I am 55 year old Grandfather of 3. I would of never watched this show, but found it on Netflix and I was hooked. It is at its most basic a love story, and how life just happens the good the bad and the ugly. The title Good Witch has really nothing to do with witches, or magic for that matter. It's a show about life.

Two episodes in and I'm wondering if this show improves at all. I remember watching twin peaks with a friend who dissed it in 30 minutes. I explained that the facade of cheesy suburbia helped enhance the menacing surreal stories that would evolve. I'm guessing that this won't be happening with The Good Witch. It's so twee and sweet. My good lady watches shows with vampires and / or werewolves which I tend to avoid. I guess this show is another excuse for teenage angst and adult crisis management. It doesn't really matter what the theme is - the format is generic and dull. Like watching another special effects extravaganza from Marvel expect strong daja vu and not an interesting show.

I have watched the movies, I have watched all the current episodes and seasons of the tv show, and I have to say that IMDB has horrible mean critics. Let me start by saying how much I love and adore this whole series! Cassandra Nightingale is a beautiful character. And in the tv show, Sam Radford balances her out perfectly. This is a wonderful family show and full of life lessons, cliches, romance, and some drama (because life is both good and bad). I personally love how Cassandra is neither played out to be a witch or not, or just perceptive. The mystery of her character is what makes her who she is. I see a lot of complaints so I'm going to address them one by one, and there may be spoilers. :)1) Yes Jake is dead in the beginning of the tv show. And as one who watched the movies, yes, it is sad. He was a loved character. I adored him and the way he loved Cassie and the way they worked together for their family. But he died. And though Hallmark doesn't explain why or how (sometimes we just die, and it's too painful to be brought up of maybe they intend to show it later in a special) he IS dead. And Cassie mourns him. She's sad and multiple times she mentions how he will always be a part of her, how she will always love him. So no, she is not "abandoning" Jake. Nor is she "forgetting" him. That is one of the most powerful messages in this show: Cassie lost her husband but she didn't let that stop her from loving Sam, a man who is very much in love her himself. She doesn't forget Jake, as she mentions to Sam himself, but together, the love they share heals her broken heart. And doesn't she deserve that, to be happy, to have another man who loves her and understands her pain? Shame on you people who judge Cassies character by saying how Jake is dead and she moves on with Sam. Yes she does and that's okay. Because she's allowed to be happy, allowed to love again, and allowed to cry when she needs to for the husband she lost to the man she loves. ITS OKAY. 2) Who the hell doesn't like Abigail? She's an intense, polar opposite of Cassie character. And she's needed. Where Cassie is gentle, Abigail is blunt. She's the chaos and Cassie is the calm before the storm. But withour Chaos there cannot be calm. So yes she's a little out there but so What? She's a great character and she balances Cassie out perfectly. To be honest. I think they see each other as sisters more and I would to see their relationship shown more in depth.3) There are so many kid friendly lessons here. And remember the kids are all either teenagers or young adults. So yes there is drama. But all teenagers deal differently with high school, bullying, etc. Nick is more stoic, not give a damn, break the rules kind of teen and Grace is a good girl, nerdy shy teen. But they balance each other out and it so sweet to see Grace bring out a new Nick who is happier, he makes jokes, and his character really blooms. We were all in high school once (or will be) and it's not fair to judge the show based on the experiences they play out for those teens. Most of them were accurate. There was losing a friend to a parents divorce, making friends with the bad boy and realizing he's actually a good guy don't judge a book by its cover, Grace gets bullied, she struggles to adjust as she's seen as "different" (a witch perhaps?), marriages have ups and downs, arguements between family and friends, etc. These are all great lessons to learn. Life happens. We all are growing and learning no matter how old we are. This show brings that out perfectly. 4) The acting? It's Hallmark (and Hallmark is very good!). So yes there are cliches, there is romance, and there is this.....Hallmark-ness. But it's truly a good show. The acting is a little hard in the beginning as all these new characters have to get to know each other. But they make it work. The chemistry between Cassandra and Sam is marvelous and, yes I'll admit it, brings tears to my eyes and makes me squeal like a little girl (and I'm a grown woman so yes Hallmark be proud). They are the perfect balance. And it wasn't easy for them to be where they are (oh my god that last episode!!) But they made it. There were troubles and there were ups and downs but like every good relationship they decided it was worth it anyway. Hallmark produces very good romance movies. Nothing wrong with a little romance. And the actors are good. 5) Not once in the tv show does it mention anything about not seeing a doctor. Cassie handles herbal medicine and alternative medicine. But she always enlists Sam's help when her medicine is not recommended or helpful. A balance of herbs and doctors will not kill anyone. If you have a broken arm, go to a doctor. If you have acid reflux, try ginger root. Keep your common sense about you. It's called alternative medicine for a reason. And the show does NOT promote not seeing a doctor. 6) The family dynamic of the movies has changed but is still there. In fact it's been made better. How? Life. Grace is the only child still at home. Brandon and Tara are married and have a place of their own, Lori is back and forth doing her journaling and her writing, etc. Tara and Brandon are experiencing married life but are still very much Cassie family, and it is showcased in the way they treat her with such respect and go to her when needed. Lori is a big sister figure to Grace and still very much loves her but is focusing on her job. This happens in life. Children grow up. They get jobs. They get married. They have their own families (Brandon and Tara are so gonna be pregnant next season and I expect Cassie may be too ;)). So yes the family dynamic HAS changed. But you know What? It's way more real. When the movies were running they were kids. And Cassie had Grace. So now in the tv show they are adults (and teens) and experiencing life. There are too many bad reviews for this show. It's a great creation and I look forward to the next season and the one after that and the one after that. Because this show has taught me so much. It's taught me that we could all use a little magic in our lives sometimes. So give it a shot. You won't be disappointed.

Despite what others may regard this drama to be "too sweet", "too unrealistic", I would like to highlight that What I really like about this drama is that it has lots of "kindness" within the character played by Catherine Bell. More importantly, she has that very "composed" nature that didn't make her go brag about what she could do and come across as someone very humble and modest, not overrated and make it very comfortable for the viewers to watch and follow through. In real life, such personality is very commendable and therefore to me this is rather inspiring in a different way. I also love the sense of "calmness" present throughout the episodes with very soothing background tracks. Even if this is a "spell", this "spell" is "therapeutic". I hope this drama will go on for a few more seasons. Well done! :D