Charmed
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The Unaired Pilot is the 30 minute long pilot used to present Charmed to the networks. After being picked up by The WB and the recasting of Phoebe and Andy's parts, additional scenes were written and (re)shot.

Summary[]

For a complete plot of Unaired Pilot, go here.
To read the full script of Unaired Pilot, go here.

Reunited in the grand Victorian house of their childhood, a trio of sisters, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe Halliwell discover they are gifted witches. Little do they know that their newfound powers mean that they are now prey to evil forces.


Cast[]

Main cast[]

Uncredited[]

Powers[]

Gallery[]

Promotional Pictures[]

Screencaps[]

Music[]

  • The Doors - Riders on the Storm (the intro of this song has been cued into the background music at the beginning of the episode.)
  • The Doors - People Are Strange (Song before the end credits as Prue (Shannen) uses her power to close the front door.)

Differences from Something Wicca This Way Comes[]

  • The manor is called "Warren Manor" instead of "Halliwell Manor".
  • When Prue closes the door in this episode, she uses her hand and no wooshing noise sounded.
  • Piper's freezing powers sound is different.
  • Jeremy projects a snake-like version of himself in the attic while he is still downstairs. The snake has Jeremy's head and turns into a whirlwind when he hits them.
  • In this episode, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe hold onto a pole in the attic.
  • The unaired pilot features different music, which is more dramatic than the music from the aired version.
  • This episode includes the Book of Shadows, however, the page that gives the girls their powers is less impressive and simple. This could be due to the fact that this episode was merely for selling to the WB and less effort was put into design. The spell itself had differences as well; the words "Gods" and "Work" were originally "Spells" and "Gift" in the unaired version.
  • The effect used for Phoebe's first premonition is different to the 'zoom in' effect we see used in the aired version.
  • It seems that Phoebe's power was not intended to be triggered by touching objects, as we are not shown an example of this. Phoebe simply gets the premonitions when she needs them.
  • In the Unaired Pilot, it is Phoebe's idea to chant the Power of Three Spell, however, Prue appears afraid to join in, which delays Jeremy's death. This is different to the aired version, where, not only does Prue start casting the spell immediately, it's her idea. The writers presumably changed the scene as Prue was seen as the strong sister and leader of the group. Another reason might be because in the Unaired Pilot this scene acts as a resolution of the subplot of Prue being reluctant to accept and embrace her new powers and Phoebe trying to convince her otherwise, while in the aired pilot this subplot is already resolved at this point.
  • Prue uses her power of telekinesis with her mind, hands and eyes. In the aired pilot, Prue couldn't use her power with her hands at will, because she didn't learn to channel her power that way until "Out of Sight".
  • In the unaired pilot, Jeremy uses his powers on Prue, Piper and Phoebe from the hall. In the aired version, he had to go to the Attic to use them.
  • In the unaired pilot, Phoebe saw the two boys on skateboards in her premonition. In the aired pilot, the boys were using the rollerblades.
  • Most scenes with Andy Trudeau in the unaired pilot are very short and to the point, without any back-and-forth between Andy and another policeman, since Darryl Morris doesn't exist in this version. The scene in the hospital with Prue and Andy is very short as well, since both of them get called by Phoebe and the doctor respectively and separate without really talking. The next morning Andy comes by because of neighbors' complaints about noise, and not to see Prue, as he does in the aired version.
  • In the aired pilot, Andy notices Phoebe holding Kit, yet does not make a comment. However, in the unaired pilot, he unknowingly foreshadows the reveal of Kit's true nature by saying she "looks familiar".
  • Three scenes did not exist at all in the unaired pilot:
    • The scene set in Phoebe's bedroom when Piper brings her food and they talk about Prue acting like their mother figure.
    • The second scene between Prue and Roger, where she comes to his office, quits on the spot after hearing him take all the merit for her work, and unintentionally strangles him with his own tie using her powers.
    • The scene between Prue and Phoebe in the drugstore where Phoebe helps Prue vent her anger by triggering her power.
  • The cheerful conversation between the sisters at the end of the episode about how their lives remaining the same despite the introduction of magic in their lives is replaced in the aired version by a more serious one about their lives never being the same again.

Notes[]

  • This unaired pilot was shot in the actual Manor that is shown on the show. Only the attic was a set because the attic in the original house is locked off. After replacing Lori Rom, the show moved to the sound studio where the attic set was.
  • This unaired pilot is basically the same as the first episode Something Wicca This Way Comes, except for the characters Phoebe, Andy and Darryl; the first two were portrayed by different actors and the last didn't exist.
  • Lori Rom left 'Charmed' because her church didn't approve of her playing a witch. Executive producer Aaron Spelling asked Alyssa Milano, whom he knew from Melrose Place, to replace Rom as "Phoebe", and she accepted.
  • The unaired pilot is 32 minutes and 30 seconds long as it was just to present Charmed. After hiring Alyssa Milano, they taped all scenes of Lori Rom again and added more to make it 43 minutes, an hour long show with adverts.
  • In one of the promos of the unaired version of Something Wicca This Way Comes, the three sisters (Shannen, Holly and Lori) have the B.O.S the other way around (see the Triquetra in the book).
  • Brad Kern wanted to include the unaired pilot on the season 8 DVD as part of the extras. Although, only part of it was included on the season 8 extras, it was part of the Bonus CD of the DVD BoS Collection (region 1).

Quotes[]

Prue: Piper, the girl has no vision, no sense of the future.
Piper: I really think Phoebe's coming around.
Prue: Well, as long as she doesn't come around here I guess that's good news.

Phoebe: According to the Book of Shadows, one of our ancestors was a witch, named Melinda Warren.
Piper: And we have a cousin who's a drunk, an aunt who's manic, and a father who's invisible.

Piper: Besides Grams wasn't a witch, and neither was mom. So take that Nancy Drew.
Phoebe: We are the protectors of the innocent, we're known as the Charmed Ones!
Piper: Mh-hmmm.
Phoebe: And I beg to differ about Grams.

(Prue used her power to flick Jeremy to a wall and on the ground)
Jeremy: Cool parlor trick bitch. You were always the tough one, weren't you Prue. You didn't even cry at mommy's funeral.
Prue: And I won't be crying at yours!
(Prue uses her power again to flick Jeremy backward to a wall)
Previous Episode:
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Next Episode:
Something Wicca This Way Comes
Episodes: Season 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8
Comics: 9 - 10
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