Honestly, if you grew up watching the TGIF lineup on ABC, the start of Sabrina the Teenage Witch Season 5 felt like a fever dream. One minute Sabrina is navigating the hallways of Westbridge High with Harvey and Valerie, and the next, she’s hauling a laundry basket into a dorm room while a completely new cast of characters stares at her. It wasn't just a new grade. It was a whole new network.
The jump from ABC to The WB in 2000 was a massive deal. ABC was moving away from the family-friendly "TGIF" vibe, and The WB—home to Buffy and Dawson’s Creek—wanted to age the show up.
The Shocking Loss of Harvey Kinkle
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: Nate Richert was basically gone. After four years of "will-they-won't-they" tension, Harvey Kinkle was relegated to a few guest spots. Why? Because the writers decided that since he finally found out Sabrina was a witch at the end of Season 4, their romantic tension was "broken."
It was a risky move. Fans were devastated. Instead of the boy-next-door we all loved, we got Josh (David Lascher), the coffee shop manager with the soul patches and the "cool guy" attitude. While Josh had been around in Season 4, Season 5 pushed him to the forefront as the primary love interest.
The dynamic shifted from high school innocence to "edgy" college life. Sabrina wasn't just hiding her magic from a nosy principal anymore; she was trying to keep her secret from roommates while dealing with professors who didn't care about her "Aunties."
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Meet the New Roommates: Roxie, Morgan, and Miles
The show basically hit the reset button on Sabrina’s social circle.
- Roxie King (Soleil Moon Frye): The cynical, activist roommate who hated everything Sabrina stood for initially.
- Morgan Cavanaugh (Elisa Donovan): The shallow, fashion-obsessed resident advisor who was basically a nicer version of Libby Chessler.
- Miles Goodman (Trevor Lissauer): The conspiracy-theorist geek who was obsessed with urban legends and aliens.
Miles was an interesting addition because he was actually looking for the supernatural. It added a layer of tension that the show hadn't really explored since the early days of Mr. Kraft. If Sabrina sneezed and a toaster turned into a turtle, Miles was the one person who would actually document it for his "paranormal energy detector."
Why the Aunts Were Sidelined
You probably noticed that Hilda and Zelda felt... different. Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick were still there, but they weren't the center of the world anymore.
Since Sabrina moved out of the Victorian house and into the Adams College dorms, the aunts had to find new ways to stay relevant. Hilda bought the coffee house (renaming it "Hilda's Coffee House") and Zelda became a professor at the college. It felt a little forced, didn't it? The show was trying to keep the "guides" nearby while giving Sabrina the "independence" the new network demanded.
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Interestingly, behind the scenes, the move to The WB came with budget constraints. This is a big reason why the cast was rotated so heavily. Keeping the "Aunties" meant less money for big-budget magic effects or high-profile guest stars, which had been a staple of the ABC years.
The Episode That Tackled Bigotry
One of the most nuanced moments of Sabrina the Teenage Witch Season 5 happened in the episode "Some of My Best Friends Are Half-Mortal."
Sabrina starts dating a warlock named Derek, only to find out that his family is incredibly prejudiced against "half-mortals." It was a rare moment where the show used its magical mythology to comment on real-world social issues. For a sitcom that usually focused on giant pancakes or turning people into goats, this was surprisingly heavy.
It showed that the "Other Realm" wasn't just a place of fun and games; it had its own systemic issues. This "edginess" was exactly what The WB wanted. They were trying to capture the Charmed audience—viewers who wanted magic but with a side of relationship drama and social commentary.
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Ratings and the Long-Term Impact
Was the transition successful? Kind of.
The ratings took a hit. On ABC, Sabrina was a powerhouse, often pulling in over 10 million viewers. By the time it settled in on The WB, those numbers dipped significantly. However, it was still one of the highest-rated shows on that specific network.
The "College Years" are often polarizing for fans. Some love the maturity and the new characters, while others miss the cozy, magical chaos of the Spellman household. But looking back in 2026, Season 5 stands as a masterclass in how a show attempts to "pivot" to survive.
What You Should Do Next
If you're planning a rewatch or just diving into the lore, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch for the subtle shifts in Salem: In Season 5, Salem’s humor becomes a bit more "adult." Pay attention to his dialogue; the writers definitely took advantage of the network move to give him snarkier, more cynical lines.
- Compare the "Magic" levels: Notice how the spells in Season 5 are often smaller or more personal. Because Sabrina is trying to be an independent adult, she uses magic as a shortcut for chores or social awkwardness rather than for saving the world.
- Track the Harvey cameos: Even though he’s not a regular, his few appearances in Season 5 set the stage for his eventual return as a series regular in Season 6. It’s a slow-burn redemption arc that pays off if you're looking for it.
Season 5 wasn't just a continuation of a sitcom; it was the birth of a second era for the teenage witch. Whether you're Team Harvey or Team Josh, you can't deny that the move to college changed the DNA of the show forever.
Expert Insight: If you're looking to stream the series today, keep an eye on the music. Due to licensing issues, many of the original pop hits that aired during the 2000-2001 season have been replaced with generic instrumental tracks on certain streaming platforms. To get the true "WB vibe," you might need to track down the original DVD sets.