"The Worst Witch" is a popular children's book series written by Jill Murphy. It has been adapted into various television series and films, with the 90s TV adaptation being one of the most beloved versions. The show follows the story of Mildred Hubble, a young witch attending Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. Mildred often finds herself in various misadventures and struggles with her magical abilities, earning her the reputation of being the "worst witch." Despite her frequent mishaps, Mildred remains determined and has a heart of gold. The 90s TV adaptation of "The Worst Witch" aired from 1998 to 2001, consisting of four seasons.

YMMV / The Worst Witch

Ethel: I know what you think of me. But I didn't expect Mildred to be expelled. Not for that.
Enid: She better not be, had she? For your sake.

Miss Hardbroom: Mildred Hubble. Who would have thought the scared little girl who could barely fly her broom in a straight line would enter these hallowed halls of the magical sciences. And you're going to throw it all away. Always rushing into things, never thinking of the consequences. It will be your downfall, Mildred.

Mildred: And I'll have no one to blame but myself, Miss Hardbroom. I'm old enough to make my own choices.

• Hobbes from Weirdsister College. Some give him the Draco in Leather Pants treatment due to his Freudian Excuse. Others find that it doesn't justify his awful behaviour and think he's unnecessarily dickish. And then there's the third group who are arguably a mix of both sides of the argument, thinking that while his past makes his motivations understandable, he does need to check his behaviour.
• Any replacement teacher (or actor) is more likely to become a subject of this trope. Especially when it comes to fan favourite, Miss Hardbroom.

• Miss Bat is the most popular of the teachers with fans. It's quite surprising given that she made one appearance in the books. Arguably it can be said that all the teachers would fit under this tropes, as this series is written largely from Mildred's point of view, and she does not often get on with her teachers even with the best of intentions.
• Drucilla made just one brief appearance in the fourth book. But her popularity due to an expanded role in the TV series led to Jill Murphy featuring her in more books.
• For non-book characters, Charlie Blossom as well - presumably for the Shipping potential. One episode character Deirdre Swoop also got upgraded to regular in both spin-offs.
• Clarice is also rather popular for someone who only made a brief appearance in the books and was in a supporting role for most of the TV series.
• Ruby Cherrytree seems to be fondly remembered from the 1998 series - thanks to having an entertaining technophile persona and being the most prominent woman of colour in the cast.
• The 1998 versions of Sybil, Grisela, and Fenella are all only semi-regulars who barely appear at all in the books but are better remembered than some of the show's main characters. This is due to Sybil's Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass moments and refusal to kowtow to her bullying sister and the other two girls being Cool Big SisGood Bad Girl characters who are good at ferreting out the school's secrets.

• Fans of the 2017 series also get along with the fandom of So Awkward really well, since both shows follow their plots at different schools in different timelines. In fact, So Awkward and The Worst Witch are both CBBC's best shows and both came to an end in 2020 where The Worst Witch ended in April and So Awkward ended in October.
• There is a friendly bond between The Worst Witch fans and Little Witch Academia fans, due to the deep similarities between the two (both star good-hearted girls who are Naive Newcomers and inept Mages, whose best friends consist of a dorkish and nice bookworm and and a mischievous troublemaker and who frequently gets into antics at a British all girls magic school while bullied by an Academic Alpha Bitch who has an agenda against the protagonist). The fact that both got TV shows on Netflix in 2017 within a couple of months of each other helps.

• Fairuza Balk playing the titular Worst Witch in the TV movie. She would go onto play an Ethel type in The Craft, and would even own an occult shop for a time (rumors dogged her that she was a practicing witch but she merely owned the shop while doing research for the film).
• Felicity Jones originally played Ethel Hallow in the 1998 series. Ethel is very much a stickler for the rules, and loathe to disobey authority. Fast-forward 18 years, and Ms Jones appeared in Rogue One, fighting against the Empire - very much the authority in the galaxy.

• Miss Drill if you think about it. She's one of the few non-witch members of staff (in the TV show anyway) and is constantly at odds with Miss Hardbroom. Although she experiences plenty of Fantastic Racism, she just keeps on with her job and trying to do her best.
• Mildred herself could also be considered as an example of this trope. Even though it seems as if the world is against her trying to become a witch, she constantly continues to push herself forward. In the television adaptations, she is also a victim of Fantastic Racism, being a magical person from a non-magical family. It's implied that this is rare, and Mildred is stated to be the first student of such background in Cackle's.

• For all of her faults, Ethel can be considered this in the 2017 series, the majority of her nasty acts were mainly to knock out the competition, so her mother —who Ethel's always the Un Favorite to— would finally acknowledge her talents.
• Miss Gullet in the 2017 series. Sure she's a total jerk (and sometimes a villain), but when you find out she gets no respect from the other teachers and is seen as boring by them and the students, you can't help but feel bad for her. Mr. Rowan-Webb stealing her thunder and proving to be a hit with the school is the only reason she A) hates Mr. Rowan-Webb, B) turned against the school, and C) is a villain at all. Also doubles as an Alas, Poor Villain.

• In The New Worst Witch, Dyllis Mustardseed seems to be crushing pretty hard on Belladonna Bindweed. Too bad Belladonna hates her.
• The bickering between Miss Drill and Miss Bat in Season 2 could slip into this at times.
• This is also seen to be the attitude between Miss Hardbroom and Miss Drill.
• Not to mention Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle from the 2017 series, whose former friendship is presented more as a former romance, just without using that word. Of particular note should be the two or three-second long kiss on the cheek Miss Pentangle bestows on Miss Hardbroom during 2x10.

• Merlin trying to reseal the Dragon Lord back into the cave. He says "Back from whence you came" as if he couldn't care less.
• Miss Drill's evil persona as Hilary Hemlock. Evil Is Hammy to the last degree.
• While Sybil is an effective Woobie, any time she actually has to cry on screen, it's painfully forced.

• The series also has a few uncanny similarities with Winx Club. Cackle and Hardbroom are similar to Faragonda and Griselda, Ruby is a magical technophile like Tecna, both Mildred and Bloom leave their magic school after being publicly humiliated and gets exonerated when they save the school from evil witches, etc. This is doubly ironic considering the first book originally intended to end with the twist that Mildred was a fairy all along and would have transferred to a school for fairies, where she would have been happier, similar to Mirta from the latter show. The 2017 show seems slightly aware of this; the way Mildred learns about the school comes from helping Maud, who crashed her broomstick near her flat, similar to how Bloom met Stella. The two even share an actress: Carrie Finlay, the actress who voiced over Sybil in the North American dub would end up voicing Wicked Witch Darcy.

• Katy Allen took over for Felicity Jones as Ethel in Seasons 2 and 3, and wasn't as liked. Many fans rejoice that the latter returned to the role for Weirdsister College.
• Frank Blossom gets Put on a Bus in Season 3 and replaced with his brother Ted, who's a rather blatant Expy and not as memorable.
• In Weirdsister College, Mildred's best friend Maud weirdly does not attend, despite being elected Head Girl in the Season 3 finale and actually being the second-best student in the year after Ethel. She's not mentioned at all, and instead Mildred befriends a new witch called Cas Crowfeather. Cas isn't too well-liked, mainly for her actress's awkward performance and being much pushier and more self-centered than Maud.
• Caroline O'Neill replacing Kate Duchene as Miss Hardbroom in The New Worst Witch. It's very much a Tough Act to Follow situation, since that is the role Kate Duchene is best remembered for.

• A young Felicity Jones as Ethel Hallow in the first season of the '98 series.
• Enid's actress in the 1998 series is Jessica Fox, who is now best known as Nancy in Hollyoaks.
• Jay Baruchel plays Beanpole, one of the Canadian boy scouts in "The Great Outdoors".
• Sacha Dhawan is Azmat Madari in Weirdsister College.
• Wait a minute. that was Hilda/Ellie as Mildred Hubble?

• The music video made by Tim Curry aka the Grand Wizard. Really, see for yourself.
• The flying effects on the 1998 TV show zig zag between this, while being respectable enough for the era, especially on the small budget allocated to the children's TV show.

• Ruby zigzags through this. While she does get a couple of more focus episodes as the series goes, she's still very much an obvious Token Minority.
• Jadu meanwhile does not get A Day in the Limelight until the penultimate episode, making her feel like a more blatant Token Minority than Ruby.
• Weirdsister College has an episode detailing how Enid and Mildred have drifted apart since Cackle's, but Maud never even appears or gets name-checked in the series. She was Mildred's best friend from her very first day, and a very gifted witch in her own right, making it odd that she didn't attend the college too or at least visit.

• Show Spoilers

'The Worst Witch' Is Getting A Remake And They've Found A New Mildred Hubble!

A whole generation of youngsters (and their mums and dads) will never forget the classic after school TV show 'The Worst Witch' often watched while eating a cheese string or two.

Anyway, move over Harry Potter, a brand new series of 'The Worst Witch' has been conjured up and we can't quite contain our excitement.

Yep, everybody's favourite hapless witch Mildred Hubble is making a comeback in a TV revival of the Nineties classic which originally ran from 1998 until 2001.

Talking to The Telegraph back in 2014, Jill Murphy, who wrote the original children’s book said: "We're just in the process of working on it with the BBC. They have much better special effects for the animals, so it should be wonderful. I'm really, really looking forward to it."

Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey will be playing our beloved Mildred and we can't wait!

Read More: Josh from 'My Parents Are Aliens' Is All Grown Up

Until we know the release date of the new series, we take a look back at what happened to the witches after they graduated Cackle's Academy?

The 90s TV adaptation of "The Worst Witch" aired from 1998 to 2001, consisting of four seasons. It starred Georgina Sherrington as Mildred Hubble and featured an ensemble cast of talented young actors. The show captured the whimsical and magical atmosphere of the books, bringing the world of Miss Cackle's Academy to life.

Mildred Hubble (Georgina Sherrington) Back Then

Georgina Sherrington played clumsy witch-in-training Mildred, who, let's face it, was the one we all related to.

One of the highlights of the 90s adaptation is its charming and relatable characters. From Mildred's loyal friend Maud to the strict but caring Miss Hardbroom, each character brings their own unique personality to the story. The show also emphasizes the importance of friendship, teamwork, and embracing one's individuality. The visual effects of "The Worst Witch" 90s series may seem dated by today's standards, but they still hold a certain nostalgic appeal. The school's grand hall, filled with floating candles and talking portraits, creates a magical ambiance that draws viewers into the world of witches and wizards. "The Worst Witch" 90s series has remained popular among audiences even years after its initial release. Its enduring charm lies in its ability to capture the imagination of young viewers and transport them to a world of magic and wonder. The show's themes of perseverance, self-acceptance, and the importance of friendship continue to resonate with audiences of all ages. In conclusion, "The Worst Witch" 90s series is a beloved adaptation of Jill Murphy's children's book series. Its relatable characters, magical atmosphere, and timeless themes make it a memorable and cherished show that continues to captivate audiences today..

Reviews for "Reliving the Magic: Why The Worst Witch Remains Popular among 90s Kids"

1. Emily - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Worst Witch 90s". The storyline felt disjointed and rushed, and the characters lacked depth. The acting also left much to be desired, with many performances feeling forced and unnatural. Overall, I found it hard to connect with the characters and couldn't fully get invested in the plot. It's a shame, as I was really looking forward to this adaptation, but it fell short of my expectations.

2. Ethan - 1/5 stars - I have to say, "The Worst Witch 90s" was a complete letdown. The special effects were cheesy and outdated, making it difficult to take the magical elements seriously. The dialogue was cringe-worthy and the humor often fell flat. The performances were lackluster, and the casting didn't seem to match the essence of the characters from the original books. Overall, it felt like a cheap attempt to cash in on the nostalgia of the original series, but it missed the mark by a long shot.

3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - As an avid fan of the original "Worst Witch" books, I was excited to see that they were bringing it back in the 90s. However, this adaptation didn't live up to the charm and magic of the books. The writing was lackluster, and the pacing was all over the place. The characters lacked depth and the storyline felt contrived. It's a shame, as there was so much potential here, but it ultimately fell short of capturing the essence of the beloved books.

The Worst Witch: A 90s Phenomenon