During the 1990s, ABC’s TGIF lineup was known for its fun and upbeat sitcoms. Shows like Full House, Family Matters, and Boy Meets World were incredibly popular and remain beloved by many today. The strong sense of nostalgia even helped these shows find success again when they were revived years later, proving their enduring appeal.
Shows like Fuller House and Girl Meets World simply recreated the feel of their 1990s originals. But Netflix also offered something very different: a much darker series. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which ran for two seasons and 36 episodes, took the beloved elements of the 1996 sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch and transformed them into a horror-filled, fantastical, and often violent story.
Sabrina Went From Funny to Fearsome on Netflix
Created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and starring Kiernan Shipka, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina didn’t simply update the ’90s show with Melissa Joan Hart. It was a fresh take inspired by the darker 2014 Archie comic book series, also by Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack. Though it had some connections to the original sitcom, this version was a complete reinvention, moving away from the lighthearted tone of both the ’60s Archie comics and the earlier television series.
The show’s charming and quirky aunts, who once guided Sabrina through the challenges of high school, were replaced with Zelda and Hilda, portrayed as devoted witches with their own separate goals and loyalties to a dark power. Salem the Cat, formerly a witty and outspoken companion, became a silent protector, communicating with Sabrina through thoughts and feelings instead of words.
The magic in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is much more serious and unsettling than in previous versions. It’s not used for lighthearted fun or simple life lessons; instead, it’s a powerful and often dangerous force, particularly in the dark rituals practiced by the Church of Night, a Satanic group. This series is definitely not a comedy and wouldn’t have been a good fit for the family-friendly TGIF programming block.
‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ Deserved Better Than 2 Seasons
I was totally hooked on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina when it first came out on Netflix in 2018, so I was really disappointed when it ended so suddenly in 2020. It felt like a lot of storylines were just left hanging, and honestly, the ending wasn’t satisfying for characters I really cared about, like Harvey, Roz, and Theo. Sabrina’s story just didn’t feel complete, which is why I was so glad they brought her over to Riverdale in Season 6 to finally give her a proper goodbye.
The show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was unfortunately cut short in 2020, largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It likely could have lasted a few more years under normal circumstances. Instead, the story continued as a comic book, finishing the ‘Witch War’ storyline that the creator, Aguirre-Sacasa, had begun developing for the series before Netflix canceled it.
Honestly, even though Chilling Adventures of Sabrina felt a little rushed at the end, it’s still such a great show. I easily devoured the whole thing over a couple of weekends. Part of me always wishes we’d gotten more, but I’m just grateful we got it at all, you know? It was a really fun ride.
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2026-02-26 16:17