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Holly Marie Combs Isn't Too 'Charmed' with CW Reboot

So that didn't last long. Less than 24 hours after the CW announced it was ordering a pilot for a high-profile reboot of the long-running WB series Charmed, the original series' own Piper Halliwell – Holly Marie Combs – took to Twitter to conjure up some ill will towards the project. Combs originally retweeted a Charmed fan's tweet criticizing the the reboot announcement and added the following message: "And we wish them well. #Charmed."

Eight minutes later, though? Combs decided to elaborate more than just a little:

"Here's the thing. Until you ask us to rewrite it like [executive producer] Brad Kern did weekly don't even think of capitalizing on our hard work. Charmed belongs to the 4 of us, our vast amount of writers, crews and predominantly the fans. FYI you will not fool them by owning a title/stamp. So bye."

While many thought that might be the last they would hear from Combs on the matter, she returned to social media later in the day to continue stating her case:

"And another thing. Reboots or remakes, as we used to call them, usually have storylines so similar to the original that they are legally required to use the same title and buy the rights to that title. If it's not similar than it's just another show. A new show with a new title."

"While some may not get why I take issue with the network that didn't want to renew Charmed 12 years ago 'reimagining' it now let me just say I understand it perfectly. Also this kinda stuff given all that Rose and Alyssa have done lately…um no. Just No"

While Combs is concerned with protecting the creative integrity of the original series and that the network is only looking to cash in on the current social climate, it was the positioning of the pilot as a "feminist" version of Charmed that particularly irked her:

The new Charmed pilot comes from Jane the Virgin creator/showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman and executive producer Ben Silverman; alongside writers/co-executive producers Jessica O'Toole and Amy Rardin, and pilot director Brad Silberling. Here's how the CW describes the pilot:

"This fierce, funny, feminist reboot of the original series centers on three sisters in a college town who discover they are witches. Between vanquishing supernatural demons, tearing down the patriarchy, and maintaining familial bonds, a witch's work is never done."

Since the show ended its run in 2006, there have been two attempts to resurrect Charmed as a series. Prior to the 2013-2014 development season, the CW commissioned a reboot from a different writing-producing team but the effort never went beyond the script stage. As recently as last year, the CW ordered a different Charmed pilot from the current creative team; with this one set in the mid-'70's and highlighting three new witches. With Urman's work on Jane the Virgin keeping her busy, the CW chose to roll over the pilot to this season and set the project in modern times.

Created by Constance M. Burge, the original Charmed aired on the WB from 1998-2006. The highly-rated and popular series about a trio of sisters/good witches starred Combs, Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano. Rose McGowan joined the cast with Season 3, replacing the departing Doherty.

Here are the original tweets:

Entertainment Weekly

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