Sabrina, Down Under
Encyclopedia
Sabrina, Down Under is a 1999 television movie produced for ABC
. It is a sequel to Sabrina Goes to Rome
and is a companion to the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
TV series. The movie features only two characters from the TV series: teenage witch Sabrina Spellman
(played by Melissa Joan Hart
), and talking cat Salem Saberhagen
(voiced by Nick Bakay). Lindsay Sloane
was also a regular actress in the TV series, but in this movie she plays a different character. Tara Strong
reprises her role as Gwen from Sabrina Goes to Rome. As the movie is set in Australia
, none of the scenes are filmed on the original set of the series.
The film was directed by Kenneth R. Koch, who helped to produce Sabrina Goes to Rome. He also directed many episodes of the series and was a prominent producer of the show.
with Gwen, a fellow witch from England
, for a week-long vacation where they try to help protect a hidden mermaid
colony whose habitat is threatened by ocean pollution, and by local marine biologist Dr. Julian Martin, who is determined to find the colony as his claim to fame. While Sabrina finds a friendship with Barnaby, a "merman" from the mermaid colony, Salem the cat finds a possible romance with another witch-turned-into-a-cat named Hilary, but finds Sabrina's problems interfering with his plans. In order to prevent Julian from launching a search for the mermaid colony, she casts a spell to create a storm to keep him in port, which succeeds except that a lightning bolt knocks Sabrina unconscious, and when she comes to she learns she has lost her powers, at least temporarily.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. It is a sequel to Sabrina Goes to Rome
Sabrina Goes to Rome
Sabrina Goes to Rome is a 1998 television movie produced for ABC. The movie is part of the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch TV series and is the first TV movie made for the series. The movie features only two main characters from the series, the protagonist Sabrina Spellman , and other main character...
and is a companion to the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
TV series. The movie features only two characters from the TV series: teenage witch Sabrina Spellman
Sabrina Spellman
Sabrina J. Spellman is the title character—a half-mortal and a half-witch—from the comic book Sabrina, the Teenage Witch which was later adapted in 1969 by Filmation as a segment from The Archie Comedy Hour . The character was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo...
(played by Melissa Joan Hart
Melissa Joan Hart
Melissa Joan Catherine Hart is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman...
), and talking cat Salem Saberhagen
Salem Saberhagen
Salem Saberhagen is a character from the American comic Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, who also appeared in all other adaptations of the original, including the 1969 animated version by Filmation in which Salem is an American Shorthair breed, and has no other name except "Salem". In addition, unlike...
(voiced by Nick Bakay). Lindsay Sloane
Lindsay Sloane
Lindsay Sloane is an American actress. She is known for her role as Big Red in the first Bring It On and as Valerie Birkhead on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch .-Personal life:...
was also a regular actress in the TV series, but in this movie she plays a different character. Tara Strong
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
reprises her role as Gwen from Sabrina Goes to Rome. As the movie is set in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, none of the scenes are filmed on the original set of the series.
The film was directed by Kenneth R. Koch, who helped to produce Sabrina Goes to Rome. He also directed many episodes of the series and was a prominent producer of the show.
Plot
Sabrina travels to Australia's Great Barrier ReefGreat Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
with Gwen, a fellow witch from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, for a week-long vacation where they try to help protect a hidden mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
colony whose habitat is threatened by ocean pollution, and by local marine biologist Dr. Julian Martin, who is determined to find the colony as his claim to fame. While Sabrina finds a friendship with Barnaby, a "merman" from the mermaid colony, Salem the cat finds a possible romance with another witch-turned-into-a-cat named Hilary, but finds Sabrina's problems interfering with his plans. In order to prevent Julian from launching a search for the mermaid colony, she casts a spell to create a storm to keep him in port, which succeeds except that a lightning bolt knocks Sabrina unconscious, and when she comes to she learns she has lost her powers, at least temporarily.
Cast
- Melissa Joan HartMelissa Joan HartMelissa Joan Catherine Hart is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman...
as Sabrina SpellmanSabrina SpellmanSabrina J. Spellman is the title character—a half-mortal and a half-witch—from the comic book Sabrina, the Teenage Witch which was later adapted in 1969 by Filmation as a segment from The Archie Comedy Hour . The character was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo...
, a teenage witch, visiting Australia to discover the Great Barrier ReefGreat Barrier ReefThe Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
, and meet marine biologist Dr. Julian Martin. She discovers merman Barnaby, who she gives legs when she sees that he is ill. - Tara StrongTara StrongTara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
(credited as Tara Charendoff) as Gwen, a British witch whose spells never go the way she plans. She and Sabrina go on holiday to Australia together. Gwen was introduced in Sabrina Goes to Rome. - Scott MichaelsonScott MichaelsonScott Michaelson is an Australian actor and manager who is most famous for playing Brad Willis in Neighbours...
as Barnaby, a merman who turns into human for two days, thanks to Sabrina's help. - Lindsay SloaneLindsay SloaneLindsay Sloane is an American actress. She is known for her role as Big Red in the first Bring It On and as Valerie Birkhead on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch .-Personal life:...
as Fin, Barnaby's beautiful mermaid sister who despises humans. - Nick Bakay as the voice of Salem SaberhagenSalem SaberhagenSalem Saberhagen is a character from the American comic Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, who also appeared in all other adaptations of the original, including the 1969 animated version by Filmation in which Salem is an American Shorthair breed, and has no other name except "Salem". In addition, unlike...
, a 500 year old warlock, sentenced to spend 100 years as a cat as punishment for attempting to take over the world. While on his yearly vacation, he is surprised to find Sabrina there. He quickly falls for Hillary who is also a cat, however the two break up when her sentence is up and she is turned back into a woman. While taking a picture he discovered who had been polluting the ocean. - Peter O'Brien as Dr. Julian Martin, a marine biologist who spends his time protecting the reef.
- Rebecca GibneyRebecca GibneyRebecca Catherine Gibney is a New Zealand born Australian actress.-Biography:Gibney was born the youngest of six children, and brought up in Wellington. She has said she wasn't so much funny as a "bit odd" as a child. "I was a bit like Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family...
as Hilary Hexton, a witch imprisoned in the body of a cat. She begins to date Salem, however when she is turned back into a witch she says goodbye to him. - Conrad ColebyConrad ColebyConrad Julius Coleby is an Australian actor.-Biography:Coleby is the son of actor Robert Coleby and brother of actress Anja Coleby. He attended Somerset College on the Gold Coast, graduating in 1996. In the same year, he played the role of Colonel Juan Perón in the school's production of Evita...
as Jerome, a young boy who attracts Gwen with his charm. He is cute, sweet and funny, but his dialog is sometimes hard to understand. - Ben LawsonBen LawsonBen Lawson is an Australian actor best known for his role as Frazer Yeats in the Australian television series Neighbours....
has a small appearance as an employee of the reside.
Books
As part of the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch book collection, a book titled Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: Sabrina, Down Under is available. The book is written by Ellen Titlebaum. It is unnumbered, as is the first film's book adaptation. The other books in the series are numbered in reading order.Differences between movie and series
- Lindsay Sloane, who played Valerie on the TV show, plays the mermaid Fin in this movie. The fact that the two characters resemble each other greatly is not mentioned (or apparently noticed) by Sabrina.
Music
- The song "Beautiful StrangerBeautiful Stranger"Beautiful Stranger" is a Grammy Award winning dance-pop song written and produced by American singer Madonna and British song-writer and musician William Orbit, drawing heavily on the 1966 song "She Comes in Colors" by Love. "Beautiful Stranger" was written for the film soundtrack Austin Powers:...
" by MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
is heard at the opening credits. - Melissa Joan HartMelissa Joan HartMelissa Joan Catherine Hart is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman...
's cover version of "Octopus's GardenOctopus's Garden"Octopus's Garden" is a song by The Beatles written by Ringo Starr from their 1969 album Abbey Road....
" by The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
can be heard during the underwater scene. - A cover version of "Livin' la Vida LocaLivin' la Vida Loca"Livin' la Vida Loca" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on March 23, 1999 from Martin's self-titled debut English album. The song was composed by Desmond Child and Draco Rosa and topped the charts during 1999...
" by Ricky MartinRicky MartinEnrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
can be heard during the dancing scene.