Disclosure: I was sent a free screening link for the purpose of review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell), Middleton’s favorite enchantress, and her young-teenage daughter Grace (Bailee Madison), who shares that same special intuition as her mom, welcome Dr. Sam Radford (James Denton) and his son to town. When the New York transplants move in next to the Grey House, they are immediately spellbound by the mother-daughter duo next door, but Sam and Cassie quickly find they may not see eye to eye. With her signature charm, Cassie attempts to bring everyone together, ensuring all of Middleton is in for new changes, big surprises and, of course, a little bit of magic!
Before I begin this review, let me establish a bit of my background with Hallmark and the Good Witch franchise. If you follow my blog at all, you will know that I am an avid Hallmark advocate. There is very little that airs on this network that I do not like. And when I was asked to review this newest series, I was honored. I was completely unfamiliar with any of the films (I don’t know where I’ve been), and I can tell you honestly that viewing the films before enjoying the series is not essential. I plan to get caught up so it can add to my enjoyment of the series. But I came in knowing virtually nothing, and I did not feel lost at all.
Additionally, some may be concerned about the “magic” aspect of the show. I realize this may be a turn-off to my readers who are more conservative. Let me quell your fears. I am a committed Christian, and I can assure you that the magic in this show is a delightful element. If you have ever watched any fantasy movies/shows or possibly even the old Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie shows, you will find this show is even better than those. The “magic” is more of a premonition or feeling, and it is completely family-friendly. In fact, the show has nothing objectionable in it. It is suitable for all ages.
Now onto my review!
From the opening scenes of this show, I was drawn into the story. I was only familiar with the two principals, but most of the actors and actresses have been a part of this franchise for some time. The newcomer is James Denton, but he seemed to fit well into the framework of the show. The characters were absolutely delightful, and the story dealt with many family and even current issues. As always with Hallmark, doing the “right” thing was emphasized, and making bad decisions was frowned upon (and not rewarded). But for me, I salute Hallmark for venerating policemen. In this day and age, when the news is inundated with stories of police officers who have done the wrong thing or been reviled by others, it is nice to see a show that gives policemen the honor that they are due.
Honestly, I have never seen Catherine Bell in anything else. I know of the show Jag, but as I have stated before, I am “out of the loop” when it comes to watching many television series. What I can say is that not only is she the perfect fit for the role of Cassie Nightingale, but she is the only one who could play this role so convincingly. I realize she has been with the franchise from the beginning, but she is pure magic on the screen. She is absolutely gorgeous, and her acting is effortless. I forgot that I was watching a show–she embodies the character so well that I was drawn into her world for the time the show was on–and I truly escaped my own reality. Beauty, talent, and credibility–that is the triple threat that Catherine has brought to this role!
On the other hand, I have seen Bailee Madison in a couple other films, and she is truly a bright and up and coming star! Whenever she played her role of Grace (Cassie’s daughter), she lit up the screen. I was completely enraptured with how easily she portrayed her role. There was never any doubt that she was the sweet teenaged daughter who was just discovering her special gifts. Every time I see this girl, her acting just seems to improve (and she has been outstanding in everything in which I have seen her–how does she keep getting better?). She and Catherine interact so well that if I hadn’t known the truth, I would have thought they were mother and daughter.
As to James Denton (who is new to the franchise but not to acting of course), I knew I had seen him elsewhere, but I could not place him. I am afraid I never watched Desperate Housewives, but then I saw he had been in last year’s Hallmark movie Stranded in Paradise–that was it! As Dr. Sam Radford, no doubt he is the perfect foil for Catherine’s character. Their chemistry was full of just the right amount of tension and enchantment to make watching them a pleasure. He is certainly handsome enough, and his character’s early aloofness made me wonder if I would eventually like him in the role. Did he truly fit into this show? By the end of the show, his character had grown on me (brilliant acting on his part as his character evolved throughout the episode–exactly what was supposed to happen). I greatly anticipate what his character will do as the show continues.
My favorite character, however, is Mayor Martha! My daughter’s name is Martha, so she and I both noticed from the beginning that the mayor shared her name. I knew nothing of the actress Catherine Disher, but her character brings a fair amount of humor and fun to series. My poor daughter was not happy that the mayor was pompous (I assured my daughter she was nothing like the mayor even though they share a name), but my favorite scene involved this mayor. I will not spoil the scene, but pay particular attention to the scene where she is stopped by a policeman and the awkward scene that ensues. I look forward to watching this scene again! There is no one else who could bring such believability and incredible comedic timing to this role as this actress, and she adds that wonderful element of humor that every show absolutely must have.
So what did I think? While this show is not yet my absolute favorite series (I am a #Cover at heart), I can honestly say the series was sheer delight! Speaking of Cedar Cove, if you pay attention to the credits, as I did, you might recognize a name–Sue Tenney! I knew the name, and I knew she was connected with Cedar Cove. Yes, she was the executive producer last season and wrote a few episodes. And she wrote this episode of Good Witch and is one of the executive producers. This made me even more excited to watch this show.
So be sure to watch the premiere on February 28 at 8/7 c! Check out the links below for local showtimes. After all, you want to live tweet with the cast and fans, right? When you do, be sure to use the hashtag #GoodWitch, and be sure to follow all the accounts on twitter:
Related Articles
31 Comments
-
It’s 2020 and I just saw a commercial for the season finale of the “Good Witch”. Have you changed your opinion?
-
There is still no answer as to what happen to Gwen..Georges wife on last season?
-
Author
Vivian I would direct you to ask Hallmark about this issue as I do not work for Hallmark & the network will probably never see this. Thank you.
-
-
-
I absolutely agree…We LOVE The Good Witch, movies and series!
I completely respect Christian beliefs, and those who are conservative.
But, as a Pagan, I can absolutely tell you that the magic that happens on The Good Witch is pretty much the way Pagans see the Universe.
We try to pay attention to premonitions, good (and bad) vibes, and to those we love. All so we can care for them and help them when they are troubled.
By “bad vibes”,I mean that tingle you get that tells you not to get into an elevator with the sketchy dude, or to take extra care driving on the turnpike. We pay attention to our gut feelings.
We just try to pay attention to whatever the Universe might be trying to tell us, so we can live mindfully for the greater good.
Thanks for letting me take this opportunity to reach out and try to hopefully, maybe help Pagans and Christians find some common ground.
We believe in tolerance and understanding.
Hope ya’ll do too.
Cate Dalton.-
Catherine thank you for taking a moment to detail your beliefs. Interesting observations. Of course, my purpose is never to proselytize on this site and I am careful to respect everyone. I have met people from all different faiths & persuasions. Everyone is entitled to their personal beliefs. I sincerely doubt that Hood Witch is putting forth any religious views since the Hallmark network is not affiliated with any religion. But I do not know if the creators subscribe to paganism as I have never talked with them. According to Catherine Disher, the magic in Good Witch is not real magic, but that’s honestly all I know.
-
-
-
I absolutely love the series. It is by far my favorite show on TV. I have only watched a couple of the movies and I really like Sam better than Jake. I would love to know what happened to Gwen. Otherwise, it is just the best!
-
-
What happened to gwen? And tom? Why did they move b ack to the grey house? Who has the old house
-
Sharon, I’m afraid I’m not the one to ask. They made changes for a variety of reasons once the series of Good Witch began.
-
-
I can’t believe so many people like that show. It’s like the bland witch Project… Maybe watching the movies before watching the TV show might make one more invested in the characters but having not seen any of the movies I found myself not caring about any of these characters. I knew my opinion will not be the most popular of opinions, as everyone else seems to love the show, but I just found it really bland and boring, and can’t really understand why it’s doing so well. No one else in my family cares for it either… But people like different things so I hope everyone else enjoys it!
-
Erin, it is not my favorite show by a long shot, but I will say that it has improved over the seasons. I think that it speaks to the younger people. But to each his own. I appreciate that you took the time to stop by and share your opinion in the right way without bashing anyone connected with the show. It will never be my favorite, but there are portions I like and actors I like. And it’s Hallmark. And I will always concentrate on that. But it is not nearly as enjoyable as the other series on Hallmark.
-
-
Thanks for the great review. Although some scenes are kind of corny, overall, I enjoy the show. It’s a great escape from reality and a refreshing family-friendly show. All the characters are well cast and I always look forward to seeing what Martha has up her sleeves. What the world needs is more “Cassies”!!!! She’s a sheer delight.
-
Thank you for stopping by. Yeah, it’s not always reality, but it’s a great escape for sure. And we have another season to look forward to.
-
-
Nothing has been said about Gwen (George’s) wife. Did she leave him, did she die? I love this show. Looking forward to this season and many more. We can’t get enough. Really enjoying this family show. A far cry from the blood and guts, and dumb reality shows we seem to be getting these days.
Thanks for a great show.
-
Are Gabrielle Miller and Kylee Evans related? They have the same eyes and mannerisms, and I see similarities in the face as well.
-
I honestly don’t know Cheryl. It might be worth investigating.
-
-
Hallmark Channel has some of the best movies around.
-
Indeed they do. I am quite a Hallmark fan and I love their stuff!
-
-
Love this series. Great actors.
-
i hope this is different than bewitched…ill check it out
-
It definitely is Kelly. It does not have the silliness at all of the old sitcom. It emphasizes family values and deals with real world situations.
-
-
Like to see this sounds good
-
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have taped this show, because it looks cute. However, i was a little nervous about the “magic” aspect. I too am a Christian, and try to stay away from shows that get too “witchcrafty”. I will check it out 🙂
-
I love all the actors in this show! AND something my teen and I can watch together…thanks for an idea for quality time!
-
I did watch and really liked it. I am looking forward to watching more of them with my family.
-
That is great news Debbie! I sure enjoyed it!
-
-
Have watched all the Good Witch movies and the series is really good. Catherine Bell is a wonderful actress plus we got back many of the old cast. As a plus the new guys are also very good. Such a wonderful tribute to Jake as he was honored at the end. This new series has all the old sparkle plus it gives the writers many new plots for the future. My hope is this series goes on for a long time as its so worth watching.
-
I saw the movie, did not like it, why they killed off Jake no one said how or when or why he died. Chris Potter was working on another show they could have worked around his schedule they did it be for, instead they said he died, they could have said he was asked to work on a big case for the FBI something like that. I will watch the other good witch movies but not this one. Also what happened to Gwen George wife, and the original Brandon?? Do not get me wrong I love James Denton and Catharine Bell, and Baily Madison was great. The show just did not have that magic without Jake. Jake and Cassandra brought magic to the movie.
-
And since I never saw the movies I honestly didn’t know what I was missing. I think in Chris Potter’s case Heartland refused to let him do the show since he was under contract with them. That was my understanding. Not sure what happened to the other actors. I loved Bailee Madison however. But thanks for your perspective!
-
-
I loved it. I can’t wait until next week. Thanks !
