W.I.T.C.H. (TV series)

W.I.T.C.H.
Intertitle from Season 2
Genre	Contemporary fantasy
Format	Animated television series
Created by	Gary Tomlin Elisabetta Gnone
Developed by	Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers Greg Weisman
Voices of	(The five main characters: Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin. See the list of characters and antagonists for other voices.) English: Kelly Stables Candi Milo Kali Troy Christel Khalil Liza del Mundo French: Karine Pinoteau Célia Charpentier Colette "Coco" Noël Sybille Tureau Laura Pelerins Italian: Donatella Fanfani Francesca Bielli Tosawi Piovani Emanuela Pacotto Marcella Silvestri
Opening theme	We Are W.I.T.C.H by Marion Raven
Country of origin	Italy France United States
Language(s)	English French Italian
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	52 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	SIP Animation
Broadcast
Original channel	Jetix, Toon Disney, Disney Channel, ABC Kids, France 3
Picture format	4:3
Audio format	Dolby Digital 8.1
Original run	December 18, 2004 (2004-12-18) – December 23, 2006 (2006-12-23)

W.I.T.C.H. is an animated television series based on the Italian comic book series of the same name produced by SIP Animation in association and participation by France 3, Jetix Europe(Disney Europe), CNC, PROCIREP - Société des producteur, ANGOA - AGICOA, the Poitou-Charentes region and the Charente department. Despite their acronym, the five main protagonists are magical but not actually witches. Like the comics, the series follows five ordinary girls: Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin who become endowed with magical powers and become the "Guardians of the Veil".

Production and development

Both the first and second seasons consist of 26 episodes each. For season 2, SIP Animation brought a new studio for production.^{[citation needed]}SIP Animation completed the full production of W.I.T.C.H. Season 2 around September 2005, and it premiered in the United States, Canada and The UK in June 2006.

Intro sequences

The UK and US versions of the show have different theme songs. The UK introduction shows the girls and their powers in a "story version" with unique footage for the opening, while the US version shows action clips from some episodes and scenes from the W.I.T.C.H. demo reel.

From episode 14 onwards, a new version of "We Are W.I.T.C.H. ", sung by Marion Raven, is used as the show's opening theme, replacing the "demo" version of the theme.

Plot

Main article: List of W.I.T.C.H. episodes

The Guardians must save Meridian from the evil sorcerer Phobos and Cedric who are searching for Phobos' sister, the long lost princess of Meridian. It is later revealed the princess is Cornelia's best friend Elyon, and the Guardians then set about saving her from Phobos. When Meridian is freed from evil and Elyon takes the throne, a new mysterious sorceress named Nerissa frees Phobos' top henchmen and reforms them as the Knights of Vengeance. Once the Guardians learn more about the sorceress and her evil plan of reuniting former Guardians, they are able to defeat the Knights only to have more powerful Knights of Destruction, plus the old Guardians attack them.

The Guardians' chief ally is Hay Lin's grandmother Yan Lin, a former Guardian herself, and the one that taught the girls about their magical destiny. They are also helped by Caleb, a heroic soldier from Meridian, leader of the rebellion against Phobos, and Blunk, a frog-like goblin creature (known as a Passling) who takes things from the human world to Meridian (and vice-versa), humorously mistaking everyday objects for other things or items of value. Matt, Will's boyfriend, accidentally learns about Meridian and when he sees the troubles there going on, he learns how to become a warrior to help them. They are also helped by the Oracle, leader of the Universe in Kandrakar, who was the one who chose the Guardians.

Characters

Main article: List of W.I.T.C.H. characters (TV series)

Villains

Season 1

• Prince Phobos is the main villain of the first season, Tried to steal the throne of Meridian, Elyon's powers, and later steals the Seal of Nerissa. Voiced by Mitchell Whitfield
• Lord Cedric is Phobos' General who has the ability to shape-shift into a man-snake hybrid. Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker

Season 2

• Nerissa is a Past guardian of Quintessence who steals the hearts of Meridian and Zamballa, and is main villain of season 2. Voiced by Katherine Soucie
• The Knights of Vengeance are Nerissa's minions to distract the guardians while she steals Elyon's Powers.
• The Knights of Destruction are Nerissa's minions made to fight the new guardians while she collects the old ones.
• C.H.Y.K.N. is the group of past Guardians and Nerissa's old friends, who were tricked into her control through flaws in their souls, except for Yan Lin who never gave in and instead is trapped in Nerissa's seal with Elyon.

Hearts

See also: list of W.I.T.C.H. items

The Hearts are the sources of mystical energy for the worlds they come from. They can be represented by a jewel, a talisman or a living being. Prominently featured in the series is the Heart of Kandrakar, a pendant that allows W.I.T.C.H. to transform. Most of the time a Heart is found to be in the form of living being, as it is for Earth, Meridian, and Aridia.

Setting

See also: W.I.T.C.H.#Setting

Various planets play an important role in the W.I.T.C.H. series. Earth is the home of the Guardians of the Veil, later the Infinite Dimensions while Meridian, Kandrakar and Zamballa are mystical planets that are introduced as the story progresses and the evil forces get stronger. Nerissa briefly visited a place called Aridia, a desert realm in an attempt to steal their Heart (an unnamed male rock giant). But her attempt failed when the Seal of Nerissa signalled that the other members of C.H.Y.K.N. were freed from her control.

• Earth
• Meridian
• Kandrakar

Zamballa

Zamballa was first introduced in the season 2 episode "P is for Protectors". Zamballa is a purple world with a jungle stretching out as far as the eye can see. At the centre is a Pyramid, the palace where Kadma lives while the Veil is still in effect. The Zamballans themselves look like walking purple trees. The Guardians learnt of Zamballa from Yan Lin, who told them the story of when she was a Guardian and had to protect the world of Zamballa from an attack of Phobos. Kadma led the attack against him, the Zamballans were grateful and they offered her the Heart of Zamballa itself and made her Queen. However, the Veil was raised and cut off Kadma her Guardian friends and other worlds and she had to live there without hope of leaving.

But with the Veil lifted and Nerissa out to control the Ex-Guardians, they agree Kadma must be warned, but Nerissa and her Knights are already there and are glamoured as W.I.T.C.H. destroying Zamballa. Soon Kadma learns of the deception and with Taranee's help she manages to defeat Nerissa. In the next episode, "Q is for Quarry", the Guardians and Kadma team up to defeat Nerissa once and for all and come up with the idea of taking the Heart of Meridian. At first, Will gets the chance too, but refuses saying that much power will corrupt her. Kadma instead takes it and merges the two Hearts which form the Seal of Nerissa. Because Hearts cannot be taken by force, soon Nerissa will have two Hearts and Kadma under her control. The Zamballians and the Guardians gather to discuss what should happen next.

Ironwood makes herself Regent of Zamballa and her first act is to banish the Guardians and Yan Lin from their world so that Nerissa is never tempted to return. In "Z is for Zenith" the Heart of Zamballa is returned and Kadma abdicates from her throne to live on Earth, while Ironwood takes the Heart and is made Queen herself.

Reception

Syndication

Because W.I.T.C.H. is based on a Disney comic series and was produced in association with Jetix Europe, it has been broadcast on the Disney-owned Jetix channels, as well as Jetix-branded television blocks worldwide including that on Family in Canada, and would broadcast on the versions of Disney Channel. With the transformations of Toon Disney and Jetix channels into Disney XD (and Disney Channel in parts of Europe), the fate of the TV series is unknown.

Terrestrial channels in English-speaking countries that had broadcast the series were: In the United States, it was shown on ABC Kids block, part of the Disney-owned ABC television network. In Canada, it was broadcast on none of the English language terrestrial TV networks, but the French version was shown on CBC's French language television network. In the United Kingdom, BBC's children's strand CBBC had broadcast it. In the Republic of Ireland, it was broadcast on RTÉ Two's The Den. In Australia, It was shown on Seven Network and its affiliates. In New Zealand, shown in 2 Kids block on TV2.

In France, where this TV series was made, it was terrestrially broadcast on France 3. In Italy, where the original comic came from, it was shown on Italia 1.

DVD releases

W.I.T.C.H. has been released on DVD in Europe, Australia, the Philippines (both in DVD and VCD versions, which is currently in the first season), Brazil, and Malaysia currently spanning 3 volumes, each containing episodes of season 1. They each come with 2 art cards featuring one of the W.I.T.C.H. girls. The DVDs together only contain the first 11 episodes. Volumes 4, 5 and 6 are planned to be released on the 3 September 2007 for Region Code 1 and 2 and on the 17 October for 3 and 4, which could see the rest of Season 1 on DVD. Two box sets have been released in the United Kingdom and Russia: the first box containing volumes 1, 2 and 3. The second contains volumes 4, 5 and 6.^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• W.I.T.C.H. at the Internet Movie Database
• W.I.T.C.H. at TV.com
• WITCH pictures, wallpapers, book covers, etc.