"I just didn't necessarily enjoy playing Sabrina."
If you can believe it, Melissa Joan Hart has admitted that she never really enjoyed playing the teenage witch, Sabrina. With 163 episodes out there, that's quite an incredible truth to admit all these years later.
September 27, 1996 was the date that the very first episode of 'Sabrina The Teenage Witch' aired over in the States on ABC. Fast-forward over 25 years later, and '80s and '90s kids still remember that teenage witch and her often troublesome little finger of hers (and the constant shade thrown by her pet cat, Salem).
In an interview with E! Online, in which she answered all of their burning questions about the supernatural sitcom, Melissa Joan Hart revealed that she hasn't seen 'Sabrina' in chronological order.
She explains that because of her hectic schedule as an actor, she was never able to see the series: "You have to remember this about then, we didn't have TiVo [a Sky box, essentially]. The only way I could watch 'Sabrina' was if I was home on Friday nights, which I wasn't because I was working, or they would hand me on the night it would air, I was allowed to get a copy of it on VHS.
"So unless I went home and popped it in the VHS player—which I wasn't doing on my weekends off—I never watched it. So I have a totally different perspective on the show than other people do."
The 45-year-old then dropped the cauldron - she never liked playing the character. She clarifies: "I never enjoyed playing Sabrina. I loved being part of the production. I loved being on that set. I loved every minute of it. I just didn't necessarily enjoy playing Sabrina.
"I had much more fun being Melissa or Mel on 'Melissa & Joey' because that was a character I could really dive into and be ridiculous and that's where I had a lot of fun."
As for that 'Sabrina' reboot or appearance we've desperately been hoping for? Don't hold your breath for Melissa Joan Hart to turn up as Sabrina. She continued: "I've never really wanted to go back to Sabrina. As much as I had a blast on the show, I think it would be over-critiqued, and I don't think it would be successful. It's kind of like the last 'Game of Thrones', right? Everybody has predicted for years how they think it should end, and by the time you do it, you're disappointing so many people. I don't think there's any way to get a good outcome of something you're putting a button on.
"I do think we ended 'Sabrina' in just the right tone and just the right way, with enough of a closure but a little bit of a wink towards the future that I wouldn't want to go back and revisit it. We would never be able to get that kind of button on it again. It would always be out there to be critiqued, and I just think it's dangerous with a project like this that's become so loved over the years."
Following the cancellation of 'Sabrina' in 2003, Hart went on to star in 'Melissa & Joey' and 'No Good Nick' comedy series. She's also turned her attention to producing and directing, having directed episodes of 'The Goldbergs' and 'Young Sheldon'. She's also rumoured to be producing an unconfirmed 'Clarissa Explains It All' reboot series.
Amazon Prime has all seven seasons of the series to stream right now.
