Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: 5 witch shows to watch before it airs

Salem

Janet Montgomery as Mary Sibley, sitting on her throne in an episode Salem. Courtesy of IMDb and WGN.

Salem is a lesser-known gem within the witch genre. It’s a sexy, entertaining, bloody magical adventure. It aired on WGN as their first attempt at a scripted series. For a network most known for airing Matlock reruns, an edgy show about witchcraft was a surprising direction but it paid off. Even during their brief attempt at creating more original dramas, Salem remained one of the highest rated on the network.

It starred Janet Montgomery as Mary Sibley, one of the strongest witches in Salem who hoped to perform one of the most sacred, twisted and dangerous rituals of all time, known as the Grand Rite.

To perform the Grand Rite was to prepare a body to host the Devil and open the Gates of Hell on Earth. It involved thirteen sacrifices, a clock of doom and plenty of depravity.

The third season featured a role for Xena’s Lucy Lawless, who has become somewhat of a cult favorite to horror and sci-fi fans alike (with her most recent horror role being a stint on Ash vs. the Evil Dead). She played Countess Marburg, a former bride of Lucifer, with a sinister agenda of her own.

Another surprising actor who appeared in the third season? Marilyn Manson. The witches on this show were certainly not for the faint of heart..