Worst Witch

The Worst Witch (The Movie)

Based on Jill Murphy's book, this charming movie is set in an English boarding school for witches--complete with orange and black school uniforms, broom-flying exercises, and potion assignments for lab. The incompetent student of the title, Mildred, is played by a fetching young Fairuza Balk. Diana Rigg is the nasty head teacher, Tim Curry the (oddly) idolized Grand Wizard, and TV's Facts of Life maven Charlotte Rae does double duty as the school's kindly dean and her evil witch twin, who's bent on taking over the school. Directed by Robert Young, this 68-minute video features less than state-of-the-art effects and several songs that stop the action--most bizarrely an outdoor assembly performance by Curry that turns into a weird music video. Still, preteen girls will identify with the beleaguered heroine who overcomes her wickedly snooty rival, a teacher who doesn't believe in her, and a band of dastardly witches and, of course, saves the day. (Ages 6 and older) --Kimberly Heinrichs

The Worst Witch Collection - Set 2

Worst Witch - Set 4

Worst Witch. Old Hats and New Brooms.

The Worst Witch - Battle of the Broomsticks

The Worst Witch Collection - Set 1

The Worst Witch set contains seven episodes of the popular TV series. Based on the internationally bestselling books of Jill Murphy that are said to have been an inspiration to J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter books, the 25-minute episodes chronicle the hilarious adventures of would-be witch Mildred Hubble. Aimed at 5- to 11-year-olds, the set starts with Mildred's first day at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, a secondary boarding school that emphasizes discipline and traditional values but that also teaches young girls how to ride broomsticks, chant, and cast spells. Mildred gets off to a flying start when arriving late on her broomstick: she crashes into the school bins. The strong storylines focus mainly on whether Mildred will make the grade as a bona fide witch and her continuing rivalry with snooty Ethel Hallow. Whether Mildred is turning Ethel into a pig or being transformed into a frog, pre-teenagers will relate to the heroine, learning from her the importance of determination, imagination, and friends. There are admirable performances from Georgina Sherrington as Mildred, Kate Duchène as the stern Miss Hardbroom, Clare Coulter as the kindly Headmistress, and the renowned Una Stubbs as the eccentric Miss Bat, who spends school holidays in the cupboard. The stories are not scary, and the special effects are used sparingly but with good results. Particularly spectacular is the image at the start of each episode of students arriving for school on broomsticks. Entertaining, amusing, and captivating, pre-teenagers are in for a real treat! --Tracey Hogan, Amazon.com.uk

The Worst Witch - A Mean Halloween

Worst Witch:Old Hats and New

Worst Witch Collection Set 4

Worst Witch:Up in the Air