina" on DVD at all or getting it this way, I suppose the latter narrowly wins out. But at least when this sitcom was unavailable, there was the hope of it coming to disc intact. Those hopes and ones for a sudden increase in studio effort are essentially depleted with this release, which can only be recommended for those who simply must own "Sabrina" on DVD and are willing to overlook the music substitutions and other disappointments. More on the DVD / Buy from Amazon.com