"They knew this was going to take them to retirement, so it was just a happy atmosphere all around," Melissa continued. "People that like to get the work done but who like to have fun."Ī majority of the crew had come from Murder, She Wrote and brought a comfortable familiarity to the Sabrina set. "With the two of us at the helm, we sort of set the tone for a family-friendly, fun atmosphere," Melissa noted. Plus, working with her mom Paula made it a true family on set. "We became a really close-knit group," Melissa said. Oh, and Paula was also pregnant with her seventh child while all this was going on.ĪBC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Sabrina's "Close-Knit" Cast & Crew, On and Off ScreenĪcross seven seasons, Sabrina had the same crew throughout production. "Next thing you know, we're moving to L.A.
"And they were like, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah but let's get the movie out there.'"Īccording to Melissa, her mother singlehandedly "went to L.A., pitched it to five different networks and got offers in the room from three different networks." Ultimately, Paula decided on ABC because of the TGIF time slot. "She kept saying, 'It would be a great TV show, it would be a great TV show,'" Melissa recalled. The movie was sold to Showtime, but Paula "cut together" a trailer to prove that the storyline had series potential.
While Melissa has previously revealed that she and Ryan had a fling while filming, her mother Paula was more focused on creating a lasting legacy for Melissa.
And no, he did not play Harvey! Instead, Ryan was cast as Sabrina's crush Seth, whom she tries to woo with her newfound powers. Yep, Melissa starred alongside Ryan Reynolds for the Sabrina the Teenage Witch movie. Melissa Joan Hart / E! First a Ryan Reynolds Movie, Then a Hit Series