PREMISE: Three´s charm. As in the three sisters-Prue (Doherty), Piper (Combs) and Phoebe (Milano)- who learn to their surprise that they are powerful witches, each with special gifts. To their dismay, they also discover this supernatural bonus has made them the target of murderous warlocks and other evil forces.

THEY SAY: "I know the big question is, ´Here you are working with Shannen again," says executive producer Aaron Spelling, who has put his well-publicized rift with former 90210 ingenue behind him. "She´s a terrific actress. She always has been....Remember, she´s a good witch." Spelling says the show is less about "what they do (as witches) but what they are: the relationship between three sisters, the love and the comedy that´s inherent between them."

WE SAY: While not as sharp-witted as the WB´s Buffy, this well-made escapist fantasy concocts a nifty brew of slapstick and scares. The downside: Charned´s target female audience has already fallen under Party of Five´s spell in the same time period.