If you are looking for a really terrific pre-teen show with a little dash of magic, then The Worst Witch is for you. It is based on the same-named books by Jill Murphy and is set at Miss Cackle's Academy, a school in England for budding witches. Mildred Hubble is a regular girl, living in a regular apartment with her mother. However, Mildred can see Miss Cackles Academy from her window, even though nobody else can!
Then one day a young girl, called Maud, crashes on to her balcony on a broom and Mildred's world changes forever. Maud's broomstick has a magical protection to prevent her from being seen by non-magical people. But Mildred can see her. Which also means that Mildred is magical. When she helps Maud navigate her way to the Academy, she inadvertently takes part in the entrance exam and gets into the school.
But the problem with Mildred, played by Bella Ramsey, is that she is a terrible witch. Mostly because she didn't even know she was a witch so has had zero training. To add to Mildred's woes, her fellow class mate, and all round suck-up, Ethel Hallows, really doesn't like her. She constantly tries to ruin Mildred's chances at succeeding in the school.
No matter how hard Mildred tries, things just always seem to go wrong. Every spell, potion, and lesson end in disaster. Which of course, does not go down well with Deputy Head Mistress Miss Hardbroom. Miss Cackle, however, has a soft spot for Mildred and helps her out a lot, seeing her potential to become a really good witch.
What makes The Worst Witch so compelling is that each episode has its own little story. But they all feed into one larger story which plays out over 12 episodes. I should point out that there are three seasons on Netflix US and only one on Netflix UK. Will Ethel get her way and see Mildred booted out of the Academy? Who is plotting to bring down the academy? Will Mildred ever actually become a good witch?
If you loved shows like Just Add Magic and A Babysitter's Guide To Monster Hunting, you will really enjoy The Worst Witch. It is also perfect for family viewing and equally as entertaining for the grown-ups as the kids. It gets a big thumbs up!
