# Sabrina: The Animated Series
**Sabrina: The Animated Series** is an American animated television series based on the [Archie Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/archie-comics) character [Sabrina the Teenage Witch](https://www.edgepedia.org/sabrina-the-teenage-witch), produced by Savage Studios Ltd. and Hartbreak Films in association with DIC Productions, L.P. It is an animated prequel to the 1996–2003 live-action sitcom *Sabrina the Teenage Witch*, recasting [Sabrina Spellman](https://www.edgepedia.org/sabrina-spellman) as a 12-year-old who already knows she is a witch, several years before the sitcom's premise in which she discovers her powers on her 16th birthday.[1](https://unitedparamountnetworkupn.fandom.com/wiki/Sabrina%3A_The_Animated_Series)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 6, 1999; Season 1 ran from September 1999 to February 2000[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/sabrina-the-animated-series) |
| Episode count | 65 episodes produced for the sole 1999–2000 broadcast season; 52 aired on UPN and 13 on Saturday mornings on ABC[3](https://heykidscomics.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Sabrina%3A_The_Animated_Series_episodes) |
| Voice cast | Emily Hart as 12-year-old Sabrina; Melissa Joan Hart as the voices of both aunts Hilda and Zelda[4](https://www.awn.com/news/dic-debuts-new-cartoons-sabrina-sonic-and-sherlock) |
| Premise | Pre-teen Sabrina, half mortal and half witch, borrows spells from the Spookie Jar against her mortal uncle's warnings and gets into trouble with her friend Harvey[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/sabrina-the-animated-series) |
| Distribution | Introduced at NATPE in January 1999; scheduled for UPN's Disney Afternoon block and distributed internationally by Buena Vista Television[4](https://www.awn.com/news/dic-debuts-new-cartoons-sabrina-sonic-and-sherlock) |
| Follow-up | Continued by the sequel series *Sabrina's Secret Life* (2003–2004)[6](https://eathealthy365.com/comparing-versions-of-sabrina-the-animated-series/) |
## Premise and characters
The series is set in the town of Greendale and follows Sabrina Spellman, a pre-teen girl with small witch powers who lives with her two aunts, Hilda and Zelda, the wise-cracking cat [Salem Saberhagen](https://www.edgepedia.org/salem-saberhagen), and her rule-bound mortal Uncle Quigley, who frequently warns her not to use magic to solve her problems.[7](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/sabrina-the-animated-series/episodes-season-1/1030234596/) • [5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/sabrina-the-animated-series) Because Sabrina already knows she is a witch, the show is a retelling of the character's story rather than a continuation of the live-action sitcom, which had established that Sabrina learned of her powers only at sixteen; the UPN wiki compares the concept to *The New Archies*, a previous Archie Comics-based DIC production.[1](https://unitedparamountnetworkupn.fandom.com/wiki/Sabrina%3A_The_Animated_Series)
The supporting cast includes Sabrina's naive surfer-dude friend Harvey, her best friend Chloe, the only mortal who knows her secret, her spaced-out friend Pi, and Gem Stone, a spoiled rich girl who serves as Sabrina's rival.[7](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/sabrina-the-animated-series/episodes-season-1/1030234596/) • [6](https://eathealthy365.com/comparing-versions-of-sabrina-the-animated-series/) Typical plots follow the Archie Comics pattern of magic backfiring: Sabrina casts a spell to help herself or a friend, the spell misfires, and she scrambles to fix the damage before anyone learns her secret.[8](https://horror.org/private/newsletter/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Feb2019.pdf) Early episodes include "Most Dangerous Witch," in which the witch-hunter Tim the Witchsmeller comes to Greendale and captures Harvey, and "You Said a Mouse-ful," in which Salem is transformed into a mouse for a science fair and nearly launched into space by NASA.[7](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/sabrina-the-animated-series/episodes-season-1/1030234596/)
## Production and broadcast
[DIC Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/dic-entertainment) introduced the series at the NATPE television market in January 1999 as one of three new half-hour shows, alongside *Sonic Underground* and *[Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century](https://www.edgepedia.org/sherlock-holmes-in-the-22nd-century)*. The 65 episodes were scheduled for UPN's Disney Afternoon block, with Buena Vista Television handling international distribution.[4](https://www.awn.com/news/dic-debuts-new-cartoons-sabrina-sonic-and-sherlock) The series premiered on September 6, 1999, airing weekdays at 7:30 a.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. on UPN, and joined ABC's Saturday morning lineup on September 11 at 9:30 a.m.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-06-ca-7315-story.html) TheTVDB lists the season as running through February 2000, with an average runtime of 25 minutes.[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/sabrina-the-animated-series)
The voice cast drew directly on the sitcom: Emily Hart, Melissa Joan Hart's younger sister, voiced Sabrina, while [Melissa Joan Hart](https://www.edgepedia.org/melissa-joan-hart) voiced both aunts, a pairing the *Los Angeles Times* review singled out as where the animated series finds its freshness and sparkle.[4](https://www.awn.com/news/dic-debuts-new-cartoons-sabrina-sonic-and-sherlock) • [9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-06-ca-7315-story.html) [Nick Bakay](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-bakay), who voiced Salem in the live-action series, is credited among the voice cast of the animated show.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/sabrina_the_animated_series/s01)
## Comic spin-off and sequels
The animated continuity continued after the series ended: *Sabrina's Secret Life* (2003–2004), also produced by DIC, is a sequel to the 1999 animated series rather than a reboot.[6](https://eathealthy365.com/comparing-versions-of-sabrina-the-animated-series/)
## Reception and availability
Critics received the show as pleasant but lighter than its live-action predecessor. A *Los Angeles Times* television review published on the premiere date was titled "'Sabrina' Loses Some Magic in Move to World of Animation," while crediting the voice performances of the Hart sisters.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-06-ca-7315-story.html) Common Sense Media described it as a charming, positive show with plots tweens can relate to, though lacking some of the wit and magic of the original series.[11](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/sabrina-the-animated-series) A Screen Rant review on Rotten Tomatoes noted that it never captured the same magic as the sitcom and lasted only a single season.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/sabrina_the_animated_series/s01) The series carries a TV-Y7 age rating and runs about 23 minutes per episode.[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/sabrina-the-animated-series)
The series remains available in the United States, streaming free with ads on [The Roku Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-roku-channel), Pluto TV, and Tubi TV, or as a digital purchase on the Apple TV Store.[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/sabrina-the-animated-series)
## References
1. [Sabrina: The Animated Series, UPN Wiki](https://unitedparamountnetworkupn.fandom.com/wiki/Sabrina%3A_The_Animated_Series)
2. [Sabrina: The Animated Series, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/sabrina-the-animated-series)
3. [List of Sabrina: The Animated Series episodes, Hey Kids Comics Wiki](https://heykidscomics.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Sabrina%3A_The_Animated_Series_episodes)
4. [DIC debuts new cartoons Sabrina, Sonic and Sherlock, Animation World Network (January 26, 1999)](https://www.awn.com/news/dic-debuts-new-cartoons-sabrina-sonic-and-sherlock)
5. [Sabrina: The Animated Series - streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/sabrina-the-animated-series)
6. [How Is Sabrina The Animated Series Different from Others?](https://eathealthy365.com/comparing-versions-of-sabrina-the-animated-series/)
7. [Sabrina: The Animated Series Season 1 Episodes, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/sabrina-the-animated-series/episodes-season-1/1030234596/)
8. [Horror.org newsletter, February 2019](https://horror.org/private/newsletter/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Feb2019.pdf)
9. [Television Review: 'Sabrina' Loses Some Magic in Move to World of Animation, Los Angeles Times (September 6, 1999)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-06-ca-7315-story.html)
10. [Sabrina, the Animated Series: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/sabrina_the_animated_series/s01)
11. [Sabrina: The Animated Series - Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/sabrina-the-animated-series)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Adapted and franchise screen series › Children's and family franchise series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license