Shannen Doherty’s Death Reminds Us Why Charmed Is So Special

I grew up watching Beverly Hills, 90210, so Shannen Doherty has a long running hold on my adolescent mind, but it was Charmed that showed me what she was truly capable of as an actress and entertainer. The show aired in 1998 on the newly created WB channel, and I was not even legally allowed to drink yet — still young and impressionable enough to want to emulate these sister witches I loved so much. I even had three sisters of my own to encourage to watch the show and be witchy with me.

Shannen Doherty’s Charmed character, Prue, struck a special chord with me because she’s the big sister, and I am also the oldest sister in my family.

Doherty portrays Prue as strong, smart, and willful in a way only a big sister can. For those who don’t know, the show revolves around Prue and her two sisters, Piper, the middle sister, played by Holly Combs, and Phoebe, the baby, portrayed by the still adorable Alyssa Milano.

The Halliwell sisters discover in the first episode that they are descendants of a long line of witches, and that it is up to them to fight evil.

Shannen Doherty and the co-stars who play her sisters carry Charmed with grace, compassion, wit, and plenty of silliness. It doesn’t hurt that the show is set in a big Victorian house in San Francisco, so the scenery is lovely, and the pace is perfect for a big city.

There is always action and adventure to be had with the Halliwell sisters. We meet their love interests, we deal with their sisterly fights and reunions, and we suffer their losses with them. All the while, they grow strong and more powerful. 

Shannen Doherty made Charmed what it was for the three seasons she appeared as the oldest Halliwell sister. Yes, Milano and Combs were also amazing, but Doherty was a seasoned badass by the time she stepped into her witchy shoes, and it shows. The show was still great after her character was killed off in the Season 3 finale, but it was missing that special something … that special someone.

Rose McGowan came on as the long-lost little sister to complete the trio of sister witches, and she was wonderful to watch, but it just wasn’t the same. 

Shannen Doherty as Prue in Charmed brought a maturity to the subject of witchcraft. She made us feel like we could take magic seriously, even if just for the hour each episode lasted. And her relationships, both with her sisters and with her love interests, somehow seemed more grown up than those of her co-stars.

It’s funny to think that a 90210 alumni made such an impact on a trivial series about sister witches, but she did. The show had the highest debut of any WB show in history and the highest ratings and for many years it was the longest running hour-long television series with all female leads. Doherty’s acting and powerful presence had much to do with that. 

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Fortunately, we don’t have to let the memory of Shannen Doherty, or her performance in Charmed, go. It’s streaming on Peacock for us to watch, rewatch, and then rewatch once more. Check it out at your first opportunity to see how feminist witches handle some of life’s craziest trials and tribulations.