Good Witch (TV series)
Good Witch is an American and Canadian fantasy comedy-drama television series that is based on the TV movie series of the same name, produced by Whizbang Films in association with ITV Studios and the Hallmark Channel. Catherine Bell, who played Cassie Nightingale, the "good witch" in the movie series, both co-produces and stars in the series. The series follows the residents of Middleton, including Cassie and her daughter Grace as they welcome Dr. Sam Radford and his son to town. Cassie and Grace share a gift of enchanted insight and magical intuition.
Good Witch premiered on February 28, 2015, and was consecutively renewed through a fifth season, which aired from June 9 to August 18, 2019. The season five finale marked the last episode for actress Bailee Madison as Grace Russell. The show was renewed for a sixth season on July 3, 2019, and aired from May to July 2020. In July 2020, the series was renewed for a seventh season.
Series overview
As with the previous seven TV movies, the series continues the spirited life of newly widowed Cassie Nightingale, the good-hearted enchantress of the fictional Middleton, United States, with her now-teenage daughter Grace. When new neighbors, the Radfords, move in next door, they become suspicious of Cassie and her daughter. The dynamics of the series' focus would change during the six seasons, which later saw the Nightingales and Radfords become more friendlier and romantic, leading up to Cassie's marrying for the second time, while at the same time shifted to stories involving its residents, an ongoing mystery and a series of curses that is tied to Cassie's family lineage.Cast
Main
- Catherine Bell as Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale: She is the owner of a shop called Bell, Book & Candle and runs a bed and breakfast at Grey House. Cassie is very psychic and uses her intuition for good reasons. In the first season, Cassie develops a friendship with Middleton's newest resident and neighbor, Sam Radford, and tries to move on from the loss of Jake with her long time friend, Ryan Elliot. However, both Cassie and Sam slowly begin to realize their romantic feelings for each other. Eventually, Cassie and Sam become a couple and by the end of the third season, they are engaged. Throughout the fourth season, Cassie and Sam are happily engaged and begin planning their wedding and finally become husband and wife in the beginning of season five. In season six she became a college professor.
- Bailee Madison as Grace Russell : Cassie's teenage daughter and half-sister of Brandon and Lori who has her own "intuitive charm". Grace meets Nick Radford, a new resident that has arrived in Middleton. She initially tries to ignore him but gradually becomes his friend, even though, occasionally, he gets her into trouble. In the second season, she tries to gain her driver's license and has Sam teach her, while she is struggling to move on from the loss of her father Jake. In the third season, Grace briefly questions her true feelings for Nick, but later forms a relationship with his friend, Noah while she is struggling to accept the newfound romantic relationship between Cassie and Sam. In the fourth season, Grace begins to mend her friendship with Nick and begins to think more about her future. In the fifth season, Grace is nearing the end of her final year of high school and is getting ready for graduation and college. Grace later begins internship at the Mayor's office and begins a romantic relationship with Luke, her fellow intern after she and Noah end their relationship, unable to handle the long distance.
- James Denton as Dr. Sam Radford: Cassie's handsome neighbor and the town's new doctor. He is fairly wealthy from his experiences as a New York trauma surgeon, owner of his own private practice, on multiple hospital boards, and other activities. He has a hard time adjusting to Middleton in the beginning, but slowly opens up to the town while also beginning a close friendship with Cassie. In the first season, he dates Stephanie, but they eventually break up as he slowly begins to realize his true feelings towards Cassie. Sam admits his feelings at the start of the second season and begins to pursue Cassie, but faces trouble due to Linda's interference and the arrival of Cassie's old friend John. In the beginning of the third season, Sam and Cassie become a couple and later get engaged after he proposes in the third-season finale. Eventually, after being engaged throughout the fourth season, Sam and Cassie finally get married in the beginning of season five.
- Rhys Matthew Bond as Nick Radford: Sam's troublesome son. Since arriving in Middleton, he refuses to accept his new home and constantly wishes to go back to New York. In the first season, he repeatedly gets into trouble such as stealing a school statue or lying to his father. Eventually, Nick slowly begins to realize his mistakes and begins to form a friendship with Grace. In the second season, he becomes a nicer person and doesn't get into any trouble anymore, but still faces some problems within his family. In the third season, Nick begins a romantic relationship with Grace's friend, Courtney until in the season finale, he reveals his decision to break up, resulting in a falling out between him and Grace. In the fourth season, despite Nick and Grace refusing to forgive each other, they begin to mend their friendship as they prepare to become step-siblings. In the fifth season, Nick is getting ready for college and begins to think about his future, realizing his true passion for designing games.
- Sarah Power as Abigail Pershing: Cassie's cousin. She has her own magical touch similar to Cassie, but uses it in her own way. Abigail is known to cause a bit of trouble to others, but they eventually help in the least expected way. Abigail originally worked for an Ad Agency in New York, but decided to leave to be closer to the family. Upon returning to Middleton, Abigail causes some problems such as helping Grace rebel and interfering in Stephanie and Sam's relationship. She begins working for Stephanie in the bistro, but in the beginning of the second season, she opens her own flower shop. In the third season, Abigail becomes jealous of Cassie and tries to learn of her own purpose of what she can bring to the community of Middleton. In the fourth season finale, Abigail becomes the new Mayor of Middleton after Martha is forced to step down. In season five, Abigail is struggling with her newfound duties and develops a rivalry and later a romantic relationship with Donovan Davenport, the Mayor of Blairsville. Abigail later happily resigns after Martha regains her position and continues her relationship with Donovan, but they face adversity from his disapproving mother and a potential curse that could tear them apart.
- Catherine Disher as Martha Tinsdale: The mayor of Middleton. Since the previous Good Witch movie, Martha has been the mayor of Middleton and is always making certain that parties and festivals are going exactly according to plan and turn out perfectly. Martha's goal is to help Middleton grow and not to be overshadowed by the rival town of Blairsville. Despite their rocky start, Martha is a close and good friend with Cassie, always appreciating everything Cassie has done for the town. In the fourth-season finale, Martha is forced to step down as mayor when it's revealed that she technically lives in Blairsville, much to her dismay. In season five, Martha tries to find her new calling and later becomes a television talk show host but eventually resumes her place as mayor of Middleton.
- Kylee Evans as Stephanie Borden: the owner of a local bistro and a close friend of Cassie. She doesn't like being single and is attracted to new men that arrive in town. In the first season, she is smitten with the new doctor, Sam and starts to pursue him. They briefly form a relationship, but eventually break up due to their differences and the slight interference of Abigail. In the second season, Stephanie works on starting a catering business while also beginning a new romantic relationship with local handyman Ben. Stephanie is also known to have a bad habit of making assumptions regarding romantic relationships such as believing that Cassie had romantic feelings for Ryan and John and later when she assumed that Nick had feelings for Grace. In the beginning of the fourth season, Stephanie and Ben are revealed to have broken up as they don't see a real future for their relationship. In season five, Stephanie goes into partnership with Vincent to operate a food truck business, and begins a romantic relationship with Adam Hawkins, the hospital pastor.
- Marc Bendavid as Donovan Davenport: the Mayor of Blairsville and Abigail's love interest.
- Scott Cavalheiro as Adam Hawkins: the hospital pastor and Stephanie's love interest.
- Gianpaolo Venuta as Vincent: Cassie's world-traveling and adventurous foster brother.
- Anthony Lemke as Ryan Elliot: a realtor and Cassie's friend, although he secretly harbors romantic feelings for her. Prior to the beginning of show, he was engaged, but his fiancée Annie instead married his former best friend, resulting in Ryan being deeply hurt and betrayed. Eventually, Ryan admits his feelings for Cassie and tries to begin a romantic relationship. They form a brief relationship but they break up as Ryan moves away to Chicago to begin a new job he received while Cassie begins to realize her true feelings for Sam.
- Peter MacNeill as George O'Hanrahan: the father-in-law of Cassie's late husband Jake and maternal grandfather of Brandon and Lori.
- Dan Jeannotte as Brandon Russell: Cassie's stepson, Grace's older half-brother who married Tara in the seventh movie and is a police officer like his late father.
- Katherine Barrell as Rejoyla "Joy" Harper, a newcomer who comes to Middleton to help Cassie out at Grey House and helps the design the Davenport mansion for Martha, but is keeping a secret about her own past. She is later revealed to be Cassie and Abigail's cousin through her mother Julia, who was the cousin of Cassie's mother. Like Cassie and Abigail, she also uses her intuition and charm, but unlike her cousins, Joy is tough, savvy, and displays a "in it to win it" attitude regardless of the outcome, giving Cassie concerns about her potential and intentions. She also envisions things coming true through her dreams.
Recurring
- Noah Cappe as Derek Sanders: Middleton's chief of police, whom Mayor Martha Tinsdale appointed after Cassie's husband Jake died.
- Kate Corbett as Eve, receptionist at Dr. Sam Radford's clinic.
- Jefferson Brown as Ben who has a construction business and Stephanie's former boyfriend.
- Gabrielle Miller as Linda Wallace: Sam's ex-wife and Nick's mother. Linda moves to Middleton to be closer to Nick as she tries to get her family back together, including trying to reconcile with Sam. However, Linda begins to interfere in Sam's life and quickly becomes jealous of his close and growing relationship with Cassie and starts to come between them. She tries to have everything her own way and never seems to listen to others or accept responsibilities for her own mistakes or true motives. Eventually, Linda moves back to New York for her career and to give Nick more space to grow.
- Paul Miller as Tom Tinsdale: Martha's husband. He was previously mayor of Middleton.
- Dan Payne as John Dover: Cassie's former college friend. He arrives in Middleton, during the second season, for a teaching job and renews his interest in dating her.
- Hannah Endicott-Douglas as Lori Russell: Cassie's stepdaughter, who is now a writer.
- Shane Harte as Anthony: Grace's best friend
- Art Hindle as Arthur: Abigail's estranged father
- Sebastian Pigott as Phil Sturgis: a Grey House guest and creator of a high-tech dating app, who begins dating Abigail
- James R. Swalm as Noah: Nick's old friend. In the third season, Noah and his father, Liam move from New York to Middleton, but his friendship with Nick is strained due to their past together, but they eventually manage to mend their friendship and he begins a relationship with Grace. In the fourth season, Noah begins a long-distance relationship with Grace, but they eventually break up shortly into the beginning of the fifth season.
Production
As producer Orly Adelson was president of ITV Studios America in 2014, ITV agreed to become the franchise's TV series distributor outside of North America.
Reception
In May 2017, the show was placed second for four straight weeks, behind AMC’s Breaking Bad spin-off, Better Call Saul. In 2017, Mike Hale of The New York Times noted that the series has been "ignored by critics and never nominated for an Emmy or a Golden Globe." Hale continued to explain that the "Good Witch, averaging more than 2.5 million viewers on Sunday nights on the Hallmark Channel, consistently beat more talked-about shows like Fargo, The Americans, Silicon Valley, Veep and Pretty Little Liars." Hale called the series "a gentle, sentimental prime-time fable set in an idealized Middle American small city, is the show you find your parents or grandparents watching when you come home for a visit."In 2019, the show was one the network's most popular original series, and the Good Witch closed the season five in first place among Household rating on Sundays. The success of the series lifted the Hallmark Channel to be the highest-rated and most-watched cable network on the weekends. In July 2019, Deadline reported that Hallmark Channel renewed the series for a sixth season, and Bailee Madison would be leaving the show. Deadline wrote that "Madison has been on Good Witch series since it launched in 2015 so her exit is bittersweet and emotional."