In the modern world of technology, the concept of witchcraft television receivers seems rather fantastical. However, in the past, the idea of using a television receiver for witchcraft purposes was a common belief among certain communities. The notion was that a person could use a television receiver to communicate with the supernatural world and gain access to otherworldly powers. The belief in witchcraft television receivers stemmed from a combination of superstition and the wonders of early television technology. People in the past were often fascinated by the ability of television to transmit images and sounds through the airwaves. This gave rise to a belief that perhaps television receivers could also pick up signals from the spirit realm.
Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight, is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.
The question of whether witches actually lose their powers when they fall in love is up for debate, but what isn t is that this is a funny movie showcasing some legendary performances including one by a Siamese cat. What can I say about this classic 90s series from The WB except that it has everything any lover of witchy goodness could ask for, including a Victorian mansion in San Francisco, no less , hot angels and demons, and even Shannen Doherty, hot off her success in Beverly Hills 90210.
This gave rise to a belief that perhaps television receivers could also pick up signals from the spirit realm. It was believed that by using certain rituals or incantations, one could manipulate a television receiver to tune into frequencies that were not accessible to ordinary viewers. Once attuned to these otherworldly frequencies, individuals could supposedly communicate with spirits, receive messages, or even gain supernatural abilities.
‘American Horror Story: Coven,’ ‘Witches of East End’ cast their spell on TV viewers
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When Jessica Lange, who plays a “Supreme” witch on “American Horror Story: Coven,” butts heads with her estranged daughter (Sarah Paulson), she does what any snarky mom with mystical abilities would do: She issues a threat.
“Don’t make me drop a house on you,” she hisses.
Ah, there’s nothing like a blast of wry witch humor to keep viewers spellbound.
Get used to it. This fall has become the season of the witch on television, and not just for Halloween. Magical sorceresses and she-devils are everywhere, from the latest version of Ryan Murphy’s “AHS” scarefest on FX, to the new Lifetime series, “Witches of East End.”
Witches also play prominent roles on “The Originals,” where they’re waging war with vampires. There’s a Salem-era witch on the breakout hit “Sleepy Hollow,” and this weekend, Catherine Bell brings her charm to the latest installment of Hallmark’s “The Good Witch” movie series. There’s even a new “Sabrina” cartoon for the kiddies on the Hub network.
So why the sudden uptick of toil and trouble? These days, viewers are obsessed with supernatural shenanigans in general, explains Julie D. O’Reilly, author of “Bewitched Again: Supernaturally Powerful Women on Television, 1996-2011.” And it just makes sense that witches get their moment in the spotlight.
“The genre goes through cycles,” she says. “We’ve obviously gone through an extensive vampire cycle, and we’re not out of it yet. We’ve had some werewolves and zombies and some reinvention with those characters. Now we’re finally getting back around to witches.”
Tim Minear, an executive producer for “Coven,” thinks audiences are drawn to witches in much the same way they’re attracted to superheroes.
“On some level, we wish we had superpowers,” he says. “And like with, say, ‘The X-Men,’ everyone can relate to feeling like an outsider, and we all have a longing for a family or a tribe. Add some special power into that mix and you’ve got something.”
Witches on the small screen are nothing new, of course. Ever since Samantha Stephens began twitching her nose and making life difficult for a couple of mortal Darrins, numerous female spell-casters have come and gone, from the quirky Sabrina Spellman (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”), to the increasingly dark and powerful Willow (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and the Halliwell sisters of “Charmed,” right up through the witches who haunt “True Blood,” “The Vampire Diaries” and other shows.
For O’Reilly, Elizabeth Montgomery’s Samantha of “Bewitched” fame is still the leader of the pack.
“She was TV’s first featured female character with powers, and she remains the archetype for all the witches who have followed,” she says. “Even though the show was campy and corny, it was ahead of its time in that it depicted her as the strong one and Darrin as the bumbling one. She was the backbone of the family in a lot of ways. She had the power in the relationship and was the one who made things happen.”
With casts dominated by women of various ages, “Coven” and “East End” continue that feminist bent, but they do so in dramatically different ways. “Coven” is intense, scary and occasionally disturbing. “East End,” based on a best-selling novel by Melissa de la Cruz, is relatively light and romantic, with some occasional shudders tossed in.
Both shows, however, avoid depicting witches as what de la Cruz describes as the “hag with the poison apple.”
“You don’t see any old ladies living alone with cats,” she says. “These witches are much sexier.”
Set in a secluded Long Island town, “East End” centers on the adventures of a mother (Julia Ormond) and her two adult daughters (Rachel Boston and Jenna Dewan-Tatum) — both of whom are just discovering they possess witchy powers because mom had chosen to keep that little secret from them. Now that a sinister shape-shifter has arrived to terrorize them, the siblings must band together and learn their craft at a highly accelerated pace.
De la Cruz, who spent much of her career writing about teen characters, says “East End” represented a chance to combine her love of the supernatural with a desire to focus on strong women in a family setting.
“I wanted to make a statement about female power and sisterhood and motherhood,” she says. “But then I had to decide what and who they are. Witches, of course. … Broomsticks and potions and curses and magic spells? What’s not to like?”
“Coven,” meanwhile, is set in New Orleans and weaves a complex tale about supernaturally gifted debutantes at a finishing school for witches. How gifted? One young student, played by Taissa Farmiga, can actually kill men simply by having sex with them.
In this crazy-scary world, which also features Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett as devilish dames, witches are facing extinction, thanks in part to escalating attacks on their kind. Lange plays Fiona, an all-powerful sorceress who steels her girls for battle.
“When witches don’t fight, we burn,” she insists.
“Coven,” explains Minear, represented a chance to take the “AHS” anthology series in a wildly different direction.
“In the previous two seasons, we were finding a strong, almost feminist, undercurrent to a lot of what we were doing. … (And) going back to even something like the original ‘Halloween,’ with Jamie Lee Curtis, modern horror is often about female power fighting back. That, along with the astonishing women we’d collected, made it seem perfect.”
And downright bewitching.
Witches on the small screen are nothing new, of course. Ever since Samantha Stephens began twitching her nose and making life difficult for a couple of mortal Darrins, numerous female spell-casters have come and gone, from the quirky Sabrina Spellman (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”), to the increasingly dark and powerful Willow (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and the Halliwell sisters of “Charmed,” right up through the witches who haunt “True Blood,” “The Vampire Diaries” and other shows.
This belief in witchcraft television receivers was especially prevalent in certain cultural and religious contexts. For example, in some African and Caribbean folklore, the concept of the "spirit box" or "voodoo television" was a common part of spiritual practices. Practitioners of these traditions believed that they could use a modified television set to connect with the spiritual realm and receive guidance or instructions from supernatural entities. While the idea of using a television receiver for witchcraft purposes may seem far-fetched to most people today, it is important to understand the cultural and historical context that gave rise to such beliefs. These beliefs reflect a deep human desire to connect with the unknown and tap into powers beyond our understanding. In conclusion, the concept of witchcraft television receivers was a belief that certain individuals held in the past. It was based on the idea that television technology could be used to communicate with the supernatural world. Although widely discredited today, these beliefs offer insights into the human fascination with the supernatural and our ongoing quest for deeper meaning and connection..
Reviews for "Witchcraft Across Genres: From Sitcoms to Horror, Exploring the Range of Witchcraft TV Shows"
1. John - 2/5 - The Witchcraft television receiver was a huge disappointment for me. I had high hopes for this product, but it let me down in several ways. Firstly, the picture quality was subpar, with blurry images and distorted colors. Secondly, the sound system was also below average, with a constant static noise in the background. Lastly, the user interface was clunky and confusing, making it difficult to navigate through channels and settings. Overall, I would not recommend the Witchcraft television receiver to anyone looking for a reliable and high-quality TV experience.
2. Anna - 1/5 - I regret purchasing the Witchcraft television receiver. Not only did it have poor picture quality, but it also had compatibility issues with my other devices. Whenever I tried to connect my game console or streaming device, the TV would freeze or show error messages. Additionally, the remote control provided with the TV was cheaply made and unresponsive. I found myself constantly having to press the buttons multiple times before they would work. Overall, this TV was a waste of money and I would advise others to steer clear of it.
3. Mike - 2/5 - The Witchcraft television receiver was a letdown for me. I found the interface to be overly complicated and difficult to navigate. It took me a long time to figure out how to access different channels and adjust settings. Moreover, the remote control was not user-friendly and the buttons were too small, making it frustrating to use. The picture quality was average, but the sound quality was lacking. Overall, I was not satisfied with this TV and would not recommend it to others looking for a hassle-free television experience.