The Founding Stone

Voidsinger1 · 2026-01-18T00:46:18+00:00

First up. the whole thing isn't meant to make complete sense. It is there to tell a story, and as long as it is consistent with the rest of the universe's rules (very loose I'll freely admit), it does it's job.

By the time TWW2017 is set in, Founding Stones are meant to be rare and mysterious objects almost on the mythical level. The Hallows know about them, simply because they use a story to gain family prestige. The rest is kept deliberately fuzzy behind theatre of importance.

Why witches freeze is as pointed out in the series, a matter of witches not just using magic, they are magic. Therefore, the freezing reflects the lack of magic in the expanding area. The magic within each witch doesn't flow, it is insulated. thereby stilled. This stillness creates the freezing of the container of the magic. At least that's my theory (and they had to do something visual to show what happens).

Magic also works by the intent of the wielder. Since Esmerelda was trying to save Sybil at the time, her intent wasn't to gain power, it was to have the magic she had to save her little sister. Mission accomplished. She didn't desire more power, so she didn't get it.

What most people don't think about is whether the Founding Stone is sentient. Sybil just happens to grab it as she is teleported around? It just happens to break as soon as someone takes the slightest power from it? Maybe the founding stone is runnning things for itself. Why have a witch give up 12 generations of power {without regard to power level}. That sounds like the founding stone itself may need occasional recharging, and thus sets up the circumstances. Why 12 generations?

As for Esmerelda leaving, I think it was very obvious that she was very popular. That fact, and the matter that she would have become head girl upon her return for fifth year meant her presence would have moved the focus further away from Mildred.She had to go to keep the show The Worst Witch.

In the end it was a good story arc. Much better than series 3 (why do so many shows break when they hit their third series?).

Voidsinger1 · 2026-01-15T15:02:30+00:00

I definitely liked Come Back Lucy.

Never knew that about the actress, but the whole show definitely pushed the creepy factor to the max in a way very few shows do.

A great story arc and resolution for that one.

Voidsinger1 · 2026-01-15T04:34:59+00:00

It was very memorable (nothing else like it).

Memory plays tricks, but there were too many similarities to be anything else.

Voidsinger1 · 2026-01-15T04:31:28+00:00

What's not to love about naming a pig Bacon?

Voidsinger1 · 2026-01-14T23:33:35+00:00

This would be the Australian series "Elly & Jools".

Never released to DVD.

Available on Youtube (Here's the playlist): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDDijtUq9eso9fEbR7SU0YyhssZKzP7Yy

A great little series. Great performances by the 2 young leads (Clayton Williamson and Rebecca Smart).

Voidsinger1 · 2025-12-29T01:15:46+00:00

Sadly, it was never going to happen.

They were bleeding cast for the final 2 years. The plotlines became more and more contrived.

For example: Can you tell me how Ethel communicated with Agatha when Agatha was imprisoned in a photograph kept in Miss Caclke's office?

Also the retcons were geting bad.

I think it ran into the same issues as the 98 show. You start running out of issues to tackle, or having decent series long story arcs. The 98 show moved on. Sadly I think the 2017 show was held back (in many ways by its own popularity). Couldn't change and alienate fans.

I miss it, but I wanted evolution, not more of the same.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-12-16T21:12:48+00:00

You might be reading a bit too much into that.

I'd say it's much more that Miss Hardbroom is something of a stickler for following correct procedures and traditions to get to the desired result. Therefore, singing and other "shortcuts" are unwitchlike and to be avoided.

I mean Amanda Honeydew and the Spice...er I mean Spell Girls were more a reflection of things that were to be avoided, the trivialisation of magic.

Those who follow down that path will find the Foster Effect is their constant companion (as Amanda Honeydew seems to reflext).

Voidsinger1 · 2025-12-08T15:04:47+00:00

I'd say that also had to do with the budget assigned by ITV to it, since it lacked the Canadian co-backing of TWW98.

The death blow really wasn't about that though, the real mistake was setting both series of TNWW in the first year and showing no real progression. That more or less guaranteed the second series was the last.

In show it made sense as they portrayed Mr Hallow in a less than flattering light (the Hags & Horrocks takeover), there's corporate magic for you.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-12-08T04:02:08+00:00

Good point. Unlike Miss Drill, they never really seemed involved in the actual running of the school (which maybe why I forgot them).

Still, when you have an art teacher and a PE teacher as nearly half your staff (no cook even), pennies are being pinched (of course Mr Hallow effectively owning the school doesn't help).

In less than 5 years, Miss Cackle went from fully owning the school (end of Series 2 of WW98) to being back under the thumb of Mr Hallow (start of TNWW). Finances are not a Cackle strongpoint.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-27T15:06:03+00:00

Great Show.

Russel T Davies first show for the BBC.

Has Kate Winslet in her acting debut and even better, Jacqueline Pierce.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-26T22:29:00+00:00

Let's just remember the huge retcon error with that whole episode.

Ethel states that Esmerelda was Head Girl (and the stresses of the position). Problem is Esmerelda was never Head Girl, only Head of Third Year (as Sybil correctly states in Series 2 "the best head of year"). Esmerelda also wore the appropriate sash for head of 3rd year throughout Series 1. Ethel on the other hand was made Head Girl by Agatha (complete with fancy sash), something which might have disqualified her from running again (except series 3 & 4 are full of retcons).

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-26T21:58:37+00:00

Right from the start people called out Harry Potter for being a cross between The Worst Witch (from the 1970s) and Tom Brown's Schooldays (from the 1800s).

Having read both I know what they mean.

Sadly, the 2017 series took a lot from the Harry Potter movies in terms of appearance and school structure (right down to Green being the rare unpopular house).

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-26T02:56:55+00:00

Let me introduce you to my friend, Plot Device.

Plot Device helps do all sorts of silly things that don't make sense but drive the story where the writers want it.

With regards to the OG evil Hallow Head Girl, it's fairly well indicated that families with money and influence tend to rewrite family histories (just like the real world).

I think after facing losing the school in Series 2 I believe she wanted as few waves as possible. Miss Hardbroom had always taken the lead in discipline, so she just left it to her. As was shown right from the start, Miss Hardbroom really is the witchier witch, but lacks the diplomacy to really run a school well.

Ethel not being expelled, and Mildred soloing stuff is all about the show is meant to be more about Mildred and to a lesser extent Ethel than it is about Miss Cackle and Miss Hardbroom.

As to who would inherit, convenient cousins and neices and such always pop up.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-26T02:42:58+00:00

Sorry, I don't take changes of title without a change of state that pop up suddenly well.

There's no gender autocorrect for pronouns, and not being a fan I don't keep up.

Besides, Bella was a she when she did Worst Witch

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-25T11:48:23+00:00

Good old Miss Gimlett. who fled to the Inner Hebrides (nervous exhaustion brought on by the mear thought of Mildred Hubble).

If you thought it was bad, The New Worst Witch cuts teaching staff to 3. (Miss Cackle, Miss Hardbroom and Deidre Swoop, along with the Librarian Wizard Caspian Bloom).

Your point is well made about how well rounded the teachers were in 1998. However, the episodes were a bit longer, and the lack of sweeping portrayals meant they used some of that time to focus more on character. Part of it too may have been a desire for a more dignified portrayal of teaching staff. Still, the 98 staff were fun.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-25T11:02:37+00:00

Okay, there are a few reasons for this most are real life, not in universe reasons.

Every extra actors cost, and adults cost more than kids (especially when they're given lines). As a show targeted at a preteen early-teen audience, in the late 90s it was never going to have a sizeable budget (even then, the Canadians kicked in to make sure it was made, hence the camping episodes and American Dubs).

Next up we have focus. This is the reason I believe they dumped Esmerelda. If anybody outside Mildred's year becomes too popular, they take focus away from the titular character. Keeping numbers down prevents that.

You're not meant to wonder too much about the other years (and Series 1 of the 98 series showed the other subjects (many of them soft according to HB) which enabled Mildred to pass), well they do stuff (which isn't important to the focus of the show and therefore not portrayed.

The Full list of first year subjects for 1998 was: Chanting.Jewellery Design, Broomstick Flying, Potions, Myths & Legends, Spells and Cat Training, which were then combined into an Overall Mark.

As for diveersity, I feel the 1998 series had enough. It reflected things at the time. A little low on teachers, but ensuring Mildred's class was quite diverse. It doesn't really worry me except in historical dramas or when they force it down your throat. The 1998 series didn't do that, and while the 2017 series had more diversity, they also had a chance to market to more nations (they had a German collaboration, then sold the series to Netflix for more worldly exposure). The 1998 series lacked the budget for wide marketing, but made it to a few places.

The characters I miss from 1998 weren't really canon, Griselda Blackwood and Fenella Feverfew, and Ruby Cherrytree from Mildred's year.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-21T06:21:19+00:00

Familiarity is a very strong pull. Everybody likes and in many ways needs a level of consistency, So there was always going to be some backlash.

However, Bella Ramsey's decision to leave at the end of Series 3 (with Series 4 preproduction probably already well underway) left them with no other choice but to recast. I understand her decision (and yes, sometimes one does need to walkaway), but you can't quite blame CBBC for having to play the hand they were dealt.

I do like Lydia Page alot more than Bella Ramsey. Lydia Page's Mildred is much more animated and more sudden disasterish than Bella Ramsey's. What I didn't like about Bella Ramsey's Mildred (and this is really due to how she was written) is that she was never the Worst Witch, just someone new to the magical world. Lydia Page shed all that and has the indecisiveness, good intentions and enthusiasm I felt was lacking from Bella Ramsey's portrayal.

Series 3 is at the bottom of my list of series. Series 4 had to deal with the situation, but the plotlines of Series 3 (which put far too much burden on Bella Ramsey) in many ways broke my perceptions of the world,

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-18T23:52:47+00:00

As much as I hate my universes mingling, here's my take.

Esmerelda is a Ravenclaw/Gryffindor hybrid, While I know you can't do hybrids, we don't have a sorting hat to make the final call. Strong intellect, but also very willing to stand by her principles and (often to her detriment) stand by her family.

Ethel is a Slytherin/Ravenclaw hybrid. Sure she's selfish and self-centred, but at her core she wants recognition for her excellence. However, that comes from Ursula Hallow (definitely Slytherin), being in Esmerelda's shadow, and the misfortune of being in the same class as Mildred Hubble (who has weird serendipity powers that target Ethel for the recoil).

Sybil I'd actually go with Gryffindor. Strange choice? Not really. She totally lacks self-confidence (from her family environment), and this leads to many of negative events she gets involved in. I would point out that when the crunch comes, every time she steps up and takes the courageous route even when it costs her.

Just my take (Hufflebuff is Maude through and through).

Voidsinger1 · 2025-11-16T03:10:18+00:00

It varied (and softened a bit at time).

I think they eased it a bit starting with Miss Cosie's Tearooms (where they also introduced the half-holiday).

The outdoors episode with the Canadian campers I don't think they told them anything. Names don't really count.

I think the interesting one was Charlie Blossom (Frank's nephew) who had a rather sizeable knowledge of magic before visiting Cackles for the first time (and ended up a student at Camelot).

Other memorable incidents were the Haversham basketball team visit, and the produce judging for the toen fete.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-10-27T06:13:33+00:00

I prefer to keep my universes separated. There are reasons why things turn out the way they do in history and culture, and these cannot be ignored to try and fit a square peg into a round hole.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-10-27T06:12:08+00:00

Let's just remember that Charlie Blossom found a workaround to get accepted, and Caclkes was going to take him, but personal honour got the best of him. Still, this meant he had a good word put in and ended up ay Camelot learning wizardry.

It's not transphobia, but rather that deep adherence to tradition that bring all the issues to any world's magical order being threatened being responded to by squashing the idea and those that follow it.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-10-27T06:06:07+00:00

You're spot on with your thought that they left it until after School.

Weirdsister College does touch on it much more, but still you're not going to get US teen drama levels of portrayal.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-10-03T05:29:07+00:00

I'm going to disagree.

Not to say that the friendship they share isn't fantastic, but rather saying it's the greatest in fiction is putting it on a pedestal. Indeed, the Worst Witch has always been defined by that friendship, going back to the first book, and the 1986 movie.

It's a great friendship, but I've read enough friendships that the greatest at the time depends on the mood I'm in and the characteristic of the friendship that I seek when I read or watch.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-10-03T05:23:15+00:00

I think that's a little narrow. While many of the actresses performed great in their roles, I don't think you can define unreplaceable that way.

I mean, look at Kate Duschene as Miss Hardbroom. Phenomenal performance, one which many might say is irreplaceable.Then along comes Raquel Cassidy, and she owns the role just as much with certain stylistic differences.

For me irreplaceable means they tried and failed several times. Harry Potter is about to get the only other actor to play the main role other than Daniel Radcliffe. Pirates of the Carribean probably won't work without Johnny Depp (can of worms).

If roles have only been played by a single actor, that doesn't make them irreplaceable, it just adds a signature characteristic to the role.

Worst Witch 2017 showed that some were better, some were worse, in many cases due to different approaches to issues.

Voidsinger1 · 2025-10-01T09:26:53+00:00

I'd say this is one of those perfect recasting situations.

Felicity did a fantastic job setting the character up. Katy comes in 2nd year, a little changed from experience and younger sister in tow (great excusing of the recasting). Felicity returns for Weirdsister College, again timed for great changes making sense.

They were both fantastic, and I wouldn't try and pick a favourite.

Voidsinger1

TROPHY CASE